In this episode of the AccessWorld podcast, hosts Tony and Aaron catch up with Ayan Kishore at the recent AFB Leadership Conference. Ayan is president and CEO of Benetech, a leader in accessible media for people with disabilities. Providers for the popular BookShare service, Ayan shares what's new for Benetech in 2026.

Be sure to like and subscribe to Accessworld via your favorite podcast app and check out the quarterly e-zine at www.afb.org/aw for the latest issue and over 25 years of back issues from AFB's leading publication on digital inclusion and accessibility.

Aaron Preece is editor-in-chief of AccessWorld and Tony Stephens leads communications for the American Foundation for the Blind. To access past episodes and transcripts, visit the podcast page here.

To learn more about AFB and to support our work creating a world of endless possibilities for people who are blind or have low vision, visit our website at www.afb.org.

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The AccessWorld podcast is an extension of AccessWorld Magazine, a quarterly publication from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). Published each quarter, AccessWorld Magazine offers news and reviews encompassing digital inclusion and accessibility. AccessWorld celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and we’re excited to share all of our back issues online free for readers. Visit www.afb.org/aw for the latest issues and to access our archives online.

Aaron Preece serves as editor-in-chief of AccessWorld, and Tony Stephensleads communications for AFB. Together, they enjoy meeting up each month to discuss the latest happenings around accessibility. Visit the AFB website to learn more about our exciting work like our groundbreaking research on the impact of AI for people with disabilities. And consider making a tax-deductible donation to help support this podcast and all of our work at AFB. Your support helps us create a world of endless possibilities for people who are blind or have low vision.

The AccessWorld podcast is produced and edited by Tony Stephens at the Pickle Factory in Baltimore, Maryland with digital media support from Kelly Gasque and Breanna Kerr. Theme music is by CauseMonkey, compliments of ArtList.IO, and the podcast is proudly hosted on PineCast. Transcripts are available through Apple Podcast, and AFB provides additional transcripts on the podcast page shortly after each episode drops..

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

In this month’s episode of AccessWorld, a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility, Aaron and Tony kick it old school by reflecting on the impact of one of the first real breakthroughs in mobility and independence, the guide dog. September is Guide Dog Awareness Month, and while these friendly furry helpers are more organic than robotic, the same spirit and undercurrent around mobility and navigation is surfacing again much in the way it did almost a century ago when Morris Frank, a blind insurance salesman, helped found The Seeing Eye, the first guide dog school in the western hemisphere. It all started after he read an article in The Saturday Evening Post titled: “The seeing eye.” Harnessing the spirit people had after reading that article, Tony and Aaron try to think what the next big thing might be for independence. AccessWorld is a production of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). An extension of AccessWorld Magazine, a quarterly publication on digital inclusion and accessibility from AFB, you can check out the current and all 25 years of past issues online for free.

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.