Pete:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago and then exploding into our day-to-day lives. Every day we hear about the impact of corona and COVID-19 on \u2013 well, almost everyone. But how is it affecting disabled individuals? Today on Blind Abilities we explore just how blind and visually impaired individuals have experienced and adapted to corona and COVID-19 around the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chee Chau:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is Chee Chau, from Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elise Lonsdale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My name is Elise Lonsdale, and I\u2019m from Northern Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steve Wicketts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi, my name\u2019s Steve, and I\u2019m from England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marlon Parieaho:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hey everyone, it\u2019s me, Marlon Parieaho, from Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nick D\u2019Ambrosio:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi, my name is Nick D\u2019Ambrosio, and I\u2019m from Montreal, Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori Thompson:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi, my name is Lori Thompson, I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brooklyn Rodden Kelly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m Brooklyn, and I\u2019m from Sacramento, California. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brian Fischler:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greetings everyone! Brian Fischler, from New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sherry Molengraft:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hello, I\u2019m Sherry Molengraft, from Jacksonville, Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pete:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On today\u2019s episode, we present Steve Wicketts, a professional entertainer in England. Steve will describe how the coronavirus and COVID-19 have affected not only his business, but the daily lives of blind and visually impaired citizens in his country. And now, please welcome from the United Kingdom, Steve Wicketts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
British Newscaster (male):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A week on from the relaxed lockdown measures, the hot weather, cool drinks, and ice creams in Brighton were just too tempting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
British Newscaster (male) 2:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The famous pier may be shut, but this city\u2019s beach is open. It\u2019s an escape for many after weeks of stringent lockdown rules, but the council here are telling people to stay away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
British woman:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m telling people not to come, really, to make sure that they and everybody else stay safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steve Wicketts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi, my name\u2019s Steve, and I\u2019m from England, and I come from a city called Birmingham, which is in the center of England. Now, I was aware that there were changes going on, but didn\u2019t know just how serious they were. I work for a company that get a lot of work from a leisure company that owns a lot of hotels, and we do very, very well, we sell out most of these hotels when we perform there. We went to one hotel, and the staff was saying that people were cancelling because of this new virus called corona, so we asked, \u201cHow many?\u201d And she said at least 30 out of 300. We realized that people were taking it seriously, but the government hadn\u2019t said anything, it was the media, and was this just media hype, but people were being careful, and as we all know now, quite rightly so. We go to another town, we do another show, and again people are cancelling, and then the lockdown happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And an interesting thing happened with our supermarkets \u2013 some of them were very responsible, and had helplines where you could phone, and they would tell you about a website that had been set up just so those more vulnerable would actually have allocated slots. Others that had these kind of websites that were for vulnerable people shut them down at the start of the lockdown, saying that they couldn\u2019t cope with the demand, with everybody wanting now to either click and collect \u2013 that\u2019s where you go with your car and they take the groceries out to you \u2013 or have home delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything changed \u2013 I\u2019m very fortunate that my parents live nearby, and they will get any products that I can\u2019t get ahold of, but it\u2019s not been easy. I work for myself, and the way it works in England and in the U.K. is that if you are employed by an employer you will get 80% of your wage. But I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to be entitled to until- well, the end of June, I think it is. And they will decide what they\u2019re going to give us who are self-employed. So it\u2019s not been the easiest of times, but making sure that those that you care for stay safe is way more important, and sticking to the rules that have been put in place to try and help us all \u2013 I\u2019m sort of someone that\u2019s listening to the news more than I ever did, which I think a lot of us are, but as a totally blind person- and a lot of people, partially sighted and blind, we are very good at problem solving, occupying ourselves, everything has kind of stopped. I rehearsed like crazy for a brand new show \u2013 we\u2019d only done four of these new shows when suddenly, nothing to rehearse for. Some of the venues that I\u2019ve played may never open again. Very strange times indeed, but you\u2019ve got to stay positive. That\u2019s the only way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welsh man:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is pleasing is that, in most instances, people are travelling for legitimate purposes, and we realize this is a very difficult time for the public, but they\u2019ve been very supportive of us and understand why we are doing this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pete:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This concludes the third episode in our series Around the World With COVID-19 From a Blindness Perspective. We\u2019d like to thank Steve Wicketts for sharing his perspective on COVID-19 from his country, England. Stay tuned for more episodes in our series, and from all of us here at Blind Abilities, through these challenging times, to you, your family, and friends, stay well, stay informed, and stay strong. Thank you so much for listening, and have a great day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music] [Transition noise] –
When we share
-What we see
-Through each other’s eyes…
[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]
…We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff Thompson:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more podcasts with the blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com, on Twitter @BlindAbilities. Download our app from the app store Blind Abilities, that’s two words, or send us an email at info@blindabilities.com. Thanks for listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you reside in Minnesota, and 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. Check out the Blind Abilities Community<\/a>on Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page<\/a>, and the Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired<\/a> group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Full Transcript Pete: The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago and then exploding into our day-to-day lives. Every day we hear about the impact of corona and COVID-19 on \u2013 well, almost everyone. But how is it affecting disabled individuals? Today on Blind Abilities we explore just how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6111","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P6rcRg-1Az","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6122,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=6122","url_meta":{"origin":6111,"position":0},"title":"Around The World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective: Episode 2 – Chee Chau from Malaysia – Helping Others.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Pete: The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago and then exploding into our day-to-day lives. Every day we hear about the impact of corona and COVID-19 on \u2013 well, almost everyone. But how is it affecting disabled individuals? Today on Blind\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":6118,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=6118","url_meta":{"origin":6111,"position":1},"title":"Around the World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective. A New Series. Episode 1 \u2013 When it Began Down Under.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Pete: The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago- British Newscaster (male): -hundred dead, thousands infected across multiple continents. But how did the coronavirus spread so quickly? American Newscaster (male): Now the growing concerns about the deadly coronavirus officially hitting the US,\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":6108,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=6108","url_meta":{"origin":6111,"position":2},"title":"Around The World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective: Episode 4 – Marlon Parieaho from Trinidad and Tobago – – A Time to Learn.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Pete: The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago and then exploding into our day-to-day lives. Every day we hear about the impact of corona and COVID-19 on \u2013 well, almost everyone. But how is it affecting disabled individuals? Today on Blind\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":6103,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=6103","url_meta":{"origin":6111,"position":3},"title":"Around The World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective: Episode 5 – Nick D\u2019Ambrosio from Montreal \u2013 Together We Will Make It.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Pete: The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago and then exploding into our day-to-day lives. Every day we hear about the impact of corona and COVID-19 on \u2013 well, almost everyone. But how is it affecting disabled individuals? Today on Blind\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":6091,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=6091","url_meta":{"origin":6111,"position":4},"title":"Around the World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective – Episode 8 – Sherry Molengraft: In Jacksonville, Florida – The New Hotbed.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Pete: The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago and then exploding into our day-to-day lives. Every day we hear about the impact of corona and COVID-19 on \u2013 well, almost everyone. But how is it affecting disabled individuals? Today on Blind\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":6099,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=6099","url_meta":{"origin":6111,"position":5},"title":"Around the World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective – Episode 6: Brooklyn Rodden Kelly, from Sacramento, CA\u2013 Doing My Thing \u2013 Safe and Aware.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Pete: The coronavirus \u2013 creeping onto the world\u2019s scene only a few short months ago and then exploding into our day-to-day lives. Every day we hear about the impact of corona and COVID-19 on \u2013 well, almost everyone. But how is it affecting disabled individuals? Today on Blind\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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6111"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6117,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6111\/revisions\/6117"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
To find your State Services in your State you can go to www.AFB.org<\/a> and search the directory for your agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\nContact:<\/strong><\/h3>\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