Shaun of the Shed
Accessible Media Inc.
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Shaun of the Shed gives those new to the world of technology a helping hand with everything from using a screen reader or smart speakers to unboxing and starting up a new computer.
Host Shaun Preece is an audio producer from Manchester who has a real passion for technology. Despite being born with a visual impairment, Shaun's sight has worsened over the years and as such he has depended more on assistive technology.
You can also hear Shaun on AMI's Double Tap podcast, airing weekly at noon Eastern on AMI-audio or download it from your favourite podcast platform.
About AMI
AMI is a not-for-profit media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. Operating three broadcast services, AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French, AMI’s vision is to establish and support a voice for Canadians with disabilities, representing their interests, concerns and values through inclusion, representation, accessible media, reflection, representation and portrayal.
Learn more at AMI.ca
Connect on Twitter @AccessibleMedia
On Instagram @accessiblemediainc
On Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
Email feedback@ami.ca
Available episodes
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Feb 15, 2023
Unlocking the Power of Audio Description
In this episode of Shaun of the Shed, Shaun introduces us to the concept of audio description and explains how it enables blind or visually impaired individuals to watch TV shows and movies.
He gives an example of how audio description works and demonstrates how to turn it on on various devices. Shaun also explains that while the big players in streaming media take notice of the universal audio description option, not every app does, and he provides tips for finding and turning on audio description for other apps.
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Jan 15, 2023
Unlocking the Power of Reading with Microsoft's Seeing AI: A Guide for Low Vision Users
In this episode, we'll be exploring the Microsoft app Seeing AI and how it can help people with low vision to read text, recognize objects and even identify people.
Seeing AI uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to process visual information, making it a powerful tool for those who have difficulty seeing. We'll show you how to set up and use the app, including how to customize settings to suit your needs. Whether you're looking to read a menu at a restaurant or identify a friend in a crowd, Seeing AI is an easy-to-use and accessible solution for those with low vision. Don't miss this informative video and see for yourself how Seeing AI can change your life.
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Dec 15, 2022
Smart Speakers
On this edition of Shaun of the Shed, host Shaun Preece guides you through getting started with smart speakers. Then, Shaun demonstrates five uses for smart speakers, including navigating your smart home with just your voice.
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Nov 15, 2022
Starting a Smart Home. Setting Up An Amazon Smart Plug.
Welcome back to Shaun of the Shed! Today we're going to take the first step in making this dumb old shed a shiny new smart shed. In this episode, I'll be showing you how easy and quick it is to set up a smart plug, which allows you to remotely control any device plugged into it.
I'm using the Amazon Echo Smart Plug, but the steps involved in it setting up are very similar no matter which brand of smart plug you have.
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Oct 15, 2022
Smart Sunglasses
Following a question from a listener, I'll be taking a look and listen to the Anker Soundcore Frames, a pair of sunglasses with speakers built into the arms. Why would you choose audio sunglasses over regular headphones or ear buds? Watch the video to find out.
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Oct 12, 2022
Coming October 15: Shaun of the Shed
Coming October 15th, Shaun of the Shed gets its new home here! And, on YouTube!
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Aug 15, 2022
Episode 11 - The Jaws Screen Reader Part 2 - The Startup Wizard
"Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand then look no further.
Following up from the previous episode, we are going to take a look at the startup wizard for JAWS. It's an automatic process that allows you to customise your JAWS experience by adjusting settings such as voice rate and verbosity, Braille settings and more.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me: feedback@ami.ca"
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Jul 15, 2022
Episode 10 - The Jaws Screen Reader
Below are the timestamps for the topics covered.
(3:50) - The Price of JAWS
(7:14) - Downloading JAWS
(13:17) - Installing JAWS
(15:56) - Some basics and where to get help"
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Jun 15, 2022
Episode 9 - Making Calls on a Smartphone
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand then look no further. If you are new to smartphones the whole "no buttons" touch screen concept can be difficult to grasp. A listener of the show recently told me of someone that had just bought their first smartphone and had concerns regarding making phone calls when their new phone didn't have the physical numeric keypad as his old phone did. This episode is especially for that listener and anyone else with similar worries or concerns. I'll be showing you how to use the phone app, how to make calls, how to answer calls, and explaining the difference between normal phone calls and VOIP calls. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me: feedback@ami.ca Below are the timestamps for the topics covered. (3:33) The Phone App (13:11) Making a Call (20:07) Answering Calls & VOIP
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May 24, 2022
Episode 8 - Computers: The NVDA Screen Reader
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand then look no further. So far in this series, I have only shown you the free, built-in screen reader called Narrator. However, there are other screen reader options to choose from. In this episode, we are going to take a look at one of the most popular third party screen readers out there. It's the one that I personally use on all my Windows computers as it's very easy to use, powerful and, best of all, free! We'll download the NVDA software from the Internet, install it on a new laptop and then go through the basics of how to use it. And there might also be a bit of a sing-song too... If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me: feedback@ami.ca Below are the timestamps for the topics covered. (3:33) Why Use Another Screen Reader? (7:15) Where to get NVDA (13:32) Installing NVDA on your computer (28:46) The Basics of NVDA (38:41) The Synth Ring
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Apr 27, 2022
Episode 7 - Computers: The Narrator Screen Reader
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand then look no further.
In the last episode of Shaun of the Shed, we walked through the process of setting up a brand-new Windows computer out of the box. And all without sighted assistance.
In this episode, we are going to take the next step and learn how to use the built-in Windows screen reader called Narrator. We'll learn how to enable it and go through all the concepts and commands you will need to get you started with using Windows.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me: feedback@ami.ca
Below are the timestamps for the topics covered.
(3:53) Turning on Narrator
(5:15) Narrator Home
(9:32) The Narrator Key
(11:08) Input Learning Mode
(16:23) Scan Mode
(20:53) Browsing the Web
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Mar 16, 2022
Episode 6 - Computers: Let's Set Up Windows
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand then look no further. Are today's computers truly accessible out of the box? Just how easy is it to set up a new Windows computer when you're blind or visually impaired? Well, that's exactly what we're going to find out in this episode! I'll be unboxing a brand-new Windows laptop and, firstly, trying to figure out how to turn the thing on and, secondly, I'll show you how to turn on the built-in screen reader and go step-by-step through the Windows setup process. Can it really be done without sighted assistance? Let's dive in and find out! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me: feedback@ami.ca Below are the timestamps for the topics covered. (1:44) Unboxing the Samsung GalaxyBook Pro 360 laptop. (6:33) Turning on the Narrator screen reader. (10:44) The…
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Feb 16, 2022
Episode 5 - Be My Eyes & Aira
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin. If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand then look no further. Whenever I find myself needing some sort of assistance, such as reading some text or finding some misplaced object, there is a certain phrase I've got into the habit of shouting to my family: "Can I borrow some eyes..." No matter how independent you are, there will be times where you wish you could just pull out a working pair of eyes from your pocket. In this episode of Shaun of the Shed, I'll show you two smartphone apps that allow you to do exactly that. They are available for both Android and iPhone, very easy to use and incredibly useful for us as blind or partially sighted people. Using your smartphone and these apps, you can connect to a real life person who is able to see whatever you're pointing your phone at and can assist you with whatever problem you…
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Jan 10, 2022
Episode 4 - Apps
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin! If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand, then look no further.
In this episode, I'll be showing you exactly what makes smartphones so exciting: It's all about the apps. Apps can help you with so many things, from mobility to shopping, reading, entertainment, and probably anything else you can think of. I'll be showing you how to search for and download apps for both iPhone and Android, and giving you some suggestions on apps that will make your life easier!
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me: feedback@ami.ca
Below are the timestamps for the topics covered.
(4:03) - Installing apps on the iPhone
(9:28) - Installing apps on an Android device
(13:01) - App suggestions
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Nov 15, 2021
Episode 3 - Computers Basics
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand, look no further. In recent years, the once futuristic computer has been somewhat overshadowed, and even replaced in some cases, by younger, shinier gadgets such as smart phones, tablets and smart speakers. But, there's no denying that when it comes to the office, the computer is still king. Being able to use a computer is an essential skill that virtually everybody needs when it comes to the workplace and education. In this episode, I'll be explaining the basics of how we can use computers as blind and visually impaired people. If you've never used a computer before or if you have recently experienced sight loss and are wondering how you can continue to use one, this is the episode for you. I'll be covering such topics as how we can navigate around a computer without the need for…
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Oct 15, 2021
Episode 2 - Smart Speakers
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand, then look no further. In this episode, we're going to take a look at my favourite gadget. It's incredibly accessible, affordable and a must-have if you're blind or visually impaired. Say hello to smart speakers! To start off, I'll explain what it means when something is referred to as being "smart" and then show you just how easy it is to use a smart speaker. It's then on to demonstrations of some of the amazing things they can do, concentrating on entertainment, information and how a smart speaker can control other devices Finally, I wrap up with a look at what options are available when it comes to buying a smart speaker and letting you know how easy they are to set up.
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Sep 15, 2021
Episode 1 - Smartphones
Welcome to Shaun of the Shed. There's no denying that technology can be confusing. Just knowing where to start can make your head spin... If you're new to the world of tech and are looking for a helping hand then look no further. In this episode, I'll be introducing you to a technology that, in my opinion, is an essential tool if you are blind or visually impaired. The smartphone. A smartphone can help with so many things from reading documents, staying in touch with friends and family, shopping, banking, accessing sighted help when you need it and so much more. But how can we possibly use a smartphone when we can't see the screen? Well, I'm glad you asked. In this episode, I'll be unboxing both an Android smartphone & an Apple iPhone and talking you through not only the physical design and layout but also how to turn on accessibility and how to start using them. All without the need for sighted assistance. If you have any comments or questions for me then please feel free to email fee…
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