Podcasts and Blog posts sharing tools for success, ideas and successes from others who have transitioned from high school to college and to the workplace.
Full Transcript Show Summary: Dr. Natalina Martiniello completed her Doctorate in the study of Aging on Braille Literacy from the University of Montreal in December of 2021 and has a vast and robust knowledge of all things diversity, accessibility and related issues facing the Blind and Visually Impaired. Inclusion in the classrooms, inclusion in the curriculum building in Universities and the importance of learning Braille at any age are some...
Show Summary: Today’s guest on Blind Abilities is Donna Jodhan. Donna is a multi-talented individual, an author, entrepreneur and an advocate for the blind and visually impaired. Now Donna is rebranding herself as a sight loss coach, aiming at helping people who are experiencing sight loss to “...become more comfortable in their new type of world…”, to become independent and fully functional. Adding to her long...
Full Transcript Show Summary: Travis Mashuga is a Pre-Employment Transition Services Counselor at State Services for the Blind (SSB) in Minnesota. Travis switched gears in college and decided to work in the Rehabilitation field and is now part of the Transition team at SSB. Travis explains what Transition Services offers and tells us how to get connected with the Transition Services. Whether you are a transition age student or a parent of a...
Full Transcript Show Summary: Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) like every other state rehab agency, is certainly not exempt from the impact of COVID-19. Like much of the Nation’s business and governmental sector, the staff began working from home back in mid-March. Jesse Anderson, Assistive Technology Specialist, Joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about how his department has adjusted to the...
Full Transcript Show Summary: Ana Sikhashvili spent a year in Minnesota attending the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind (MSAB)through a student exchange program called, Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX). Ana is definitely a leader and her future is looking very bright as she is now attending University in the Republic of Georgia. Ana’s experiences in the United States and especially her experiences at MSA B and the programs she attended...
Show Summary: Kristy Viers joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio and talked about her YouTube Channel Kristy Viers, her College Experience, Beta Testing Apps and Braille Screen Input on her iPhone. Kristy had a YouTube video go viral with nearly 30,000 people listening. Kristy had to shut down her notifications as every device was going off for a few days. Kristy is doing more videos with instruction and about being Blind and...
Show Summary: Gabby Mendonca joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about her inspiring YouTube Channel @GabriellaMendonca, her educational journey, white and pink canes and her upcoming guide dog adventure. Listen in as Gabby explains how living in New York during the pandemic has effected her home life, education and social interaction. With a Guide Dog in her future plans, Gabby tells us about the Guide Dog Foundation...
Full Transcript Show Summary: Hilda Dunford is a mom with 3 children and with the distance learning being the virtual reality that it is, Hilda is fining more and more time to be with her children, learning, caring and growing together. I met Hilda through her @OurBlindSide Instagram account. Her Blog-like content gave me a peek into the life of Hilda, her family and her son who happens to be Blind/Low Vision. With the changes that the...
Full Transcript Show Summary: Justin and Cindy from the Minnesota Disability Law Center joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio for a discussion on voting rights for youth with disabilities. We also get to talk to Nate and Nikki, 2 young adults, about their experiences voting accessibly using the Auto-Mark device and completing an absentee ballot. How do you find the information on where to vote and how to get your absentee ballot?...
Full Transcript Show Summary: Director of Research at American Foundation for the Blind, Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum, Joins us in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about the two recent surveys, Flatten Inaccessibility and Access and Engagement to Education. The full reports will soon be published, and you can sign up to be notified they are available and stay up to date with AFB’s future research projects. Find out how...