Aira Director of Product Management, Greg Stilson, Broadens the Horizon on New Aira Access and Plans (transcript provided)

show Summary: (Full Transcript Below) Greg Stilson, Director of Product Management at Aira, joins Pete and Jeff in the Blind Abilities studio and talks about the new plans and opportunities available to everyone. From the Guest plan, where anyone downloading the Aira App, can use the Aira Access at a growing number of sites in the Aira Access Network. To the Intro plan, where you can get 30 minutes a month for $29 a month. And the Standard plan,...

Self-Advocacy, Self-Awareness and the ADA – A Visit with PACER Center’s Transition Coordinator Deborah Leuchovius (Transcript provided)

Full Transcript Below Show Summary: In partnership with State Services for the Blind of Minnesota we are proud to present, PACER Center - Champions for Children with Disabilities: Self-Advocacy, Self-Awareness and the ADA - A Visit with PACER Center’s Transition Coordinator Deborah Leuchovius Deborah sits down with Jeff Thompson of Blind Abilities in the fifth of a series of podcasts in partnership with PACER Center and State Services for the...

Rakeb Max: Breaking Down Barriers and Addressing Those Preconceived Notions

Show Summary: Rakeb Max returns to the Blind Abilities studio to share what she has learned since entering her first year of college at Providence college. Last summer Rakeb joined us to talk about her college transition plans and the steps she was taking to ensure she chose the right college.   Rakeb did choose Providence college and talks about how the realities and expectations are not always the same and how she is adjusting to her new...

Meet Michael Colbrunn: Business Enterprise Program Owner/Operator and Advocate for the Blind (transcript provided)

Show Summary: (Full Transcript Below) The Business Enterprise Program (BEP) is a great way for interested Blind/Visually Impaired clients of their State Agency/Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to own their own business and be their own boss. Michael Colbrunn is a business owner in the BEP and joined Jeff Thompson of Blind Abilities in the studio to talk about the BEP and about his work at his campus location and his work on the State...

What Does White Cane Day Mean to You? Voices at the Capital 2018 (Transcript Provided)

Show Summary: (Full Transcript Below) October 11 is White Cane Day in Minnesota and the Blindness community came out strong to support the awareness of the White Cane. Speakers shared the history of White Cane day and others talked about the freedom and independence the white cane brings to them. The Minnesota State Academy for the Blind shared their voices and sang aloud in the Capital’s Rotundra. With the support of the local Lions Clubs,...

Dr. Amy Kavanagh: Accepting the Cane and Guide Dog Possibilities – The 2nd in this 3-Part Series (transcription provided)

Show Summary: (Full Transcript Below) On White Cane Day, Blind Abilities is proud to bring you part 2 of Dr. Amy Kavanagh: Accepting the Cane and Guide Dog Possibilities. Amy has adjusted to her limited vision since she was born and when it came time for the White cane, she thought it was for other people to understand or recognize that she doesn’t see very well. Never thinking she needed a cane for her own good and never thought about using a...

Meet Trevor Astrope: Computer Analyst, Woodworker and Guitar Builder, at WW4B and the Enchanted Hills Camp (Transcript provided)

Show Summary:   (Full Transcript Below) Let’s board that Blind Abilities airlines jet and head back to the enchanted Hills Camp in Napa Valley, ca., where Jeff caught up with another student of the Woodworking for the Blind (WW4B) workshop. In this interview, we meet Trevor Astrope, a Computer Analyst who works for Morgan Stanley, as the Global Lead for their Private Cloud. Yes, he’s a computer Geek! but Trevor is so much more! He shares...

Just Ask Don’t Grab – Meet Dr. Amy Kavanagh, Blogger, Activist, and Volunteer with a Message – #JustAskDontGrab. (Transcript Provided)

Show Summary: (Transcript Below) Dr. Amy Kavanagh was fed up with the grabbing, pushing, polling from the cited community when she adventured out into the public sphere. All to knowing that the adventure itself was challenging in it’s own right, the unsolicited touching nearly kept her from stepping out of the house. Taking to her Twitter feed, Amy talked about the incidences and created the hashtag #JustAskDontGrab.   People started to...

ExcelAbility: Conversation with Jim Gibbons, CEO of Good Will Industries International, who happens to be blind

In collaboration with Jack Chen, Blind Abilities presents ExcelAbility. A collection of podcasts from Jack Chen’s ExcelAbility Team. ExcelAbility, empowering excellence and success for people with disabilities.   Podcast summary In this episode we speak with CEO Jim Gibbons. Jim has served in an executive role at several prominent organizations including Good Will  and National Industries for the Blind.  Jim was the first student who...

John Kay: From Rock Star to Elephants, We Were All Born To Be Wild #Steppenwolf to #MaueKayFoundation #VisuallyImpaired (Transcript Provided)

Show Summary (Full Text Transcript Below)   John Kay reveals his journey from escaping the Iron Curtain, getting on with limited vision, his passion for music and his love and commitment for wildlife and especially elephants. Ironically, I first learned about John Kay being legally blind from Dan Gausman, a librarian at State Services for the Blind of Minnesota. A client requested to have the Communications Center record an audio copy of...