Jeff Thompson:
Welcome to Blind Abilities. I’m Jeff Thompson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker 3:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okay, so state services actually played a huge part in everything that I’m doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker 2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t be afraid, get out there, meet people, be friendly. Nobody is judging you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker 3:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think big. Look at what do you love to do, what do you enjoy doing, and then how can you turn that into getting paid?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker 2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I use my Braille display. I use Jaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker 4:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Put on your cape, grab your gladiator shield and go get them, tiger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaker 5:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t limit yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Career Expo 2019. Such a great opportunity for transition age students to meet up with professionals from a wide variety of professions, who’s an opportunity for students transitioning from high school to college to the workplace, to ask questions from nearly 25 professionals. What is their job like? What tools they use? And to receive encouragement about the possibilities that they too can achieve their dreams and get the career that they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Welcome to Blind Abilities. I’m at the Career Expo in Roseville, Minnesota, where transition age students get the opportunity to meet with a bunch of role models, people who are employed who are visually impaired or blind. And I’m over at the table of Dr. Mona Minkara. How are you doing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
I’m doing great, how are you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Good, it’s nice to meet up with you again. You’ve done a couple podcasts with us before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Yes, yeah. It’s been awesome to be on Blind Abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Well, you’ve got some exciting news, lots of things happening. But first, will you tell, or remind our listeners what you do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
So I am a computational chemist. I model chemical problems on the computer. I’m post doc at the University of Minnesota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
And you got some exciting news coming up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
I do, I do. I’m very, very happy to say that I’m actually going to be a professor in the fall at Northeastern University. I’ll be a professor of bio engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Out in Boston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
I’m like over the moon excited. I can’t explain it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
I saw a video that you did for the Holman Prize. Can you tell people how that got started and what that’s about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Oh yeah, the Holman Prize is a prize that is given to blind adventurers in honor of Holman, who traveled the world. I don’t remember when, but he was blind. I wanted to apply because I’ve always had it in mind. I love public transportation. I think public transportation is an amazing public tool and I think we’re very lucky to have it. And so I wanted to show the world that as a blind person, you can travel the world and check out public transportation systems in other countries. And so I am pitching the idea that I can get around anywhere in the world using planes, trains and cane. And I’ll be traveling to five different cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Now this all was hatched out of the idea of when you went to London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Yeah, I mean that was an idea that I had when I went to London. And I also the first year the Holman Prize came out, I had the honor to be a judge and then just like struck my fancy then, too. So I’m applying this year and I’m a semi-finalist. You guys can check out my video on YouTube. You can just search my name, M-O-N-A M-I-N-K-A-R-A, and it’s the video called Planes, Trains and Canes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Earlier, we were talking about your travel to London and the expectations that you found there. The responses from people when you were showing your independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Yeah. It was really fascinating because everybody was kind of shocked that I was traveling by myself. And when I got off the plane, I was asking people, “Where’s the train?” And they were like, “Why do you want the train?” And I was like, “I want to take the tube to get to my hotel.” And they were like, “By yourself?” And I got that kind of reaction multiple times as I took the train. I actually made it all the way to my hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Well that’s great, and it’s great that you’re putting the video out there to show people that you can do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Thank you very much, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
What advice would you have for transition aged students that are wondering about their future and the possibilities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Have hope, follow your dreams. You can do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
You have something very interesting on your table. Will you explain this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Okay, I have here different molecules that I’ve built so that I can help visualize what I study. They were built using molecular modeling kit. Here you see I have a chain of carbons with the hydrogens and then like double bonded to an oxygen. You can like feel that with the modeling kit. I also have-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Very tactile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Yeah, it’s very tactile. I also have part of a protein that I had my one of my access assistants actually build using pipe cleaners. And this protein is found in the lungs, which is where I’m going to be taking my studies when I go to Northeastern. I’m going to be a bio engineer, and I’ll be looking at plumage defactins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Well this is really exciting, and these are really cool because they’re going to come to the table, look for the Braille and they’ll find these, and it’ll start a conversation right there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Yeah, I hope so. I hope people can see that they can become chemists if that what they want to do, and that there are tools out there, and that’s why, you know, in a previous Blind Ability I mentioned my website. It has a list of all the tools that I’ve used, including the modeling kits that we have here on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
And can you remind them of that website?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
It’s MonaMinkara.com, and then there’s a page called Blind Scientist Tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
And that’s great. That’s great for the STEM science technology engineering mathematics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Thank you, Dr. Mona Minkara. Thank you very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mona Minkara:
Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Be sure to contact your state services for the blind, your Voc. rehab and find out what they can do for you. Live, work, read, succeed. A big shout out goes out to Chee Chau Fours 00:05:16] beautiful music, and you can follow Chee Chau on Twitter @LCheeChau Chee Chau, Chee Chau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:
Enable the Blind Abilities skill on your Amazon device just by saying, “Enable Blind Abilities.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[Music] [Transition noise] -When we share<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-What we see<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Through each other’s eyes…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
…We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more podcasts with the blindness perspective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check us out on the web at www.BlindAbilities.com On Twitter @BlindAbilities<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Download our app from the App store:
‘Blind Abilities’; that’s two words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or send us an e-mail at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
info@blindabilities.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks for listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by email<\/a> or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361. Thank you for listening! Check out the Blind Abilities Community<\/a>on Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page<\/a>, the Job Insights Support Group<\/a>and the Assistive Technology Community for the Blind and Visually Impaired<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Full Transcript Jeff Thompson:Welcome to Blind Abilities. I’m Jeff Thompson. Speaker 3: Okay, so state services actually played a huge part in everything that I’m doing. Speaker 2: Don’t be afraid, get out there, meet people, be friendly. Nobody is judging you. Speaker 3: Think big. Look at what do you love to do, what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4489,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5088","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P6rcRg-1k4","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4893,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=4893","url_meta":{"origin":5088,"position":0},"title":"Sprint is committed to working with phone manufacturers and the blind and low vision community to deliver user-friendly accessible phones – Meet Outreach Specialists Diane and Rob!","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Speaker 2:\u00a0 If you're blind or have low vision, Speaker 3:\u00a0 Be My Eyes is a must have tool. Speaker 2:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No matter where you are Speaker 4: Or what language you speak Speaker 5:\u00a0 You can call up on-demand visual support in seconds. Speaker 3: In seconds.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"The TechAbilities Logo-Dark Sunglasses with TA and BA bold letters in each lens.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4886,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=4886","url_meta":{"origin":5088,"position":1},"title":"Vispero – Helping Blind and Low Vision Individuals Reach Their Full Potential. Meet Douglas Gerry and Hear What\u2019s Coming Up for the ElBraille and New Low Vision Solutions","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Speaker 2:\u00a0 If you're blind or have low vision, Speaker 3:\u00a0 Be My Eyes is a must have tool. Speaker 2:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No matter where you are Speaker 4: Or what language you speak Speaker 5:\u00a0 You can call up on-demand visual support in seconds. Speaker 3: In seconds.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"The TechAbilities Logo-Dark Sunglasses with TA and BA bold letters in each lens.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4990,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=4990","url_meta":{"origin":5088,"position":2},"title":"iPhone101: SeeingAI Update: Channel Switching and Exploring a Photo","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"May 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Jeff Thompson:Welcome to Blind Abilities. I'm Jeff Thompson. In this feature of iPhone 101 we're going to show you some new features from the Seeing AI app. We've done quite a few podcasts on the Seeing AI app, and if you check the show notes you can go\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4938,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=4938","url_meta":{"origin":5088,"position":3},"title":"Eschenbach: Vision Enhancing Products for Every Aspect of Life \u2013 Meet Timothy and Two New Advanced Portable Magnifiers","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"May 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Speaker 2:\u00a0 If you're blind or have low vision, Speaker 3:\u00a0 Be My Eyes is a must have tool. Speaker 2:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No matter where you are Speaker 4: Or what language you speak Speaker 5:\u00a0 You can call up on-demand visual support in seconds. Speaker 3: In seconds.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"The TechAbilities Logo-Dark Sunglasses with TA and BA bold letters in each lens.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4768,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=4768","url_meta":{"origin":5088,"position":4},"title":"CSUNATC19: Wearable AI Devices for the Blind \u2013 Meet the MyEye 2.0 and the MyReader from Orcam","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"March 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Jeff Thompson:Welcome to Blind Abilities. I'm Jeff Thompson, and welcome to our CSUN coverage sponsored by Be My Eyes. Speaker 2:\u00a0 If you're blind or have low vision, Speaker 3:\u00a0 Be My Eyes is a must have tool. Speaker 2:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No matter where you are Speaker 4: Or\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4927,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=4927","url_meta":{"origin":5088,"position":5},"title":"Orcam: Maker of the MyEye 2 \u2013 The Advanced Wearable Device Which Reads Text, Recognizes Faces, Identifies Products and More!","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"May 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Bull Transcript Speaker 2:\u00a0 If you're blind or have low vision, Speaker 3:\u00a0 Be My Eyes is a must have tool. Speaker 2:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No matter where you are Speaker 4: Or what language you speak Speaker 5:\u00a0 You can call up on-demand visual support in seconds. 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To find your State Services in your State you can go to www.AFB.org<\/a> and search the directory for your agency.Contact:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities<\/a>
On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com<\/a>
Send us an email<\/a>
Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store<\/a>and Google Play Store<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n