Podcasts about blind athletes

Tuesday Topics will once more take to the digital radiosphere and a bunch of other places for our last program about recreation. We expect to have 4 folks with us who can talk about a range of outdoor activities open to people who are blind. Actually at least two of the "sports" are indoor activities. We have looked at phone games, Lady a games, games that are not electronic and stand alone games that are. Now it's time to look at other games and sports that don't fit into these categories. Do you know what goalball is? Did you know there is a special game of Darts made for people who are blind or have low vision? How much do you know about the United States Association of Blind Athletes? Did you know there is such a thing as "blind tennis". We will talk about all of these activities and may well also have some folks who can tell us about skiing opportunities and other sports that are open to people who are blind. I forgot about Beep Baseball which we will certainly discuss. As Summer approaches it will be good to look at some activities that will get us outside and that can get us some of the exercise we perhaps did not get during the Winter. Special Note: You are cordially invited to join the new Tuesday Topics Discussion list. Simply send an email to Tuesday-Topics+subscribe@groups.io and reply to the confirmation email you will receive to activate your subscription. Please join us! Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

While participating at the National Federation of the Blind National convention this year with my colleague and friend, Sheldon Lewis who also is a former guest here on Unstoppable Mindset, we had the opportunity to meet Amy SP Wilson. Amy is the founder and leader of the Safety Positive Foundation. Amy began losing her eyesight at the age of ten years old due to a condition known as Stargardt's. this disease can best be described as macular Degeneration in juveniles. If you want to know more about Stargardt's just listen into my conversation with Amy. Amy has always been quite interested in personal safety. She also has been quite a physical person starting with wrestling with her cousins to later becoming the first female wrestler at the Missouri School for the Blind to later becoming part of the inaugural women's Judo team of the United States Association of Blind Athletes. Amy went on to college where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. After a time and some life challenges Amy will tell us about she decided to go back to college to obtain a second Bachelor's degree in Social Work. She decided to get this second degree because she wanted to help persons with disabilities in the United States. In 2023 Amy founded Safety Positive Foundation to teach blind persons about self defense. Her approach is by no means all about being physical. She will talk with us about self awareness and self advocacy, two aspects she feels must be part of the psyche of everyone who wishes to take charge of their own life. About the Guest: ael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Well, hi everyone. I am your host, Mike hingson, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And the reason it's worded that way people still ask me why I say that. The reason it's worded that way is that when we talk to diversity people, they'll talk about race, gender, sexual orientation and so on, and they never talk about disabilities. So unfortunately, the ship has mostly sailed when it comes to including disabilities in diversity, no matter what they say. So we won't let them do that with inclusion, which means it's inclusion diversity and the unexpected. And today we get to deal with a lot of all of that. The unexpected is anything that doesn't have anything to do with inclusion or diversity. But today, we do get to talk about inclusion a lot in some esoteric and maybe not so esoteric ways. Our guest today is Amy SP Wilson, and I just discovered, as Amy showed me, if you were to ask your smart speaker, like my Amazon Echo, who is Amy SP Wilson, it will tell you that she is the CEO of the positive safety positive foundation. We're going to talk more about that, so we'll get there anyway. Amy, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Wonderful.   Amy SP Wilson ** 02:45 Thank you for having me. It's an honor and a privilege, and   Michael Hingson ** 02:49 it's nice to know that the echo knows your name.   Amy SP Wilson ** 02:53 Yeah, I'm still kind of flabbergasted that that's a thing, but definitely gives you some street cred, I guess.   Michael Hingson ** 03:02 Yeah, it probably means that there, there aren't, well, there certainly aren't very many. Amy SP Wilson, so that works, yes, well, why don't we start the way I kind of really love to. Why don't you tell us, sort of about the early Amy growing up and some of that sort of stuff.   Amy SP Wilson ** 03:21 So in my younger years, I was born and raised in the state of Missouri, and have what I consider a biker family. We did a lot of traveling on motorcycles. I was riding my own dirt bike at the age of four, and so really tomboy at at heart, but loved, you know, wrestling and fighting with the cousins. And at the age of 10 is when I was diagnosed with star guards, and that put me on a different path, because at the age of 10, my dream was to be a motorcycle mechanic and join the Navy. And at the time, I did not have any expectations that a blind person could do either. So it really put me on a different trajectory of what I thought my life was going to going to be like, and I, of course, went on with school and and that sort of business, but I loved wrestling so much that I became the Missouri School for the blinds First Lady wrestler. And that led me into being part of the United States Association of Blind Athletes, where I was on the first women's judo team that they had, and so just got real passionate about personal safety and different ways. But due to my eye condition, I couldn't take hits to the head, and so there went my martial arts career this. I'll just say, or so I thought, and led me into going to college and get my my first bachelor's degree in psychology and and so on. But I I have people tell me that apparently I have been pioneering new things my whole life. And when I have to talk about myself and talk about I was the first to do this and first to do that, yeah, it's a very sobering reminder of those steps that I've make it in my life. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 05:35 Reading your bio, it says that because of star guard, you weren't at some at one point, able to continue kind of dealing with martial arts. What did star guard specifically have to do with that?   Amy SP Wilson ** 05:47 So it it affects my retina, and I noticed the more hits that I was taking to the head and, you know, being thrown I was having more cloudy spots in my vision, and when I stopped doing those things, it, it, you know, significantly reduced the amount of things I wasn't able to to see. And so that's, that's how that played into that well,   Michael Hingson ** 06:19 tell me a little bit about what star guards is. I'm not sure that everyone listening or watching will be familiar with   Amy SP Wilson ** 06:26 it, correct? Yes. So star guards is a juvenile form of macular degeneration. So you hear of, you know, your grandparents, or you know, maybe you're a person of experience, as I like to say, in your in your later years. And you know, hear about people getting macular degeneration. I essentially just got macular degeneration at the the age of 10. So little bit of a flip. And of course, again, being a first, I was the first person in my family to have any kind of blindness, low vision, and so it was. It really shook everything   Michael Hingson ** 07:06 is star guards, a genetic kind of situation.   Amy SP Wilson ** 07:12 So I learned that the only way that a person can get star guards is essentially by your parents getting together. It's not a medication defect, which is what they originally told my mother. So she carried a lot of guilt with that. And when I went to get seek a different doctor, he had me do some I guess genetic counseling is what they called it, because I had concerns of my son having it. And they were like, no, no, it doesn't work. And they explained it. I was like, well, that had been helpful in my younger   Michael Hingson ** 07:50 just sort of the right combination of things getting together that brings it on. Exactly. Yeah. Now, where do you live today? I live in the great Show Me State. Ah, so you're still in Missouri? Yes, I've   Amy SP Wilson ** 08:05 moved to a couple other states. I spent a year in Alaska, where my son was born. I lived in Indiana for a little bit. I pass on that, and fortunately, I was able to come back to to Missouri.   Michael Hingson ** 08:20 So we're in Missouri. Are you, uh, close   Amy SP Wilson ** 08:23 to Kansas City area? Okay, about about in that area, but I like to, I like it because I can take the train back and forth between Kansas City and St Louis. So, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 08:34 well, trains are very useful things to have around. I when I lived on the East Coast, would use the train a lot. And of course, going from New Jersey into New York, we had New Jersey Transit and other things that we had a lot of train stuff. But out here, where I live now, there is a train that stops here once, at 430 in the morning. If I want to go to San Francisco, I'm not going to do that on the train, I don't think, because you actually have to go to Los Angeles and then get another train to go to San Francisco, because the train that comes from Los Angeles stops here, and then, I guess, goes east. So, oh, well, one of these days, maybe there'll be more trains and more mass transit, and that'll be a good thing. Exactly.   Amy SP Wilson ** 09:19 I know in Europe, trains are used very heavily, and people that come over here are constantly surprised that we don't have more sufficient trains. And so hopefully, like you said, with time we'll we'll get some more transportation going. There's   Michael Hingson ** 09:36 a big argument and a brouhaha going on out here right now because Los Angeles wants to create a gondola system to go from downtown LA the train station to Dodger Stadium and stop along the way. And there are people who are saying, no, no. Because you're not going to get that many people on it, it's just not going to be worth the cost. So it'll be interesting to see how that all shakes out. I do agree that if you're going to do that, you have to have a lot of people using it, and you have to be able to transport a lot of people. So it will be interesting to see how that works out.   Amy SP Wilson ** 10:22 I can very much agree with that.   Michael Hingson ** 10:25 Oh, life goes on, right? That it does. So you went to, yeah, go ahead. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 10:32 said. We've heard the same debate here in Missouri about different, you know, options for trains. So, yeah, it's always an ongoing conversation.   Michael Hingson ** 10:39 When we first moved to New Jersey, we learned that with the Americans with Disabilities Act, they were finally catching up, if you will, to doing something. And the something where we lived in Westfield was to make the train station accessible and access to the train to be accessible. And what that meant was that they actually had to build a platform and ramps up to the platform so that a person in a chair, for example, like my wife, could transfer straight across and roll onto the train. Because before the platform was raised, the trains have these big, huge, high steps built into them. Each step is like 18 inches tall and you've got three steps to go into the train. Well, you're not going to really do that in a wheelchair. And there was major opposition from people in Westfield to putting in the ramps, putting in the platforms, because they said, well, but this is going to slow us down if we have to go up the ramps and can't just run to the train and jump on the train. Why don't you just have somebody at every station who will lift people in wheelchairs onto trains? Yeah, that's gonna really work, right?   Amy SP Wilson ** 11:50 Yeah, that's not, not feasible,   Michael Hingson ** 11:54 no. And it didn't, and the argument didn't hold, fortunately, and the the platforms were built and, and, and the reality is it didn't jeopardize anybody, other than maybe make them arrive 30 seconds earlier, rather than being so lazy. But, ah, the arguments that people have. But it'll be interesting to see how the train thing works out, because they do need to have more mass transit out   Amy SP Wilson ** 12:18 here. Absolutely, 100%   Michael Hingson ** 12:21 so you went off to college, and what did you do in college,   Amy SP Wilson ** 12:27 college stuff, but because I was unfamiliar with how to really maximize your college experience. I didn't really, you know, have a plan. Once I got done with college, all I knew was I needed to go to college. Go to college, yeah, and, you know, because that's, that's what's going to make your life better. Okay, I can, I can follow that plan. But what's the plan after, like, nobody, nobody had that. They just knew, you know, go to college. Oh, okay. And so I tried to get some, some different jobs, unsuccessfully. And then I ended up getting married and moving to Alaska, and so did some some different jobs up there. And through my experience of being married during that time, I also shared with people that I'm a domestic violence survivor, and it's one of the things that I really wish the disabled community was having more conversations about this, because there I know that I'm I'm not alone, and when I share it, I always have people come forward and Me too, me too. And I'm like, Yes, like, we, can we, you know, support one another. And fortunately, I was only in that marriage for for three years and and got out of it. Spent a couple more years in Indiana, but then when I moved back to Missouri, I learned about some blindness consumer organizations and and started getting involved with those. I also, at the same time, heard, heard about a self defense program for the blind. And I'm like, wait a minute, there's something you know that that works for us. So I jumped on it, became an instructor, became very involved in the that particular organization. And due to some some different circumstances, realized that that was not a healthy environment, and spent probably a year not doing that. But then had some people contact me to get another self defense program going, and I'm like, All right, let's do it. So yeah, that's a. Um, but I've, I've taken in that time of me teaching self defense, I also worked with my local dojo and would help with my son's classes. So I've definitely got the personal safety self defense experience down at this point, I feel like   Michael Hingson ** 15:24 so. So in other words, maybe if there were violent situation today, you could turn the tables and and be the one to beat up the other guy.   Amy SP Wilson ** 15:33 So that's you know, because I will share that, that that is you. That is a common thought.   Michael Hingson ** 15:43 I understand, yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 15:46 however, in june 2019 I experienced sexual assault by somebody. And it's really what got me to tell people that personal safety you need to be proactive about it, especially in the disabled space. It is so very vital in that realm, yeah, but   Michael Hingson ** 16:11 yeah, there's only so much you can do. And you're right. It's, it's a matter of being, as you say, personally safe. And you know, it's, it is so important, and I think so many people, especially I think a lot of blind people I know about aren't as aware of their surroundings as they need to be, even just in in walking, even if it's not a a safety issue, that is where you're endangered from another person, but just being aware of your surroundings and being able to travel. I remember living in Boston and at the time, and I don't know if it's still the same or not today, but Boston or Massachusetts, had the highest accident rate per capita in the country, and this was back in the late 1970s into the early 1980s and I knew it, and it, it was just one of those factoids, if you will, that helped me stay really aware. So whenever I cross the street, I really made sure that the traffic was going the way I wanted to go, and I listened extremely carefully to what the traffic was doing around me, because any moment a car could come whizzing around a corner, nobody else would have seen it, and if I weren't listening for it, I might not have been able to judge appropriately whether it was safe to go or how fast I had to go to get across the street. So the reality is that we really do need to be situationally aware. And I think it's not just true for people who happen to be blind, but but it is especially true that we need to work on that and be aware of our surroundings   Amy SP Wilson ** 18:01 100% 100% that that is like, one of the first things we started offering right out the gate when it came to safety positive, is having discussions about personal safety topics, because it makes you more situationally aware. I know that. You know now that I have the mindset of being proactive about my personal safety, I am so keyed up on situational awareness that I sometimes freak out people, because I'm like, pay attention. Over there, pay attention. They're like, how? And I'm like, well, the more you learn about safety education, anything in the personal safety realm, it just helps you to become more situationally where, so you respond faster. You don't have to sit there and go, Well, what was that that I learned? No, no, that's not what we we want you to have. We want you to be, you know, kind of studying up on it so much that it becomes second nature for you?   Michael Hingson ** 19:00 Yeah, all too often we we learn something, and then we just have we, we sort of memorize the lesson. And we don't memorize what it is we really need to do. It isn't what, what did I learn? You need to get to the point where it's second nature, where it's just part of you, whether it's situational awareness or or a lot of things, even good musicians,   19:24 yes, you know,   Michael Hingson ** 19:26 do what they do because they've it's become second nature, yes.   Amy SP Wilson ** 19:30 And we, we talk about that, you know, it's, it's a journey you're not going to jump from, you know, being a beginner, you know, car guitar player, kind of like your manual musician, to being able to play on a, you know, stage with 5000 people overnight, it does not, you know, it is a process. And so, you know, giving, tell, you know, reminding people to give themselves grace. And it is a work in progress. So you know, you there's going to be deja mess. Up, but that's okay, you know, be do better tomorrow, on, on all those different situations. The   Michael Hingson ** 20:07 more you practice it, though, and the more you work on looking at lessons and looking at the things that you do and practice making them second nature, the easier it becomes. But it is a muscle the mind that you have to develop.   Amy SP Wilson ** 20:25 Yes, we, we basically tell people your, you know, your most important tool is your mind. So many people want that quick fix of having the pepper spray or, you know, this side of the other, and it's like, no, no, your mind is your most important, you know, tool in your arsenal, so take, take care of it. It's your, it's your biggest investment in life, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 20:48 and it's and it's the most important one, and it will do so much more for you. But the more you truly use it, the easier it becomes to use. But you've got to make that effort to make that happen, yes, so you got through college, you got, I think, what a degree in psychology, as I recall. And you said you went and worked on various jobs, and I gather nothing really struck a nerve.   Amy SP Wilson ** 21:15 No, you know, I, I actually went back to school and got a second bachelor's degree in social work because I knew I wanted to work with the disabled community, and so I of course, was advocating in my own classes for disability rights and driving my fellow students crazy. But I'm like, we're in social work, and we're not learning about disabilities. This is madness. You're going to be, you know, working with at least, you know, half the people have some sort of disability in some fashion, and we're not even having a conversation about it. So, but I guess I actually, before I got real involved with personal safety here, more recently, in the last couple years, I actually was a Mary Kay consultant for a while, and had had some fun with that. And it's a great, great company. They're they're real supportive. They call it kind of the pink bubble. But I learned a lot about marketing and sales through that. So I constantly am telling my team, I'm like, Yeah, that's a Mary Kay thing. That's America. But they've been around for so many years. There's obviously, like, I said, a method to their madness.   Michael Hingson ** 22:31 They kind of know what they're doing, yeah,   Amy SP Wilson ** 22:34 yeah, yeah. They've, they've got systems down. So yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 22:37 So when did you get your social work, bachelor's degree. When did you graduate with that 2016 Okay, so that was eight years ago, and then you you did other things and so on. But eventually, what, what caused you finally to form safety positive foundation.   Amy SP Wilson ** 22:58 I I essentially got madder than a hatter because we weren't offering choices. It was just this one self defense program, this one self defense program. And I'm like, Well, what about teaching people to advocate for themselves, or having discussions or this or that? Like and I kept getting shot down time and time again from from the leadership in those organizations, and I and I actually had a couple people who pulled me aside and really strongly encouraged me to start my own non for profit. And I was like, Excuse me. Like me be the leader. Uh, I don't, I don't. I don't know how I feel about this, um, but luckily they, you know, they convinced me. Had other people convinced me. And I just, it really is a big passion of mine to just make sure that the blind community has as many personal safety choices as everybody else does, because historically, we have not. So   Michael Hingson ** 24:05 you're saying some of the major consumer organizations kind of discouraged it at first. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 24:14 they were from elsewhere. Was from elsewhere. I wouldn't say some of them, you know, I'm not going to throw no shade on the major groups,   24:21 no, no, no.   Amy SP Wilson ** 24:22 But it was the companies that were teaching self defense got really only focused on just, you know, hands on self defense. And I'm like, and it was either, you know, release or break body parts. And I'm like, not everybody's comfortable breaking body parts like we need some choices. We need to teach people to advocate for themselves, to speak up. That is the like. The bigger thing that I have found is people not understanding the power of of their words and their language to, you know, get themselves out of situation. And it's usually a freeze response, and I know because I was personally guilty of that for many years. And so yeah, I'm I'm thrilled that I don't struggle with that nowhere near as much as I used to, but I can recognize that it is a huge need within our community.   Michael Hingson ** 25:20 So when did you actually form the foundation?   Amy SP Wilson ** 25:25 March 3, 2023 was when we officially launched safety positive foundation.   Michael Hingson ** 25:31 So it's fairly new. Yes, well, a year and about a year and a half old.   Amy SP Wilson ** 25:39 Yep, yep, we're still baby.   Michael Hingson ** 25:43 That's okay. Do you find that that men and women are interested in personal safety and so on, or is it just women or just men? Or what we   Amy SP Wilson ** 25:54 have both? I'd say at our events, it's half and half, I get more men volunteering to to work behind the scenes on stuff, because personal safety is primarily a male dominated profession, which makes me kind of a odd woman out. But you know, we are not for profits. I'll take the help wherever I can get.   Michael Hingson ** 26:17 Sure, well, even if you were for profit, it would make sense to do that. But yeah, I hear you, yes, yeah. So exactly, what does the safety positive foundation do?   Amy SP Wilson ** 26:32 So we offer, again, a variety of choices for personal safety. We have what we call our safety positive guide that gives our blind community, 24/7, access to training and resources. And so that's a resource all by itself, because we put in there motivational information resources, asking discussion questions. But then we also have chapters in our guide to where people can take our courses, where they can go from ProAct or from reactive to proactive on their personal safety. We also have in that guide links to what we call our weekly tea times, and that's probably one of our most popular services, and that's where we're having the space for discussions on personal safety. Each month we do a different topic, and we have also added verbal craft, which is a self advocacy and assertiveness communication training. And we've actually had that training from the very beginning, because, again, I knew, in my experience, that people really needed to learn that that advocating piece, like we're told to advocate, but never given a formula. And we finally have a formula with with verbal craft. So it makes me very excited. And then in just this year, when we started getting into our second year, we shifted away from focusing on the psychological safety to that physical safety aspect, and I became the first blind woman pepper spray instructor with saber so that was exciting. And then we created our own hands on self defense program that focuses on the fundamentals of self defense. We created this course because we knew people needed some pieces. So if they wanted to go take a, you know, martial arts class on a consistent basis, or if they wanted to go take that self defense class, they would have some language to talk with the instructors. And this is how you can assist me. And so, yeah, those, those are pretty much what we offer, but, and we're partnering with with other companies organizations to bring in more resources and training for our community. So like I said, it's only been a year and a half, but yeah, we're bringing it when it comes to the choices. Tell   Michael Hingson ** 29:13 me more about verbal craft, what, what that is all about, or how does that work? So   Amy SP Wilson ** 29:19 at the core, verbal craft was developed as a crisis de escalation communication training, and of course, for the purposes of the blind community, we realized that it also helps with teaching you self advocacy and assertiveness in your communication. So you know, say, somebody comes up and, you know, grabs your arm trying to assist you. Verbal craft has a, you know, we we work with you to develop to personalize your own formula. We also have a verbal craft club where people can come in and practice. This maybe a scenario and and get better at at their skills. I know for me when I first, because I did not even know a verbal craft again, I went to hearing about all the you know, need to advocate for yourself, and I'm like, How do I do that. But it was in November of 2022, that I I finally was able to take verbal craft. And since then, I have, I've discovered that I am even you know better at it. I don't, I don't freeze or fawn as much. And when people are trying to help me, or when people are trying to cross my my boundaries in those different ways.   Michael Hingson ** 30:48 I remember many times being in New York City or in other large cities, but New York especially, wanting to cross the street and go a particular way, waiting for the traffic flow to be going the way I wanted, and making sure that it's going the way I wanted, somebody will come up and grab me. Oh, let me. Let me help you. And of course, the problem is they don't even know for sure which way I want to go correct, which really makes life fun. And so they'll grab me and I go, No, hold on a minute. First of all, I'm really good. Do you know why I'm just standing here? No, you're, you're, obviously, you need help. No, let me explain Ricky, you know, but it is so unfortunate that people make these assumptions. And it happens all too often. It goes back to the basic view of of blindness that that people have, which is that we really don't know what we're doing and we can't really do it ourselves, that you need to have eyesight to do it, which is why earlier this year, at the National Federation of the Blind convention, I crafted the resolution that was adopted that says we need to stop using the term visually impaired and go to blind and low vision. And I mean, there are other terms, but the real issue is to get rid of the concept of impaired, which is what the professionals brought to the field many years ago, which was such a disservice.   Amy SP Wilson ** 32:18 Yeah, I can, I can agree, the word impaired is not the greatest term we want to be be using in that realm. And yeah, in in all my teaching of of self defense, the people coming up and grabbing is the number one frustration that that we deal with as a as a blind community, and it's the reason that people want to learn self defense, because they want to be able to figure out, how do I get myself out of this situation? And that's where you know verbal craft is that that first step of, if you can talk them down, that's that's the ideal situation. And then, of course, we're going to be bringing more choices of they don't want to do that. That's okay. We got some other skills. Yeah, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 33:05 Well, and it's important to really learn to use all the skills that we have available, which is, of course, something that gets back to the whole issue of using your mind. And that's just something that all too often, well, if I were really abusive, I'd say that's something that every politician should learn to do, is use their mind, but they haven't learned that yet. So that's another story. But, oh, that was That was mean, but, but the reality is that that we need to learn to listen better than we do.   Amy SP Wilson ** 33:40 Well, I mean, the common thing is you have two ears and one mouth, because you're supposed to do twice as much listening, and that also plays a lot into the situational awareness is, you know, sometimes you have to just stop talking so you can pay attention to what, what is going on on around you, right? I know, like with my friends and my team. They know if I'm stopped talking, they need to start paying attention themselves, because I don't usually stop mid sentence. I'm like, wait a minute, what? You know, I start kind of perking my ears and, yeah, yeah, yeah. And we've got, we've created different code words and stuff like that to help, you know, everybody be on the same page, to support people in that, that journey too   Michael Hingson ** 34:21 cool. Well, it's important. So what are the basic core values, the the core things that go into safety, positive foundation and that kind of guide what you do.   Amy SP Wilson ** 34:33 So we have five core values. One is safety, of course, um, innovation, because we are, I've been told numerous times we are pioneering new paths with what we're we're bringing in, so that's and we're always looking for other other things that the community needs to bring in as well. We also have potential as one of them, because. Do believe in the potential of of people in general, and then we also have agency because we want we strongly believe in people having choices when it comes to their personal safety and authenticity. Is our last one, and this one, it it took a little bit to get everybody on board, because I am very authentic myself. And so they were like, we're not talking about you. And I'm like, I know that like but you know, people feel safer when they can be them, their authentic selves, and that's what we want to support, is you know you getting comfortable with you and knowing that you have those you know, choices, potential and and those things. So we, we strongly believe in our core values   Michael Hingson ** 35:55 and and having the ability, or learning to have the ability to analyze who you are, what you do, what you're doing, and when necessary, make changes or to reaffirm that what you do is a good thing, whatever it is.   Amy SP Wilson ** 36:11 Yes, yeah. So, you know, sometimes people need that permission to, you know, change their mind or be on the path that they're they're being on on our on our tea times. I am very well known for telling people, does anybody have questions, comments, concerns or emotional outburst? And because I want to give people that space to you know they need to just yell it out. Yell it out. We're here to support you. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 36:40 sometimes that's important and necessary to do absolutely. Why is the foundation called safety positive Foundation?   Amy SP Wilson ** 36:50 We created that name. And actually I created that name because I got tired of the fear mongering that was going on with the self defense organizations and programs that already existed in the blind community. In fact, I had been told one time that I needed to be more negative and in pitching, you know, and trying to scare people. And I'm like, I refuse. I will not do that. Our community is already scared enough. And No way am I, you know, going to hammer home all the the statistics and stuff like that, people, people already have fear. And so in that I played around with words, of course, I have SP in the middle of my my name. And so I was like, Well, you know, safety positive, like, we're all about safety. We want to be positive. And then one of my board members was like, well, we need to add, you know, foundation, because, you know, we're building a foundation here. And I'm like, there it is, safety, positive Foundation was born just based off of the collection of all that. There   Michael Hingson ** 38:14 you go. And and it works. How is it different from mother, self defense and similar kinds of organizations. Because I'm I'm sure that you feel that it is definitely different. Yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 38:29 yes, we have created it different from the beginning. Because when we launched, we focused on psychological safety, it people would ask me, well, where's the hands on? I'm like, Nope, we're not, we're not doing it yet, because psychological safety needs to be that first step on your on your journey, especially if you have a lot of fear when it when it comes to personal safety. So that was the the mindset that we intentionally chose. The other thing that I would say that probably differentiates us is, of course, the choices and that as of right now, we don't have it to where you can sign up, pay a bunch of money and become an instructor in our program we're not interested in making making money off of that. We are interested in bringing people in as instructors at some point, and we've talked about doing that next year, but we want to be very mindful of how that approach works, because people have gotten trained in other programs, and then they go off and do their own thing, and we're like no, because we want to make sure that the curriculum you were teaching is safety, positive focus. We don't want people running off and trying to fear monger like they had been taught. Before. So that's that's our method to our madness.   Michael Hingson ** 40:05 Well, I may not know that the whole idea of fear is a subject that is near and dear to me, because recently, I published a new book called Live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave while becoming adversity and moving forward in faith. And the whole idea behind the book is to get people to understand that they can learn to control fear and that you don't need to have fear forced on you. And the reality is that all the negative aspects of fear that you've been talking about is what promotes fear. And I picked on politicians before, but that's what they do. They promote fear to a very large degree themselves, and promoting all this fear just makes people negative. They make it makes people be mistrustful. And the fact of the matter is that if we really learn to understand fear, which also is involved in developing the mind, as we've been talking about. But if we really focus on understanding fear, what we learn is that we can control fear, and that fear can be a very powerful tool to help us. So it isn't about not being afraid, it's about using that fear to focus and not let it, as I would say, blind or overwhelm you.   Amy SP Wilson ** 41:24 Yes, again, 100% agreeing with you on that, the more that you can. I'd say they're, they're, say, lean into the fear and make it your friend that you know that that helps so much. It's also part of that muscle memory of going, Okay, I don't need to be fearful in this situation. And we actually talk about that in our verbal craft training, how the brain, your brain state works when you know something happens to you, and how you can move through that   Michael Hingson ** 42:04 well, and that's exactly right. The issue is moving through it. I mean, just something happens. I mean, I was in the World Trade Center on September 11, and something happened. Right? So there's a lot to be afraid of, but if you prepare and learn to control your own mind, then that fear becomes a very powerful tool to help you focus and learning to listen to that inner voice is one of the most important things that we can ever do in our lives.   Amy SP Wilson ** 42:38 Yes, I I've actually used my personal safety training to help me to heal from some of my past traumas. And, you know, even to the point where practicing certain techniques that had been, you know, done on me to how do I get out of this? And that really, you know, at the, you know, the first few times, oh, yeah, anxiety was real high. And sure, the more you lean into it, the more you work through it, it can be helpful. The unfortunate part is, for some situations, like what you went through in 911 Ain't nobody preparing you for that   Michael Hingson ** 43:17 well, but not directly, but what you learn? But what what you learn? So like with me in September 11, I learned all about emergency evacuations. I learned all about where things were in the World Trade Center. And I learned just and I mentioned being in Boston and dealing with unexpected street crossings with cars coming, and all that you learn how to deal with surprise, yeah, and so it wasn't like there was anything magically brand new at the World Trade Center. So all of the skills, all of the life preparation for for me over the previous 51 years. Ooh, that gives away my age, but all that life preparation made it possible to learn to and actually control fear, so that I was able to use it in a constructive way, which is what the whole point is.   Amy SP Wilson ** 44:17 Yes, and that's why we, I think we've mentioned, like, the more you can learn, the more those things won't surprise you, and you're going to be ready to handle when life's throwing you curve balls,   Michael Hingson ** 44:30 right? And life tends to have a habit of doing that.   Amy SP Wilson ** 44:34 Yeah, universe has since humor that's pretty it does have a sense   Michael Hingson ** 44:39 of humor, but when it's throwing the curve balls, you can learn to hit those curve balls. So it's okay, yes, it's not a it's not a bad thing. How is the community reacting to safety, positive foundation and what you're doing and so on?   Amy SP Wilson ** 44:56 Overwhelming happiness in. Anytime I tell people we are here to offer choices, I've heard statements like, Finally, thank goodness. And I know from our trainings that that we offer it's been completely game changing for for people who went through our trainings, they they feel way more safe. We actually had one of our community people that flat out told me, if it was not for safety positive foundation, I would not have went to the National Federation of the Blind convention, because they just didn't feel like they were prepared. And I think it was a combination of learning things, and then, of course, us being there to help support them if something happened. But yeah, that was, I was floored when I heard that statement. I was like, do what that was. That was us. So we're bringing people out of their houses.   Michael Hingson ** 45:55 Well, things happen at conventions, and unfortunately, I don't know of any convention where things of one sort or another don't happen to one degree or another. So it is a matter of being prepared, but it's also a matter of monitoring yourself and knowing what you're going to allow yourself to get into and not get into to a degree as well. Yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 46:17 absolutely. And like before we went, we had a safety briefing for our community to give them the rundown, and it was so overwhelming. I'm like, okay, apparently we're going to keep doing this because they they just they felt more prepared and safe for for those different things, and knew if something did happen, what policies procedures to follow, or who to who to be able to contact? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 46:44 and the National Federation has become a little bit more aware, and yes, they have, has helped in that process, which is, which is also a good thing.   Amy SP Wilson ** 46:56 Yes, I would very much agree with that as well. But,   Michael Hingson ** 47:00 but people do need to really take responsibility for themselves and their own actions, and so doing what you do clearly helps, I would think so. So, what role do partnerships play in what you do, and how is that affecting everything?   Amy SP Wilson ** 47:20 So when we with our partners, we bring in different people for different reasons, but essentially, it's to make sure our community has more resources for their personal safety. For example, we have partnered with Ali slaughter, who teaches yoga that you know, yoga can be very beneficial in so many ways. We also have partnered with NaVi lens to start, start working with them, because they are a company that offers these special cute like their specialized QR codes, but it can help you to navigate different areas. But not only that, you can create your own it's not like you got to wait for the company to do it. So you can label things around your house, where it'll be able to you know which remote or which seasoning. And the part I really like is it does it in multiple different languages, so it's not just a one and done deal. And then we've also partnered. Our most recent partner is Penny forward, and they teach financial literacy for the blind. And I'm like, financial safety, it is a thing like we seems like a very natural partnership here. So, yeah, yeah, we're, again, we partner with with people that are interested and helping the blind community become more safe.   Michael Hingson ** 48:47 Do you just work with the blind community, or do sighted or any persons without traditional disabilities ever become involved and become students and so on?   Amy SP Wilson ** 48:58 So we actually, we've had some sighted people attend our trainings and and events, and we are working behind the scenes to develop some different trainings for sighted individuals so they can communicate and interact with the blind community in a safe fashion, or just the disabled community, but there's, there's so much information, you know, out there, I feel like a lot of sighted people kind of don't know where to go, how to how to do stuff, and so we wanted to build that bridge of communication between the sighted or the non disabled world and the disabled community. I'd also like to note that, you know blind people typically, blindness is not their only concern. You know, sometimes people have mental health struggles. You. People or other types of disabilities. So we do work with other disabilities as as a result, we're not we, because we're a not for profit and we're new. We got to sort of niche down to the blind community, but we are happy to serve the disabled community as well, because from what I'm learning all disabilities lack personal safety choices.   Michael Hingson ** 50:27 They do or think they do, or probably both, which is, which is, it amounts to the same thing. Yes, we met, certainly through the NFB convention. Then also, I know that Sheldon Lewis from accessibe has reached out to you guys and, and I don't know   Amy SP Wilson ** 50:45 that's you know, you made me forget about the I've my apologies to accessibe, but yes, they are also one of our newest partners, making, yeah, making our website accessible we're happy to share With our other friends and stuff like, yeah, I, I love Sheldon from from access to be. He's one of my new friends, whether he wants it or not, but yeah, it's, it's pleasure that we're, we're also working with access to be as well.   Michael Hingson ** 51:18 That's pretty cool. I haven't been to the site and looked at it yet. I should really go visit the website. But because I've been now with accessibe for, oh, three and a half years, it'll be four years in January. So having a lot of fun, and again, I like the philosophy that it deals with a variety of different kinds of disabilities. And you're right. The fact is that whether whether we bring it upon ourselves or it's real, and it's probably both, we end up not having a lot of choices that we should have. But I think that that's what we need to do, as you point out, is to learn to advocate for ourselves, to bring those choices back into our lives.   Amy SP Wilson ** 52:06 Yes, you know, when I was talking with Sheldon from accessibe about us partnering with them, I said, Absolutely, because not only will it ensure our website's accessible, but I'm happy to tell people about it, because when blind people cannot navigate a website, it, it plays a big role into their psychological safety. And I mean, I, I'm a Mental Health First Aid person, you know, certified person, and I my joke was I needed Mental Health First Aid training to go through the training like it stressed me out, because it was so inaccessible, and I had to have people continuously helping me. And I actually had to take the course twice because of the lack of accessibility that that first go around and had to have people help me and stuff. And I'm like, This is crazy, like, we definitely need to to promote that more. And I'm so glad that they're just, you know, willing to work with with non for profits that are serving the disabled space like that, that that is going to be game changing for so many people and help them to feel more psychologically safe in going to those websites, they're not going to get stressed out and figuring out, how do I navigate this? Nope. Accessibe has got you so,   Michael Hingson ** 53:31 you know, here's a question, and I've asked a number of people this, but I'm curious to hear your answer. You mentioned earlier that we're not really involved in a lot of the conversations, whether it be about self defense, whether it be about personal safety and so on. Why is it that that blind or in general, persons with disabilities aren't involved in the conversations?   Amy SP Wilson ** 53:55 That is a great question. And I think that for some topics, it goes back to fear of being vulnerable in sharing what, what you're afraid of, at least for for personal safety. For some topics, they're they're hot topics, we discuss weapons and safety positive foundation and tell people, if that's a choice you want, we're happy to have the conversation. But people think that talking about weapons means that people are going to start buying firearms and getting involved with it, or bad things can happen, and that's where I go back to the if we're having a conversation about it, you can ask your questions and not have that fear wrapped around those particular topics, but that would be my personal answer,   Michael Hingson ** 54:56 yeah, I think all too often, suddenly. Weapons are the easy answer, yes, but they're not, no, they're not at all. But that's what people think. And they think that's going to take care of all of their fears. And it just doesn't work that way,   Amy SP Wilson ** 55:11 because often and it's statistically backed up, you know, oftentimes, those things will get turned on you, especially if you're not doing ongoing practice, and that's part of that proactive philosophy we talk about in safety positive is if you're choosing to use any kind of tool or device, you better be practicing with it at least once a month, minimum. And depending on the tool we're recommending even stronger practicing. But you you know, you can't just buy a pepper spray, drop it in your purse and you're good. It's like, no, because what happens when they do come to grab you? You're going to be finagling and but yeah, and then   Michael Hingson ** 55:59 you aim it the wrong way because you're not used to it. Yep, exactly. And it's and it's so important that, well, again, it goes back to like what we talked about before, with the mind, which is the most important tool that we have. And if we don't develop that tool by constant, and I believe it has to be constant use and constant us teaching ourselves we're not going to improve with it.   Amy SP Wilson ** 56:28 Exactly you. I mean, we are blessed right now that we have as much technology at at our fingertips to be able to phone a friend or use that app to help us cross the street, whatever the case might be, but technology fails, and so you can't say that this is going to be my, my backup for for everything, or for one of the things that I've learned is you Can't take your pepper spray through, you know, TSA. And there's certain things that, no, no, no, TSA, don't like it. So if you get too used to one kind of tool, it gets taken well, then what do you do? You have to have your own, your own mind to go, okay, I can handle this without all the fancy gizmos and gadgets.   Michael Hingson ** 57:18 Yeah. And, and TSA does what it does generally, for pretty good reasons. Yes,   Amy SP Wilson ** 57:25 yes, yeah, I understand their method to the madness. Yeah, it's still frustrating. Oh,   Michael Hingson ** 57:30 I know it is. You come all prepared, and then they take it away from you when, yeah, yeah. So of course, the the answer to that is you've got to put it somewhere in a bag where it's not reachable while you're on the flight. But that's another story   Amy SP Wilson ** 57:48 conversation for another day. Not that I'm talking about a short list that they will things that will get through TSA, but   Michael Hingson ** 57:55 well, how? Let me ask this. Then I think a relevant question, what are the future goals for safety positive Foundation?   Amy SP Wilson ** 58:05 We want to be the safety institution for the mind community, and so that's why we're we're very interested in bringing on more choices for trainings and working with different partners. So you know, when people think of personal safety in the blind community, their first thought is safety positive Foundation,   Michael Hingson ** 58:35 and that's pretty important to be able to do for you what's been the most rewarding experience you've had with safety positive foundation,   Amy SP Wilson ** 58:46 I would have to say it's watching the community grow as individuals like I said, you know, the one person that said, you know, if It wasn't for safety positive, I and I've heard, you know, other people telling me that they they feel safer and just learning different stuff, and that that is the the paycheck for me when I know we're we're making a difference in in people's lives, sometimes it makes me want to cry. I get, you know, so overwhelmed, but I I essentially do not want people to go through what I've went through in my life. And so the more that we can reach people and offer those resources and trainings that again, that that's what's going to do it for me,   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 so especially for blind people. But in general, what would be the message that you would most like for the community to hear from you regarding safety and safety positive foundation? Yeah.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:00:00 When it comes to, I guess, sharing with the sighted community, be aware I'm teaching them that no is a complete sentence, and they don't gotta give you their backstory of why they don't want to accept your help, and if somebody doesn't want to take your assistance. Don't take it personal. That you know, there's so many people who do take it personal. When you tell them, No, I've got this. It's not about you. It's about people having the dignity and respect for themselves to sometimes do things on their own, or talk to you about how maybe you can assist them in a in a in a different manner, but yeah, just just don't take it personal. And no, you're also probably going to mess up a time or two. You're not You're not always going to get it perfect, because I know me as a person in the community, I mess it up sometimes.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:01 You know, there's a lot of value in getting lost. And I, I worked in the World Trade Center a lot to get lost, because when you get lost, then you gotta figure out, how did you get lost, and how do you get out of being lost, and people helping isn't going to give you that learning experience of recovering, or, you know, using what we call whole structured discovery. The bottom line is, yeah, yeah, go ahead. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:01:30 say. I love the structured discovery. My whole organization, my board, yeah, when, when they like. I've got a couple of sighted board members, and they were new to the blind community, but knew it needed, you know, they were the ones who convinced me to start this. But once they learned about structured discovery, they were like, This is awesome, like, because I tell them, you know, don't help people, let them figure it out. And they watch, and they learned real fast that, okay, yeah, there is a method to the madness here.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:04 Yeah, it's, it's important to be able to deal with, deal with, with variety of things. And you're going to be best if you teach yourself how to recover from being lost very quickly. What is structured discovery?   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:02:24 So my understanding, because I've not been given the quote, unquote definition, is where you you have an environment to where you are, um, walking through it yourself and and discovering your your environment on your own with your your white cane, your your guide dog, but you're essentially like, yeah, discovering the the environment on your own accord. Michael, you might have a different answer, but that's that's my, my understanding well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:00 and the other part of it is you're walking along, you expect to be going somewhere, and suddenly you discover you're not where you thought you were, or you walk on grass and you didn't expect to be there. Structured discovery also teaches you how what you do is you step back, mentally and then physically. But you step back, you go back and retrace what you did to figure out where it is that you deviated from the path that you were expecting to be on. And it works very well.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:03:33 I've used it and all the traveling I do, yes, I've gotten lost and had to backtrack. And how did we do this? Where did we go wrong? And believe me, I'll never forget those routes.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:48 Tell me how. So how do people get involved in the safety positive foundation? If they would like to.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:03:57 So there's a couple different options. You can go to our website, at safety positive fdn.org, you can also we have a YouTube channel with lots of videos on on different information, and we have our Facebook page, the Facebook page and our website has links where you can come In and be part of our safety positive guide community, or you can also email us, phone call, just don't say send smoke signals. We're not going   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:31 to get those. Yeah, don't raise your hand. Don't raise your hand. That doesn't work. No,   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:04:35 no, no. It's lost on us.   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:39 Yeah, it is on all of us, which is what's okay, it's always something to be learned. Well, I want to thank you for taking the time to be here with us for more than the last hour. It's been fun, and I hope that that people have learned something from it. We'll definitely get to see you next. At the NFB convention, I assume, and that'll be kind of fun too.   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:05:02 Yes, we're going to be there with bells on. There you   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:05 go. Well, we'll, we'll be there. Yeah, and, and I'll, I'll bring my dog over, and either he'll teach self defense or he'll learn self defense. I'm not, there we go. He'll probably be looking for ear scratches and nothing else. So it's okay. We all,   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:05:24 we all need a little love from time to time. Yeah, yeah, and he's   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:27 good at that. Well, well, thank you again for being here. This has been absolutely enjoyable, and if you've enjoyed listening to us, please let us know you can email me at Michael H I M, I C, H, A, E, L, H i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, you can also go to our podcast page, where there's a contact form, and that's w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, that's m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, S o, n.com/podcast. We'd love to hear from you, and wherever you're listening or monitoring our podcast today, I hope that you'll give us a five star review. We really value your reviews. We appreciate it if you know of anyone and Amy you as well. If you know of anyone who you think might be a good guest for the podcast, we'd like to hear from you. We'd like you to provide an introduction. We're always looking for people who want to come on and tell their stories and help all of us see why we're all more unstoppable than we think we are. So I want to thank you all for for that as well. And Amy, once again, really appreciate you being here today. This has been a lot of fun. I   Amy SP Wilson ** 1:06:38 appreciate it, and I will end with my two cents of keep it safe, keep it positive and keep it safe and positive.   **Michael Hingson ** 1:06:50 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week. Amy SP Wilson, the trailblazer behind the Safety Positive Foundation, is revolutionizing personal safety for the blind and visually impaired community. Her journey began in March of 2023, but her path has been shaped by a diverse range of experiences. Some have been uplifting, while others have been challenging, but each one has served as a valuable lesson that propelled her towards the creation of the Safety Positive Foundation. Amy's commitment to personal safety has been a lifelong pursuit. From playfully wrestling with her cousins during her early years to becoming the first female wrestler at the Missouri School for the Blind in 1996, her passion for wrestling led her to the United States Association of Blind Athletes nationals in 1997, where she discovered Judo. In 1998, Amy proudly represented her country in the World Championships for the Blind in Judo, as a member of the inaugural women's Judo team of the USABA, all before graduating from high school. Unfortunately, Amy's eye condition, Stargardt's, prevented her from continuing her martial arts journey. Diagnosed at the age of 10 in 1992, she faced initial struggles. However, connecting with others who were also blind or visually impaired raised her expectations and inspired her to persevere. As life progressed, Amy earned her first bachelor's degree in psychology, only to become a survivor of domestic violence shortly thereafter. This was not her first experience as a survivor, and it is one of the primary reasons why she advocates for self-empowerment. Amy is deeply passionate about addressing the alarming rates of mental and emotional abuse within relationships involving individuals with disabilities. Amy's pursuit of knowledge led her to earn a second bachelor's degree in social work, providing her with valuable insights into developing systems within the Safety Positive Foundation. She consistently puts her education into practice, utilizing her expertise to make a difference. For the past decade, Amy has been involved in instructing and developing self-defense programs specifically designed for the blind and visually impaired. However, she found that these programs and organizations often had limited expectations for the BVI community, which did not align with her mission. Amy firmly believes that low expectations act as barriers, and she advocates for the BVI community to have unlimited choices when it comes to personal safety. Amy has dedicated her life to making this mission a reality for her community. She actively engages with the BVI community in various capacities, striving to enhance their lives as much as possible. Through the establishment of the Safety Positive Foundation, Amy shares her skills and empowers her community to embrace a safety-positive lifestyle. Ways to connect with Amy: Amy's digital business card link https://linqapp.com/ Book a meeting with me https://bit.ly/3LOviXT Website www.safetypositivefdn.org Facebook https://bit.ly/4fvKMO4 YouTube https://bit.ly/4d5FQy2 TikTok https://bit.ly/3LO9Ja1 LinkedIn https://bit.ly/4fvRbsE Instagram https://bit.ly/4duJq4B Contact info amyspwilson@safetypositivefdn.org 660-441-1907 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes:

# Blaise brings back another blast from the past! In August 2016 Blaise talked with then paralympian Kevin Brousard, who also worked for the US Association for Blind Athletes teaching blind sports. What stood out from this chat? Share on Facebook @blaisinshows. Make sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share the show!Read transcript

In this episode, Qudsiya will take you on a journey with one of her favorite adaptive sports organizations that prioritizes giving blind people access to the natural world. She joined the Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes, affectionately known as MWABA, for a bike camping adventure along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Washington DC. Thanks to a grant from the Adventure Cycling Association, 25 campers, including blind athletes, sighted tandem captains, and volunteer drivers spent one hot, sweaty, but incredibly fun night biking and camping along the Potomac River. Through Qudsiya's firsthand account of the experience, you'll be immersed in the sounds and stories that made the trip so special. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our website⁠ ⁠for transcripts.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@DownToTheStruts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Let us know what you think with a comment or review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple podcasts.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Over the next few weeks, we'll be bringing back some early episodes of Down to the Struts to get ready for season 9. This episode, originally broadcast in November 2020, dives into the world of adaptive sports, and specifically looks at Goalball, a sport designed for blind and visually impaired people. Qudsiya is an athlete herself, and in this episode interviews Karla Gilbride and Justin Chan, the co-founders of the Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes. Their conversation explores the importance of design in making athletics accessible, the power of sports to transform lives, and beating stereotypes on and off the court. Visit our website for a video about Goalball from the Paralympic Games, information about this episode's guests, and photos of the MWABA Goalball players, and for transcripts.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@DownToTheStruts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Let us know what you think with a comment or review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple podcasts.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

From the BG Ad Group Studio this is your news minute on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast presented by Credit Union of Georgia. Today is Friday, July 19th, and I'm Keith Ippolito. Whitefield Academy Alum Chosen for Third Paralympics The United States Association of Blind Athletes has announced the roster for the U.S. Paralympic men's goalball team, headlined by Smyrna native Matt Simpson, who is gearing up for his third Paralympics. Simpson, a Whitefield Academy alum, previously competed in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, where the team secured a silver medal. Veteran Tyler Merren will lead the team, marking his fifth Paralympics since Athens 2004. The squad also includes second-time Paralympian Calahan Young and newcomers Tre'Shaun Faison, Christian King, and Zion Walker. Head coach Keith Young expressed excitement about the team's blend of experience and emerging talent. The Paris Paralympics, running from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, will see over 4,400 athletes from 22 sports, including goalball. Simpson will be among 12 athletes with ties to Cobb County competing in Paris, alongside notable names in other sports. For more news about our community, visit mdjonline.com. For the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, I'm Keith Ippolito. Produced by The BG Podcast NetworkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Margaret Domka is the Executive Director for the US Center for Mental Health and Sport (@mentalhealthandsport). She is a PhD Candidate at Clemson University where her research focus is mental health and sport. Additionally, she has done work in bringing mental health and sport initiatives to Veterans, individuals with paralysis, and Paralympic athletes. She is an ACT! Mental Health Awareness Certification and Mental Health First Aid instructor and holds the International Olympic Committee's Certificate on Mental Health in Elite Sport. Margaret is also a former FIFA Women's World Cup referee and served on the USA panel of FIFA referees for 10 years. She continues to referee blind soccer, for the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, and for Special Olympics. She also serves on the USYS Midwest Region Referee Advisory Committee and the USYS DE&I Committee. Dr. Skye Arthur-Banning is an associate professor at Clemson University who has been awarded over $1 million in grants to bring mental health and sport initiatives to Veterans, individuals with paralysis, and Paralympic athletes and is a Mental Health First Aid certified instructor. He is the head of officials for the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football, on the board of directors for the United States Association for Blind Athletes, a US Soccer National Referee Coach, and a former US Soccer National Referee. Today on the podcast we discuss the importance of bringing awareness to athlete, coach and parent mental health, the stigma against seeking help when you are struggling mentally, identity and performance in sport, and how to understand the spectrum of ailments ranging from serious mental disorders to the everyday simple struggles in sport that are not signs of declines in mental  health. Here is a link to the article in the Atlantic that we discuss regarding prevalence inflation.  Website: www.mentalhealthandsport.org REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of  all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer including all time winningest NCAA Basketball coach Tara VanDerveer from Stanford and 2x World Cup USA Rugby Coach Pete Steinberg! Click here to register and learn more. PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS! Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A code to get free access to our online course called “Coaching Mastery,” usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron. Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences  

Summary In this conversation, Jonathan, Evan, and Oksana discuss various topics related to technology and accessibility. They talk about their weekends, the farthest person they've talked to, and Oksana's experience using different operating systems. Oksana shares her challenges and successes in using Android and Mac, as well as her work in testing websites for accessibility. They also touch on the differences between Windows and Mac, and the learning curve associated with using Voiceover on Mac. In this conversation, Oksana discusses her experience with web accessibility and her transition from Windows to Mac. She also shares her interests in marketing and storytelling, as well as her love for certain sandwiches. The conversation concludes with a message of embracing new experiences and helping one another. Takeaways The conversation covers various topics related to technology and accessibility, including the use of different operating systems and the challenges and benefits they bring. Oksana shares her experience in testing websites for accessibility and the importance of considering accessibility in design. The discussion highlights the differences between Windows and Mac, and the learning curve associated with using VoiceOver on Mac. The conversation showcases the global reach of Blind Level Tech, with guests joining from different parts of the world. Web accessibility is an important field that benefits individuals with disabilities. Switching from Windows to Mac can be motivated by factors such as compatibility with other devices and software. Oksana is interested in marketing and storytelling, and she enjoys speaking in front of an audience. She emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in all fields. Oksana encourages people to try new things and help each other. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Upcoming Podcast on Blind Athletes 13:26 Testing Websites for Accessibility: Oksana's Experience 31:38 Artificial Intelligence 40:30 Embracing New Experiences Thank you for l isteneing to this episode of BLT. We have some exciting news coming up and can't wait for you to hear it so stay tuned. If you would like to ask a question of Evan or Jonathan call us at (720) 712-8856 or email us at feedback@aftersight.org. Have a great week.

Amy SP Wilson Are you ready?  Ready for whatever comes at you?   No one can answer “yes” 100% of the time.  But we can take steps to be prepared.  And Pushing Limits is here to help.   This week, Amy SP Wilson brings a wealth of ideas about the perennial problem of strangers who are intrusive when they try to help people with disabilities.  Amy SP Wilson is the CEO and founder of the Safety Positive Foundation, a nonprofit in the business of solving the personal safety needs of the blind and visually impaired community.   Serra Rae And, Serra Rea explains how emergency centers teamed up with local Independent Living Centers to help keep people with disabilities safe during the recent Southern California Floods.  Serra Rae is the Disability Disaster Access & Resources Program Manager for the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers.   Listen up; Stay Safe; Be Prepared!   Interviewers and producers: Chelsea Lesner-Buxton, Bonnie Elliot and Dominick Trevethan. Audio editing: Denny Daughters, Dominick Trevethan and Adrienne Lauby. Host: Adrienne Lauby More about Amy SP Wilson: Amy SP Wilson's commitment to personal safety has been a lifelong pursuit. From playfully wrestling with her cousins during her early years to becoming the first female wrestler at the Missouri School for the Blind in 1996, her passion for wrestling led her to the United States Association of Blind Athletes nationals in 1997, where she discovered Judo. In 1998, Amy proudly represented her country in the World Championships for the Blind in Judo, as a member of the inaugural women's Judo team of the USABA, all before graduating from high school. Amy's eye condition, Stargardt's, diagnosed at the age of 10, prevented her from continuing her martial arts journey. Amy earned her first bachelor's degree in psychology, only to become a survivor of domestic violence shortly after. This was not her first experience as a survivor, and she is deeply passionate about addressing the alarming rates of mental and emotional abuse within relationships involving individuals with disabilities. Amy's pursuit of knowledge led her to earn a second bachelor's degree in social work.  For the past decade, Amy has been involved in instructing and developing self-defense programs specifically designed for the blind and visually impaired.  However, she found that these programs and organizations often had limited expectations for the Blind and Visually Impaired community, which did not align with her mission. Through the establishment of the Safety Positive Foundation, Amy shares her skills and empowers her community to embrace a safety-positive lifestyle.   More about Serra Rae:  While working with the County of San Bernardino in the Public Works department, Serra Rae learned a lot about wildland fires, flooding, and earthquakes.  Preparing for the next emergency and working as a Emergency Communications Specialist in the FireCorps, Serra attended American Military Academy and obtained a bachelor degree in Disaster and Emergency Management with a focus on Terrorism and Geological Disasters. Later becoming certified as an Emergency Management Specialist with California Specialized Training Institute. Serra Rae was introduced to the DDAR program while working at Rolling Start, an Independent Living Center member with CFILC. Working with the program at the center level gave her a good foundation to help the community open up the discussion of resources available to the community before, during and after an emergency or disaster event. The post Be Prepared – Disability – Pushing Limits – March 22, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

At the LA 2028 Paralympics, the US will compete in blind football (aka blind soccer) for the first time--but a national team is still in development. Molly Quinn, CEO of the US Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) joins us to talk about the process of building an internationally competitive team. Learn more about blind soccer at the USABA's website and follow them on X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn! If you get involved with the team, we'd love to hear from you! Plus: Medal reallocations from London 2012 (not a typo). Paris 2024 news with details on Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), Village condoms, the basketball draw, a Cultural Olympiad event, and more!  Stadiumnovela updates from Brisbane 2032 News from the latest IOC Executive Board meeting And we have updates from TKFLASTAN, where we hear from: Nordic combined athlete Annika Malacinski Wheelchair curler Steve Emt Sled hockey player Monica Quimby Commentator Olly Hogben For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.   Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!   Photo courtesy of the US Association of Blind Athletes. *** Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.   Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod   Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at http://flamealivepod.com VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348          

Recording artist J. Dollaz AKA Jahron Black joins Jennie from Brooklyn, NY. They fess up to messing up the things they've done a million times before, like rapping and podcasting. They also bounce brutal goalball stories off of one another, and examine whether there could be a temporary edible cure for blindness. Guest Bio:J.Dollaz AKA Jahron Black is a recording artist, goalball athlete, and dedicated community leader from Brooklyn, New York.Featured Song:  J.Dollaz "Therapy" (unreleased)Guest Description:Jahron is a Black man, with dark facial hair and tied back locks. He wears headphones and sits on a brown leather couch against a light blue wall. His shirt reads “Later turns into never”.Highlights:Show Open (00:26)About Jahron Black (01:49)Making Music (04:11)Effing Up in the Podcast Studio (05:07)Going Sideways in the Studio (09:54)Can Edibles Cure Blindness? (13:42)Tripping, Literally (15:11)About Goalball (18:01)Goalball Injuries (20:13)Blood on the Goalball Court (22:28)New York Association of Blind Athletes (26:59)Goalball Family (29:18)Follow J. Dollaz Online (31:34)Show Close (33:59)Links:J. Dollaz:  YouTube,  Facebook, InstagramMore from J.DollazDarryl Lenox, Comedian - www.DarrylLenox.com

On FSCast 234, guest host Brett Lewis offers up a preview of what's coming in the public betas of JAWS, Fusion, and ZoomText. He'll also do a demonstration of the new JAWS Face in View feature, and visit with Billy Henry, the President and CEO of the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes. Transcript available at blog.freedomscientific.com.

It is our intention to make this edition of Tuesday Topics an occasion where those who knew Oral Miller who died on August 6 could come and share some memories of his life and work. Oral lived to the age of ninety and made contributions to people who are blind in a variety of ways. He was the fourth President of ACB. He served only one term because he chose to go to work for ACB as its national representative where he served till 1998. During the last of his tenure he was ACB'S Executive Director. He was active in the Blind Bowling Association, Ski for Light, the United States Association of Blind Athletes and as part of the International Blind Sports Association. Many members of ACB can tell us stories about Oral and we hope that many will join us to share your memories of one of ACB'S most important figures. Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

Youth who are blind or visually impaired face challenges if they want to play sports or even engage in physical activity their sighted peers may take for granted. The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes created Camp Spark to change that. Its free sports camps use games, physical activity, orientation and mobility to help campers develop skills - including leadership, independence, and advocacy. We talk with program manager Kirsten French and Athena Wooters, a Camp Spark counselor.

Recently, our very own Stephanie Leake has been participating as a blind guide for local DFW runners. We sit down with Ricky Castaneda, an athlete she guides, as well as Chief Guiding Officer, Cheyenne Meyer. They give us a view into the world of blind sports, from running triathlons to blind baseball and much more. LinksU.S. Association of Blind AthletesBe sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, and we always appreciate you leaving a good rate and review. Join the Facebook Group and follow us on Instagram. Have a topic you'd like to hear discussed in depth, or a guest you'd like to nominate? Email us at info@happyendingstc.org

An interview with Kirsten French with NW Association for Blind Athletes about her journey of losing her sight and her involvement with the non-profit NWABA and its camps and summer programs offered to blind youth.

The first USA blind soccer men's national team is coming. The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes, or USABA, has announced its first ten athletes. We're excited to welcome one of the players: Noah Beckman. Noah is going to tell us more about the team and their upcoming journey in international competition. Ways to Connect to Speaking Out for the Blind Amazon Alexa enabled device (RECOMMENDED) “Alexa, Ask ACB Media to play Media 1”. (1 = stream number).   PC / browser access (RECOMMENDED): Visit acbmedia.org at http://www.acbmedia.org/1 (1 = stream number). The site has a built-in media player and there is no need to install or use a media player on your device. Hit the play button and the stream will begin playing immediately. Smart device Access (RECOMMENDED): Download “ACB Link” from your app store. Find “Radio” along the bottom of the screen, then “Menu” in the top left corner. Select “Live Streams” and then choose “ACB Media 1 - Mainstream.” Double tap the play button. Victor Reader Stream Access: Navigate to “Internet radio library” in the “online bookshelf”. Locate the Humanware playlist. From the playlist, select ACB Media 1 (1 = stream number) and hit play.   Alternate Dial-In access Dial 1 (518) 906-1820. Listen to the menu prompts and press 1. IMPORTANT NOTE The ACB Radio Tuner is no longer supported. If you used the tuner in the past, you may access all ACB Media streams from acbmedia.org (see above) If you are using alternate ways to access ACB Media streams than those above (such as Tune In or Winamp using acbradio.org URL's, we kindly ask that you use one of the methods above.    Facebook page is at Speaking Out for the Blind and Twitter page is at SpeakOutfortheBlind (you may also access this at SpeakOutBlind).   For more info related to this week's show, go to: https://speakingoutfortheblind.weebly.com/list-of-episodes-and-show-news/for-more-information-episode-312-first-usa-blind-mens-soccer-national-team

In this Tatami Talk Special Edition Episode with Juan and Anthony. We talk with Eduardo Medrano about the Blind Judo clinic they are holding in association with IBSA, Sports and Recreation for the Blind , U.S. Association of Blind Athletes and Hollywood PAL (Police Athletic League). The clinic will be held at 6411 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 on December 3rd 2022 from 9:00AM - 12:00PM No judo experience required, volunteers and everyone who is interested in participating or being involved in adaptive Judo is welcome. You can contact Eduardo at judoangels@gmail.com ----------------------- Show notes: - Sports and Rec for the Blind Los Angeels: https://www.facebook.com/BlindSportsandRecs - IBSA Judo: https://www.facebook.com/IBSAJudo - U.S. Association of Blind Athletes: https://www.facebook.com/UnitedStatesABA - Interview with Liana Mutia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_4F8c_q7Dw

20220901 What's up with the Northwest Association of Blind Athletes Originally Aired September 1, 2022, on ACB Media 5 Listeners learned what activities are available and how to get involved. Sponsored by Hull Foundation and Learning Center

Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) recently announced the start of its seventh summer hosting Camp Spark through Fri., July 28. https://loom.ly/IMPixD8 #NorthwestAssociationForBlindAthletes #CampSpark #BlindYouth #VisuallyImpairedYouth #SummerCamp #YouthActivities #LinfieldUniversity #Campers #Oregon #Washington #MultipleDisabilities #Blindness #VancouverWa #ClarkCountyWa #ClarkCountyNews #ClarkCountyToday

Speakers: Justin Bishop and Becca Meyers

Workshop Day is Aug 7, 2022 On this SPECIAL Podcast, Abbi Lezizidis speaks to Whitecaps London Coaches Mo Nabavieh and Andrew Reagan who will be lead coaches when Whitecaps London launches their Blind soccer programming. In this podcast Coaches Mo and Andrew share their insights about bringing Blind Soccer to London. They share thoughts about the course and the weekend away at Lake Joseph learning in the most picturesque classroom and learning setting. Matt Greenwood from Pickering F.C. and Charlie the head coach of France's World Cup Blind Soccer Team led the facilitation of the educational material. The course included Blind Athletes, Referees and Administrators from all over the world. Schools and Clubs were there learning together about Blind Soccer otherwise known around the world as Cécifoot. Soccer is for Everyone. The Beautiful Game is meant for everyone. _________________________________________________________________________ About the Course: This course was part funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation through the Ontario Parasport Collective. 1. Establish a blind soccer course that can be developed by Canada Soccer for future delivery. 2. Train a core group of match officials to officiate at upcoming competitions 3. Train a core group of coaches that can take this training back to their home communities and start a local program. An added bonus of this course was to bring together for the first time ever a group of blind soccer players and future coaches/administrators from across Ontario who will be able to learn and connect in a meaningful way. The course will welcome 15 coaches, 5 match officials and 10 blind/ visually impaired players to the beautiful Lake Joseph facility owned and operated by CNIB. The location will provide an immersive environment to learn and connect with each other as we spend time on the field and in the classroom. Each day will be a blend of classroom learning and on field work and while everyone will register in the field they are comfortable with (player, coach or referee) there will be chances to switch up and experience other roles. Other links: https://paralympic.ca/paralympic-sports/football-5-side twitter: @SoccabilityC WWW.Soccability.ca

Get ready to Join Angie and Kimberly along with the players of the Wichita FalconsL Ron, Ira, and AJ for a fun episode about Beep Baseball. Learn all about how beep baseball got started, how it differs from a typical baseball and more.Links and info:Wichita Association of Blind Athletes:wabanp.orgNational Beep Baseball Association:abba.org

Heather Segar is a coach, speaker, trainer, and host of The Heather Sager Show. Through her years in the business, she's learned something: success is limited by your ability to articulate a vision and inspire others to take action. In this episode, Heather shares her wisdom around how we need to be showing up to one-on-one conversations, fundraising events, and any other presentation to have a real impact. Hop into this conversation now! This one is more than tips and tricks, it's about who you become when you are making that ask or giving that presentation. I promise you won't want to miss out on Heather's knowledge! Episode highlights:  (01:50) - Who is Heather Segar? Teaching online entrepreneurs to articulate their ideas for success! (03:35) - Turning the conversation into money talk: What we need to understand around speaking skills and communication! (10:48) - Bringing the right kind of energy: The three parts of communication you need to master. (17:54) - Find the perfect balance and language!: Blending your authentic personality with your organization's brand. (29:14) - Money mindset & our relationship with spending: Why our prejudice may not be accurate when asking for dollars.  (36:01) - Some strategies to confidently talk with donors: Asking yes-yes questions, focusing on alignment, and reading the signs.  (44:25) - The 7% rule: Why the way you spread your message and your body language is more important than your actual words.  (49:42) - Where you can find Heather + A shoutout to her favorite nonprofit, The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes.

This is a special episode of the Penny Forward podcast prompted by a post to the Penny Forward Facebook group. Kaiti Shelton wondered if we could do an episode on fitness on a budget. We thought that was a great idea, and we decided to collaborate with Greg Linberg of the Eyes Free Sports podcast to pull together a panel of fitness experts and enthusiasts who are all blind to talk about fitness on a budget including exercising at home Vs. at a gym, participating in solo Vs. team sports, and exercising with and without equipment. Some resources mentioned in the show were: bodybuilding.com, United States Association of Blind Athletes, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Move United, and Achilles International. A full text transcript of this episode can be found at http://pennyforward.com/penny-forward-transcript-s2e9-fitness-on-a-budget/ Do you have a fitness or budgeting tip you'd like to share? Continue the conversation in the Penny Forward Facebook group, a safe space to get support from the Penny Forward community. The Penny Forward podcast is about blind people building bright futures one penny at a time. Subscribe by searching for “Penny Forward” using your favorite podcast app, ask your smart speaker to play the podcast, “Penny Forward”, check out the Penny Forward YouTube channel, or listen to all of our past episodes and read full text transcripts at http://pennyforward.com/podcast Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/pennyforward)

A very special episode of Just Jeff with my amazing guests John and Anni Furniss A.K.A. The Blind Woodsman and Honey. We discuss they're journey as artists and people. How they met and what they're up to these days!! Go check out their work, stories, and every link to everything they offer!! Their website is FurnissStudios.com And since October is Blindness awareness month i pledge to donate $1 per full listen to this episode, up to 100 listens, by Halloween night. 10/31 at midnight PST I will be donating to the NW Association for Blind Athletes. Feel free to donate yourself as well, their website is nwaba.org

Students at Garfield Elementary School put on eyeshades and perked up their ears this week to learn goalball, a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment.SPS Vision Services Teachers partnered with visually impaired students, representatives from the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, and Fitness & Health Teacher Donavon Hodgson to offer students this opportunity as part of Blindness Awareness Month.Goalball is the only Paralympic sport with no able-bodied equivalent. It was originally devised in 1946 to assist in the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans. Learn more at www.usaba.org/sports/goalball.

Northwest Association for Blind Athletes' CEO Billy Henry explains how the organization offers sports opportunities to the blind.   To listen to this week's “Speaking Out for the Blind,” go to: https://www.acbmedia.org/home/streams/, and choose one of the links under the heading “ACB Media 1 – Mainstream,” and “ACB Media 2 – Mainstream 2;” or call 1-518-906-1820, and when prompted, press “1” for ACB Media 1 or press “2” for ACB Media 2. You may also listen to the program live on the ACB Link mobile app. For more information, go to http://link.acb.org. Show archive page is at https://speaking-out-for-the-blind.pinecast.co/.   How to access ACB Media 1 and ACB Media 2 on Amazon Alexa: From your Alexa-enabled device first Enable the skill by saying: 1. Approach your Alexa device and issue this command: “Alexa, Delete Everything I've Ever Said on this device” Please Note: This will need to be done on each Alexa device in your home.   2. Wait 30 seconds and then say: “Alexa, Open ACB Media” The new ACB Media skill will launch.   As a reminder, ask for the name of the stream that you would like to hear. The list below are the names for each of the ACB Media stream designations:  ACB Mainstream is now ACB 1 ACB Mainstream 2 is now ACB 2 Facebook page is at Speaking Out for the Blind and Twitter page is at SpeakOutfortheBlind (you may also access this at SpeakOutBlind).   For more info related to this week's show, go to: https://speakingoutfortheblind.weebly.com/list-of-episodes-and-show-news/for-more-information-episode-273-nw-association-for-blind-athletes

Hosts Rekaya Gibson and Angela Spears give an overview about the Paralympics Games. They answer the questions: how the Paralympics got started; what Paralympics mean; what the six broad Paralympics categories are; and what sports are included in the Paralympics. They highlight Bonnie St. John, the first African American to medal in any Paralympic event. They share an update on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games medal count and highlight Team USA's accomplishments. They also discuss some of the most decorated Paralympian athletes in the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. #KeepItSporty Podcast Items of Interest: Become a Monthly Patron - https://www.patreon.com/BlackGirlsTalkSports Buy Us a Coffee - https://ko-fi.com/blackgirlstalksports Join Us the Facebook Group (Women only) @BlackGirlsTalkSports Download free Android App in the Google Play Store Podcast Sponsored by Cuisine Noir Magazine - www.cuisinenoirmag.com Sources for this Episode: Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2017, May 3). Paralympic Games. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/sports/Paralympic-Games Grunik, K. (2021, September 4). Women's Wheelchair Basketball Dominates for Bronze Against Germany. United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. https://www.teamusa.org/news/2021/september/04/womens-wheelchair-basketball-dominates-for-bronze-against-germany International Paralympic Committee. (2021). Paralympics History. Paralympic.org. https://www.paralympic.org/ipc/history International Paralympic Committee. (2021). Paralympics Sports. Paralympic.org. https://www.paralympic.org/sports International Paralympic Committee. (2021, August 24). Tokyo 2020 Sets the Record for Most Athletes and Women at a Paralympic Games. Paralympic.org. https://www.paralympic.org/news/tokyo-2020-sets-record-most-athletes-and-women-paralympic-games McElwee, M., Brown, O., Davies, G.A., and Wilcox, G. (2021, August 27). Day Three: Kadeena Cox Out to Inspire Black British Cyclists After Defending Paralympic Title. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/paralympic-sport/2021/08/27/paralympics-2021-tokyo-2020-swimming-cycling-kadeena-cox/amp/ Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Paralympics. Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Paralympics NBC Olympics. (2021, August 29). Jamal Hill. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nbcolympics/photos/a.481874780328/10161756590905329/ NBC Olympics. (2021, September 4). Back-to-Back Gold. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nbcolympics/photos/a.481874780328/10161770574335329/ NBC Olympics. (2021, September 3). The United States of Speed. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/nbcolympics/photos/a.481874780328/10161768227230329/ NBC Sports. (2021, September 3). Watch: Jessica Long Earns Another Gold in Her Final Event of Tokyo. MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympics2020-videos/watch-jessica-long-earns-another-gold-in-her-final-event-of-tokyo/ar-AAO4FB3 OlympicTalk. (2021, September 3). U.S. Breaks World Record in Paralympic Debut of Universal Relay, Mcfadden Gets First Tokyo Gold. NBC Sports. https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/09/03/tokyo-paralympics-universal-relay-athletics-mcfadden-mayhugh-mason-malone/ The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. (2021). Paralympic Games Classification. Olylmpics.com. https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/paralympics/games/classification/ United States Association of Blind Athletes. (2021). “Trischa Zorn-Hudson.” USABA.org. https://www.usaba.org/about-us/hall-of-fame-recipients/trischa-zorn-hudson/ Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, June 5). Bonnie St. John. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bonnie_St._John&oldid=1026972633 Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, September 3). Goalball. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Goalball&oldid=1042133917 Wikipedia Contributors. (2021, September 3). Jessica Long. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jessica_Long&oldid=1042145281 Winderl, A.M. (2021, September 1). Oksana Masters Is Officially a Gold Medalist in Both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. SELF. https://www.self.com/story/oksana-masters-cycling-gold-paralympics World of Sports Science. (2021, August 16). "Disability Classification." World of Sports Science. Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports/sports-fitness-recreation-and-leisure-magazines/disability-classification

Listen to an engaging discussion about getting back out in the community and enjoying accessible activities. Special Guests: Lorena Bradford, National Gallery of Art Jennifer Kanarek, Northern Virginia (NV) Rides Qudsiya Naqui, Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA) John Guzik, Washington Blind Hockey Club 0:00:00 Introduction & Announcements 0:04:38 Lorena Bradford, National Gallery of Art (NGA) 0:12:26 Qudsiya Naqui, Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes (MWABA) 0:23:18 John Guzik, Washington Blind Hockey Club 0:30:15 Jennifer Kanarek, Northern Virginia (NV) Rides 0:42:15 Other ride services, MetroAccess 0:45:45 Q&A 0:45:45 Sculpture Gardens 0:46:49 NV Rides of out area? 0:51:25 Virtual tours at NGA and Smithsonian 0:53:00 What is "Described Art"? 0:56:36 Metro Washington Ear (MWE) Audio Description for Kennedy Center 1:00:40 Closing Announcements

Possessing an Entrepreneurial Mindset as Nonprofit Organization with Billy Henry, Founder, President/CEO at Northwest Association for Blind Athletes.The NWABA Mission: To provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired.After the podcast, Connect with BillyLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/billy-henry-98152113Website: nwaba.org  Phone: 360.448.7254 Address: PO Box 65265 Vancouver, WA 98665Email: bhenry@nwaba.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nwblindathletesTwitter: NWABA

Change is something that most people fear. But what if I tell you, a huge change is not necessarily needed in order to make an impact and that you can make a bigger impact by just implementing small adaptations? Well, this episode is all about that. We are so excited to bring Kirsten French, programs manager, sport's adaptations at Camp Spark and co-camp director at Camp Spark for Northwest Association for Blind Athletes in this week's podcast! She will be sharing a lot of information regarding sports adaptation on how it could open up more opportunities for your students who are visually impaired, and to utilize it as a teaching mechanism in order to make teaching more accessible. You will also get to understand more about how her sports adaptation program works, general adaptations that teachers can implement in their teaching and classrooms, as well as how the current situation around COVID-19 brought up different opportunities when it comes to teaching. Sounds exciting? Join us now! Links: Allied Independence Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, Website

In this episode, we discuss what it was like for Francesco and Andrew to walk the virtual New York City marathon. They memorized the route ahead of time, and walked it on their own using their canes and no sighted guide. Reach out to us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @RunWithChestnut to give us any feedback, or future topic requests.

Cat Bouwkamp with the United States Association of Blind Athletes stops by to discuss her participation in the 2012 London Paralympics, the USABA and National Blind Sports Week.

Want to help us grow the show? Leave us a Rating and Review!“It was kind of like a lightning bolt moment for me. I was like, Oh my God, this is one of those things that I'm meant to do on this planet. It’s to figure this out.”—Clayton FrechJoin Jon and Bryan as they take a deep-dive into the world of adaptive athletics with Clayton Frech. His non-profit organization—Angel City Sports—provides year-round free adaptive sports opportunities for kids, adults, and veterans living with physical disabilities or visual impairments.Clayton transparently shares from his heart the lessons he, his family, and son Ezra have learned as they’ve explored the opportunities for all types of athletes striving to Go Be More.Show Notes(3:00) Jon, Clayton, and their “matchmaker,” Isaac…(5:20) Have you ever seen a blind man do the high jump?(7:20) “... they’ve mastered their body, their athletic performance… but they have to also master their body’s interaction with technology.”(11:04) How do we simplify the process of getting started in sports?(12:30) “Growing up, I never felt like I belonged anywhere.” Clayton shares what his childhood looked like.(16:16) Skateboards, college classes, and corporate ladders…(19:40) These skill sets have helped in building a non-profit…(22:51) Ezra was born and a whole new world opened up.(26:25) A “roadmap” can make all the difference.(29:45) For the love of sports…(32:43) “And the main takeaway from that was the kids that seemed better adjusted, more self-confidence, and just farther along in the self-acceptance journey tended to be from small towns…”(34:34) A leg built out of wood… Ezra’s family meets Paralympians for the first time.(37:09) Ezra experiences the Endeavor games.(39:13) Why go into adaptive athletics when he was doing so well in age group sports?(47:14) Amazing mentors that have been a part of the journey…(50:41) Was there a special formula?(53:30) “...my wife gets like the lion share of credit... The work that she did with him in terms of giving him the tools to be successful in life beyond sport, is really pretty incredible.”(57:31) There’s a celebrity in the house…(1:00:00) Angel City Sports role in adaptive athletics…(1:06:14) “...we don't discriminate. So all ages, all physical disabilities, veterans, civilians, you name it.”(1:08:29) “Kids need to see adults, whether they're vets or civilians functioning at a high level, competing and going after it... And then the adults and the vets, we're always inspired by having a little kid who doesn't think about their disability.”(1:11:24) You never know who’s going to show up! Celebs supporting the events…(1:16:12) It starts with just one.(1:19:05) It’s about creating a sense of belonging…(1:22:03) What’s the number one problem in the adaptive and Paralympic sports communities?(1:23:43) Is Angel City Sports going to other locations?(1:32:12) Paralympic and adaptive sports are where you can refill your “tank.” Sport is so important to this community.(1:42:22) “And it's scary because if you don't understand it, if it's not a part of your life, if you don't see it, it doesn't exist.”(1:45:11) “(Angel City Sports) is for people that don't have the resources and the time and the family support and all the blessings that Ezra has.”(1:46:42) What does the phrase Go Be More mean to you?(1:48:32) Closing...If you liked this episode, check out our interviews with Paralympian Wesley Williams and event promoter Tracy Sundlun.And, you can now get these show notes sent directly to your email. Sign up here!Recorded September 11, 2020.References:Angel City Sports - homepageAngel City Sports Overview - YouTube2020 Angel City Games presented by The Hartford - websiteEzra Frech - WikipediaEndeavor Games - homepageChallenge Athletes Foundation - homepageGuest:Clayton Frech - @clayton.frechHosts:Bryan Green - @sendaibry, Go Be More BlogJon Rankin - @chasejonrankin, Go Be MoreLinks:Go Be More websiteGo Be More YouTube ChannelFeedbackProduction and EditingCreatives Collective Marketing

We are joined by Billy Henry, President, and Founder of the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes. We talk to Billy about his story, how he came to found NWABA at 15 YEARS OLD, and how their organization has pivoted during the pandemic. Hear the good being done in the North West and how this young leader has grown his organization from a small start-up to providing across multiple states. www.NWABA.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/visionserve-alliance/message

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with Lex Gillette, Paralympian, World Champion, and World Record Long Jumper, and Cat Bouwkamp, Membership and Safe Sport Coordinator, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. Lex shares how he is coping physically and mentally with the delay of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, and Cat shares the work that USABA is doing to make fitness and exercise more accessible for everyone who is blind. To learn more about Lex Gillette, check out: www.lexgillette.com. To learn more about USABA’s Staying Fit While Staying Put, and United We Move initiatives, please visit: www.usaba.org. More information about ACB is available at www.acb.org, and if you like this podcast, please subscribe, and write a review.

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with Lex Gillette, Paralympian, World Champion, and World Record Long Jumper, and Cat Bouwkamp, Membership and Safe Sport Coordinator, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. Lex shares how he is coping physically and mentally with the delay of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, and Cat shares the work that USABA is doing to make fitness and exercise more accessible for everyone who is blind. To learn more about Lex Gillette, check out: www.lexgillette.com. To learn more about USABA’s Staying Fit While Staying Put, and United We Move initiatives, please visit: www.usaba.org. More information about ACB is available at www.acb.org, and if you like this podcast, please subscribe, and write a review.

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with Lex Gillette, Paralympian, World Champion, and World Record Long Jumper, and Cat Bouwkamp, Membership and Safe Sport Coordinator, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. Lex shares how he is coping physically and mentally with the delay of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, and Cat shares the work that USABA is doing to make fitness and exercise more accessible for everyone who is blind. To learn more about Lex Gillette, check out: www.lexgillette.com. To learn more about USABA’s Staying Fit While Staying Put, and United We Move initiatives, please visit: www.usaba.org. More information about ACB is available at www.acb.org, and if you like this podcast, please subscribe, and write a review.

On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, Clark speaks with Lex Gillette, Paralympian, World Champion, and World Record Long Jumper, and Cat Bouwkamp, Membership and Safe Sport Coordinator, U.S. Association of Blind Athletes. Lex shares how he is coping physically and mentally with the delay of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, and Cat shares the work that USABA is doing to make fitness and exercise more accessible for everyone who is blind. To learn more about Lex Gillette, check out: www.lexgillette.com. To learn more about USABA’s Staying Fit While Staying Put, and United We Move initiatives, please visit: www.usaba.org. More information about ACB is available at www.acb.org, and if you like this podcast, please subscribe, and write a review.

This month we heard from Director of Development and Paralympian Pam McGonigle on the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). We talked about the USABA program, various sports and recreational activities, and how to get started on your fitness goals, no matter your fitness level.

Introducing Liz Bottner: AT Specialist, Self Advocate, Blind Hockey Player and Aira User Full Transcript Below. Jeff Thompson sits down for a conversation with Liz bottner. Liz is a dynamic individual who works for the VA as an Assistive Technology (AT) specialist, teaching blinded Veterans about computer technology. Listen as Jeff and Liz delve into her early childhood and schooling, a strong TVI who positively influenced her approach towards self-advocacy throughout her life, and her progress through college and her MBA studies. Learn how Liz actively found work and the round-about road to her current position with the Veteran’s Administration (VA). As we said, Liz is a dynamic person: a fearless goalie on a blind hockey team, a strong advocate for the blindness community and an Aira Explorer who tackles each and every opportunity in life as if it is a challenge to be overcome. Join Jeff Thompson as he engages this fascinating guest as only Jeff can, with insightful questions and inimitable style! Thanks for Listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store. Get the Free blind Abilities App on the Google Play Store   Full Transcript: Pete Lane: Meet Liz Bottner. Liz Bottner: I am a computer access technology specialist, so I teach access technology to veterans who are blind or who have low vision. Pete Lane: Blind since birth, Liz learned the power of self-advocacy throughout her schooling. Liz Bottner: It's important to have good skills in terms of being able to advocate for yourself to get things done that you need done, when you're not getting what you need from the disability services offices. Pete Lane: All the way through her MBA studies. Liz Bottner: You're your own best advocate. It might be easy to have your TVI do things and help prepare materials for you, but ask about how to do that yourself, because there's most likely going to come a time when you're going to have to have those skills. Pete Lane: Fearless in so many ways. Liz Bottner: I'm not one to turn away a challenge. Pete Lane: In the workplace. Liz Bottner: Don't give up, despite employers having unrealistic expectations of what you can do as a blind person. Pete Lane: In her leisure time and athletic endeavors. Liz Bottner: I did really, and still very, very much enjoy being a goalie. The puck is made of steel. It's three times the size of a standard National Hockey League puck, and it has ball bearings inside of it. It's okay. The equipment works. We're fine. Pete Lane: Throughout her life. Liz Bottner: Drive is realizing that you have a passion for something and just keep pushing and keep doing that thing. When you put yourself out there and keep putting yourself out there, the right experience will come, and you'll be where you're supposed to be. Pete Lane: You can find more podcasts from a blindness perspective on the web at www.blindabilities.com. We're on Facebook and on Twitter, and be sure to download our free apps in the App Store and the Google Play Store. And now, without further ado, let's join Jeff Thompson and Liz Bottner. Liz Bottner: Challenge accepted. Let's do this.   Jeff Thompson: Welcome to Blind Abilities. I'm Jeff Thompson, and today we're talking to Liz Bottner. She is a hockey goalie in a blind league. She's been to college, master's degree, she works for the VA, she's got all sorts of technology stuff, has a lot of experience getting jobs, and she's here to share her story. Liz, welcome to Blind Abilities. Liz Bottner: Thank you, Jeff. Thank you for having me. Hello, everyone. I am Liz Bottner, originally from Delaware, currently living in Connecticut. I do work at the VA. I am a computer access technology specialist, so I teach access technology to veterans who are blind or who have low vision, and I very much enjoy my job. As Jeff said, I am a blind hockey player. I play the position of goalie for the Hartford Braillers, instead of the Hartford Whalers. They do not exist anymore as a hockey team, but Connecticut does have the Hartford Braillers.   Jeff Thompson: That's a good point. You've had quite the journey, being born blind, you've had all the education from working with probably your school district, then into vocational rehab, then into multiple disability services. Liz Bottner: Yes, and some of them were friendly, and some of them weren't. That's why it's important to have good skills, in terms of being able to advocate for yourself to get things done that you need done, when you're not getting what you need from the disability services offices.   Jeff Thompson: You found that out, probably, the hard way, right? Liz Bottner: I did. There were many a night where I would stay up and have to scan page by page books or articles and things like that, so yes.   Jeff Thompson: I've been there. I used to have a big old flatbed scanner. You spend three, four hours just trying to get to your material before you even start doing homework. Liz Bottner: Yeah, and then when you do scan it, you still have to sometimes go back and edit it, which is hard, not being able to necessarily see the printed material. So okay, what is it supposed to say? You don't even have a reference, so you kind of have to guess.   Jeff Thompson: Exactly. What do you do for your job? Liz Bottner: I teach veterans who are blind or who have low vision how to use access technology. I also am able to teach living skills, which both are important areas. My passion, though, is truly access technology. Whatever they have the goals to do, be it sending email to their friends and family or learning about how to be more portable with technology and have a way to consolidate a lot of the devices they're carrying around, be them magnifiers, talking book player, things like that, have that all in one device, which may warrant issuance and training on an iPhone or an iPad.   Jeff Thompson: That's really neat. So you're mostly working with people who are 20 and above. Liz Bottner: It's 60 and above. These are veterans, so their age is generally up there.   Jeff Thompson: Oh, wow. Liz Bottner: A lot of the younger veterans, if they're discharged or if they come back and have blindness, a lot of times it's related to combat, and that's actually their secondary injury to them, and so they're usually seen for their primary injuries, and then at their home station or at some other area of the country that can better serve their missing limb or something like that, and then they get blind rehab later.   Jeff Thompson: So when they come to you they're kind of new into the iPhone itself? Liz Bottner: Yes, many of them, not all. Some do have previous experience, but many of them don't. Many of them have no technology experience, and so it's just starting from scratch.   Jeff Thompson: You're basically iPhone 101 with voice over. Liz Bottner: Yes, or even technology 101. This is an email address. With an email address, you have to have a password.   Jeff Thompson: So you have to be ready for everything? Liz Bottner: Oh yeah, which honestly is to me a very, very positive challenge. I much rather be ready for everything than have a situation where I'm constantly doing the same thing over and over again. That way, I would get bored, and myself and bored do not mix well.   Jeff Thompson: Now, you are an Aira user. Liz Bottner: I am an Aira user, yes.   Jeff Thompson: And the veterans have just jumped on board with Aira. Liz Bottner: Yes, after a full assessment has been conducted, as long as there are goals that support issuance and training, it definitely can be issued to them.   Jeff Thompson: What is that program with Aira? How does it work with the VA? Liz Bottner: They're given an assessment. If it's determined that it's something that would be useful to them and deemed appropriate to train on, then they can receive training. With that, the VA will pay for actual glasses, and then, much like when the VA issues an iPhone, the VA provides the device, and it's up to the veteran or student at that point to then supplement that device with purchasing the plan. The plan that they can purchase is a different plan than those available to non-veteran users, so it's a different price point, but they are responsible, though, for the monthly cost of that plan.   Jeff Thompson: Do you do any of that training? Liz Bottner: I have not yet done Aira training. It's just recently been deemed that it can be issued, but I have not yet.   Jeff Thompson: Well, that's great, the opportunity for them. Liz Bottner: Absolutely. It bridges many different skill areas, from basic living skills to technology to even orientation and mobility in specific cases where it's deemed by the orientation and mobility specialist that that's an appropriate and feasible goal for them. It's all based on goals. It's not just, oh I want this or give me that, it's what are your goals? What devices, if any, can help meet those goals? And then all training, in whatever skill area, is based on that.   Jeff Thompson: Oh yeah. Just like the RSA, everything has to be based off employment goals, education, employment to the workplace and all that. It's great that they do have goals, so they're just not throwing money away on whimsical type of ideas and stuff. When you're 60 and you lose ... you know, macular degeneration or something else, age-onset blindness, I think it's a great tool at that point for different reasons than someone who might be 12. Liz Bottner: Absolutely, especially with the new equipment that Aira has now. It's even simpler to use, and you don't need your own smartphone, which is a problem for some of the students that I work with, because they may not be smartphone candidates for various reasons. But now they are still able to use it, because with the new equipment that Aira has, you don't need to have to have your own smartphone to use it.   Jeff Thompson: Mm-hmm (affirmative). They have a blocked-up device that is ... it's a Android device, isn't it? Liz Bottner: Yes.   Jeff Thompson: Yeah, so you have the AT&T device, and it just waves to the glasses? Liz Bottner: I call it the Aira phone, myself, in summer.   Jeff Thompson: The Aira phone. Liz Bottner: Called it the Aira phones.   Jeff Thompson: There we go. Liz Bottner: Yes, the Aira phone.   Jeff Thompson: Turn it on, and you're basically connected. Liz Bottner: Yes.   Jeff Thompson: That's with the Horizon glasses. Liz Bottner: Yes.   Jeff Thompson: With a wider field of view. As a Aira explorer, tell me a little bit how you utilize that on your job or in your daily life. Liz Bottner: In my daily life, I have used Aira for many things. Most recently, and in my mind very much impressively, I was out of town at a conference and had to navigate from the hotel to an Apple Store, because my phone was just being completely ridiculous and not working.   Jeff Thompson: That's when I met you. You were at the point of taking off. Liz Bottner: Yes. When you and I met, that's when I was like, "Well, I'm going to have to go to the Apple Store." So I was able to use Aira to help navigate me from the hotel ... well, actually, I was working the Aira booth at the time. I was volunteering with them. I navigated using Aira from the Aira booth to the front of the hotel. Luckily, I had forethought to link my Lyft account to Aira, because I was getting very, very limited use of my touchscreen at that point on my phone. Before I even kind of planned out my journey, I was thinking, "Oh, great, I'm going to have to have a taxi and pay cash. That's not good." Luckily, though, I was able to use Aira. I called a Lyft. See, this is one of the only times where I will say that I was actually grateful to Siri on the iPhone. 99.9% of the time, it doesn't work, and you have to end up doing what you want to do manually. Liz Bottner: But I was able to ask Siri where the closest Apple Store was. She told me, and I was able to give that address to the Aira agent, who was able to call Lyft and track it for me. My guide dog and I hopped into the Lyft vehicle, we hopped out, I prayed to the universe that my touchscreen would work again, as I'm standing there in front of the mall, wearing my Aira-Google Glass, my guide dog and my smartphone at the entrance to this mall where I've never been before.   Jeff Thompson: Had never been to. Liz Bottner: In no time at all, I was able to, without a hitch, get into the mall and navigate to the Apple Store and do what I needed to do, just like any other person. Could I have done it without Aira? Absolutely.   Jeff Thompson: Just gave you more independence, more information that enhanced the opportunity that you had to get there. Liz Bottner: Yes.   Jeff Thompson: Plus, you were limping with a broken phone. Liz Bottner: Right.   Jeff Thompson: I mean, you came in there, barely dragging in there. I mean, I know what it's like. Hey, if you don't have your phone, what a weird feeling it is when your phone's not working. Liz Bottner: Absolutely.   Jeff Thompson: Some people talk about, you know, there's some really big things. Some people ran the Boston Marathon. Some people put something from Ikea ... Greg Stilson put together a hammock. Is it always something big, or is it the small things? Liz Bottner: It is not always something big. It could be something very small, and for me, I have had those experiences when I have needed to match an outfit for a banquet, in packing things in my suitcase. Or even identifying the temperature on my thermostat, because while adjusting the thermostat is accessible with buttons and a remote control, the display is visual. Could I use TapTapSee and take 20-some pictures potentially? Yeah, I could do that, and it might tell me, "Your thermostat's set at such-and-such a temperature," but I could use the Aira service, and in two seconds flat have my answer. Liz Bottner: Sometimes, though, it is big things. For me, I must say that my absolute 120% favorite way of getting around an airport now is using Aira. It's so much more fluid. I can get access to things, whether it be information or location of somewhere, when I want, on my schedule, and not have to wait for airport staff, which in some cases can take a very long time and cause anxiety, especially if you're potentially missing your flight.   Jeff Thompson: Oh yeah, I've been corralled by assistants, and "Sit here and wait." You just wait, and time's ticking, and you just always ... And then someone comes up with a wheelchair or a cart or, you know, it's something. They have no clue, you know.   Jeff Thompson: Now, you're pretty versatile in your tools. You're not just locked into a PC? Liz Bottner: No.   Jeff Thompson: Tell us what you use on a daily basis. Liz Bottner: I personally use a Mac, and then at work, I use a PC. I like both for different reasons. I think it's imperative to know both. I prefer Mac for some things, and I also knew I had to learn it, so I just decided okay, I need to just learn this. Instead of buying a new Windows machine at the time, was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship, with which I purchased a Mac. It was during the semester, and I kind of gave myself, at the end of the semester, once I had everything done, I would really dive in and learn it when I was in grad school. But also realizing that on the employment side, where I work, it's a Windows-based environment, so I have to keep my Windows skills up. Liz Bottner: Each person is going to have different preferences for tools, but definitely as someone who is in the teaching field, I feel like it is my duty to show people as many tools as might be appropriate in certain situations, or not even in certain situations. It's here are the tools that we have on the table. Here's one that might be appropriate, but you're actually going to make that decision for yourself, as to when to use which tools, because not everyone has the same preference for tool in a certain situation.   Jeff Thompson: In the PC world, what screen reader do you utilize? Liz Bottner: JAWS mainly for work, but I also make use of Narrator in Windows 10, as well as NVDA. In some instances, Narrator does better than JAWS does, in terms of reading some aspects of the computer.   Jeff Thompson: And that's improving all the time. Liz Bottner: It is.   Jeff Thompson: And as for your smartphone device? Liz Bottner: I use an iPhone. That's my device of choice.   Jeff Thompson: Yeah, that's quite the tool. I can't believe how much I use the iPhone to kind of replace a lot of the stuff that I used to do on the computers, mostly social stuff, keeping up on your emails and calendars, everything. And it seems like it just transfers real well to the Mac, back and forth, and yeah, I feel really connected. If I miss a meeting, it's my own fault. Liz Bottner: Exactly.   Jeff Thompson: All that you do for work, all that technology and all that, how did you get there? Let's start with college. How did you transition from high school to college? Liz Bottner: I had two teachers of visually impaired growing up, one of whom I had for most of my high school career, and the other one I had for the last two years or so. But my first TVI, Neil, was truly, truly instrumental in providing me the foundation of here are the basics, and it's up to you to kind of figure out the rest, and really giving me the drive to do that and explore things on my own and advocate for myself, because no one else knew how to do that better than I did. I mean, that still holds true today. With guidance from Neil, I was able to kind of go into college feeling ready for being able to advocate for myself and even teaching a lot of other people. Even the disability services office, sometimes they might not understand how to use a certain piece of equipment or what was going on, and so I was able to help them with things. Liz Bottner: When I was at Ithaca College, my first two years of undergraduate degree, I did a work-study in the disabilities office, and so that was kind of cool. And being provided with the basics from my TVI and just having the drive to just run with it and teach myself a lot of the other things, with technology mainly. And I would teach others as well, which helped me gain more skills.   Jeff Thompson: Let's go back to a word that you used, and I really like this word: "drive". Can you explain that to the listeners? Liz Bottner: Drive is realizing that you have a passion for something, or that you're invested in something, and taking that investment and realizing that's something you need to keep doing, and just keep pushing and keep doing that thing, because it gives you great fulfillment to be able to do whatever it might be.   Jeff Thompson: And overcome any roadblock or hurdle in the way. Liz Bottner: Yes. And not let those roadblocks or hurdles stand in the way, because of that drive that you have to pursue whatever it might be.   Jeff Thompson: Poof, gone. Liz Bottner: Yep.   Jeff Thompson: Not always poof, gone, but it takes some time. Liz Bottner: It's also good, in using technology, to know when applicable or appropriate the non-tech skills for doing things. I mean, I'm also of the very strong opinion that if you're a user of Braille, that you better have a Perkins Brailler somewhere around your area, be that at a workplace or home environment, because there might be times when you're going to have to use that. Technology fails, the Perkins does not.   Jeff Thompson: Right. Liz Bottner: At least, the old metal ones. I'm not a huge fan of the plastic new ones at all, but the metal ones are tried and true, yes, I work all the time. Exactly.   Jeff Thompson: I had mine within three feet. That's why I could do that. Liz Bottner: Nice.   Jeff Thompson: Talking about basic skills and all that, how did you learn your basic skills growing up? Liz Bottner: When I was in preschool, I would say about three or so, it was when I believe I started both with the long cane, just basic cane skills, and Braille. I mean, by the time I was five, I was reading basic chapter books, I believe. Not anything major, but children's books. So from a very, very young age, and also, my mom was and still is a very, very strong advocate for myself, as well as my sisters. In my learning Braille when I was younger, she would just put Braille labels on different things around the house. I mean, when you're sighted, you have print all around you. As a child who was blind, especially as one who doesn't have any vision, as I myself do not, I did not have opportunity to look around and see things. And so she would put Braille on the toilet or the refrigerator, whatever it might be. That way, I would be able to associate the word with the object.   Jeff Thompson: Oh yeah, that's pretty good of her to have done that, to label stuff and get you used to it. Liz Bottner: Yes.   Jeff Thompson: And make it purposeful. Liz Bottner: Absolutely, and give me that immersion, as Braille isn't readily available in society as print is, I otherwise do not think I would able to get as readily.   Jeff Thompson: The first time you went over for a sleepover somewhere, did you ask the parents there? There's no Braille. Liz Bottner: No, I don't know.   Jeff Thompson: When you went into college, what was your experience like for the disability services office? Liz Bottner: I think at college, this is the first college I went to in undergrad, they were great. They were more than willing to accommodate me, and they respected that I knew what I needed and was able to advocate for myself, which sometimes isn't the case. They were great people, and I was really very fortunate.   Jeff Thompson: You went to a couple different colleges, right? Liz Bottner: Yes, I ended up transferring halfway through my undergrad degree to University of Delaware. Unfortunately, while financially it was definitely a lot more feasible, academically and just every other area, it was not the experience that I wanted it to be. And I'm truly glad that I had the experience and the foundation of all the classes and the college experience in general that I got at Ithaca, because that better prepared me for being able to deal with, in my opinion, the subpar experience that was my attending the University of Delaware.   Jeff Thompson: Now, when you're talking about subpar, are you saying that the teachers didn't challenge you? Liz Bottner: Yeah, I was not challenged. Some of the professors just did not want to accommodate me, despite my attempting multiple times to say, "This needs to happen." There was a lot of pushback. Unfortunately, I ended up dropping one of my majors, because it was just too stressful for me to keep going, because of all the back and forth. I at that point just wanted to graduate. When I was in Ithaca, I was a double major in computer science and philosophy and religion, which was awesome. I was very much happy with how things were going and totally would have continued there and gotten those majors, but as I said, financially, it was more feasible for me to transfer. But in that, the computer science did not end up happening for various reasons, and so I ended up dropping it. They did not have a philosophy and religion double major, so I ended up graduating with a philosophy major and then minoring in religious studies.   Jeff Thompson: Upon graduation, you started your employment search. Liz Bottner: Yes, and that was very unfruitful, to be completely honest. In terms of working with the state vocational rehabilitation agency, I just was not having luck. They were not helpful to me, and luckily, in part I'm sure to my awesome TVI that I mentioned earlier, Neil Anzilli and me, if people aren't helping you, you need to go out and get it yourself, as long as you know what you want. I was able on my own, pretty much, to look for job leads and apply, and I had some interviews and some leads, but nothing really ever panned out. So for about two years, after about that point, I said okay, something needs to happen. I can't keep doing this. Then I decided that I really wanted to go back ... My whole reasoning for getting the computer science degree, assistive technology was and is a very big interest of mine, and so I wanted to in some way get into that, whether it was in developing things or whatever it might be. I still had that kind of in the back of my mind. Liz Bottner: When I graduated with my bachelor's, I pretty much knew that that wasn't going to get me where I wanted to go, just because of the nature of those degrees. I didn't want to become a professor or anything like that. I knew that, but at the time I just wanted to graduate and be done, just because of the experience at University of Delaware.   Jeff Thompson: How disheartening was that to realize you had the degrees, though, to go out there and look for work, and yet for two years, were getting turned down? Liz Bottner: Absolutely heartbreaking. Sometimes I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere.   Jeff Thompson: Do you relate it to blindness? Liz Bottner: Yes, and it's very hard in that line of experience not to think, okay, it's me, it's definitely got to be me. There's something wrong with me, because I mean, I'm going on these interviews, and they're not calling me back, or they're not getting in touch with me at all, so obviously, there's something that I'm doing or not doing. But in all actuality, I felt a lot of the times, it isn't you as the person seeking employment, it's the employer not knowing how to deal, or not wanting to deal. Liz Bottner: In my case, in wanting to go back in to do something with technology, I really felt passionate about teaching it, and so in looking at jobs, a lot of them required a master's degree. Even before then, even before I started undergrad, I had every intention of going and getting a possible master's degree, with the caveat that I wouldn't pay for it, because I didn't want to be in any more debt than I already was with my undergraduate loans. Liz Bottner: Lo and behold, I, on an email listserv one day, came across a posting for a tuition-free graduate school experience halfway across the country at Northern Illinois University, which is near Chicago. I reached out to the director of the program and took my GRE, and then I luckily was able to go to NIU and successfully earn my master's degree, which then opened up a lot more doors for me in terms of employment.   Jeff Thompson: And what was it like after you received that degree, to search for employment? Liz Bottner: Then it was a lot easier, because I had more certification, more qualifications than I did before. In fact, I had done my internship at the VA where I currently work now. In getting my degree, I spent four months there completing an internship, and they at the time did not have any positions open. And so I, again, on an email list saw the position in Atlanta, of all places, for an assistive technology instructor, and I, honest to gosh, on a whim I threw out my resume, thinking this is just going to be experience. I don't know that I really want to go there. I know no one there. But whatever, it'll be experience, and I'll at least have that interview under my belt, and that experience will be good. Liz Bottner: We did a phone interview, and then from that point on, I ended up landing a job there and was there for about a year. You never know where the next opportunity's going to come, and you just kind of have to take things as they come. And even if it's something that you're like, what? No way. Nothing's going to come of it, I'm just going to throw my resume out there, and they're not going to do anything with it, or it'll just be interview experience. I have no desire to go there, in terms of location. Be careful what you say, because you actually may end up there. And it might be, as it was for me, a very, very good experience. I was able to take away a lot of good things from it, good contacts, good networking, good experiences in terms of location. Living in a city has its perks, definitely. It was definitely bittersweet purchasing that one-way ticket when I was moving out there. I'm like, well, usually you purchase tickets, and it's like okay, round trip. I'm like, wait a minute, no, this is not round trip, I'm moving here.   Jeff Thompson: One way, wow. Liz Bottner: I think that was the most surreal thing of the whole experience for me.   Jeff Thompson: But then, after a year, you purchased a one-way ticket again. Liz Bottner: Yes, technically. A car was involved. I was not driving it, however. Since it was moving all of my stuff, I relocated then. I had several months in between jobs, actually, from when I left Atlanta and when I started in Connecticut.   Jeff Thompson: Building networks and all that stuff, that paid off, and then you landed the job at the VA, where you are today. Liz Bottner: Yes, there was a position open. They asked me if I wanted to apply. I said absolutely, and now here I am.   Jeff Thompson: Hobbies. You have a particular hobby that I don't think a lot of people have heard about, but you were telling me about blind hockey. Liz Bottner: Yes, blind hockey is a relatively new sport, but it definitely is a USA Hockey-sanctioned sport now, and there are several teams across the country. The team that I am a goalie for is the Hartford Braillers in Connecticut. Instead of the Hartford Whalers, we're the Hartford Braillers.   Jeff Thompson: I like it. What got you interested in that? Liz Bottner: A friend of mine mentioned to me that I should try blind hockey. I had skated before when I was very young. It had been some time. This is about three years ago. He said that since I had no vision, I would primarily be best suited as a goalie, and so I'm like, well, all right, sign me up. I will at least try it. I did really, and still very, very much enjoy being a goalie. I've never tried any other position and don't want to.   Jeff Thompson: Describe the puck to everybody. Liz Bottner: The puck is made of steel. It's three times the size of a standard National Hockey League puck, and it has ball bearings inside of it.   Jeff Thompson: And you are trying to put your body in front of that thing? Liz Bottner: Yes. And the nets that are used are a foot shorter than the regular NHL, National Hockey League nets, so it's easier to keep the puck lower to the ground, and you don't have to worry about high shots as much.   Jeff Thompson: As much? Liz Bottner: Yes. That has happened. I am witness to that. But that's why they make equipment, so whenever that happens, I'm like, "It's okay, the equipment works. We're fine."   Jeff Thompson: Well, that's good. That's good. So you got the chest protector, you got the shoulder guards, the waffle, the glove, the helmet, the throat protection? Liz Bottner: The leg pads. Yep.   Jeff Thompson: Everything. Liz Bottner: Everything.   Jeff Thompson: Awesome. It's a fun sport, it's really fun. Liz Bottner: It's definitely fun. I would encourage anyone, if you have the opportunity to try it, definitely do it.   Jeff Thompson: All the rules are the same? Liz Bottner: One of the rules that's different is that before a shot is attempted, you have to pass the puck. That way, the goalie can better track it. Other than that, to my knowledge, all the other rules apply.   Jeff Thompson: You mean pass the puck once you're in the blue line? Liz Bottner: Once you're in scoring range, that puck has to get passed once, and then you can shoot.   Jeff Thompson: Okay. So you can't just break away? Liz Bottner: No.   Jeff Thompson: Interesting. So how's your team do? Liz Bottner: Our team is awesome. I am of the very, very strong opinion that we have the best team in blind hockey.   Jeff Thompson: And now that they're sanctioned, they'll be able to do the Olympics, won't they? Paralympics? Liz Bottner: Not yet. We're still waiting on a few other countries for that. We do, though, have this year for the first time ever a US National Team, of which I am very, very hopeful that some of my fellow Braillers will be represented on that team. We'll find out later in August who actually makes the final team roster, but two of my fellow teammates were selected in the first round of tryouts, and so we'll find out if they make the team. But in October, at a USA Hockey event to be held in Pittsburgh, there will be a US versus Canada series that'll be played that weekend, which is the 12th through the 14th of October. That's when the USA Blind Hockey Summit takes place.   Jeff Thompson: That's awesome. Go Braillers. Liz Bottner: Yes, go Braillers, for sure.   Jeff Thompson: Now, you also like snowboarding. Liz Bottner: Yes, I for two years have attended the United States Association of Blind Athletes ski/snowboard event in Breckenridge, Colorado. I had skied once when I was very, very young, and the first year I went, I was kind of debating back and forth with myself, do I try skiing or do I do snowboarding? It had been a while since I had skied. I really didn't have the memory of what that felt like, but I ultimately decided, after being told that snowboarding was a lot more challenging, I said, "Okay, sign me up." I'm not one to turn away a challenge. I said, "Challenge accepted. Let's do this." I ultimately fell in love with it.   Jeff Thompson: I like that, "Challenge accepted." It's that drive again. Liz Bottner: Exactly.   Jeff Thompson: For someone who is transitioning from high school to college, what advice would you give that person? Liz Bottner: You're your own best advocate. It might be easy to have your TVI do things and help prepare materials for you, but ask about how to do that yourself, because there's most likely going to come a time where you're going to have to have those skills. It may not be easy, and you may not want to, but in the end it's going to be of benefit to you in the long run, not only in college, but also in your adult working life.   Jeff Thompson: What advice would you have for someone who has gone through college and is just now embarking on a career that they want? What would you tell them? Liz Bottner: Don't give up, despite employers having unrealistic expectations of what you can do as a blind person. Be true to yourself. Realize that yes, you do have these skills, and keep putting yourself out there. It might take a while, and it definitely is frustrating at times. I speak from experience, but as hard as it is to just want to give up and say forget it, don't do that, because when you put yourself out there and keep putting yourself out there, the right experience will come, and you'll be where you're supposed to be. Versus if you don't put yourself out there, it's at your disservice, because you're not going to get where you need to be.   Jeff Thompson: Excellent. We've been speaking to Liz Bottner. She's from Delaware, works at the VA, and she's heavily into tech. And she's a hockey goalie. So Liz, I really want to thank you for coming on the Blind Abilities, sharing your stories, sharing your experiences. Great advice, and good luck with that hockey career. Liz Bottner: Thank you. My pleasure.   Jeff Thompson: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Liz Bottner: You're welcome. My pleasure.   Jeff Thompson: Bye-bye. Liz Bottner: Bye. Pete Lane: This concludes our conversation with Liz Bottner. We'd like to thank Liz for taking the time to chat with Jeff on Blind Abilities. Once again, you can find more podcasts with a blindness perspective on our website at www.blindabilities.com or on our free apps in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. We'd like to thank Chee Chau for the fantastic music. Thanks so much for listening, and have a great day.   [Music]  [Transition noise]  -   When we share, What we see, Through each other's eyes...   [Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]   ...We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities. Jeff Thompson: For more podcasts with a blindness perspective check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com. On Twitter @blindabilities. Download our app from the app store, Blind Abilities, that's two words. Or send us an email at info@blindabilities.com. Thanks for listening.    

This week, the team is quite active! Join Rachel, Jessica, and Joel, as they discuss topics from a 9-month National Fitness Challenge, to the Ecobee4 Thermostat, to the Amazon Echo stepping into the communication market. A 9-Month Fitness Challenge? Students from the Georgia Blind Sports Association along with the United Association of Blind Athletes and the Amerigroup are taking part in a 9-month fitness challenge. Read about it here there are always things to say when it comes to getting out there and being active! Listen as the team shares their thoughts on this challenge and the devices used to promote friendly competition. "Introducing a new way to be together" How to make calls from your Amazon Echo. In this section, Joel and Jessica demonstrate how the Amazon Echo and the Alexa app now have the ability to make calls and send messages to other Echo users who have enabled this service. Get all the details here Getting Smart with the Ecobee4 Thermostat After all those workouts, being able to set that AC to a cool temperature would be fantastic. Is it doable with this unit? Take a look here Cool Picks As Joel is the audio master on the CBT team, his pick of choice is the app he uses to do all his audio magic. Reaper Since Jessica is the traveling ninja, she wants to tell us all about this new transit app she makes extensive use of. CityMapper Transit App for iOS, web and Android While at the gym, Rachel really enjoys a great thriller to keep her energized throughout her workout. She has chosen Voicedream Reader You can read pretty much anything, with a variety of voices or fonts to help consume the content the way you want. Listen and enjoy!

This week, the team is quite active! Join Rachel, Jessica, and Joel, as they discuss topics from a 9-month National Fitness Challenge, to the Ecobee4 Thermostat, to the Amazon Echo stepping into the communication market. A 9-Month Fitness Challenge? Students from the Georgia Blind Sports Association along with the United Association of Blind Athletes and the Amerigroup are taking part in a 9-month fitness challenge. Read about it here there are always things to say when it comes to getting out there and being active! Listen as the team shares their thoughts on this challenge and the devices used to promote friendly competition. "Introducing a new way to be together" How to make calls from your Amazon Echo. In this section, Joel and Jessica demonstrate how the Amazon Echo and the Alexa app now have the ability to make calls and send messages to other Echo users who have enabled this service. Get all the details here Getting Smart with the Ecobee4 Thermostat After all those workouts, being able to set that AC to a cool temperature would be fantastic. Is it doable with this unit? Take a look here Cool Picks As Joel is the audio master on the CBT team, his pick of choice is the app he uses to do all his audio magic. Reaper Since Jessica is the traveling ninja, she wants to tell us all about this new transit app she makes extensive use of. CityMapper Transit App for iOS, web and Android While at the gym, Rachel really enjoys a great thriller to keep her energized throughout her workout. She has chosen Voicedream Reader You can read pretty much anything, with a variety of voices or fonts to help consume the content the way you want. Listen and enjoy!

This week, the team is quite active! Join Rachel, Jessica, and Joel, as they discuss topics from a 9-month National Fitness Challenge, to the Ecobee4 Thermostat, to the Amazon Echo stepping into the communication market. A 9-Month Fitness Challenge? Students from the Georgia Blind Sports Association along with the United Association of Blind Athletes and the Amerigroup are taking part in a 9-month fitness challenge. Read about it here there are always things to say when it comes to getting out there and being active! Listen as the team shares their thoughts on this challenge and the devices used to promote friendly competition. "Introducing a new way to be together" How to make calls from your Amazon Echo. In this section, Joel and Jessica demonstrate how the Amazon Echo and the Alexa app now have the ability to make calls and send messages to other Echo users who have enabled this service. Get all the details here Getting Smart with the Ecobee4 Thermostat After all those workouts, being able to set that AC to a cool temperature would be fantastic. Is it doable with this unit? Take a look here Cool Picks As Joel is the audio master on the CBT team, his pick of choice is the app he uses to do all his audio magic. Reaper Since Jessica is the traveling ninja, she wants to tell us all about this new transit app she makes extensive use of. CityMapper Transit App for iOS, web and Android While at the gym, Rachel really enjoys a great thriller to keep her energized throughout her workout. She has chosen Voicedream Reader You can read pretty much anything, with a variety of voices or fonts to help consume the content the way you want. Listen and enjoy!

Today we talk about a few events and non-profit organizations that are helping people live a healthier happier life fueled by fitness. Yoga is used by many people as a way to lose weight, get strong and achieve flexibility but there is an organization out there that has realized how powerful yoga is in helping people reduce stress and deal with traumatic and difficult situations. We talk with two Veterans who have used yoga when dealing with the stress and hardships a military lifestyle brings. Imagine being able to use yoga to deal with PTSD and learn how to deal with the symptoms of PTSD in a way that puts the veteran in a position to focus their energy on being mindful and not to mention yoga is a great way to build strength!      Veterans Yoga Project offers free yoga to veterans in an effort to help them deal with the unique stress they are enduring. Veterans Yoga Project is an educational and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of military veterans. Working in partnership with veterans, active-duty military personnel, student veteran’s organizations, and other non-profit organizations, Veterans Yoga Project supports recovery and promotes resilience among veterans, their families, and their communities. They have many special events and ongoing yoga classes; you can find them here: http://www.veteransyogaproject.org/find-a-class.html The Paralympics takes place one week after the Olympics and features some of the best athletes who have overcome a major physical disability. These athletes train harder and competition is fierce! On the show we talk with Kevin who is a Paralympic hopeful and learn just how hard he’s training and what he will be looking to achieve in training for the upcoming Paralympics.    The United States Association of Blind Athletes is hosting “Breakfast with Champions.” During this event you will hear from 3 Paralympians who all won medals in the 2016 Rio Paralympics and have brought those medals for you to see up close in person. You will be able to meet these athletes and ask them questions if you’d like! The breakfast is Friday November 4th at the Olympic Training Center from 7:30-9:00 A.M. You can purchase tickets here: http://usaba.org/index.php/sports/calendar-details/breakfast_with_champions_fundraiser/

A Listen Not to Miss – Find Your Fit Special Paralympic Episode. From Jessica's Monumental Pikes Peak Marathon to Rio de Janeiro with guests Mark Lucas (United States Association of Blind Athletes), Matt Simpson (USA Men's Goalball), and Letticia Martinez (USA Women's Swimming) Jessica and Kevan have Mark Lucas from United States Association of Blind ... [Read more...]

Say Cheese – the Team samples “vegan cheese”? The genius reads the ingredients. Go to the News Desk for the good, the bad, and the ugly of exercise & nutrition. Learn to improve mood with food when your brain gets the correct nutrients. Check out Potatoes Not Prozac: Solutions for Sugar Sensitivity, by Kathleen DesMaisons, ... [Read more...]