This weekend on Mosen At Large, your thoughts on Windows 11, has blind advocacy gone too soft, and more of your radio memories

Kia ora Mosen at Largers.

I’m looking forward to hearing your views on a wide range of issues this weekend.

In a botched launch that fell victim to the streaming infrastructure not being able to keep up with demand and making those of us who got up in the middle of the night for it a bit grumpy, Microsoft officially announced Windows 11. At the time of writing, Microsoft has said absolutely nothing about Narrator or any accessibility features, other than improved support for using Windows by voice, Hopefully, they’ll reveal more soon. On Friday evening at 6 PM North American eastern time, 11 PM UK, that’s Saturday morning at 10 AM in New Zealand, I’ll be holding a get-together in the Mushroom FM club on Clubhouse to discuss Windows 11 and what you think of it. We’ll start with a panel discussion that summarises some of the key new features, then open it up for comment. Highlights of that discussion will be a part of this week’s show, but we’d love to get a good turnout live on Clubhouse so we hear a range of perspectives. How are you feeling about Windows 11? Excited? Disappointed? ambivalent? RSVP now to the Clubhouse invitation so you’ll get a reminder when the event starts. https://www.clubhouse.com/join/mushroom-fm/f0ThQNtL/M1OQ4Jrv

If you can’t make it to Clubhouse, you are welcome to share your thoughts in the usual ways, via written email, audio attachment or phone.

Given how much progress we’ve made with technology in recent years, why is it that unemployment, discrimination and lack of opportunity are still so rampant for blind people? A listener suggests it’s because we’re not being radical enough. Others, of course, criticise advocacy organisations when they protest or sue, describing them as militant. Does advocacy about the issues holding us back require a rethink?

And we’re still on a fun reminiscing track, with more people sharing fond memories of the radio stations and personalities they listened to when they were younger, as well as the devices they listened on. We even have some reflections on what it’s like to be a blind person working in radio. I would love to hear your memories.

As usual, there’s a wide array of blindness and technology topics from listeners on which you may like to comment once you hear them.

If you want to raise something new, you’re very welcome.

Getting your contributions in ahead of time leaves you free to hear the show, and gives me a chance to organise them all, so go for it. Please don’t be shy, I’d love to hear from you. To contribute, send an email with an audio attachment or just written down to Jonathan at MushroomFM.com, or call the listener line, +18646066736, that’s 1-864-60Mosen.

The best way to hear Mosen At Large is when it airs live and in full. Catch it on Mushroom FM, either on the station itself or in the Mushroom FM club on Clubhouse, the Mosen At Large YouTube channel and the Mosen At Large Facebook page on Saturdays at 2 PM Eastern, that’s 7 PM in the UK. It will then be available in abridged form on the Mosen At Large podcast, available anywhere you get podcasts. If you RSVP to the event on Clubhouse, you’ll be sent a notification when it starts, plus you’ll be helping to spread the word to your followers, so we really appreciate the RSVP there.

Thank you so much for listening and contributing to the show and see you soon for Mosen At Large.