Podcasts about deafblind

Blair Fell joins Book Gang to discuss The Sign for Home, exploring the DeafBlind experience and a moving journey of autonomy and connection in this backlist feature. Book Gang welcomes Blair Fell, acclaimed playwright, television writer, essayist, and ASL interpreter, to discuss his heartfelt and eye-opening novel, The Sign for Home. Fell's unique life experience—including decades as an ASL interpreter for the Deaf and DeafBlind communities—shapes this deeply immersive story. Longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, The Sign for Home is a funny, moving, and transformative read that will leave you curious and inspired. I'm thrilled to celebrate this unforgettable debut as part of this year's Summer Reading Guide backlist feature and to honor the community it serves. Don't miss how Blair's story left such an impression on a reader that they changed their will after reading it. In this rich, humorous, and moving conversation, we discuss:

With this series of dramatic miracles, Mark concludes the first half of his gospel where he sets forth Jesus as the authoritative Son of God. Even though Jesus' healing power and compassion are on full display, both the Pharisees and his disciples keep failing to understand who he is because they are spiritually deaf and blind, and have hardened hearts. We too often struggle in the same way to understand Jesus' identity and purposes for our lives. How do we address this? We should:I. See Jesus as the compassionate provider through eyes of faith (7:31–8:10)II. Heed Jesus' warning against unbelief with ears of faith (8:11–21)III. Understand who Jesus truly is by a cross-shaped heart of faith (8:22–26)

Megan Evans, who lives and works in Petersfield, is a fundraiser for DeafBliind UK. They support people who have degrees of sight and hearing loss, some totally so, and they want people to understand more about it and offer help. In an uplifting conversation, Megan speaks to Mike Waddington about their work and the15 different ways deafblind people use to communicate. Deafblind Awareness Week runs from 22nd to 28th of June and commemorates Helen Keller - one of the most well-known deafblind people in history, famous for her political activism, and for being the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. More at Deafblind UK | Supporting Deafblindness in the UK and 0800 132320 Email info@deafblind.org.ukSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2617 Support Service Providers for Deaf-Blind Coloradans (Apr. 29, 2026) Show Notes Transcript Support Service Providers (SSPs) play a vital role in helping people with dual sensory loss stay informed and independent. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with SSP Vicki Scarboro about guiding techniques, tactile communication, haptics, mentoring, and Colorado's state funded program that … Continue reading 2617 Support Service Providers for Deaf-Blind Coloradans (Apr. 29, 2026) →

Across the country, students who are blind, deafBlind, or low vision are asking big questions about their future—and in Minnesota, those questions are turning into real opportunities. In this episode of Blind Abilities, we explore how Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) through State Services for the Blind are helping students move from uncertainty to action. Through hands-on experiences like summer programs, outdoor adventures, career exploration, and workplace training, students build independence, confidence, and real-world skills.   From canoeing and snowshoeing to job fairs and mentorship from blind professionals, these experiences go beyond the classroom and into everyday life. Students also gain access to assistive technology and learn the critical skill of self-advocacy—tools that last a lifetime.   This episode offers an inspiring look at what happens when students are given the space, support, and opportunity to explore their potential—and begin building the future they imagine.   Links of interests: The Spectacle Newsletter Youth Services at SSB To find out more about the services provided at State Services for the Blind, and what they can do for you, contact Shane DeSantis at shane.desantis@state.mn.us or call Shane at 651-385-5205.   Thanks for listening!   Full Transcript  

In the latest episode of Manager Minute, host Carol Pankow sits down with Michael Mackillop, Executive Director of the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, to explore how one agency is rethinking how VR services are delivered—and the powerful results that follow. From dramatically shortening the time to services to introducing milestone planning that keeps customers moving forward, Washington DSB is demonstrating what can happen when agencies streamline processes and keep the focus on people. The conversation highlights real outcomes, including customers achieving meaningful careers with wages averaging over $39 per hour, and the cultural and programmatic shifts helping individuals rediscover confidence, expand their goals, and pursue careers they once thought were out of reach. This episode offers an honest, practical, and inspiring look at how VR leaders can rethink processes, strengthen partnerships, and build systems that help people move toward what's possible. Listen Here Full Transcript: {Music} Michael: A lot of customers. The feedback is it's great and a lot of counselors. The feedback is it's great. Carol: It makes brilliant sense because I think people spend so much time. You're letting perfect get in the way of the good. Michael: Learning as an adult is not easy. Learning to do new things, and the frustrations and the anger that can come from having to adapt to the environment that doesn't adapt to you. I think that now is the time, if any time is to show the power and the impact of vocational rehabilitation for the economy and for our communities. Intro voice: Manager minute, brought to you by the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center. Conversations powered by VR. One manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host, Carol Pankow. Carol: Well, welcome to the manager minute. Joining me in the studio today is Michael Mackillop, Washington Blind Executive Director. So how are things in Washington, Michael? Michael: Things are doing good. There's a little bit of Seattle Seahawks fever. Carol: Uh, yes, Seattle, Wahoo, Go Seahawks! Michael: And there's probably some growing excitement for hosting matches of the World Cup. So there's that whole sports thing. And today we're back to rain, which makes us feel it's just this nice gentle drip. It's not an atmospheric river where it's monsoon rain and all the snow from the mountains. It's just a nice, gentle rain. So things are decently good here in Seattle. Carol: Oh, good for you. Well, I have an affinity for the whole Seattle area. I have two brothers out there and lots of nieces and nephews and yeah, all the people I love to come. And I remember, gosh, Michael, I remember meeting you. I feel like it was like 13 years ago or something. Michael: At least, yeah. Carol: At least! (Michael laughs) Carol: You were friends with Jon Benson, my deputy, when I was at SSB. And so we got hooked together. And then I remember I would always tell Jon I'd be like, Call Michael, what are they doing at Washington Blind? Because, you know, you want to see what's going on? And in fact, I remember you guys calling us because we went on an Order of Selection, which is not common for a blind agency. And I remember when Lou Olma was still there, she had called. She's like, oh, you know, asking some questions about that. So I felt like we had some shared experiences together. Michael: Yeah. And we connected, I think, through CSAVR and NCSAB conferences and I mean plug out to them. It's just such an incredible place to really meet people from around the country and become long term supports. Carol: Right. It takes a village to do this job. So the more people you can meet, good shout out for like connecting with other people and just trying to build those relationships, because then you have them way over a decade later, you know, going on two decades later. Michael: And you don't have to go it alone. Right? I mean, to try to go through something like Order of selection, say, alone that... Carol: Yeah. Michael: But when you know, you got people or community of practices that are helping you through it. So it's  my plug to be connected to the national scene because you can't do it alone. Carol: 100%. I'm putting an exclamation point behind that one. Well, I happen to be perusing because I had my knee replaced last month. So as I'm laying and putting my leg up and icing and all the things, I was reading lots of the social media because I kind of was behind a little bit. So I'm in LinkedIn and, you know, accepting requests and connecting with other people. And I read, you're awesome, Michaels posting on LinkedIn, and you posted something and I just went, oh my gosh, it made me then go into your website. And then I'm like, all over your website and I'm watching your YouTube videos. It was super fun. So for our listeners, what caught me was Michael was reporting on this annual report they had done, and he was talking about the North Region team supporting 51 customers to attain their career goals, three of whom were able to retain their established small businesses. And then all the cool kinds of work people were in with STEM careers and education and finance and administrative and human services. And then it really hooked me with the average wage of 39.30 per hour. And then he does this nice Congratulations out to his folks. I'm like, what is happening there? Because that's what we want in VR. You want those family sustaining wages and all the good stuff. So long story short, listeners, I had to get Michael on and go, what is the secret sauce happening in Washington? What are they doing there? Because I thought this was super cool. So, Michael, before we launch into kind of what you're doing, I just want to get a little caught up on how did you start in VR? How'd you get there and how did you come into a blindness agency. Michael: Sometimes accidentally? Uh, perhaps a little bit reluctantly. I've been with this agency for 25 years, and I started as an AT specialist. I had experience in adult education in computers. And then I got a job, actually, at the lighthouse for the blind, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind as an instructor. Where the supervisor, because I had studied American Sign Language, is a long story about why I did that and got connected in with Seattle's deaf community in the 90s and the Deaf Blind community as well. We have a very robust and vibrant deaf blind community in the Puget Sound area, and there were a number of individuals who were Deaf, Blind that were working at the Seattle Lighthouse that really needed computer skills. And so I didn't know anything about adaptive technologies, but I knew about Sign Language, I knew about computers, and I knew about adult education. And so that supervisor gave me six months. And to figure out the screen readers and screen magnifiers and braille displays and to start training. And so it was lovely to be able to, you know, directly communicate with students that, you know, hadn't touched a computer in their lives. That got me, you know, into the Blindness and Vocational Rehabilitation is a big part of, you know, people at the Lighthouse wanting to promote or work elsewhere. Uh, work out into the integrated community. And so there was experience with DSB. I was reluctant to be a state employee. I promise you that once I gave that up and got hired on a DSB, just the passion for the customer, the mission, the initiative, it kind of dispelled my notions of what a state agency is and who works at a state agency. So obviously I've loved it so much. I've been there for 25 years plus, so. Carol: That is crazy. I had no idea. You're I think you're my first guest, that's come on. That's come from this AT background. Good for you. Very cool. I love it because it's always fun to see people's paths in. We all take a different way, but you come in, and then you stick with it because you love it. Like you just love it. Michael: Exactly. Carol: Well, in your December's report. Oh my gosh, what really stood out I was I love the customer voices. You know, you had somebody on there, I think. I don't know if it's Francis working into her 70s, people that were earning promotions and discovering entirely new career paths. And when you look at all those stories, I just wonder from your perspective, what does success actually mean to you as a VR director? Michael: Yeah, I mean, I really love that the breadth and the depth of those career choices that people find through our services, their personal journey of discovery, finding the strengths that didn't know they had and that that's what excites me. And that's what I hear again and again and again. People not believing in themselves until they get some of those adaptive skills. It's so often the key to expanding their own self-assessment, their self-expectations. Losing your vision is traumatic, there's no question. And acquiring a disability as an adult. And that can really impact your belief in yourself and what you believe you can do. And for me, all those career achievements, they represent that journey of that person who I've heard the story so many times that they sat on a sofa thinking there is no future for them. There is no way to get into work. Their self-value had diminished so much because of the change in vision, and then something sparking that bravery of calling the agency. Whether they hear about the agency the first time or they've heard about it, and they get that courage up to call us, and it's a lot. I mean, to honor that connection, to say, I need to change. I need to get off the sofa. I need to do the work to be who I want to be. It takes a lot. And so honoring that those successes that we hear about the just a ray of education or healthcare or last year we had two physicians. We had two people that were physicians. And there's no career that's not possible for that individual, whatever that individual's aptitude and abilities are. It just takes the adaptations and the adaptive technologies and those the belief in themselves to do it. It's a lot of hard work. I mean, once people make the brave call and get into the work, it's hard. And so keeping people motivated through all the challenges and learning as an adult is not easy. Learning to do new things, and the frustrations and the anger that can come from having to adapt to the environment that doesn't adapt to you and those daily frustrations. Hopefully the agency is helping that individual through and to keep and progress. So those stories all just tell me about the work that that individual has done to get where they're at and knowing what a lot of challenge and determination and grit it took to get there. Carol: 100%! Preach Michael! That was good. That was really good. I know I always have that, I just have that place in my heart from my time at SSB, because I felt like the work we did was so profoundly, not that all the work isn't, but it was so profoundly life changing for these folks because so many of them, you know, came to us later in life. They were losing vision, either something medically was wrong, whatever was going on. But, you know, they had these careers and then they go from this place of utter devastation to absolute, like, you have completely changed someone's life. You just man, you could feel it in you like it was such an incredible deal living through that with our folks and what an impact that VR had. Otherwise they would still be sitting on that sofa, you know. Michael: Yeah. And then the work that they did, they were they're changing their lives and they're taking that direction and they're keeping up with it. We're supporting that... Carol: Yeah. Michael: But they're moving forward. Carol: It's on them. Michael: Yeah. Carol:  But we give them that glimmer like we're able to help point them in the right way. Like, here's some stuff and we can help you do the thing. Well, I know these outcomes your folks are having didn't happen by accident. And of course, people had come from different backgrounds and different careers. Or maybe they were in a business and didn't think they were going to get to keep it, but I feel like there's something going on in your agency as well. Knowing you guys and knowing you at the helm, what do you think are some things maybe you are doing differently, whether it's culturally or programmatically, that are really contributing to this level of your customer success? Michael: Yeah, there's been a lot of restructuring and change in our agency, and I would say that we are looking at that customer experience more closely and trying to really support the customer experience and not necessarily have the system support how we manage the work, but how the customer is making success. There's been a lot of discussion in the national VR community around time to services and the timelines that the federal regulations allow. When you look at that, when you look, when you think about it in your own life, would I be willing to wait 60 days before I know if I'm eligible, would I be willing to wait 90 days after that to start services? I mean, those timelines don't meet our modern needs, and maybe in the past it made sense to go slow. It doesn't. These days, people are brave enough to make that call after three years on the sofa. We need to get them into services so they start believing in themselves and are working. Excited about that path and just don't get frustrated by the process. So really our first thing is time to services. We created internal systems where we've got intake specialists, centralized intake specialists that are really shrinking the time to determine eligibility and to gather the information to convey to our counselors, our local counselors. So there's preparation there. And that's really shrunk the time. I think it was like 28 days on average and now it's 14 days. We'd like it to be a little bit shorter. Uh, even still, we know that observation for 85% of our counselor observation, we can determine that there's a disabling condition and then through that counseling conversation, can understand what those functional limitations are and what services might be useful in determining that eligibility. So our timeline lag used to be waiting for eye reports from eye doctors who it was never a priority when we knew that there was a visual disability. Carol: You can see they clearly don't have eye sockets or something is like clearly, clearly gone, we don't need an eye doctor report to tell you that. Michael: But letting counselors know and the intake specialists know that observation is valued, take it, justify it, document it, but let's move people through. Let's not keep people waiting for no reason. We've also restructured the way that we do our planning and the assessments towards the planning. We created something called Milestone Planning and that is really shrinking down the goals we're working on towards that long term goal of career path that we've got and we keep that in our heads. But what are the things that the customer is able to commit to doing now in the next three months, four months, up to six months? Let's focus on those. Let's shrink that down and let's have our assessment focus on, you know, be included folded into that and our services folded into that. It used to be our old system was we would do all these complete comprehensive assessments, and it would take months to get people in the eight specialists, and they'd write six page reports of all the things that would be useful. And the O&M specialists and rehab specialists would, you know, do the home assessments. And that's months of assessment. And people are like, what am I doing? This doesn't make sense. They're not getting the services. We're creating this five year plan with very detailed services for the entire time of the plan. And then the customer gets one service, they learn to do something and their whole universe expands suddenly. I thought it could only be a customer service, but oh my gosh, I can do this. Let's rethink it. We were doing a lot of work upfront for something that changes almost, almost instantly once we get people services. Well, let's get people services now. Let's have them experience, you know, learning how to use a computer, learning that they can manage their home or learning that focus small. And then the conversations about that long term goal can change. And when we created that really formal long term plan and did all the work, our customers were nervous about saying that they wanted to change. And so they either got stuck and continued that or they just disappeared. The other piece that customers have told us is they didn't know where they were going. They didn't have clarity on what they were doing, what, you know, it's just too vague, that five year plan. So getting more frequent and meaningful engagement between the counselor and the customer has been a goal of ours, and that has required us to shift some of the work and shift some of the administrative work. We took a lot of that upfront work and provided that to the intake specialists. So there's more time for the counselor. And then also talking about how we shrink what we've known as counseling and guidance, where we don't have to schedule an hour, hour and a half for these long term counseling and guidance sessions. But let's understand what our goal is, what we're trying to achieve, and check in at least once a month is our goal now. And to do counseling and guidance. And it may be a ten minute conversation about, you know, what are the obstacles, what's challenging you? What are your frustrations? What supports can we get? How's it going? That's all counseling and guidance that keeps people moving forward. And people often fell out because they didn't know to ask for support. Counselor contact once every 90 days. I mean, there's no relationship built there. Carol: No. They forget who you are. Like they, you know, they totally forget. Like, who are you again? And what are you with? Oh, yeah. That. Michael: And then the, the check in is how are things going? And the person says good, I guess. And the counselor writes, oh everything's great, but is it, right? So getting that more frequent and meaningful connection and conversation, knowing what the next steps are, keeping those goals small so we achieve them within three months from there and we build another goal from there has really been successful for I mean, it's new, mind you, it's new. A lot of customers. The feedback is it's great and a lot of counselors. The feedback is it's great, but it's really hard to change that mindset of the old way of doing everything all at once. Carol: I loved, I was so intrigued because when I, you know, of course, I went down the rabbit hole of your website. So I come in through the link you had on LinkedIn. I'm looking at the report and then I see, oh, what are these Milestone Plans, you know, and then I'm like, what is this? And then I watched the YouTube video and then I'm like, oh, well, this is going really well. It makes brilliant sense because I think people spend so much time, you're letting perfect get in the way of the good, because you're gonna have this beautiful plan and we're going to have it for five years and all these things. And then, quite frankly, I think you get probably a little annoyed because customers go along the way and then they're like, well, I don't really want to do that anymore. I want to pivot. I need to do this because as they're getting their skills of blindness, the world opens up and often they're like, yeah, I don't want to be the customer service person. I want to move now. Well, now you're annoyed. Oh, we're gonna amend the plan, you know, so when you make that kind of the process, things irritating to you that you're going to have to amend and do the things it'll make you crabby instead of just baking this in that we're not going to get so hung up. And we are creating the plan. We've got a goal, but we know these goals change and we're going to do an amendment and the persons involved and they're super engaged. Like it just seems so much more interactive. I'm like, Holy cow, that was you know, how many years has this taken for somebody to think of this, Michael? Michael: Goal and change is slow. But with this change, we are not leaving this. We're not just saying this is the change and then we're on to the next one. Carol: Yeah. Michael:  We are really sitting with this and you said bake it in. That is our mantra for this year is we're baking it in. We've made these changes last year. Now we've got to be sure that we're actually doing them. In the essence, it's not in name only. You know your Milestone Plan, you've got five years worth of services. Let's look at that and let's make sure that it's working. I had a really good conversation with a counselor yesterday who is super excited. And certainly what's helpful is, is getting some examples of how to shrink this down, how to shrink the thinking and how to shrink the, you know, down to something that's manageable and doable for that customer. So they know where they're going, they know what they're doing, and they know what the next step is after that. So yeah. Carol: It kind of leads me to my next thinking, because, you know, again, going back to your report and reading it, and I was so intrigued by people that also came in with kind of one goal. But as they get, you know, you get your skills of blindness, your world opens up and they left with something so much bigger. A big promotion, a new career or something that they had been dreaming about actually happened. How do you guys go about, because I know you're talking about, like, active engagement. You're doing this regularly, you're keeping in touch, but how do you really also create that space for them? So it isn't oh, we did our plan and here's your goal. And we're sticking to that like so that they can pursue the path that's right for them. Even though you might have set out on one way rather than that whole predefined outcome, that it's okay to pivot you're okay. Michael: Yeah. I mean, that is the key that people try things out and then it can change. And that's a value. It's not a negative that when someone tried this and then it they're like oh that's not for me. Well that's exactly what we want. We want that exploration. We want it in short bursts, so we're not investing in something and you realize five years later, oh, it's not for me. We want to know now. Let's figure that out now and let's find out if that's not it. What are some other things? We've had a lot of turnover. I think VR agencies have had a lot of turnover. And you know, since the pandemic, a lot of retirements, huge wave of retirements. And so the past year we've been stable in terms of not adding a whole lot of new people. And our focus is really building those skills and building that awareness and building those high expectations of our customers and not letting our own biases kind of drive where we want to guide the customer, but to be open to that customer and help instill the belief that self-belief for the customer and believe for the customer, because sometimes they come in and they do not believe in themselves. We've got to hold that, right? Carol: Right. Michael: We've got to hold that and then bring that customer up to it. And that's been a lot of our discussion and training for new staff. We also have real strong connections with our consumer organizations that help with that as well, and bring that connection to the blindness community. Even if our, you know, staff are not from that community, to make sure that we're understanding the community and expectations and what's happening. Being connected to the community we serve is critical. And through that, even if people have come from the general agency or come from outside blindness, really building that belief that Blind people can do whatever they're capable of. Right. Whatever that person can do, they can do it. Carol: I love it, I love it. Well, it kind of leads to my whole thoughts about you with collaboration because your report also highlighted, you guys talked about your partnerships, whether it's with employers or the tribal VR WorkSource and others. How do those relationships that you all have been cultivating translate into real opportunities for your customers? And how are you sustaining that, like really nurturing those relationships? Michael: You bet. It takes work and past history. I've been 25 years with a blind agency. We used to keep our heads low, keep under the radar, do everything in isolation. We had this weird notion that we could do it all. We're the only ones who know about blindness and rehab, and we'll do it all, whatever. And that's not true, because reality is. Blindness intersects all communities, and we need to find the ways to support people in where they're at, in their cultural expectations. And individualized services also means that any industry is a goal, is a potential career goal, and we need to keep ourselves on the cutting edge and understanding how to support people in any type of industry, understanding what opportunities exist so we can't do it all by ourselves. And there's the other notion that budgets are really tight. And even though other outside resources are shrinking, we need to do more to get our customers into those generalized programs that are out there for everyone and benefit everyone, and to have other parts of the workforce system be footing the bill, basically, so we can keep our dollars for the things that are unique to us, right? And tribal partners. You know, we've got an amazing relationship in Washington state region. We have ten tribal VR, AIvRS, American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation agencies here and then 29 recognized federal tribes. And we do have government to government relations and train our staff who interact with the tribal VR about government to government expectations and cultural expectations, but also understanding and helping our staff understand the value and the services that tribal VR can provide our customers with tribal affiliation that we're not able to. Those cultural healing practices are so critical for individuals. Tribal affiliations may also be pathways to careers that are on tribal lands or tribal businesses that we would not have access to if we didn't actively partner with our tribal VR partners. There's also, tribal VR does not get a whole lot of money. And so understanding too, that we're here to support tribal VR in all those visual disability sorts of things. We've got the expertise we can partner and provide those needs. So it's maximizing each of our budgets for that customer to have the maximum success. I think as well, the WorkSource, the American Job Center, the WIOA partners, I mean, all that as a blindness agency. We were left out of that for so long. And 2016, where we're part of that through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. I for three, four years and still even today, I'm like, I'm from GSB, a title four WIOA partner with rehabilitation. Every time I introduce myself, I had to do that because they're like, who are you? What do you do? Why are you. Why are you. Carol: Why are you here? Yeah. Michael: So we have, particularly through our business relations team, and we just expanded that in the past two years, really have created some strong connections with our Workforce partners and with the American Job Centers and those opportunities that exist we don't have to pay for, there's a six week job readiness workshop that is put on. And the challenge has always been for our customers going to the WorkSource centers and the American Job Centers, we call them WorkSource here in Washington state. And just having no access, having no accommodations that people are clueless about, people with visual disabilities and how to make that accessible. So we've done a lot of work. Our business relations staff did a lot of work with this particular workshop and made it fully accessible, totally integrated. It's not just blind, only, it's all individuals that are eligible for those services. Our customers have been so thrilled with that experience, and even to the point where in front of the consumer organization conventions, they're taking the mic and just crowing about the experience in these job readiness workshops to the Workforce. So we're expanding that. But there are also other opportunities. There are pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship opportunities, work experience, work based experience opportunities through the American Job Centers that we just never had access to, that we're starting to have access to. And it's getting our customers closer to their career goal through the partnership. Carol: I love it because you're really living into WIOA. You know, it's taken a long time across the country. It gets passed in 2014, but you're like, okay, what does that mean? And how is this really going to work and how are we really going to partner together? It's taken a long time for everybody across the country, but you start to see these pearls that are coming out of it, like you're talking about with the WorkSource and that training class, and now it's fully integrated like that is amazing because we still have places where it isn't happening. You know, people will tell you if a person who's blind or visually impaired shows up for a class, they're like, no, you got to go to Blind services. They do stuff over there. They can't come here. But the whole intent of Congress was to leverage all the partners together, because we each have our buckets of money, but we're better together if we can leverage those funds. Michael: Agreed. Carol:  100%. And you are living right into all of that. You need to do a presentation, my friend, at CSAVR or NCSAB, with all the cool stuff you guys are doing, I just think it's really awesome. Michael: It's taken a long time and it's been a lot of work. It's been a lot of effort, but I'm feeling like we're making progress now. Carol: That is so good to hear. So if you could offer a lesson, maybe a lesson you learned or something to other VR agencies, especially people that may be feeling overwhelmed or stuck. And I'll tell you, you have a lot of colleagues out there right now. Stuff's been tough. Based on the experiences you have, what would you want them to take away or what's something you'd just like to share? Michael: The easy one, a lot of things are coming to mind, but an easy one is to be brave. Examine. Really step back. Examine what is and isn't working. Don't. Don't hold on to how we've always been done it. And don't accept that or really shift your mindset to identify what you're really saying internally, as we've always done it that way it doesn't have to be. And so really understand what are your processes are working really well and let's find ways to expand those. But let's also look at the customer experience. And let's be honest about where our processes don't meet that customer need and meeting them where they're at. That's one of our values empathy, meeting people where they're at. Are we doing that? And let's be honest and let's be brave and make the changes. Sometimes you have to fight them. I mean, the whole counselor observation, RSA had some initial concerns, even though it's written into the law, had some initial concerns about what that means for determining eligibility, but it's written into the law, and counselors document that observation. And but sometimes you have to fight a little bit, push back a little bit where it makes sense. Change also is not easy. I mean, there's just been so much change externally, internally, and it's exhausting. But you also need to determine where you want to go and take the time to really mature that and facilitate that change. And we're talking about baking it in. Don't just be kind of shoop shoop, shoop shoop. Figure out what is the big change, what is the change you want to make. And it's going to involve lots of little changes. And people are going to feel like it's still this massive, you know, change after change after change as you tweak things. But let's really focus on that, get it through and then see it through. Do a pilot, get data, get input, analyze it, revise it, implement it more broadly, get data, analyze it, revise it, tweak it, get input from customers, get input from, you know, people. And then as a director, you've got to champion the change and you've got to talk about it. And Carol, I don't know about you or I hate repeating myself. It is a personal thing. I hate repeating myself. But that is the job, right? That is the job to say things and say them again and say them again and find different ways to say them. I mean, you caught some of my videos and that was my goal last year, was my emails that are very detailed and very interesting to me, are not super interesting for all my staff, but they really connect to video sometimes, or they connect to, you know, audios, or they connect to the in person fireside chats where they can come with any question. And we, you know, the executive leadership will discuss what's on their minds. There are different forms and formats for getting our story out and communicating, and we need to really do all those. And it doesn't have to be, I mean, you saw some of my videos in the newsletters and the reports. They're pretty amateur right there. Carol: It was all good. I liked it, though. I liked it because it was authentic. Michael: Yeah. You know, it's taking that TikTok mentality where it doesn't have to be, it's here and it's gone. But it gets the message out and it's supporting the change that you want to make. And it's not me as director talking it, but it's finding other people that are experiencing it and their experience and people connect in different ways. So that whole communication part of telling the story, I'm no social influencer. You found my story on social media, and I know it's important, and I'm doing the work now because it is critically important. we're also, those reports, those monthly reports, were highlighting different programs, and we're sending them out to stakeholders. We're sending out to the congressional representation representatives and their staffers, and we're getting notes back saying thank you for that. And I'm like, it felt very amateur, but I'm glad you appreciated the story and information. Carol: Well, I learned in communications class long ago, seven times seven ways, like for communications, because people all learn differently. Like you said, audio, video, you know, doing more like almost like the TikTok reel. We've got to get way better, snappier, shorter. I mean, we can thank Jeff Bezos for that with Amazon. Like people don't want to read a long thing. They want it quick. We want to get stuff. Now give me the little snapshot about this thing. And really our social media leads to all of that. Because look at you drew me in. I've known you, but you drew me in with your little short clip on LinkedIn. You had the really catchy part. I'm like reading that and I see $39.30 an hour people are making on average. I'm like, I gotta go see what's going on in this report. And I click your link and next thing you know, I'm in your website, I'm looking at your stuff, I'm in your videos and doing all the things. That's how people like think, now they got to get drawn in. What's your quick soundbite, your little piece that gets you hooked in. And we all have to get way better at explaining what is happening in the VR program because we just, I don't think have been very good about telling our message and our story. Michael: Agreed. And I think that now is the time, if any time is to show the power and the impact of Vocational rehabilitation for the economy and for our communities. So, yeah. Carol: Oh thank you, fine, sir. Well, I love talking with you today. I wish you every success in your agency, and I look forward to hearing more fun things and reading more things on LinkedIn. So thanks for joining me. Michael: I enjoyed it. Thanks so much, Carol. Take care.   {Music} Outro Voice: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time. One minute at a time. Brought to you by the VRTAC. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening.

Matthew Cicanese (He/Him) is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, corporate trainer, and consultant recognized for advancing Neurodiversity Inclusion and Accessible Technology across higher education, government, and industry. As a National Geographic Explorer and Canon photography educator, he combines global fieldwork with practical, evidence‑based approaches that help teams communicate more clearly, design accessible processes, and adopt AI responsibly. Matthew has trained 3,000+ employees in 16 industries and developed ethical AI solutions for higher education institutions, streamlining operations and improving service delivery.An award‑winning wildlife photography artist, his large‑format macro and wildlife images have been featured by National Geographic and exhibited internationally. Matthew's lived experience as a Deafblind and neurodivergent professional informs every engagement, translating perspective and research into tools any team can use.Social:Website: https://mattcicanese.com/Website: (Speaking/Consulting): https://cicanese.org/LinkedIn: Matthew CicanesePortfolio (Fine Art): https://cicanese.art/Turn Brain Clutter into Action (Youtube)Enjoy the visual here on Youtube

This week, we're doing something a little different on Proud Stutter. We've partnered with the podcast Down to the Struts for an episode swap, sharing each other's work as a way to support disabled creators and build deeper, intersectional connections across our communities.In this episode, host Qudsiya Naqui sits down with Haben Girma, a human rights lawyer, author, and disability activist who is the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. They explore what it means to center access and how it can lead to “empowered interdependence,” a powerful framework for challenging ableist systems and reimagining how we support one another.Episode page: https://www.downtothestruts.com/episodes/season-6-haben-girmaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/proud-stutter/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What if learning English could open the door to independence, education, and meaningful work? In this episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson sits down with English Language Learning specialist Abbi Mayland from State Services for the Blind of Minnesota. Abbi shares how she helps students who are blind, DeafBlind, or low vision — and who may not speak English—build the skills they need to succeed.   Using creative, hands-on teaching methods like real objects, conversation, audio learning, and Braille, Abbi supports students from all over the world as they grow in confidence and communication. Many begin with little or no English, but soon find themselves holding real conversations and navigating daily life with greater independence.   If you or your family member is learning English and facing vision challenges, this episode offers hope, encouragement, and a clear message: language does not have to be a barrier—success is possible.   Links of interests: The Spectacle Newsletter Youth Services at SSB   To find out more about the services provided at State Services for the Blind, and what they can do for you, contact Shane DeSantis at shane.desantis@state.mn.us or call Shane at 651-385-5205.   Thanks for listening!   Full Transcript

Today's episode has a little bit of everything. You'll hear about some sportspeople taking on the best in the world at the Paralympic Winter Games, then meet a sporty, speedy teen travelling the world to follow her dream.After that, we'll get a little bit sticky learning something new about sweet, runny honey before grabbing a turtle and a toothbrush for the Wow of the Week!Quiz Questions1.Aussie flag bearer and Paralympian Ben Tudhope has already won a medal at the games… was it a gold, silver or bronze medal?2.What bee behaviour made the honey even stronger at fighting germs?3.What country is Joanne going to for her racing career?4.What is it called when someone is both Deaf and blind?5.What part of the turtle did Josh fix with the dental supplies?Answers1.A silver medal. 2.The bees visited lots of different kinds of flowers. 3.Japan. 4.Deafblind. 5.It's shell. 

Today's podcast features 3 amazing guests with professional and/or personal experience in working with children with Down syndrome and Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) and/or Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI).   Maurice Belote has decades of expertise in the field of Deafblindness. Belote is a Deafblind specialist, Co-chair of the National Coalition on Deafblindness, adjunct faculty for two teacher training programs, and retired Project Coordinator for California Deafblind Services. lse Willems is the Senior Director of the CVI Center at Perkins School for the Blind.  She has worked at Perkins since 2010, working with students with visual impairments, dual sensory loss, and multiple disabilities, as both a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and a Teacher of the Deafblind.  Jennifer Saenz, DO, MPH, a primary care physician and parent of a child with dual processing challenges and Down syndrome. Suggested Resources: https://www.perkins.org/cvi-now/ https://makeiteasiertosee.co.uk/ Article (available for purchase): Facilitating Listening Skills in Children who are Visually Impaired with Additional Disabilities of Deafblindness   If you would like to suggest a topic for us to cover on the podcast, please send an e-mail to DownSyndromeCenter@chp.edu. If you would like to partner with the Down Syndrome Center, including this podcast, please visit https://givetochildrens.org/downsyndromecenter. We are thankful for the generous donation from Caring for Kids – The Carrie Martin Fund that provides the funding for the podcast recording equipment and hosting costs for this podcast.

Host Chris Davies is joined by Hannah Furney and her guide doge, Leger. Hannah is a self-advocate who tells her story about growing up DeafBlind, and the barriers she has faced in order to get to where she is.

Not every toxic relationship looks like yelling or chaos. Sometimes, it's the constant guilt, the gaslighting, or feeling like you're never enough.Toxic relationships aren't always loud. If you're walking on eggshell or waiting for the other shoe to drop. That isn't normal.If they twist your words, isolate you, or make you question your worth. That's not love, and it's not healthy.Toxic relationships can happen anywhere, at home, with friends, even at work.You deserve relationships that feel safe and peaceful. Healing starts when you stop blaming yourself and start setting boundaries.Control isn't love. You're not overreacting.You deserve peace. You are not alone.If you or someone you know is in an abusive situation and you need help message privately for national contact info for help. Stay safe and God bless!Someone out there needs to know they are not alone and that they can survive. Perhaps you are a parent or friend of someone trapped in an abusive relationship and need to know how to help. My goal is to share awareness, offer empowerment, and educate others about emotional traumas and domestic abuse. Here I will share my story and also stories of courage and healing from Survivors, Coaches, to Therapists/Counselors.Find me here- https://linktr.ee/melindajkunst⁠⁠Find help and info here-National Domestic Violence Hotline- ⁠⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠⁠Safe Horizon- ⁠⁠https://www.safehorizon.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.domesticshelters.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://internationalwomenshouse.org/get-help⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.domesticshelters.org/resources/national-global-organizations/international-organizationsSexual Assault Hotline- ⁠⁠https://www.rainn.org/⁠⁠Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS) provides advocacy services for Deaf and DeafBlind survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. ⁠⁠http://www.adwas.org/⁠⁠Suicide prevention- ⁠⁠https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/⁠⁠Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

I'm talking about Intermittent Explosive Disorder or IED today. .It's more than just anger. It's sudden, violent, and can be unpredictable. When it's used as control, it becomes abuse.I know how confusing that can be — because my ex-husband was diagnosed with IED. He said the medication made him better… until he used it as a threat. “If you make me mad, I won't take my meds.”That wasn't love — it was control. Mental illness can explain behavior, but it never excuses harm.In today's episode I'll dive into what I learned about IED in adults and helping children that you may suspect have this. Because understanding helps us heal… but safety must always come first! Please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for a proper diagnosis. Someone out there needs to know they are not alone and that they can survive. Perhaps you are a parent or friend of someone trapped in an abusive relationship and need to know how to help. My goal is to share awareness, offer empowerment, and educate others about emotional traumas and domestic abuse. Here I will share my story and also stories of courage and healing from Survivors, Coaches, to Therapists/Counselors.Find me here- ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/melindajkunstFind help and info here-National Domestic Violence Hotline- ⁠⁠https://www.thehotline.org/⁠⁠Safe Horizon- ⁠⁠https://www.safehorizon.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.domesticshelters.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠https://internationalwomenshouse.org/get-help⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.domesticshelters.org/resources/national-global-organizations/international-organizationsSexual Assault Hotline- ⁠⁠https://www.rainn.org/⁠⁠Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS) provides advocacy services for Deaf and DeafBlind survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. ⁠⁠http://www.adwas.org/⁠⁠Suicide prevention- ⁠⁠https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/⁠⁠Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

Those billionaires gotta have their tax cuts and President Trump and congressional Republicans will cut whatever they can to pay for them. That includes a program that helps hundreds of children in Wisconsin who are deaf and blind so that they can access adaptive technology and get an education. We'll talk to the head of a group that assists deaf-blind adults about this disruption toward having a life that's a little more bearable. Mornings with Pat Kreitlow is powered by UpNorthNews, and it airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-9 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and YouTube. Guests: Salina Heller, Adrian Klenz

More than 100 Oregon students with both vision and hearing impairments are anticipating a decline in services in schools, as the federal government has suddenly cut a five-year grant for the Oregon DeafBlind Project. The program serves DeafBlind Oregonians from birth up until the age of 21 at no cost to families or school districts. The goal of the program is to provide training to local teachers and school staff to support students with DeafBlindness. Lisa McConachie is the director of the project. She joins us to share more on what these cuts will mean for students.  

Joining the Exchange to discuss the latest development in this news is Jennifer Smith Richards, a reporter at ProPublica.

More now from Scottish Vision Strategy Conference 2025 as David chats with Julie Ritchie from Deafblind Scotland. Image shows a large ballroom, with conference delegates sitting around tables, all facing the front of the room where there are two screens with conference branding. James Adams, RNIB Scotland Country Director is speaking at the lectern

Mary Hartnett has served as the Executive Director of three different nonprofits, the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans. She has also worked as a lobbyist and consultant to nonprofits and state agencies. She has decades of experience working on voter education, voter engagement and voting rights. She has organized and mobilized…

Learn about traveling the world as a deafblind Latina—salsa dancing, sumo-wrestling and becoming a disability advocate. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Catarina joins Matt and talks about growing up in the U.S. in an immigrant home with Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage. She reflects on what those identities mean to her as well as her deafblind disability journey with Usher syndrome.  Catarina debunks common misconceptions people have about deafblind people and offers tips on non-disabled people can be better allies to disabled travelers.  She then reflects on how her interest in world travel developed and tells stories from a family trip to Spain in high school and more immersive trips to rural Kentucky, Argentina and Korea in college.  Next, Catarina talks about her first solo-trip with the white cane to Montreal, her love for Salsa dancing around the world, and her recent trip to Japan where she had epic tea experiences and got to try sumo-wrestling.  She then talks about the trip she led to Portugal for disable travelers and reflects and the power and impact of that experience.  Catarina next takes us on her journey of becoming an intersectional activist and building a fully remote company to smash disability stigmas. She explains how she designs her travel lifestyle and offers trips for disabled travelers as well as those traveling with a relationship partner.  And finally Catarina reflects on how traveling to nearly 40 countries has impacted her as a person.  FULL SHOW NOTES INCLUDING DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See HowI Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

The charity Macular Society provides support to people living with the UK's most prominent cause of sight loss, macular disease. They also help to fund research into finding a cure. In Touch has been hearing about the society's plans to reduce staffing levels within their regional team and so we speak to their CEO, Ed Holloway who explains what is currently happening with these proposals, which are still under consultation.Scotland has recently recognised Deafblindness as a distinct condition, but what does this mean for people living with the duel disability? Ian Hamilton delves deeper into whether this change might mean better services for those living with it in Scotland.Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: Liz Poole Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio' in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Thank you for joining us for the second episode with guests Matt and Laura Samargis, as we continue to highlight and honor this incredible family during Deaf-Blind Awareness Month. (You can listen here to Episode One)   In this episode, Matt and Laura share impactful moments and resources for living in rural Oklahoma.    What an honor to meet and visit with Matt and Laura and know you will enjoy hearing more from them today.   Special Resources: Active learning spaces (Activities for deafblind learning and movement)  Paths to literacy (educational resources for deafblind) Oklahoma library for the blind (Free educational resources for deafblind)   Communication Matrix (Assessment for non-verbal communication)   Perkins school for the blind   Christian Roman Lantzy (Cortical Visual impairment)   Jane Korston (communication devices)   NRCpara (national center for paraeducators, interveners, and more)    Central Michigan University (Online intervener classes) Beth Kennedy-CMU deafblind department director   

  Matt and Laura's Samargis, a family from rural Oklahoma share with us today some of their journey as parents who have a child in the deaf-blind community. Today we get a glimpse into their incredibly busy lives and I know you will enjoy hearing their unique testimony and learning more from them.   They share some of their favorite resources with us today, and you can find their links below: Oklahoma Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Project Oklahoma School for the Blind National Center for Deaf-Blindness Oklahoma School for the Deaf        

Jennifer Murray chats to John Whitfield from Deafblind Scotland about his sight and hearing loss as well as the many different role he has had with Deafblind Scotland over a number of years. You can contact Deafblind Scotland at the following email address: info@dbscotland.org.uk Their website is: Home | Deafblind Scotland Image description: Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font.

The CNIB's Deaf Blind Community Services is marking DeafBlind Awareness Month this June with several campaigns across Canada. Grant Hardy spoke with Sherry Grabowski, the Vice President of DBCS, and Sheena Hill, the Manager of Client Engagement about their mission to “Make a Wave from Coast to Coast” this June.  Check out the Pulse on YouTube!About AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail feedback@ami.ca

As we honor and celebrate Deaf-Blind Awareness Month, I'm excited for people to hear from Lisa Lawter with the Oklahoma Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Program.    Lisa is passionate about helping and serving families who have children with unique medical needs, and this is a resource we want to celebrate and share.   https://www.ou.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/deaf-blind-project   Lisa Lawter, Ph.D. Project Director  Oklahoma Deaf-Blind TA Project  University of Oklahoma  Department of Educational Psychology  820 Van Vleet Oval, Room 321  Norman, OK  73019  405.325.0441  405.325.6655 fax  Friend us on Facebook at Oklahoma Deaf Blind Technical Assistance Project   

In this AppleVis Extra episode, David Nason and Thomas Domville (AnonyMouse) interview Sarah Herrlinger, senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives at Apple. They explore Apple's ongoing dedication to accessibility, spotlighting exciting new features designed to better support users with disabilities. The conversation covers several highlights, including Accessibility Nutrition Labels, Braille Access Mode, Magnifier for Mac, and the role of AI in accessibility enhancements.Key Highlights:Accessibility Nutrition LabelA new initiative that provides standardized accessibility info for apps.Developers will showcase features like VoiceOver and captions.Designed to increase awareness and help users easily find accessibility details.Braille Access ModeAvailable on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro.Enables quick note-taking, calculations, and BRF file access with Braille displays.Supports live captioning for DeafBlind users to improve communication.Magnifier for MacTurns your iPhone into a magnifier for Mac users.Uses a secondary camera to enlarge physical objects.Includes zoom, color filters, brightness controls, and OCR with text-to-speech via Accessibility Reader.AI and AccessibilityAI remains a vital tool in accessibility advancements.Enhances image recognition and descriptive capabilities.Continues to be integrated to improve experiences for visually impaired users.User Engagement and FeedbackHighlights the value of user feedback in shaping accessibility features.Encourages users to send suggestions to accessibility@apple.com.Share Accessibility SettingsA new feature lets users temporarily transfer their accessibility settings to another device.Makes it easier for family members to help with troubleshooting and tech support.Listeners are invited to share their thoughts on these features and suggest any other accessibility needs they'd like Apple to consider.TranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers' names, voices, or content.Dave: Hello there, and welcome to another episode of the AppleVis Extra. My name is David Mason, and I am delighted to be joined once again by Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse, of course. And this is an exciting episode that we, I want to say, annually, semi-annually do, and that is an interview with Apple's Global Head of Accessibility, Sarah Herrlinger. So, looking forward to this one, Thomas.Thomas: Right. I mean, you're right. That is a mouthful. What is your, I had to look that up. Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. I'm like, wow. I wonder if that actually fits on her business card in one line. There's no way. They only respond so small.…

Hosts Beth and Cathy sit down with Carrie Francis, a university student and passionate advocate for the blind, visually impaired, and deafblind communities. Carrie, born with a rare 5th-degree facial cleft, has overcome extraordinary medical challenges, including severe blindness and hearing impairment. Despite being told she wouldn't survive beyond her first week of life, Carrie has defied the odds and is now pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Psychology while dedicating her life to advocacy and community support.   Carrie shares her journey from childhood surgeries and speech therapy to navigating life as a deafblind person. She opens up about the misconceptions surrounding the deafblind community, the resilience required to thrive despite medical challenges, and the support systems that have helped her along the way.   This episode is a testament to the power of determination, the importance of advocacy, and the strength it takes to rewrite your story against all odds.   Key Topics Discussed: What is a cleft palate, and how does it differ from a cleft lip? The medical and emotional challenges of living with a 5th-degree facial cleft. Navigating life as a deafblind person: adaptations, family support, and advocacy. Overcoming misconceptions about the deafblind community. Carrie's journey to pursuing a degree in psychology and her advice for students with disabilities. Resilience and the factors that helped Carrie defy her initial prognosis. Impact of the Lions Foundation in Canada   Connect with Us:   Stay tuned for the next new episode of “It Happened To Me”! In the meantime, you can listen to our previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “It Happened To Me”.    “It Happened To Me” is created and hosted by Cathy Gildenhorn and Beth Glassman. DNA Today's Kira Dineen is our executive producer and marketing lead. Amanda Andreoli is our associate producer. Ashlyn Enokian is our graphic designer.   See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, ItHappenedToMePod.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to ItHappenedToMePod@gmail.com. 

Download the PowerPoint slides here and buckle up! We're going back to Genesis 6 (nightmares should be minimal this time)!

Would you like to find out all about Deafblind Scotland's Guide Communicator Service? Well, Jennifer Murray chats to Guide Communicator Christine Lawler to find out more. If you would like to learn more about Deafblind Scotland's Guide Communicator Service, you can reach out to Deafblind Scotland in any of the following ways: Website: Home | Deafblind Scotland Email: info@dbscotland.orgg.uk Phone: 0141 777 6111 Address: 1 Neasham Drive, Kirkintilloch, G66 3FA Image description:  Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font.

How much do you know about deafblindness? If your answer is "very little", it seems you're in good company. Such is the lack of research on the condition that the charity Deafblind UK has collaborated with Birmingham City University to establish a new education and research centre. Said to be the first of its kind, its aim is to both undertake influential research and raise general awareness of deafblindness. It will also equip junior researchers and others with the knowledge and skills to become future leaders in the field.We're joined by Dr. Peter Simcock, who is leading the work at the centre and Georgina Smerald from the charity Sense. We also hear from Robert Nolan, Emma Blackmore and Jo Milne, all of whom are Deafblind.Presenter: Peter White Producer: Fern Lulham Production Coordinator: Kim AgostinoWebsite image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three individual white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch"; and the Radio 4 logo (the word Radio in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one of a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.'

Want to know what type of support is out there for deafblind people living in Scotland? Well, Jennifer Murray chats to Isabella Goldie to learn all about Deafblind Scotland and the work they do. Deafblind Scotland's Website: Home | Deafblind Scotland Image description:  Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font.

This week Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis welcome Dr. Linda Mamer, to the show to share her extensive experience in teaching Deafblind and visually impaired students. They talk about the importance of Intervenors for the Deafblind, as well as how crucial it is for early intervention, family involvement, and technology in enhancing communication for children who are Deafblind. She also discusses the evolution of assistive technology and its transformative effects on students' lives. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-414-linda-mamer-deafblindness.pdf Show Notes Canadian Deafblind Association http://www.cdbabc.ca/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

Transcript: rmad.ac/AIAe067Delila is a high school senior from Dallas, Texas who was born with a rare genetic disorder called CHARGE syndrome, which can affect a person's eyes, hearing, heart, growth, and more. As a deafblind individual, Delila has limited vision in one eye and relies on a bone anchored hearing auditory implant to hear. She communicates with confidence signing her words to ensure the deaf community feels included.Delila authored a book titled In CHARGE of My Life, a book about her childhood growing up and discovering life through a deafblind lens. In her book, she talks about overcoming many trials and struggles such as shyness, feeling different, not fitting in and low self-esteem. She realizes that she can get help and she's not alone, and that it's okay to have those types of feelings through life's ups and downs. Delila proves herself time and time again with her determination and willpower.Her life experience has helped her mature and become a remarkable person with a huge, caring heart. Delila sees a bright future for herself and wants to encourage other students that are feeling lost or frustrated to be confident and shineConnect with Delila:Delila Vasquez (@delila.incharge) • Instagram photos and videosIn CHARGE of My Life: Vasquez, Delila, Sapir, Crystal: 9781630665623: Amazon.com: BooksConnect with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at RockyMountainADA.org or find us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts!

Listen back to this week's FMQs! This week: Christine Grahame asked whether the Scottish Government will encourage the public not to buy puppies or dogs during the festive period, in light of the reported possibility that these may be the product of irresponsible breeders, including illegal puppy farms; Sandesh Gulhane  what steps the Scottish Government is taking in response to the reported announcement that NHS Scotland's IT software supplier, INPS, has entered administration, in light of concerns that this could leave GPs without the digital infrastructure to maintain electronic health records; and Mark Griffin asked what consideration the Scottish Government has given to what the potential impact might be on Deaf and Deafblind people of the termination of its contract with Contact Scotland BSL. Transcripts are available on our website: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament 

This is the first episode of the fourth season of the Perseverance Podcast. Listen as Kelvin tells his story of ever-increasing vision loss, problems with the See Me Cane, and troubles within his family. Each of these situations brought devastation but also a time of reflection and hope. Hear how Kelvin persevered through his challenges and is still able to say, “It is well with my soul” even in the darkest of times. Follow Kelvin as he works to give back to the DeafBlind community through his invention of the See Me Cane as well as to the public through his social media platforms, podcasts, and radio show. After listening to Kelvin's story from losing his vision through his business struggles with the See Me Cane and his troubles at home, I hope you too can feel encouraged to persevere as you go through your own difficult experiences.If you would like to be a guest on this podcast, email me at info@perseverancepodcast.comFor more information, go to www.deafblindpotter.comTo donate to the See Me Cane, go to www.seemecane.com or for tax deductible donation purposes go to www.lblf.orgFor Living Beyond Challenges membership information, go to www.member.deafblindpotter.comTo support the DeafBlind Potter School for people with disabilities, go to www.school.deafblindpotter.comMy Social Media AccountsFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/deafblindpotter?view_public_for=103433621651670 InstagramDeafBlind Potter- https://www.instagram.com/deafblindpotter/See Me Cane- https://www.instagram.com/seemecaneproject/ TikTokDeafBlind Potter- https://www.tiktok.com/@deafblindpotterSee Me Cane- https://www.tiktok.com/@seemecaneprojectYouTubeDeafBlind Potter- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoESy9-tS5BEL9AqJ6dOu9ASee Me Cane- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0VJLOJCwsAqO0YW6U04dOgRadio Showhttps://www.deafblindpottershow.comDeafBlind Potter School and Documentaryhttps://www.school.deafblindpotter.comhttps://www.nowness.com/series/craft-work/deafblind-potter-kelvin-crosby

In episode 59, host Nick Isenberg explores the challenges faced by deaf/blind individuals at large, noisy events like the Democratic National Convention. He shares personal experiences and adaptive solutions that help improve accessibility, from specialized hearing devices to creative tech adjustments. Nick also discusses the importance of not delaying hearing aids, as untreated hearing loss can lead to cognitive issues and social isolation. Plus, the episode offers insights into altitude sickness for travelers venturing to high elevations.

Episode 117 | Krista Webb (Deafblind Artist) joins the podcast! In this episode, I chat with Krista about her life as a woodburning artist, mother, and wife living with usher syndrome - a condition that causes both vision and hearing loss. We also cover the many ways she educates the public about the spectrum of blindness and disabilities! ------------------------- SUPPORT SEE-THROUGH: Buy Merch: https://seethroughpod.com/merch ------------------------- GUEST LINKS: Krista Webb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blindlove.woodburning/ ------------------------- FOLLOW SEE-THROUGH: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3JRSPEO Instagram: https://instagram.com/seethroughpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seethroughpod Twitter: https://twitter.com/seethroughpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seethroughpod Website: https://www.seethroughpod.com/  

This is a vital episode for all parents. Listen and learn how to get all the education, resources and support you can for your child's vision thanks to The Canadian National Institute for the Blind. CNIB's VP Suzanne Decary-van den Broek and CNIB's Family Guide, Sharon Kanhai-Johnston share some interesting research facts with me. Did you know most parents are unwittingly putting their children at risk for health and educational setbacks because they don't understand the schedule and importance of eye exams for their children? I messed it up with my second child and I don't want anyone else to make my mistake. Book an eye exam for your child. If you're in Canada, you can find your local optometrist here.Help influence policy makers today by signing the CNIB's Charter of Rights of Children Who are Blind, Deafblind, or Low Vision here.Find resources, support and education from the CNIB here. Do you have a parenting question for me? Send it in to hello@alysonschafer.com Sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.alysonschafer.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we talk with Jill Gaus is a Leader Dog client and board member. She is a licensed nurse, educator and longtime advocate for individuals who are DeafBlind. 

It’s not often a new language emerges.But in the last 15 years, a new language was born right here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s called Protactile, and it was created by a group of DeafBlind people who prioritize touch. One of the people at the center of creating this new language is Jelica Nuccio. She moved to Monmouth, Oregon, where Western Oregon University just received a grant for $2.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to help train Protactile language interpreters. We spoke to Jelica about her work in 2021.

In this podcast, Thomas Domville gives us an overview of new accessibility features for blind, DeafBlind, and visually impaired users in iOS 18. Topics covered include:Live Recognition Comes to the RotorVoices RotorImprovements to Audio DuckingVoiceOver TutorialVoiceOver Startup Haptic FeedbackDelay Before SelectionNew languages for Lithuanian and KazakUsing Personal Voice with VoiceOverEqualizer and Other New Customization Options for VoiceOver VoicesVoice Presets for Siri VoicesA New VoiceOver Gesture for Accessing Siri Text InputBraille Screen Input ImprovementsMotion QueuesNew Sound ActionsAssistive Touch ImprovementsEye TrackingNew Background Sounds and ControlsMusic HapticsLive Speech ImprovementsVoice Control ImprovementsVocal ShortcutsHover TypingCar Play Improvements: Voice Control, Color Filters, and Sound RecognitionMagnifier Improvements: Assign Action Button to Magnifier Mode and New Reader ModeImprovements to Accessing Reader Mode in SafariTranscriptDisclaimer: This transcript is generated by AIKO, an automated transcription service. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers' names, voices, or content.An Apple Vis Original What's new in iOS 18 for accessibility?Hello and welcome.My name is Thomas Donville, also known as Anonymous, as like every year, a new iOS comes in play and Apple brings out new features for us to enjoy.So with no exception, this year we got a slew of new features for voiceover users, braille users, and other accessibility features that you might find of interest.There's a lot in here to pack, so let's go ahead and jump right into it and you can hear for yourself what is new in iOS 18 for accessibility.Live recognition is now an option within your rotor if you include it.To include it, you just go to your accessibility and head over to rotors and include the live recognition.This allows you to access live recognition quickly and easily by simply going to your rotor.Once enabled, we'll just head over to live recognition within our rotor, where you are able to select one or more of the various detections you would like to be enabled.As you swipe down or up within the rotor, you get the various detection.To enable a particular detection, just simply do one finger double tap, double tap again and that'll disable it.If you dismiss the rotor and keep the detection on, it will now live in with your dynamic island towards the top of your device or you can dismiss it from there as well.Apple has now enhanced the voice over voice option within rotors, which used to be called language.This rotor allows you to access the various voices that you have defined within speech under accessibility, but that itself has completely been revamped, which you can find within the voice over in the accessibility.Double tap on this now.You now have two section in here, first is your primary voice, which can be in any language, doesn't have to be necessarily English and they can…

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each. Welcome to 296 0:00 Blind, low vision, and DeafBlind people continue to be denied the chance to lead provider organisations 2:41 Will Vision Australia even give blind people a chance to apply to be CEO? 11:38 Update on Google Calendar 25:37 LinkedIn is impossible 31:34 Looking for air fryer recommendations 36:03 Nasty iOS beta bug 38:58 When and how to disclose blindness to a potential employer 42:22 A 3d audio ride in a self-driving vehicle 50:16 How do you keep up with so much information? 55:11 The medical experience of blindness 1:01:40 Truncated messages on iPhone 1:04:46 Zoom H1Essential and robotic guide dogs 1:06:49 Abuse in care 1:15:03 Odd Windows problem 1:18:21 iOS notification centre 1:21:36 Zoom Essential series recorders 1:22:51 iPhone 15 Pro Max 1:24:59 Beware of AI 1:28:05 Responses to who should I donate to 1:33:49 Shokz headphones 1:35:44 Thoughts on abuse in care 1:37:45 WhatsApp, and Braille 1:42:26 Seeking recommendations for bone conduction headphones 1:44:54 Reaper and markers generated by the Zoom recorders 1:47:31 Accessibility of Jira 1:53:03 Blind Barbie 1:53:43 Smart TVs with Talkback and other comments 1:54:29 AppleVis 1:56:31 The word blind in other languages 1:57:24 Closing and contact info 1:59:40 With listeners in 113 countries, our Living Blindfully community offers a wide range of knowledge and perspectives. We welcome your contribution to the show. Here's how to have your say. Send us a text or audio message via WhatsApp. +447874464152 or just click this link from your mobile device to WhatsApp us. Write an email or attach an audio file recorded in your app of choice. The email address is opinion at LivingBlindfully.com Phone the listener line and record a voice message. This is a US number, so long distance or international charges may apply. +18646066736. You can also follow our WhatsApp channel for announcements.

Summer is in full swing so it seems only fitting that this week's episode is all about heading to Camp! Join us as Rob, Ryan and Lis welcome Alex Jurgenson and Matthew Alvarnez from the Camp Bowen Division of the Canadian Organization of the Blind and DeafBlind. They discuss Camp Bowen's history as a longtime venue for campers who are blind or partially sighted, its current line-up of Summer Camps and Programs, and what makes the Bowen Island location ideal for its attendees, staff, and volunteers. Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/at-banter-podcast-episode-388-camp-bowen.pdf Show Notes Camp Bowen https://campbowen.ca/ Canadian Organization of the Blind and DeafBlind https://cobd.ca/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

Here are the topics covered in this episode, and the time in the file for each. Welcome to 289 0:00 Send a text or voice message to us on WhatsApp 1:06 Outstanding technical support from Pulseway 6:43 Accessibility of X for iOS badly broken 11:36 Beatles book 13:59 The LenovoThinkBios Utility 19:44 Dr Nicholas Giudice discusses how we ensure blind people can use autonomous vehicles, and robot guide dogs 31:45 Sign up to participate in research on these fascinating topics. How to use the Capslock key in JAWS desktop layout 1:32:06 My recent app advocacy experience 1:33:47 TV apps for DeafBlind people 1:39:05 Orbit Writer 1:40:46 Beware of y2Mate 1:44:13 The Bonnie Bulletin ahead of convention time 1:45:13 Closing and contact info 1:58:13 With listeners in 113 countries, our Living Blindfully community offers a wide range of knowledge and perspectives. We welcome your contribution to the show. Here's how to have your say. Send us a text or audio message via WhatsApp. +447874464152 Write an email or attach an audio file recorded in your app of choice. The email address is opinion at LivingBlindfully.com Phone the listener line and record a voice message. This is a US number, so long distance or international charges may apply. +18646066736.

Jeff and Rebecca spend a few minutes talking about yesterday's announcement of the 2024 Pulitzer prizes before getting into more book recommendations for moms, dads, grads, and others. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more industry news, sign up for our Today in Books daily newsletter! Looking for a thoughtful Mother's Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there's something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova S.A. Cosby The Iceberg by Marion Coutts What Looks Like Bravery by Laurel Braitman On Living by Kerry Egan Real Self-Care by Pooja Lakshmin The Cartographers by Peng Sheperd The Will of the Many by James Islington H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald Kazuo Ishiguro Maggie O'Farrell The Bee Sting by Paul Murray ZAAAADIEEEE, ZAAAADIEEEEE Girl at War by Sara Novic 10 Must-Read Books by Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard-of-Hearing Authors Alibis by André Aciman A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko NK Jemisin  The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak This Strange, Eventful History by Claire Messud Victory City by Salman Rushdie My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai Stephen Graham Jones Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay The House of Char by Scott Hawkins The Hacienda by Isabelle Cañas Come and Get It by Kiley Reid Dark Academia Authors What is Dark Academia Recent Dark Academia Books Birnam Wood Peter Heller The Overstory by Richard Powers The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu Company by Shannon Sanders Eclipse Fever by Walter Abish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notes and Links to Andrew Leland's Work        For Episode 222, Pete welcomes Andrew Leland, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early balance of technology and art and creativity that continues to govern his writing and careers, early formative reading, the philosophy of “going blind” versus “becoming blind,” the spectrum of blindness, and salient themes in his book like intersectionality, ableism, and differing ideas of how society sees the blind and disabled, and how this affects Andrew and others in similar situations.      Andrew Leland is a writer, audio producer, editor, and teacher living in Western Massachusetts. His first book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press. He has produced audio for a range of entities, including an interview with the DeafBlind poet John Lee Clark for the New Yorker Radio Hour; a story about disabled astronauts for Radiolab; and a story about reading technologies for the blind for 99 Percent Invisible. From 2013–2019, he hosted and produced the Organist, an arts-and-culture podcast, for KCRW. He has taught nonfiction writing, radio, and “digital storytelling” (?) at Smith College, UMass-Amherst, and the University of Missouri, he's been an editor at the Believer since 2003, and he's edited books for McSweeney's and Chronicle Books.   Buy The Country of the Blind   Andrew's Website   New York Times Review of The Country of the Blind   NPR Article on The Country of the Blind     At about 3:15, Andrew details his background with reading and writing, including how he was influenced by his parents in different ways, as well as how he was indirectly influenced by his uncle, the playwright Neil Simon At about 6:25, Andrew talks about a towering gift from his aunt that really energized his reading and writing journeys At about 9:30, Pete and Andrew discuss David Foster Wallace, his lasting literary legacy, and his marred legacy outside of writing At about 11:15, Andrew responds to Pete's questions about how his background in audio engineering, and how it has affected his writing At about 15:15, Pete reflects on the reading experience and Andrew reflects on how the book moved along due to his audio background, and Andrew shouts out Rachel Cunningham at Penguin Random House as being extremely helpful with structuring his book At about 17:10, Andrew discusses seeds for his book At about 21:00, The two lay out some exposition of the book and discuss the book's opening lines and contradictions; Andrew expands upon Will Butler's ideas of “going blind” vs. “becoming blind” At about 25:20, Andrew gives background on the book's title, and how it's based on a HG Wells' book At about 27:30, Andrew talks about long-held ideas or stereotypes of blind people and the consequences of same At about 30:05, Andrew discusses the myriad ways in which blindness has been used as metaphor, and shouts out a book that explores these tropes, There Plant Eyes, by M. Leona Godin At about 32:45, Andrew explains the difficulties he had with a meetup in Missouri that is featured in the book, as well as some immediate and later revelations that came from this At about 37:30, Andrew delves into his travels and conventions attended that adjusted his mindset and provided many beautiful moments and learning moments  At about 41:55, Andrew discusses genetic testing for his medical condition, and how he and his wife decided whether or not to have their son tested At about 44:00, The two discuss ideas of intersectionality and in Andrew's research and reporting and what he found regarding racism and the strong work put forth by queer women of color in disabled communities At about 48:10, Andrew and Pete reflect on the history of the Bay Area in the fight for disability justice At about 51:00, The two discuss the medical advancements and artificial sight that are coming to the forefront and the ways in which Andrew writes and thinks about them At about 54:20, Andrew details the importance of Ben McFall, the legendary bookseller, and how his obituary connects to how Andrew feels as he started to use a screen reader   At about 58:25, Andrew juxtaposes the Carroll Center for the Blind's philosophy versus that of other organizations that work for and with the blind At about 1:01:10, Pete and Andrew analyze an important set of encounters with a fellow guest at The Colorado Center for the Blind and the implications of their attitudes and philosophies and experiences At about 1:05:30, Andrew talks about exciting new projects      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    I am very excited that starting in February with Episode 220 with Neef Ekpoudom and this episode, I will have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review-I'm looking forward to the partnership!    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 224 with Sarah Rose Etter, the author of 2023's Ripe, and The Book of X, which was the winner of the 2019 Shirley Jackson Award. Her short fiction collection, Tongue Party, was selected by Deb Olin Unferth to be published as the winner of the 2011 Caketrain Award.    The episode will air on February 13.

Although many hearing and sighted people imagine DeafBlind life in tragic terms, as an experience of isolation and darkness, the poet John Lee Clark's writing is full of joy. It's funny and surprising, mapping the contours of a regular life marked by common pleasures and frustrations. Clark, who was born Deaf and lost his sight at a young age, has established himself not just as a writer and translator but as a scholar of Deaf and DeafBlind literature. His recent collection, “How to Communicate,” which was nominated for a National Book Award this past year, includes original works and translations from American Sign Language and Protactile. He speaks with the contributor Andrew Leland, who is working on a book about his own experience of losing his sight in adulthood. This segment originally aired December 9, 2022.

If you had to make a self portrait of your daily morning routine through language and sensation, what would you include? John Lee Clark offers memories of a birthday through experiences the body holds.John Lee Clark is a DeafBlind poet, essayist, historian, translator, and an actor in the Protactile movement. He is the author of the poetry collection How to Communicate (W. W. Norton & Company, 2022) and the essay collection Where I Stand (Handtype Press, 2014). Clark is a 2021-2023 Bush Leadership Fellow, a core member of Protactile Language Interpreting National Education Center, and a research consultant with the Reciprocity Lab at the University of Chicago.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.We're pleased to offer John Lee Clark's poem, and invite you to connect with Poetry Unbound throughout this season.

We take a look this week at the incredibly inspirational life of Helen Keller. She accomplished SO much despite completely losing her sight and ability to hear at the age of just 19 months. Had the miracle worker Anne Sullivan not entered her life when she did, I don't think we'd know Helen's name today. Anne's life - also so incredible. Their intertwined story got me all fired up. We also take a look back at what went on at Bad Magic in 2022 and what we hope to accomplish going forward. Thank you all for sticking by us while we navigated through a lot of behind-the-scenes drama this past year. Despite the drama, still had SO many great moments, and hope to have even more in 2023. Bad Magic Productions Monthly Patreon Donation: We gave a total of $37,547 to the Bad Magic Giving Tree! Thank you for helping us make the holidays extra special for 53 families and 125 kids :) And we also were able to contribute another $1612 to our scholarship fund.Get tour tickets at dancummins.tv Watch the Suck on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1vpMYLLlxFQMerch: https://www.badmagicmerch.comDiscord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard?  Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcastSign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits.