Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcome to Blind Abilities, I\u2019m Jeff Thompson. Today in the studio, we have Anna Sikhashvili, and she is a student from the Republic of Georgia. She came to the United States through an exchange program called FLEX \u2013 Future Leaders Exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students go to the United States for a year, they live in host families. Everyone has, like, host state, and they get a host family and host school. It\u2019s supported by the US government and State Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She came to the United States, to Minnesota, to the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, where she was integrated into the society, into the city, into the school, and into the learning processes that were taught at the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:
What I can say about MSAB, that year was the brightest ever in my life. MSAB was a part of that brightness, because those experiences, what I have gained being in the United States, most of them are connected to MSAB. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna speaks about the experiences she\u2019s gained here, and what she\u2019s brought back to the Republic of Georgia. She\u2019s an advocate, she has high aspirations of becoming a politician to help those, and to be a voice for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We do not really have opportunities for the blind people in Georgia, and in general we do not have many opportunities for people with disabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please welcome Anna Sikhashvili-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hi, my name is Anna Sikhashvili, I am 18 years old from the Republic of Georgia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
We hope you enjoy. Anna, thanks for being here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks for inviting me to your podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Anna, I know you made a lot of friends during your stay here in Minnesota, and I\u2019m sure there\u2019s a lot of people here wondering how it\u2019s going for you. Are you staying well, strong, and informed in the Republic of Georgia during these challenging times brought on by the coronavirus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:
Well, at first in general it was very difficult, for example, for me to stay at home. But then, I guess we can always use some situations as we need and as we want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
How has it impacted you personally with your education?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have to say that, like, I have to point out that last year I was a senior in high school, and I was preparing for exams which I had to pass for the university here, so it was a bit difficult for me in general. And when COVID-19 started, I was like \u201cWhat am I going to do, how am I going to study online?\u201d Especially for- like, how can I prepare for the exams like this? It was very difficult, but you know, at first it was like what can I do \u2013 maybe at first I was a bit happy because I would be at home, and you know, I would have time to relax and stuff like that, but after a week I was like now what can I do? I mean, it\u2019s difficult to study online, and in general I hate being at home, I love active life, and then I was like I have to start something. I have to think of how to be more organized, because you know when you are at home you do not really care about being organized, and you\u2019re just, like, sleeping and yeah, it was like that. Especially in Georgia, we have a problem of time management, and I decided to first, you know, make like Google Calendar schedules, you know, some reminders that first of all, now I have to study, now I have to work on something and you know, like that, because it would help me to manage my time well, and it truly helped me, to be honest. And then it was like only studying online was very- like too little for me, so I decided to start new things. A new thing was a podcast for young people, so what we would do was that we would invite some youth activists who would talk about some opportunities which are for Georgian young people, and different things, you know, and it was very interesting, because it would help us to pass some time, you know? Spend some time, sorry. And also, it would be productive for young people who would be at home. And then I started also recording some videos that we should stay at home and like during stay at home what we should do, for example \u2013 I play the piano, and maybe you guys could do something, what do you like, and stuff like that. So it was- and maybe many people say that COVID-19 was like a pause in their life, but I can say that I started many things during this pandemic, and I can say that every situation can be used for doing some new things and every situation has it\u2019s pluses and minuses, so yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Yeah. So what kind of tools did you use for your education, to bridge the gap, between, you know, distance learning- what new tools became familiar tools, I mean we had to do something, probably Zoom and other tools like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. Well, in Georgia we used Microsoft Teams, which was very inaccessible for the blind people. So, for that, our minister of education let us use some different tools, as it was, for example, Facebook Messenger. Well, I did not really agree with doing that, because Facebook Messenger isn\u2019t an official tool for education, but there was no way- for example, at my school, which I have graduated, many students don\u2019t know how to use technologies. Many students do not know how to use Word documents \u2013 this is very bad, but it\u2019s like that. I don\u2019t why now they started to teach them how to use in general technologies, and how to use a screen reader and different things, and I hope we will have some progress by the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
One of the pluses of the COVID-19, that maybe more and more accessibility is being brought to the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:
Maybe! Maybe like some people started to learn new technologies and learn new tools and especially for us, yeah, that\u2019s really true, that maybe before we would not think about, like, website accessibility, and now we think. And I also would say that our government started to, you know, make more accessible the website, which I would say, you know, the news about COVID-19 was there. So, if there was like some recommendations and stuff like that, it would be published there. So it was accessible, and I always try to, you know, criticize, more criticism is always good, because, you know, they change things, but I can say that about that, about making things accessible- for example, like those recommendations and news, it was good. So- but I can say about education, like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Yeah, yeah. You seem quite the advocate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
That\u2019s good, they need voices. Especially what you\u2019re going through with the education, and your future, your career that you want to do, it\u2019s great that they have a voice out there. And you\u2019re encouraging others through your podcast to have their voices be heard too \u2013 it\u2019s really great when other people can hear the voices of other people and share the like-mindedness, and encourage others to get up and make something of their future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, of course. It\u2019s always important to share experiences \u2013 for example, I was in the United States, right? It helped me, and I can say that I got, like, a really good experience there, and now I\u2019m trying to share this experience with other people with disabilities in Georgia, and especially youth with disabilities, because they need it! Like in Georgia, we do not really have everything accessible, especially like, gosh, our roads, and- there are really limited accessible buildings, and stuff like that. We do not have those. They need to have some experience to then ask our government to, you know, hey, you should do this, or something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Mm-hm. Because who would know what they don\u2019t know, unless you experience something and then you bring it back there. I suppose everyone wanted to hear what your experiences were like, being in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you explain the FLEX program that you were involved in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure! FLEX stands for Future Leaders Exchange \u2013 this is an exchange program, which students, gosh, 9th<\/sup> grade to 11th<\/sup> grade, students go to the United States for a year, they live in host families. Everyone has, like, host state, and they get a host family and host school. It\u2019s supported by the US government and State Department and stuff like that, and after this year you come back to your country, and then some exchange programs and some international programs finishes when they go back to their countries, but it does not finish. Then, we continue doing things in our communities, sharing experiences and doing different- many good things, to be honest. Like, also, FLEX program in general, the US State Department has these grants, scholarships, to do some projects for our community, so that is also a good opportunity to change things and change our countries, because especially our countries which were in Soviet Union, are very, like, how to say \u2013 very developing countries. We do not really have good situation in general. I can say that there is conflict between us and between parts of Russia, and different things. Many problems. There are economic problems here, and many things. It\u2019s not like the United States, so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, it\u2019s not the choice of us. It\u2019s actually- as I said, like, every student gets a host state by our placement organization, so my placement organization was ASSE, and they found a family, and school, and yeah. They decided where I would go. FLEX students can\u2019t decide where they go, yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gosh. Everything that\u2019s connected to Minnesota, and in general to the United States is a love of mine, really, because I can say that that year was the brightest year ever in my life, because I tried many things. Like, I don\u2019t know, it was- I can just say that it was very great, it was the greatest year ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, and people are very nice, to be honest. You know, in Georgia- in Georgia people are very different. I mean, they\u2019re very nice, like if you come here you\u2019re going to be, you know, amazed how people will host you and stuff like that, but I don\u2019t know. It was- being in Minnesota, and Minnesotan people were, are very nice and very different, and yeah, I loved living there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, and it was really great. And after that, we had some connection, that she would sometimes text me that there\u2019s this opportunity, you can join it and you know, different things, and I would participate in some activities which was provided by State Services for the Blind, and it was great! I also went to Socially Savvy; I think it was called? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, good for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, it was very great, and it was a very interesting experience for me, and I also was thinking of doing that in Georgia, but for now, you know, like I will do for sure, but everything needs time. To be honest, after coming back to Georgia, I had many things to set up, you know. It\u2019s very difficult to come back to your country, you need to relax, because I had very, you know, that year was very great, but it was also tiring. I was full of emotions and I needed to take a break, you know. So I took a break for a year, I went to high school and stuff like that, but it was a break because I would not participate in different activities, and after that I started to do some projects, I participated in some activities, and then now started very important level in my life, it\u2019s university, so I need to refresh. And then after that for sure I\u2019ll do that. I want to do something like that in my country, because we do not really have opportunities for blind people in Georgia, and in general we do not have many opportunities for people with disabilities, so it was a good experience for me to attend that workshop, and then now I know, like, what can I do and how can I do, so I can probably- so lots of thanks to Sheila, and people I have gotten to know there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. I started to see, like in Georgia, how do the visually impaired people communicate with sighted people, and I guess that yeah, they do not look at them, like they do not look at their faces, you know? When they are talking. They don\u2019t care- for example, like in Georgia, I have noticed that some people with visual impairment like put their heads on the table and they talk. And, you know, I am noticing that, yeah, this has to be taught. And I do not have those behaviors because I could see until I was 5, so those skills what I had to, you know, gain is maybe the right word for that? What I had to gain I had that, because I could see until 5, and it was, you know, already taught, but yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, let\u2019s start from here, that in university \u2013 I start university tomorrow, so I haven\u2019t started-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I use a screen reader. And also I have to point it out that when I was in the United States I would use a braille notetaker \u2013 oh my god, that was so great, because in Georgia- in Georgia we still use [unintelligible] and stylus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which is handy in a pinch, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna: Jeff: Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, yeah. And you know, maybe not now, but there will be a time when I\u2019ll try to communicate with the government, and maybe, maybe we can change something, and we can probably ask them to give this opportunity to blind people, to help them to buy those tools, because it\u2019s very important. And also, I should mention this, for example, I was talking about, you know, getting some experience in the United States and then implementing those here. So, there was one like that, and I\u2019ll tell you about it. So, when I was in the United States, my host sister was in Girl Scouts, and they actually- gosh, I forgot the word! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love that! But, I forget- they told me about Girl Scouts and invited me to join them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah! I was a Girl Scout for a year, it was so great. And then through that, we decided to have one event, so it was like we invited some Girl Scouts at school for the blind, at MSAB, we showed them how do blind people live, and in general like, what they use in general to write, or how do they navigate, and about white cane and about braille display and different opportunities we have in general, and they had at MSAB. And it was so great, I liked that idea. It\u2019s always good to share information, give information to people, and that is problem actually in Georgia, like people do not have information about people with disabilities. So, I decided to do almost the same thing at my school for the blind. I invited everyone who would want to come to this event, and it was so great because we invited some high schoolers, like Georgian high schoolers, who would have for example visually impaired classmate or something like that, and I guessed at the end of that event that it was a very good experience for them because we showed them what we do, we showed them how do we write, how do we communicate with them, because in Georgia it\u2019s maybe like- I laugh about it, but it\u2019s not really, it\u2019s not really a thing to laugh about because people sometimes ask me how do you walk? [Unintelligible] I can\u2019t see, but I can walk! So, for example, when I go to the public transportation, they ask me to sit down, and I\u2019m like, I can stand on my feet! They\u2019re like, no, you can sit down. I\u2019m like no, you are 80 years old, you can sit down, I don\u2019t want to sit down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s worldwide, isn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, but you know, it\u2019s always good to change people\u2019s mind and give them information, so that was actually a good step forward what I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah! And actually, now I\u2019m doing this training course. So, this is gonna be for three months, and what we do is, again, sharing information. So we have different categories of disability and, like, we decided to give them information about, for example, blind people, or people who can\u2019t move, who are in a wheelchair, or about, like, deaf people, and we decided to do- every week is for one topic. And we have 38 participants, this is very great, like 38 participants for a training course in Georgia? It\u2019s great! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I\u2019m studying social and political sciences, and in the future my dream is to become a politician. I don\u2019t know, people tell me that it\u2019s gonna be very difficult, and come on, and stuff like that, but it\u2019s gonna be great! I like to do it, I like to advocate for people with disabilities for my career, so let\u2019s do that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you! Well, you know, in Georgia there\u2019s one stereotype, that politics is dirty. And I\u2019m like, well, it\u2019s not dirty, I mean, if it\u2019s organized well, and it\u2019s good and it\u2019s interesting and it should be, because if there\u2019s no politics, how are we going to have a country? So, it\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s online. It makes me so disappointed, because I want- okay, I\u2019ve got to say this, my starts and finishes are kind of funny. I mean, it\u2019s not funny, but a bit disappointing, because when I went to school there was war between Georgia and Russia. When I finished school there was COVID-19, and I did not get to have a graduation party. And then I started university, and now there is COVID-19 again, and I\u2019m saying I hope after four years, it\u2019s gonna be great. I hope after four years we\u2019re gonna be healthy and we\u2019re gonna be okay, because these starts and ends are a bit [unintelligible] in my life, so yeah, it\u2019s gonna be online, and then they\u2019re saying that it\u2019s going to be face to face, but we don\u2019t know yet. But everything changes every day, so we will see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know, I never liked to say it\u2019s just life now. Well, I really want this to be changed, and maybe we should, like, together start to, you know, change things because we can\u2019t really stay like this, it\u2019s gonna be- people say, and also like our government members say that we should learn how to live with COVID-19. I mean, we should learn. Should we, really? Is it how we are going to live, next year? I mean, like, how I\u2019m going to live, online, virtual living? I don\u2019t get it, really. We should probably start something, start changing this. I know this is, everyone is going to tell me that this is a virus, and this is very lethal\u2026 I don\u2019t know how you would say in English, I hope this is right, but we should be starting to change something. I don\u2019t want to live like this, and I don\u2019t want to learn life with COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right. I believe- I mean, this is just my personal thing, but I believe if we get a cure, a vaccine, that we\u2019ll go back to engaging people face to face, more so, but I believe there\u2019ll be a new level to how we interact, a little bit, but I think it will migrate back to face to face classrooms, but everything\u2019s gonna be a little bit more cognizant of germs and viruses and that, so we\u2019ll have to see. Yeah, I think we\u2019re gonna have to live through this to see what it\u2019s like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope we\u2019ll get back to, you know, face to face life, okay? Because this is tiring, I, and like, in general, people can\u2019t really live like this. And by the way, I\u2019ve got to say this \u2013 I mentioned about my training course, right, and the inspiration for this training course was people with disabilities \u2013 in Georgia it\u2019s like this, anyway \u2013 people with disabilities have to stay at home. In general, it doesn\u2019t matter if there is COVID-19 pandemic or something like that, but most of them stay at home, they work at home, they study from home, there are some people who do not do anything also. And then, you know, after COVID-19 started, I think people, like every people, started to think how do- I wanted to make them think, how do people with disabilities live in general? They need to stay at home, because there\u2019s no accessible environment in Georgia, like anywhere, and most people need to do like that and now most people live like this every day, and is it good? Do you like it? That main idea is that, of our training course, what we do. I mean, I hope it will work and I hope everyone will think about it more, because it\u2019s important. Because people with disabilities are also members of society, so-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. Also, about Microsoft Teams, I have to say, it was very disappointing for me. In general, I get very disappointed when there\u2019s something inaccessible, because I say that, you know [unintelligible]. And I want to do the same things as people do. So, I was like, why should I use Facebook Messenger? Like why? I want to use Microsoft Teams! And then I actually said at one of the international meetings, I said that maybe we can say this, like our voices should be carried to Microsoft, to, you know, change this, and make this more accessible. And I don\u2019t remember, but one of the persons said that she would bring this to Microsoft. I love that I said that, because, you know, when you say and it\u2019s gonna be done, and it\u2019s gonna be brought to the person who should know, it\u2019s really great and it\u2019s- I was proud, doing that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bring it to the wizard of Oz, the wizard of Microsoft. Bring it there and have them give us accessibility. Well, that\u2019s great, that your voice gets heard like that, and anybody can send Microsoft Accessibility a message. I\u2019d actually like to encourage people to do that, whether it\u2019s Apple, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, the whole list, Amazon \u2013 all the companies out there should, you know, if they\u2019re not accessible, then they\u2019re not inclusive, and that leaves out a whole part of society, whether they\u2019re visually impaired, blind, deaf-blind, or even have trouble reading the printed word, accessibility is for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. I should say that the most accessible platform in general is by Google. Because everything I use- I use many platforms, to be honest, like I used Microsoft Teams even though it was inaccessible. I wanted to use it, and I did it, but it was difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mm-hm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also used- like I used Zoom, well, it\u2019s good, but I use different things also, like different platforms, there\u2019s one, learning, different things, but the platforms which are provided by Google? I don\u2019t know, they are always accessible, and thanks for that, really, because it\u2019s important. To make me feel, you know, important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Google software are you using, then?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I have used, for example, Google Classroom. I use Gmail, for example, very often, and many things, what I need, in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Docs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and you know, stuff like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, that\u2019s great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I even used Google Slides. I couldn\u2019t use PowerPoint, but I used Google Slides, and I don\u2019t know, I use many products of Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll make sure they hear about that. I\u2019ll send them a message! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah! You know, when we say things, everything should be heard, even if it\u2019s negative or positive. And if it\u2019s positive it should be heard because we want them to do more! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mm-hm. Well, it\u2019s nice to hear that you\u2019re having good access to Google products, because in the public schools here, especially K through 12, and a lot of businesses now are using the products, and if accessibility\u2019s improving, that\u2019s great news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what screen reader is it that you\u2019re using, with your computer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I use NVDA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because NVDA has many languages, and it has Georgian too, so if I need to read Georgian texts, it works well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you use any Apple products?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I do not use Apple products. And when I was in the United States, I would always make fun of American people that- gosh, I have an Android, you guys use Apple products! But you know, I have not really used Apple products, I had an iPad, school iPad, but I did not really use it very often, yeah. Apple products do not have Georgian language \u2013 like, for example, screen readers, like-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Voiceover, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, voiceover did not have Georgian language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, Android does have it. I use a Georgian- so, do you know, NVDA has e-speak? It\u2019s one of the synthesizers or whatever it\u2019s called. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Synthesizers, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, and e-speak speaks in Georgian too, so I have that in my phone, so it works with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I should tell Mr. Tim Cook that he has to get the Georgian language in the Apple products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, that would be actually very great, because I also was thinking of doing some projects with that, you know. Because there are some people who like Apple products, and maybe they want to use it and they do not want to use Android. I like Android, but, you know, in general there are some people who do not, so it\u2019s good to have an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh yeah, options are the main thing. It\u2019s good to have options, but to know that they\u2019re out there is a good thing, what you got exposed to over here, and what you\u2019re exposed to there, what your training group is learning, you\u2019re exposing other people to possibilities that can happen, and once you start planting those seeds, they start to grow, and I think I should plant some seeds at Microsoft and at Apple, get Georgian and get the Teams to work, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That would be great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. And I always say that every people have a mission when they come to this Earth, okay? Because you know person who does not do anything? Like, who does nothing, really? They also have a mission, so- you know what I mean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, find your mission and jump on board, and sail it to the four corners of the Earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, Anna, what advice would you have for anybody who is thinking about going to university or college?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, I would say that not everyone is obligated to go to the university, because in Georgia, for example, this is the stereotype, but every family wanted their kids to go to the university and they had to have a degree. This is not the main thing in our lives, because if you want to achieve something in your life, it\u2019s not only by your degree, you know what I mean? You can do it by another way, maybe you do not want to study for four years for achieving something, you can probably study for one year and achieve your goal. So, I can say that going to the university or going to the college, just think before you go there. Think about what you want to do and what you want to achieve, and then decide whether you want to go to the university or college or where do you want to go. My life was, and my goals are, a bit- not different, but they need to be studied for four years and more to be achieved. People have those goals, then they have to study. But if people have different goals, and it\u2019s not maybe to be studied, then do whatever they want. I don\u2019t like when parents test their kids to study, I hate it. Yeah, it\u2019s important, but maybe they do not want to study in the university, and they want to study only for 12 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mm-hm, yeah. If you don\u2019t have a passion for, and if you don\u2019t find a passion for someone else\u2019s dream for you, it\u2019s nice that you\u2019re able to self-determine your own future, your own goals, and set a course as you wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, of course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I should write that down!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, that was very great. Yeah, because I don\u2019t know about the United States, but I don\u2019t think it\u2019s like that there, but in Georgia, and it\u2019s the, I don\u2019t know, stereotype of Soviet Union, but everybody should have a degree. Why? Gosh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have schools here that are like community colleges, or trade schools, where they can go and learn a trade, like working on air conditioning and heating, or working on machines and stuff like that, or truck drivers, or you can get a certificate and go start working in a year or two, and that\u2019s coming back a little bit, because we were too under the assumption that everyone should go to college, everyone. If they don\u2019t go to college, they should make it, instead of K through 12, 12th<\/sup> grade, they should just make it through 16, if you have to go to college, then have public schools be that level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I\u2019m glad you start tomorrow at the university, good luck with all that, and thank you so much for coming onto Blind Abilities and sharing a little bit of your story, and maybe someday we\u2019ll see you back here in the United States, or we\u2019ll be there in Georgia visiting, who knows!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That would be great, if you come here then just let me know!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I always say that Georgia is a very little country, where you can find mountains, you can find sea, you can find everything even though it\u2019s very little, really. It\u2019s smaller than Minnesota, so yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, good things come in small packages, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna, you mentioned MSAB, which stands for Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, and it\u2019s about 40 minutes from me, here. Can you tell us a little about MSAB?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I can say about MSAB, I mentioned that being in the United States and that year was the brightest ever in my life, and I can say that MSAB was a part of that brightness, because those experiences, what I have gained being in the United States, most of them are connected to MSAB. And people there are very nice, they helped me to get through hard times, because you know, when you go to the new community, I can say like that, it\u2019s a bit difficult, especially when you are in a different country, and a different language, and different environment, you need people who will support you, and I can say that all the members, all the staff members and students of MSAB supported me, so yeah. And MSAB in general taught me many things \u2013 for example, I mentioned some tools for the blind people, and some opportunities, and different things. It taught me many things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you meet Ken Troublehorn?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! Oh my god, he\u2019s a great person, really, like I would go by his classroom every day, and I was like \u201cHey, Trouble, how are you?\u201d Oh my god, he\u2019s a very great person, and he would tease me, like, oh my god, that was great. That\u2019s why I\u2019m saying people are great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n How about your music class?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna: Jeff: Anna: Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chrystal and all the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna: Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna: Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s just meeting these people and all their accreditations that they have, their degrees and their certificates and stuff, that they can share amongst each other, you know, if someone specializes in one area or something, a student might have a tendency of something that there\u2019s other people- because when they gather together and talk about each of the students, they can best serve them in a way that helps them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna: Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, yeah, I was there. And I think they already had drums; I think they got it a year before I got there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, okay, yeah, the African drums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I have met Christian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, they\u2019re doing a great job, so. I wish I had school like that in here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh yeah, I mean, I\u2019ve, I didn\u2019t know- like when I lost my eyesight I just said to my counselor, I said \u201cWhere do they keep the blind?\u201d Because I didn\u2019t know, I mean I knew nothing. And then all of a sudden, I went to a training center, I said \u201cI\u2019m not going here,\u201d and then I started there about three months later, and two weeks into it I thought these were some of the coolest people I\u2019ve ever met in my life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, see? It\u2019s like- well, for me it\u2019s always like I don\u2019t like to be separated, you know what I mean? Like I don\u2019t like to have, like, school for the blind. I want everyone to be together, like in one place!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, mainstreamed, mainstreamed, yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t like it, but-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, yeah. That\u2019s weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, and I also like how the students can go to high school. I actually was a part of it, and I liked it, because, like, teachers at Faribault High School were very prepared for me in general, always, and it would impress me, and also I mentioned that when I was speaking to the State Department, that thanks to Faribault High School they were always prepared for getting a blind person in their classes, and it\u2019s great how they do that. In Georgia, we are working on it, you know, because teachers who didn\u2019t know how to communicate with visually impaired students. It\u2019s weird, I know, but it\u2019s like they are having some workshops for that and stuff like that, but still, their mentality is different, they can\u2019t be changed, yet. And I hope in the future, maybe like in five or six years, this problem will not be anymore. I hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, when you become a politician, you can make all those changes for the good. Maybe they\u2019ll have an MSAB sister school over there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, we\u2019re thinking about it. I\u2019m doing this project with my host sister, Jenny\u2019s daughter. Like they\u2019re planning to come to Georgia and bring some tools for the blind people. And if the pandemic was not this year, they were planning to come here in the summer. But we hope that next year will be much better, and they will have the ability to come here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, and we\u2019re thinking of making these sister schools, so it\u2019s kind of good. Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. I\u2019ll keep that in mind, because at Blind Abilities here, we always think of stuff to do, and sometimes we come across the equipment and stuff like that, it\u2019d be nice if we could have some type of, a way of channeling some tools and some supplies or something to you, if that\u2019s, you know, something that will work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, of course. I mean, everything would be very interesting and, you know. For the students who go there, so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll make sure, I\u2019ll send you a lot of slate and styluses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh my god, no!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a lot of equipment around here that, I mean, things move at a brisk pace in America, here, sometimes, and some tools are still good tools years later. I\u2019ll keep an eye out for them and see what we can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you for that, this is very, you know. This is gonna be very great and helpful for the students who go to school for the blind so, yeah, thank you for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. Thanks for what you\u2019re doing, bringing awareness for the possibilities for everybody too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I\u2019m trying. Thanks for inviting me to your podcast, because it\u2019s my pleasure to share my story, and share my country\u2019s name, because not many people know about Georgia, so it\u2019s good to be heard, you know? So, thanks for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Anna: Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well Anna, I want to thank you so much for taking the time out, good luck with your university, your study, your education, you know, you\u2019re off to a great start here, starting tomorrow. I\u2019m sure the listeners will love to hear your story, so thank you very much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anna:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was such a great time talking to Anna, so inspiring, and to think about all that lies ahead of her. What a bright future for Anna, and for the Republic of Georgia. Way to go Anna, keep up the good work. And for more podcasts with a blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com, on Twitter @BlindAbilities, and give us a call at 612-367-6093. Leave us a message and let us know if we can put your voice on the next podcast. Drop us an email at info@blindabilities.com and download the free Blind Abilities app from the app store and Google Play store. That\u2019s two words, Blind Abilities. 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 to Chee Chau for his beautiful music, you can follow Chee Chau on Twitter @lcheechau. 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. I want to thank you for listening, hope you enjoyed, and until next time, bye-bye. <\/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\u2026<\/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 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities<\/a> 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 Jeff: Welcome to Blind Abilities, I\u2019m Jeff Thompson. Today in the studio, we have Anna Sikhashvili, and she is a student from the Republic of Georgia. She came to the United States through an exchange program called FLEX \u2013 Future Leaders Exchange. Anna: Students go to the United States for a year, they […]<\/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-6369","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P6rcRg-1EJ","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9267,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9267","url_meta":{"origin":6369,"position":0},"title":"Introducing Preston : Two Paths, One Team: Meet the Peer Ambassadors of State Services for the Blind","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"December 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: What does it look like to be a blind high school student who\u2019s busy, motivated, and dreaming big? In this episode of Blind Abilities, meet Preston\u2014a 15-year-old sophomore, honors and AP student, award-winning speech and debate competitor, musician, and newly selected Peer Ambassador with State Services for the\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":9459,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9459","url_meta":{"origin":6369,"position":1},"title":"New Language, New Opportunities: Unlocking Independence Through English Learning with Abbi Mayland","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"March 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: 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,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9397,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9397","url_meta":{"origin":6369,"position":2},"title":"Fear Less – Do More! Envision Blind Sports Is Here!","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"February 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Envision Blind Sports\u00a0is expanding to Minnesota\u2014and that means more chances for blind and low vision youth to move, compete, and discover what they\u2019re capable of. In this episode, Jeff talks with Minnesota Regional Manager Ricky Ties and Program Director Jillian Stringfellow about how adaptive sports build confidence, independence,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Envision blind Sports Logo Fear Less. Do More.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnvisionBlindSportsLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnvisionBlindSportsLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnvisionBlindSportsLogo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnvisionBlindSportsLogo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnvisionBlindSportsLogo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8289,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=8289","url_meta":{"origin":6369,"position":3},"title":"SSB Opportunities: Golf Event for Blind and Visually Impaired Students on\u00a0June 17","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"June 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Podcast Page Scott:\u00a0So when this opportunity came being later in life like this, I just embraced it. I tried it and it is so fun. I just love bringing other people to it because for me it was a dream and now it's a dream come true. I\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":9219,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9219","url_meta":{"origin":6369,"position":4},"title":"Step Up, Dive In, Play On: Exploring Adaptive Sports and Community","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: From the Minnesota State Capitol to the halls of the Department of Transportation, White Cane Day 2025 shined a light on independence, confidence, and community. Jeff Thompson takes listeners inside a vibrant gathering of blind athletes, adventurers, and advocates who prove that anything is possible when you step\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":9493,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9493","url_meta":{"origin":6369,"position":5},"title":"From Possibility to Pathway: Building Futures Through Pre-ETS","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Across the country, students who are blind, deafBlind, or low vision are asking big questions about their future\u2014and 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\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6369","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=6369"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6370,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6369\/revisions\/6370"}],"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=6369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
That\u2019s really neat that you got that experience. What made you come to Minnesota? Was that a choice of yours?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how did you find Minnesota?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what were some of your highlights? Sheila Koenig, who is the director of the Transition Department over at State Services for the Blind, and she spoke very highly of you \u2013 how did you get in contact with Sheila?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I actually, in general, during FLEX program, we have like three projects to do. And then, one of them was job shadowing, and my host mom introduced Sheila to me, and like, introduced each other, gosh, I would say. But yeah, she introduced me to Sheila, actually. And then, after that, when I heard about her job, what was she doing, I was very interested in it, and I asked her if I could do one day, you know, if I could go to her work-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, you got to go to the State Services for the Blind and shadow Sheila, wow, great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the listeners that don\u2019t know what Socially Savvy is, could you give them an idea of what it\u2019s about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, if I can explain it well, it was about, you know, how to socialize, I think. I think I\u2019m saying this right. Yeah, it was very interesting, for example, for the blind people, because there are some skills that we do not gain, because we\u2019re, you know \u2013 sometimes people say that everything is okay with being blind person or like visually impaired person, but I can say that there are things which we need to learn, because we can\u2019t see and sometimes we do not know what manners people use when they communicate with different people. Or for example how do they eat? That\u2019s a very important thing, they taught us how to use, for example, fork and knife, and it was, you know, I was saying \u201cWhy do I need to learn this?\u201d but I guess we needed to learn, because some people do not know how to do that. Or they would tell us that, you know, when you are talking to a person, you can look at them, because blind people do not use those manners. Like, for example if I\u2019m talking to you, I\u2019m listening to you by me ear, and I might turn my face left or right, and you are in front of me, so I do not know that I should look at you. But sighted people know how to do that. And those skills are- you know, maybe we say that it\u2019s not needed to be taught, but I guess it\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, they call them soft skills. Your hard skills are like typing, using hardware and all that, but your soft skills are like shaking a hand, or like you said, why are the forks on the right and knives and napkin- if you don\u2019t know that stuff, you just do it the way you think is right. Until someone explains something to you like that, it\u2019s really good information if you\u2019re socially conscious of it, and it just puts you at ease that you\u2019re doing it like everyone else if you can\u2019t see how they\u2019re doing it how would you know, anyways?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What tools are you using today for your schoolwork and everyday use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congratulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you. I haven\u2019t started yet, but I for sure am going to use my computer. My computer is the, you know, most important tool I have to use in general. Also, I can say that I know tools, those tools that I need to use for my education, so I don\u2019t have a problem with using those ones, but there- as I said, there are visually impaired people who had a problem with using those, so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You use a screen reader?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I mean, I hate it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hear you; I hear you. It\u2019s nice though, if you\u2019re on the fly and you don\u2019t have anything, it\u2019s a great backup. But once you get to the refreshable braille type of devices, that\u2019s good stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I mean, yeah, of course. When I saw that in the United States, I was like gosh, this is so great! Because- so like, here we had to write with this, you know, stylus for- I had written, like, four pages, five pages, I don\u2019t know, it\u2019s too much! Yeah, it\u2019s really too much. And when I used braille notetaker I was like this is so great, oh my god, I want this. But after that now I use a computer, and everything is, you know, in it. I don\u2019t care about braille now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, it\u2019s great to have that experience, to at least put something in your hand like that to try and know that it\u2019s available at some point. I think this is a whole thing, coming from Georgia, what you didn\u2019t know and now you do know, it\u2019s like you can carry that torch for others, I\u2019ve been there, I\u2019ve seen it. It exists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Girl Scout cookies, I know that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Organization?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, that\u2019s great that you\u2019re actually changing the limited expectations that people have upon some people that carry a white cane. I mean, some people don\u2019t even realize you\u2019re a person, they just see a blind person because they see a cane or a guide dog or something like that. But when you get the opportunity to educate them, or that little tidbit that might make it seem like oh, wow, you\u2019re okay, you know? That\u2019s great that you\u2019re doing that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After that, we have- like, this training course is going to be for seven or eight weeks, and then after that, we\u2019re going to make our participants do a little research about those topics, and then we have planned a conference- I don\u2019t know what I say in English, conference, they always ask me, like, call conference? Or what, but it\u2019s a conference of, they talk about different things, when they do presentations and stuff, so yeah, that kind of conference. And so it\u2019s gonna be very great and very interesting, I think, because we will have some people who would be already educated about people with disabilities, and about their challenges, so it\u2019s- I like it. I like my idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh yeah! I\u2019m glad you\u2019ve taken the seeds and are planting them in Georgia, I mean having 38 participants is great anywhere when you start something from scratch, from the grassroots and build it up, and I\u2019m sure you\u2019re gonna find others that are gonna start advocating, and their voices are going to be heard, and it just can grow from there as you move along. What career are you looking to do, since you\u2019re going to university?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm. There\u2019s no problem with that, a lot of politicians come from so many different backgrounds, and if you can carry the voice of the people and your constituents, bring that forward, I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll do a good job. Especially with the desire to do it, that\u2019s a great start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. It takes people like you are thinking to actually go forward and do something if you want to make a change, if you want to improve the lives of people with disabilities, you\u2019ve got to have a voice, you\u2019ve got to have it heard, otherwise it just goes on and on the way it has been, and there\u2019s no changes, so good for you. Yeah. So how are you doing your school today- I mean, not today, tomorrow, you start. And will that be online or are you going to do it face to face?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was talking to a lady and she used a quote, she just said \u201cIt\u2019s just life now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We say it\u2019s the new normal, she said \u201cIt\u2019s just life now.\u201d Like, we\u2019re getting on with it, and this is how it is. So, I thought that was a neat approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exactly. If your group, if the training, getting people together to talk about it exposes them to the possibilities that can grow, because we don\u2019t have to be stuck at home. Being able to do stuff online, it was kind of an advantage, we had the upper hand when everybody else had to do it because we\u2019ve been doing it for so long using the tools that we can to gain access, and I think it even exposed some of the developers out there to the- that they had to make it more accessible, I think, because people were sharing things differently, electronically, and like you said in the beginning, there\u2019s pluses and minuses, and some of the pluses are helping us with accessibility in areas that we were already exposed to, but it\u2019s helping us even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that\u2019s the main reason, actually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does Android?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We all got our jobs to do, don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will! I never thought about it but it\u2019s always interesting, you know, Eastern Europe. It\u2019s intriguing to me, through the history that I\u2019ve heard about, that you\u2019ve transcended to where you are today, it would be awesome to go there and learn a little bit more about Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okay, I had music class every weekend, I can say, because Mrs. Jenny Pelletier, she was my host mom \u2013 I mean, they hosted me for one semester. We would do in general many music, and I loved being with them, and in general [unintelligible] music class. I was involved in the choir, it was great, and yeah, I just remembered now, I don\u2019t know why I did not mention it before, but I also participated in music listening contests, I think it was called something like that, it was a competition, and I think it was the first time MSAB participated in that competition, and I\u2019m happy that I had an opportunity to participate, and be first, so yeah, it was-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, wow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to Jenny Pelletier, to be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chrystal is great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I love her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, I loved how they would support students in general, because I can\u2019t really say that they\u2019re mobilized like that at my school here. That\u2019s why I loved it, they were always ready to support students and they would find some ways to support them and I loved that, it was great, and I can say how hardworking things, like Jenny was doing, in general, like I could see her for example at school and things like that, but at home, she would work at home about for those things, most of the time, and I was impressed about it, so yeah, it\u2019s great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, yeah. Were you there when they got the drums?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, and this year they did steel drums, which was really, really cool. It\u2019s just that pinging sound and all the students were at these steel drums, and the sounds were just wild, you know? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the most part, that\u2019s how it is here. MSAB, I like that they go for five days, and then they go back home. I mean, it\u2019s not institutionalized, where the parents dump them off and nine months later they come and get them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I like how MSAB actually incorporates the community, Faribault, into their curriculum as well, for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna, you\u2019re so welcome. And thank you for being here, and I\u2019m glad that here at Blind Abilities we\u2019re able to help your voice be heard, and bring some awareness to the Republic of Georgia, so thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\nContact Your State Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Contact:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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