Latest / Podcasts By Donna Jodhan / Remarkable World Commentary Episode #82: Interview with Bob Branco, Author, Writer and Publisher

Transcript

Remarkable World Commentary Episode #82: Interview with Bob Branco, Author, Writer and Publisher · Podcasts By Donna Jodhan

• 0:00
  Advertisement: This podcast brought to you by Pneuma Solutions.
• 0:04
  I can't see it. ADA Title II has a real compliance deadline. April 2026. Public
• 0:06
  entities are required to make their digital content accessible, including websites, PDFs,
• 0:06
  reports, applications, and public records. If a document cannot be
• 0:06
  read with a screen reader, it is not compliant and if it is not
• 0:06
  compliant, blind people are still being denied equal access. For a clear explanation
• 0:06
  of what the rule requires, visit www.title2.info. It's one of the
• 0:06
  leading resources explaining what agencies must do and when. This message is brought to
• 0:06
  you by Pneuma Solutions, we have remediated hundreds of thousands of
• 0:06
  pages in days, not months or years, aligned with WCAG 2 AA guidelines at a
• 0:06
  fraction of traditional costs. Accessibility isn't a privilege, it's a right. Now that you
• 0:06
  know, ask your agencies a simple question, are your documents actually accessible?
• 1:21
  Podcast Commentator: Greetings, Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP and MBA,
• 1:28
  invites you to listen to her biweekly podcast,
• 1:30
  Remarkable World Commentary.
• 1:33
  Here, Donna shares some of her innermost thoughts,
• 1:36
  insights, perspectives, and more with her listeners.
• 1:40
  Donna focuses on topics that directly affect the future of kids,
• 1:44
  especially kids with disabilities.
• 1:47
  Donna is a blind advocate, author, sight loss coach,
• 1:51
  dinner mystery producer, writer, entrepreneur,
• 1:54
  law graduate, and podcast commentator.
• 1:58
  She has decades of lived experiences, knowledge,
• 2:02
  skills and expertise in access, technology and information.
• 2:07
  As someone who has been internationally recognized for her work and roles,
• 2:11
  she just wants to make things better than possible.
• 2:15
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Remarkable World Commentary.
• 2:22
  I'm Donna J. Jodhan, a lifelong disability advocate and one who sees the world mainly
• 2:30
  through sound, touch and a stubborn optimism.
• 2:35
  I am a law graduate and accessibility consultant and author,
• 2:40
  Lifelong barrier buster, who also happens to be blind.
• 2:46
  You may know me from a few headline moments, as in November 2010,
• 2:52
  I won the landmark charter case that forced the Canadian government to make its websites
• 2:59
  accessible to every Canadian, not just to cited ones.
• 3:05
  And in July of 2019, I co-led the Accessible Canada Act with more than two dozen
• 3:13
  disability groups to turn equal access into federal law.
• 3:21
  And most recently, on June 3rd, 2022, I was greatly humbled by Her Late
• 3:29
  Majesty. S Platinum Jubilee Award for tireless commitment to removing barriers.
• 3:37
  When I'm not in a courtroom or a committee room or a pottery studio,
• 3:44
  you'll find me teaching kids with vision loss,
• 3:48
  producing audio mysteries, or helping tech companies to make their
• 3:54
  gadgets talk back in plain language.
• 3:58
  Everything I do circles one goal to turn accessibility from an afterthought into
• 4:05
  everyday practice. I invite you now to think of this show as your shared workbench,
• 4:13
  where policy meets lived experience and lived experience sparks fresh ideas.
• 4:21
  Now, before we jump into today's conversation,
• 4:25
  let me shine a quick spotlight on today's guest,
• 4:30
  a change maker whose work is as every bit as remarkable as the world that we are trying to
• 4:38
  change. Bob Branco I am pleased, I am delighted.
• 4:44
  I am honored to have you on my podcast.
• 4:47
  Welcome.
• 4:48
  Bob Branco: Well, it's it's a thank you, Donna.
• 4:50
  It's a pleasure to be on this program.
• 4:53
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Good. So, Bob, I don't know when was when was it that we first met?
• 5:00
  Probably a few years ago.
• 5:02
  Right.
• 5:03
  Bob Branco: I believe it was about 2 or 3 years ago.
• 5:06
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right.
• 5:06
  Bob Branco: I first heard about you.
• 5:08
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: And you approached me.
• 5:09
  I have been on your podcast a few times.
• 5:13
  Now it's time for me to have you on my podcast.
• 5:17
  And I've been following you admiring the guests that you've had on your podcast.
• 5:23
  So let's start at the beginning, Bob.
• 5:27
  I love to begin at the beginning for listeners who are just getting to know you,
• 5:36
  how would you describe your early life in New Bedford and the path that has led you to
• 5:45
  Perkins School for the blind?
• 5:48
  Bob Branco: I was born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
• 5:53
  At one time in my life I had sight.
• 5:57
  I was always legally blind.
• 5:59
  But when I was younger, I was able to see.
• 6:03
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 6:04
  Bob Branco: Be that as it may, I spent the first several years of my schooling in a sight saving
• 6:11
  class. Now, what that means is I was in a room with several other children who had
• 6:18
  vision problems. There weren't that many of us in the class,
• 6:22
  so the teacher gave us a lot more attention than she normally would have had we been a
• 6:27
  normal class size.
• 6:29
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 6:30
  Bob Branco: After grade four, it was determined that I should go to Perkins School for the blind.
• 6:37
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Oh, okay.
• 6:38
  Bob Branco: I believe the state insisted that I go because I remember my parents were upset at
• 6:43
  the time. I don't believe it was my parents who thought of the idea.
• 6:47
  I think the state came to them and said, there's not much more we can do for Bob in
• 6:52
  New Bedford, so he needs to go to a private school for the blind and where Perkins is
• 6:57
  located in Massachusetts.
• 6:59
  I suppose that was a fair compromise.
• 7:01
  I would get to go home on weekends and be with my family then,
• 7:05
  and live at the school and learn what I needed to learn until I graduated from
• 7:11
  Perkins.
• 7:12
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Wow. So as someone who knows how deeply our early
• 7:21
  experiences shape us, I'd love to ask this question.
• 7:27
  When you look back on your years at Perkins, what moments most helped to form your
• 7:36
  confidence, your identity, and your sense of what was possible as a
• 7:42
  blind person?
• 7:45
  Bob Branco: I think the best way for me to answer that question is to simply say,
• 7:48
  as I learned new things and realized that I could do them well,
• 7:54
  it helped me gain more confidence in myself.
• 7:56
  Here's a good example.
• 7:58
  Orientation and mobility.
• 8:01
  Right? Not only did I learn how to use a cane at Perkins,
• 8:05
  but I learned how to cross streets.
• 8:07
  I learned how to tell when the parallel traffic was coming.
• 8:11
  When the perpendicular traffic was coming at a main street.
• 8:15
  I learned how to use the audible traffic signals because in Watertown,
• 8:19
  Massachusetts, there were audible traffic signals that you used to cross the busy
• 8:24
  streets.
• 8:25
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right?
• 8:25
  Bob Branco: But but as I continued to learn mobility, I recognized that the techniques I learned
• 8:35
  really had nothing to do with whether there was an audible signal,
• 8:38
  because there would not always be an audible traffic signal whenever I crossed the street.
• 8:43
  Okay. So what I learned was to not cross the street unless the parallel traffic started,
• 8:52
  because when the parallel.
• 8:54
  I'm sorry. When the parallel traffic stopped.
• 8:57
  Advertisement: Yeah.
• 8:59
  Bob Branco: Or. Okay, I'm trying to think what it was.
• 9:01
  Anyway, I learned the technique back in the day,
• 9:05
  so I learned when to cross and when not to cross,
• 9:08
  even without an audible traffic signal.
• 9:11
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Okay. Any experiences that stick out in your mind during that time of your life that
• 9:20
  you know, were you scared?
• 9:23
  Were you you said I, I know I can cross the street.
• 9:27
  Was there any moment that stuck out in your mind during that time?
• 9:33
  Bob Branco: Not that I can think of at the moment, I'm sure.
• 9:35
  Like with anything else, some things that we learn were not afraid of.
• 9:41
  While other things that we learn we can be afraid of to a point.
• 9:47
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Are you one of those who gets nervous quickly?
• 9:52
  Or you say I'm, I'm going to catch this and I'm going to deal with it.
• 9:58
  Bob Branco: I think it depends on the circumstance.
• 10:00
  If there are things that I know I can handle,
• 10:03
  I'm able to pass the test, so to speak, without being nervous about it.
• 10:08
  There are some things that I learned at school that I was afraid.
• 10:13
  As a matter of fact, one of them was swimming.
• 10:16
  I was I was very fearful of being in the water,
• 10:20
  especially the deep end.
• 10:22
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Tell us why.
• 10:23
  Bob Branco: In a sense, I was petrified.
• 10:26
  But as I learned more and more about the techniques involved with swimming,
• 10:33
  I was a little bit more confident in myself, despite my fears.
• 10:39
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Is it because you didn't have vision or is it because it was you,
• 10:44
  Bob? The person.
• 10:46
  Bob Branco: It was me, Bob the person.
• 10:47
  It had nothing to do with what little vision I had at the time.
• 10:51
  I suppose you could get up to maybe perhaps being inexperienced or maybe a fear of the
• 11:00
  unknown, so to speak.
• 11:02
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right. So you're saying it was mainly you?
• 11:09
  Bob Branco: Yes.
• 11:10
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 11:10
  Bob Branco: Exactly.
• 11:11
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. I'm especially interested in the foundations of independence.
• 11:18
  How important were Braille, adaptive skills and the discipline of
• 11:26
  learning to do things for yourself in shaping everything that came later in your life and
• 11:34
  career?
• 11:36
  Bob Branco: Very, very important. Everything was significant at the time.
• 11:40
  Obviously, the fact that I knew Braille helped me to be independent when I read.
• 11:45
  When I read books. Because back then, Braille was one of the more primary resources
• 11:51
  for a blind person. Today, there are many other alternatives.
• 11:54
  Obviously, because of all the adaptive technology that's out there.
• 11:57
  When I was at Perkins, there wasn't as much adaptive technology as
• 12:02
  there is today. There were a couple of things,
• 12:05
  but it wasn't anywhere near what it is now.
• 12:11
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Do you think that Braille is still very important in your life,
• 12:14
  and more so should we still be promoting Braille?
• 12:19
  Bob Branco: Braille is just as important in my life today as it was back then.
• 12:24
  And I wish it was just as important for everybody else with a vision impairment.
• 12:28
  Some people don't use it as much as I do.
• 12:32
  There might even be some blind people who don't use it at all.
• 12:35
  And as I said, you've got all this adaptive technology now,
• 12:39
  speech devices and talking devices and all the other things that Braille may not be as
• 12:45
  necessary for some people as it is for others.
• 12:49
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So you're saying it is still very necessary for you?
• 12:54
  Bob Branco: I'd like to think so, yes, I depend on it as much today as I did
• 12:58
  back then.
• 12:59
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Give us some examples of how you use Braille.
• 13:04
  Bob Branco: I use Braille to take notes for myself to help me remember things.
• 13:09
  Or if I happen to correspond with somebody who's blind,
• 13:13
  I would like to write them a Braille letter, particularly if they don't have email,
• 13:17
  because I do a lot of emailing as it is.
• 13:20
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right.
• 13:20
  Bob Branco: But if I wanted to write a letter or mail a letter out to somebody,
• 13:25
  I have no problem writing it in Braille because that's what I'm used to doing.
• 13:31
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 13:32
  Bob Branco: In fact, I learned Braille before I went to Perkins.
• 13:34
  I learned Braille in second grade during my time at the sight saving class.
• 13:39
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Okay.
• 13:40
  Bob Branco: I already knew Braille when I arrived at Perkins.
• 13:43
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay, so what are the mechanisms you use for when when you interact with Braille,
• 13:50
  do you use a Perkins Brailler?
• 13:51
  Do you use a pocket slate?
• 13:53
  What do you use?
• 13:55
  Bob Branco: I learned the Perkins Brailler and I also learned the slate stylus.
• 14:00
  I found that the slate and stylus were very, very tricky for me because you had to do
• 14:05
  things backwards. Right, right.
• 14:08
  Those of you who know the slate and stylus might know what I'm talking about when I say
• 14:12
  that. So I gradually stopped using the slate and stylus.
• 14:17
  If I had to use it today, I could.
• 14:20
  But I find that a lot slower and a little more inconvenient.
• 14:23
  So yes, I use the Perkins Brailler.
• 14:25
  Even today I've been using the Perkins Brailler now for 61 years.
• 14:32
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. And you, you know, you use Braille a lot.
• 14:40
  Give us some examples as to other examples as to how you use Braille in addition to writing
• 14:44
  and stuff like that. Do you have a Braille display?
• 14:49
  Bob Branco: I do not use a Braille display.
• 14:52
  Okay. I've heard about them.
• 14:53
  I know people who use them.
• 14:54
  I might have used them a few times myself just to try them out.
• 14:58
  But the Braille displays are not items that I really gotten myself attached to.
• 15:05
  Not really.
• 15:06
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So you still read books in Braille?
• 15:11
  Bob Branco: Yes I do. And a lot of bills and sports schedules and things that I ask for,
• 15:19
  even things that I don't ask for.
• 15:21
  I get in the mail and they're in Braille.
• 15:26
  There are accessible features where blind people can access their phone bills their
• 15:35
  baseball schedules, their basketball schedules.
• 15:39
  There are organizations that provide that material in accessible format for blind
• 15:43
  people who are interested in getting them.
• 15:47
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: What about Braille crossword puzzles?
• 15:49
  Do you know? Do you know anything about that,
• 15:52
  or do you use them?
• 15:54
  Bob Branco: I think I used Braille crossword puzzles maybe way back in the day.
• 16:03
  I seem to recall doing it once or twice.
• 16:06
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right.
• 16:07
  Bob Branco: I have used a Braille Scrabble game.
• 16:09
  I played Braille Scrabble on several occasions.
• 16:13
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 16:14
  Bob Branco: Braille bingo. I have a checkerboard that blind people use.
• 16:20
  It's not necessarily in Braille, but it's designed for blind people and has
• 16:24
  the necessary features for a blind person to navigate checkers.
• 16:29
  So I use that a lot, too.
• 16:32
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So you still play checkers?
• 16:35
  Stuff like that.
• 16:36
  Bob Branco: I do.
• 16:37
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Dominoes.
• 16:40
  Bob Branco: I have played dominoes occasionally.
• 16:42
  Yes, I don't play them today, but I have played them in the past.
• 16:47
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. All right. So you later wrote a book called My Home Away from Home
• 16:58
  about your time at Perkins?
• 17:01
  Bob Branco: That's correct.
• 17:02
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: What moved you to tell that story, and what did you most want blind and sighted
• 17:08
  readers to understand about growing up, learning,
• 17:13
  and finding your place in the world?
• 17:17
  Bob Branco: What drove me to write the book about Perkins was the fact that I loved talking to people
• 17:22
  about my time at Perkins.
• 17:24
  I love sharing memories of my time at Perkins.
• 17:27
  So one day I said, you know what?
• 17:30
  Maybe I should put all of this down on paper.
• 17:33
  So I did.
• 17:36
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. And how long were you at Perkins?
• 17:40
  Bob Branco: I was at Perkins for eight years.
• 17:43
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 17:43
  Bob Branco: And in answer to your second question.
• 17:46
  I was hoping that my story would somehow relate well to other blind people who may or
• 17:53
  may not have had my experiences.
• 17:57
  Maybe it was a form of education in a way, to teach them how I could handle a school for
• 18:02
  the blind, in case some of the blind people who read my book or knew about my book would
• 18:07
  not necessarily know what it's like.
• 18:12
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: You still think that Perkins is an important part for anyone who has the opportunity to go
• 18:19
  there?
• 18:20
  Bob Branco: Perkins has changed, Donna.
• 18:22
  It's not the same school as it was when I left.
• 18:24
  It has evolved into a different kind of an environment.
• 18:28
  It now services Multi-handicapped kids.
• 18:32
  Many people with the desire to go to college.
• 18:36
  Now, who are blind are now being mainstreamed in public schools thanks to legislation that
• 18:42
  allowed that to happen back in the day.
• 18:46
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So it has undergone a lot of changes since you were there.
• 18:50
  Bob Branco: Yes it has.
• 18:54
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. So your writing has such an honest and direct quality to it.
• 19:02
  What did you when did you first realize that your personal experiences with blindness
• 19:10
  could become a form of public education and advocacy?
• 19:17
  Bob Branco: That's hard to say, because I'd like to think that I've been an advocate for a long,
• 19:21
  long time. I was advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities when I was in
• 19:26
  college back in the early 80s.
• 19:29
  So I think I was an advocate for at least 40 years.
• 19:35
  However, there was a time when I decided to write just to share my experiences with the
• 19:41
  public. Now there's another book that I wrote in relation to what you're talking about
• 19:46
  called as I See It From A Blind Man's Perspective.
• 19:49
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right.
• 19:50
  Bob Branco: Which was a book about how I perceive blindness and what it meant to me personally.
• 19:59
  But in the book, there was some education about blindness in general and about how it's
• 20:07
  dealt with by most of us, not just about me.
• 20:13
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So do you think that advocacy is a combination of writing and speaking and doing
• 20:21
  other things, or is it just mainly one aspect?
• 20:25
  Bob Branco: Oh, I think you're right. I think advocacy involves communication.
• 20:31
  Networking, sticking up for oneself or sticking up for,
• 20:37
  you know, colleagues or fellow blind people or,
• 20:40
  or whoever you're advocating for.
• 20:44
  I think it's a combination of a lot of things.
• 20:47
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Okay. So in books like as I see it and the
• 20:56
  Waiting Things Up series, you've written about blindness,
• 21:04
  technology, employment, bureaucracy, and everything else about life.
• 21:12
  As you look across the years, which barriers have changed the most and
• 21:19
  which ones have.
• 21:21
  Screen Reader: Left buried.
• 21:22
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Have been far too stubborn?
• 21:28
  Bob Branco: Oh, okay. That's a broad question.
• 21:30
  I would say I would say that society has progressed in many areas,
• 21:36
  while in other areas I question it.
• 21:40
  Now I can get more specific if you would like,
• 21:42
  but that would be the summary of of my answer to that question.
• 21:46
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Get more specific. Let's hear from you.
• 21:49
  Bob Branco: Okay. Technology is fine, but sometimes I think it's being taken for
• 21:56
  granted.
• 21:57
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 21:59
  Bob Branco: Because take the field of customer service, for example.
• 22:03
  I want to talk to human beings on the phone.
• 22:07
  When I ask for service.
• 22:08
  I don't want to be dealing with constant automation all the time.
• 22:12
  I would rather speak with people who sympathize and empathize and want to help
• 22:16
  other people. I know that I would like to be that kind of a person helping other people.
• 22:21
  I do it all the time, right?
• 22:23
  But to to reach automation and press one for this and press two for that.
• 22:29
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yes.
• 22:30
  Bob Branco: Press three if you have to go to the bathroom.
• 22:32
  I mean, I'm exaggerating, but you get what I'm saying.
• 22:35
  Yep. That is so inhumane.
• 22:37
  I understand that it's fascinating.
• 22:40
  I love technology myself.
• 22:42
  I just don't feel that I want to take it for granted.
• 22:45
  I mean, technology is very convenient for me.
• 22:48
  Without it, I might not have been able to write all the books that I've written. Right,
• 22:52
  right. But a good example of what you're asking me about would be customer service.
• 23:00
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: How would you change that, though?
• 23:04
  Bob Branco: I don't know if I could change it.
• 23:06
  I could come up with ideas on how it could be changed.
• 23:11
  I think there should be an incentive for more and more people to continue working at the
• 23:16
  phones. Without people like me and you, depending on automation to get the answers
• 23:22
  that we need. I'm not really sure as to why the human component of
• 23:32
  customer services is gradually being placed in the background.
• 23:38
  I suppose technology has a lot to do with it because,
• 23:41
  as I said, people love technology.
• 23:44
  People want to use it as much as possible, so they incorporate it in their workplaces as
• 23:49
  much as possible.
• 23:52
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Would you say then that technology has taken away the human touch in many ways,
• 23:57
  and how has this affected blind and visually impaired people?
• 24:03
  Bob Branco: In some ways, technology has replaced the human touch.
• 24:08
  I'm not saying that there is no human touch.
• 24:10
  There certainly is. I appreciate the fact that there still is.
• 24:14
  But if you're talking about how technology has replaced it,
• 24:18
  I think to some degree, not always, but to some degree it has
• 24:24
  replaced what should be constant human touch.
• 24:31
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Is that a barrier for blind and visually impaired people, do you think?
• 24:34
  Bob Branco: I don't know if it's a barrier for just the blind and visually impaired.
• 24:38
  It may be a barrier for everyone.
• 24:40
  Sighted or blind. Because we're talking about human touch versus non-human touch.
• 24:48
  Right. And sighted people as well as blind people,
• 24:51
  I think would benefit from that because everybody's a human being.
• 24:54
  We all ask the same questions.
• 24:56
  We all, to some degree, need the same services,
• 25:00
  whether it's about medical needs, whether it's about Social Security needs,
• 25:05
  whether it's about buying something in a store.
• 25:09
  I mean, now we've got self-checkout machines at stores,
• 25:12
  which I particularly don't care for.
• 25:14
  I would rather be serviced by a human being to make sure that the price is right,
• 25:19
  that I paid the right amount of money.
• 25:21
  I don't want to depend on automation to help me you figure out if I spent the right amount
• 25:25
  of money. What if. What if automation made a mistake and all of a sudden I.
• 25:31
  I got the shaft and I, I was the recipient of an error.
• 25:36
  I know somebody would argue with me that human beings make mistakes too.
• 25:41
  Yes, but human beings have the time to consult and figure it out.
• 25:46
  And. And maybe they can get help from somebody who would make them realize they
• 25:50
  made a mistake. How can you realize when automation made a mistake,
• 25:54
  when you have no human being there to help, unless you have to summon every human being?
• 25:59
  And I'm sure that's possible, but it does take a lot more time,
• 26:02
  effort and work.
• 26:06
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: What is your view on the QR code thing?
• 26:10
  You know, when they say point your cell phone at the screen.
• 26:15
  Well, we can't do that very easily.
• 26:17
  So how do you get around that?
• 26:20
  Bob Branco: I don't use a cell phone.
• 26:22
  I depend on my landline.
• 26:24
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 26:25
  Bob Branco: I've heard of stories about it, though, and I know that people have learned
• 26:30
  how to use iPhones and and use the blind.
• 26:34
  Shell. I've heard of the blind shell. I've never used it.
• 26:37
  Yeah, I've heard of meta glasses where people can learn what's around them visually by
• 26:43
  somebody speaking what the pictures are, right?
• 26:47
  You know, I've heard of all of these things, but I've never really wanted to use all of
• 26:51
  these things. I feel that I can function as a human being with the basic stuff that I grew
• 26:57
  up with, and I think I'm doing just fine doing it that way.
• 27:00
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay, so you're saying that you don't have a cell phone,
• 27:05
  you don't have metal glasses, and you are just fine the way you know you
• 27:10
  can function? Yeah.
• 27:11
  Bob Branco: Yes, I believe that.
• 27:13
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: All right. Now, I'd love to talk about the Consumer Vision magazine Sure because it says
• 27:22
  so much about your commitment to access.
• 27:26
  What inspired you to create a publication for both blind and sighted readers,
• 27:35
  and why was it so important to you to offer it in accessible formats?
• 27:46
  Bob Branco: I think one of the reasons why I decided to publish my own magazine was hearing stories
• 27:51
  from blind and sighted people about things that are on their minds,
• 27:57
  whether it would be guide dog issues, whether it be employment issues,
• 28:01
  transportation issues other aspects of life.
• 28:07
  And so I decided to compile other people's stories and put them in a publication.
• 28:15
  That way I could get a readership where we could share these ideas with other people,
• 28:21
  sort of like a large community, sort of like a large network of people who
• 28:27
  read and share ideas about what the average person has on his or her mind,
• 28:34
  whether blind or sighted.
• 28:40
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: How old is this magazine?
• 28:42
  How long have you been, you know, in operation?
• 28:46
  Bob Branco: It's going to be 20 years in November.
• 28:48
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Holy cow. And readership.
• 28:52
  What is your readership like?
• 28:54
  Bob Branco: I think approximately 250 people, give or take a few.
• 29:00
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. How do you advertise it?
• 29:04
  Bob Branco: I have a website which is www.magazine.com.
• 29:10
  In fact, I'll advertise it right now if that's okay.
• 29:12
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Sir. Go for it.
• 29:13
  Bob Branco: Okay. So you go to magazine.com.
• 29:19
  You will likely find back publications of the magazine so that you can determine the
• 29:25
  format, figure out the format, what it's all about.
• 29:28
  And then there is a section where you can subscribe.
• 29:32
  And once you subscribe, you will get the publication monthly via
• 29:37
  email.
• 29:39
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Have you tried to increase readership and if so,
• 29:45
  how so?
• 29:48
  Bob Branco: I publicize in the magazine how people can subscribe.
• 29:54
  Of course, if they are already a reader, they don't need to know any more than that.
• 29:58
  So I use word of mouth.
• 29:59
  I, I do a lot more networking too, or I just let people know how they can
• 30:05
  subscribe to the publication.
• 30:07
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Okay. Now, many people hear about a magazine and they think only about the
• 30:17
  finished product. From your perspective, what has it really taken to build and sustain
• 30:26
  Consumer Vision magazine over time, and what has that journey taught you about
• 30:34
  serving a community?
• 30:37
  Bob Branco: I have an excellent staff of writers.
• 30:40
  I have an excellent editor.
• 30:43
  I have an excellent proofreader and formatter.
• 30:46
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 30:47
  Bob Branco: And I think that is what really contributes to making consumer vision a quality
• 30:54
  publication.
• 30:58
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 30:59
  Bob Branco: And of course, the more experience that I have working with this team,
• 31:06
  the more confident I am that this type of a project is worth it.
• 31:11
  It's worth all the effort to share ideas with the public about what's on our minds.
• 31:18
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Good. Now, you've written for your own publication,
• 31:23
  but you have also written for outlets such as Matilda Ziegler one.
• 31:32
  Bob Branco: Yes, I was an op ed, I was a I'm sorry, I was going to say I was an op ed columnist
• 31:37
  for Matilda Ziegler for about 4 or 5 years.
• 31:41
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. And you've also written for the American Council of the blind.
• 31:46
  How has writing in those different spaces shaped your voice and your understanding of
• 31:54
  what readers need?
• 31:58
  Bob Branco: First of all, I have to figure out my audience before I decide to write the
• 32:03
  appropriate article for whatever publication we're talking about.
• 32:06
  Now, you mentioned Matilda Ziegler magazine that was exclusively a magazine for the
• 32:11
  blind.
• 32:12
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right.
• 32:12
  Bob Branco: So most of the columns that I wrote for Matilda Ziegler had to do with blindness,
• 32:18
  although I did veer off, I veered off two other topics from time to
• 32:23
  time, because blind people don't always have to know about blindness issues.
• 32:29
  Blind people are people too, just like everybody else.
• 32:32
  So I want them to read stuff about life in general,
• 32:37
  not just about blindness issues.
• 32:39
  In fact, that's how I feel about consumer vision.
• 32:42
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right? Right. You have also built a very strong presence in audio
• 32:51
  through in Perspective sports, Round Table, and other programs.
• 32:59
  What drew you to broadcasting and podcasting as tools for connection,
• 33:08
  advocacy, and accessibility?
• 33:12
  Bob Branco: Let me answer your question by starting with what I want to do.
• 33:16
  What I was doing back in the 90s.
• 33:18
  I used to get involved with television.
• 33:21
  I had programs on cable access television.
• 33:25
  I had a show called Disabilities Forum, which was on a local channel here in New
• 33:31
  Bedford, Massachusetts.
• 33:33
  I was involved from 1994 to about 2000, and I would interview guests relating to the
• 33:41
  disability community about different issues that disability that disabled individuals
• 33:47
  face on a regular basis, whether it be medical work related advocacy
• 33:56
  you know, things like that. We would do that for several years.
• 33:59
  I also had a sports show on cable access television as well.
• 34:04
  So when the podcast era evolved, I found it rather easy to create podcasts the
• 34:12
  way I created the same type of show on television.
• 34:17
  I got to know more and more people who knew about podcasting,
• 34:20
  and so that motivated me even more.
• 34:22
  And one day I said to myself, why don't I just simply do podcasts?
• 34:28
  So I learned how to do podcasts.
• 34:29
  I used Skype in the beginning.
• 34:32
  And then when Covid hit, Zoom became more popular.
• 34:36
  So eventually my shows evolved from Skype to Zoom.
• 34:42
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 34:43
  Bob Branco: In perspective is a similar show, although I'd like to think that in
• 34:46
  perspective, it's not just a show on blindness.
• 34:50
  I have a lot of guests on in perspective who have nothing to do with the blindness
• 34:54
  community.
• 34:56
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right?
• 34:56
  Bob Branco: Because I'd like to think that we can talk about politics,
• 34:59
  that we can talk about the legal profession, we can talk about sports,
• 35:03
  we can talk about medicine as well as blindness related topics.
• 35:11
  As a matter of fact, we've done 459 episodes of In Perspective and 438 episodes of Sports
• 35:21
  Roundtable.
• 35:22
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Oh, geez. My goodness.
• 35:24
  Congratulations.
• 35:25
  Bob Branco: I started podcasting in 2017.
• 35:28
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Wow. So it's a weekly podcast.
• 35:33
  Bob Branco: Yes. For one hour.
• 35:35
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Tell me about the Sports Roundup podcast,
• 35:39
  because I think I'm going to be one of your guests on April the 20th.
• 35:43
  Bob Branco: Yes you are. Sports roundtable is a program where about five of us,
• 35:51
  sometimes six of us, talk about the hot sports topics of the week.
• 35:55
  We come from all walks of life.
• 35:58
  We come from all different parts of the country,
• 36:01
  and we get together for an hour and simply talk about national sports.
• 36:07
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. So when I appear on your interview on your podcast on April 20th,
• 36:16
  what am I going to be talking about?
• 36:18
  What would you like me to talk about?
• 36:21
  Bob Branco: Well, when you offer to appear on my program,
• 36:24
  you pointed out to me that you are a hockey fan and where I'm going to have and where I'm
• 36:30
  going to have another hockey person on the show.
• 36:33
  At the same time, the theme for this particular show on April 20th will be about
• 36:38
  hockey.
• 36:40
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: All right. Good. And I think a lot of I think more and more women are getting
• 36:49
  interested in hockey. But for me, I've enjoyed hockey for most of my life.
• 36:56
  I'd love to talk about it.
• 36:57
  And I'm looking forward to this podcast.
• 36:59
  Yeah.
• 37:00
  Bob Branco: I've been following hockey too, for about 58 years.
• 37:04
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 37:05
  Bob Branco: I have my own favorite team, the Boston Bruins.
• 37:08
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I knew you were going to say that.
• 37:10
  Yes, they were a good team.
• 37:11
  Are they in the playoffs this year?
• 37:14
  Bob Branco: It looks like they're going to be in the playoffs. Yes. I don't know how far they're
• 37:17
  going to go, but I'm just grateful that they're in the playoffs for now.
• 37:21
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. So as the clock starts to wind down, tell me what other ventures are you thinking
• 37:30
  of getting into?
• 37:33
  Bob Branco: Well, I can tell you some of the other ventures that I'm into right now.
• 37:36
  I run a bowling league for for persons with disabilities.
• 37:42
  We bowl once a week and I've been doing that for about 30 years.
• 37:48
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right.
• 37:48
  Bob Branco: Most of the people in my league have one disability or another.
• 37:53
  There are only two blind people in the league. Me and another person.
• 37:58
  Okay. But many of the other bowlers have disabilities.
• 38:01
  There are some that do not have disabilities because I believe in integrating people with
• 38:05
  disabilities, with people without disabilities.
• 38:08
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right? What else are you involved in?
• 38:14
  Bob Branco: I have a friends group that meets once a week.
• 38:17
  We go out for dinner on Saturday nights.
• 38:19
  It's a good way for us to fellowship and socialize.
• 38:23
  Yeah, so we do that pretty much on a weekly basis.
• 38:27
  I run phone chats where mostly blind people get together on a Sunday night,
• 38:34
  and we just talk about whatever is on our minds.
• 38:37
  We fellowship and we network and we just share stories.
• 38:42
  It's sort of like a support group.
• 38:44
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right.
• 38:45
  Bob Branco: Then I offer trivia once a week for people who are interested.
• 38:49
  We get on a chat line and play trivia, and we devote another evening to music where
• 38:55
  people ask me to play certain songs that they want to hear.
• 38:59
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Oh, tell us about that one.
• 39:02
  Bob Branco: Well, it's one hour on a Monday evening from 7 to 8 p.m..
• 39:06
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah.
• 39:07
  Bob Branco: And people come in and I ask them to request their favorite songs.
• 39:14
  So once they give me their request, I play it for them.
• 39:19
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. So you have a a large database of songs.
• 39:23
  Bob Branco: Yes I do. Through Amazon Music on my Alexa device.
• 39:28
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So you do use some sort of technology, you know,
• 39:33
  like Alexa. Tell me, tell me, tell us about how you use Alexa.
• 39:39
  Bob Branco: I basically use it to play music, although if I have any questions or if I want
• 39:46
  her to look up a phone number, let's say I ask her.
• 39:49
  Well, once in a while, if I feel light hearted,
• 39:51
  I ask her to tell me a joke and she'll tell me a joke.
• 39:55
  There are a lot of things that you can do with Alexa,
• 39:57
  and I try to take advantage of as many of those factors as I possibly can.
• 40:05
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So basically, Bob, your technology suite consists of Alexa plus your computer and your
• 40:12
  Braille devices, right?
• 40:14
  Bob Branco: That is correct.
• 40:15
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: And you feel very comfortable in this world.
• 40:19
  Bob Branco: I do. I must also say that I am married.
• 40:22
  I've been married for six and a half years.
• 40:25
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yep.
• 40:26
  Bob Branco: To a very, very good woman.
• 40:29
  Okay. And we get along very well.
• 40:32
  We like sports. I like to listen to sports.
• 40:34
  She likes to listen to the Bruins.
• 40:36
  Also, she watches almost as many Bruins games as humanly possible.
• 40:41
  I love my Red Sox. I love my Boston Celtics.
• 40:44
  So we make time to listen to sports and follow the teams.
• 40:49
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. All right. You got any parting words for our listeners with regard to.
• 41:00
  What do you think? A person can do?
• 41:04
  It's a fast moving world.
• 41:06
  It's a fast paced world.
• 41:07
  How can one relax without getting stressed out by technology?
• 41:13
  You seem to have survived very, very well without getting involved with cell
• 41:18
  phones and all the other stuff.
• 41:21
  Tell us. Give us some hints.
• 41:23
  Bob Branco: I would say manage your time as best as possible.
• 41:27
  Make sure that you manage your time appropriately enough,
• 41:30
  where you don't have to be put in the position to be stressed out.
• 41:34
  People need to realize when they are overwhelmed and when they feel they're
• 41:39
  overwhelmed, that's when they should draw the line and do things in moderation.
• 41:45
  That's how I feel.
• 41:48
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: I certainly admire the fact that you have been able to get along without a cell phone.
• 41:54
  I do. I admire you for that, thank you.
• 41:58
  No, no, I do, and I think, you know, the way you've structured your
• 42:03
  world, I think it's great.
• 42:05
  It's a certainly a different side of looking at things,
• 42:10
  you know, a different way of looking at things. It's refreshing.
• 42:14
  You know, you take us back to the old days, but then again,
• 42:17
  you still on the edge of the new day, right?
• 42:21
  Bob Branco: Yes. And like I said, I use my computer, so it's not like I don't
• 42:25
  associate with technology.
• 42:26
  I do, and the technology that I use is fabulous.
• 42:29
  It's wonderful. It's convenient.
• 42:31
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah. Good.
• 42:34
  Bob Branco: Well, Bob, one more closing thought is sure.
• 42:37
  I remember now about the orientation and mobility.
• 42:41
  Yeah. I had to wait till the parallel traffic started before I.
• 42:46
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Well that's true.
• 42:48
  Yeah, yeah. Do you visit the Brooklyn school at all?
• 42:54
  Bob Branco: The last time I visited Perkins was, I believe in 2018.
• 42:59
  They had an alumni association meeting that I went to.
• 43:03
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay.
• 43:05
  Screen Reader: New location from outlook left.
• 43:07
  Bob Branco: That was the last time I visited the school.
• 43:10
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: This has been certainly a very different type of interview.
• 43:13
  I've really, really enjoyed this.
• 43:15
  Listening to someone who can survive in this modern world by picking and choosing which
• 43:22
  technology you choose to, you know, be part of your life.
• 43:27
  I, I really have enjoyed this because, you know,
• 43:30
  most people, I have to have my cell phone.
• 43:33
  I must be on WhatsApp.
• 43:34
  I must be on FaceTime.
• 43:36
  You're not right.
• 43:39
  Bob Branco: I use Facebook.
• 43:41
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah.
• 43:42
  Bob Branco: But I'm not on there constantly.
• 43:44
  But I use it from time to time.
• 43:46
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Yeah, but you pick and choose which pieces of technology,
• 43:49
  right?
• 43:50
  Bob Branco: Yes, I do right.
• 43:52
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: You don't go saying, well, I must have my cell phone with me day and
• 43:56
  night. I must be on WhatsApp today and tonight.
• 44:00
  No.
• 44:01
  Bob Branco: No, I don't do that.
• 44:02
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Right. I really admire it.
• 44:04
  Bob Branco: Thank you.
• 44:05
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: So, Bob, it has been a pleasure.
• 44:07
  I I'm looking forward to the sports table with you guys on the 20th.
• 44:14
  Bob Branco: Well, we're looking forward to having you on with us, Donna. I will spread the word.
• 44:17
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Oh, and you and I are working on certain other projects,
• 44:22
  and we will be in touch.
• 44:23
  Bob Branco: I'm sure we will. And I want to thank you for the opportunity for having me on your
• 44:27
  podcast.
• 44:28
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: It's my pleasure. Thank you very, very much.
• 44:31
  Bob Branco: You're welcome.
• 44:32
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. You take care now.
• 44:34
  Bob Branco: You too. Donna.
• 44:35
  Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA: Okay. Bye bye. Bye bye.
• 44:40
  Podcast Commentator: Donna wants to hear from you and invites you to write to her at DonnaJodhan@gmail.com.
• 44:47
  Until next time.