Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019d be able to go running without the dog, without a cane, and there\u2019s freedom. I felt for the first time in almost 27 years that I could walk freely without a dog, without a cane \u2013 it was such a freeing experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please welcome author Cheryl McNeil Fisher, a participant in Google\u2019s Project Guideline, a project in partnership with Guiding Eyes for the Blind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A blonde woman wearing a mask interviews. She loops the harness around her waist and lines up on the trail in high heels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t walk by myself outside of my home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Woman:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m feeling a little nervous. I\u2019ve never walked without a cane or my guide dog before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl shares her advice on authoring, on publishing, on guide dogs, and much, much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s different ways and I\u2019m always willing to teach and help people in any way I can because it took a lot of research on my part. I did send my manuscripts out, and I got some of those rejection letters, plenty of them. I want to give back freely to what\u2019s been so freely given to me, you know? That\u2019s the way it works, for us to be networking together. I wanted to get a guide dog, but I was scared. I was panicked, and then once I was there, I didn\u2019t want to leave, I was scared to leave, and be back out in the real world. I can\u2019t say enough about this membership of people that I have found, and you do not need to be a member of ACB to be a part of the calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please welcome Cheryl McNeil Fisher, we hope you enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, I just tell people just start, just do it, and then everything else can fall into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcome to Blind Abilities, I\u2019m Jeff Thompson. Today in the studio we have Cheryl McNeil Fisher, and she was with Google Project Guideline, along with Guiding Eyes for the Blind. I saw the video, it was audio described and I was impressed, when I heard that someone with boots and heels was on there, and I said, \u201cWe need to get her on the podcast.\u201d Cheryl, welcome to Blind Abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you, thank you, I\u2019m glad to be here. Yeah, everyone else had sneakers except for me. They weren\u2019t surprised, because I wear my boots and my heels when I\u2019m walking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There you go. Tell us a little bit about Google\u2019s Project Guideline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was impressed. It started with Tom, our CEO at Guiding Eyes, asking them if they can help him as a runner, what can you do for a blind runner? And as they explained to me, it takes one person to ask a question, and somebody to run with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the indoor track, Thomas puts on headphones that wrap around the back of his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first time we went out I didn\u2019t even know if sound would be enough to guide me, so it\u2019s sort of that beta testing process that you go through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas jogs down the track wearing the phone and headphones. Two researchers run alongside him. A view from the phone sweeps across the ground, taking in the white and yellow lines from the track. As Thomas runs, the phone interprets the guideline, which bounces up and down in time to his stride. A guy interviews on a forested road. Text reads \u201cMatt Hall, AndRight Engineer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You step left and right as you\u2019re running, so there\u2019s like a shake to the line, left and right. As soon as you start going outdoors, now, the light is a lot more variable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The phone captures outdoor footage. Graphics highlight a line down a paved path. Text introduces Drawer Ayalon, Creative Technologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drawer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We didn\u2019t want to rely on any internet connection. We had to take our huge model and turn it into something that we could run on a device as fast as we need for someone to run at full speed with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas\u2019s son helps Thomas strap the phone harness around his waist. Thomas and the other people gathered all wear masks. Thomas crouches to touch a hand to the pavement. Then he stands, facing down the trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, we\u2019ve been waiting for 25 years for this minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s still in process, but the way it worked was they had painted a line in the park, and so I had Bose Connection earphones on, which sat just outside my ears, so I heard everything around me, the people around me, but I had clear sound from the audio, so any time I veered to the left of that line, I had a tone in my ears, and it would get louder if I went more to the left. Same to the right, it would start out slow, and then it would get a little louder or faster to let me know if I\u2019m veering off. So, for someone who\u2019s running in a controlled environment, and a lot of times there\u2019s a line \u2013 like, our indoor track at our gym has the lines, you\u2019d be able to go running without a dog, without a cane, and there\u2019s freedom. I felt for the first time in almost 27 years that I could walk freely without a dog, without a cane, and I had people next to me to make sure I was safe, you know, there were safety precautions, but it was such a freeing experience, and I know for Tom, when you\u2019re a marathon runner, he\u2019s had to use at least four dogs, because the dogs can only run so far, or he\u2019d have to run with a- I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s tethered to a sighted guide, but now this type of program, the freedom \u2013 I can\u2019t talk for him, but if you look at the video or listen to it you can hear his response and how amazing he felt because he hasn\u2019t had that freedom to run since he lost his sight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People with vision don\u2019t want blind people to take risks. That\u2019s what keeps people who are blind from participating in society fully. The safest thing for blind people to do is to sit still. I ain\u2019t sitting still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas takes off down the trail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no tether, there was no stick, there was no furry dog, it was just being with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He lengthens his stride as he runs along the path alone. He starts uphill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolute freedom. Oh my goodness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas slows to a stop. He covers his face with his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve run alone in decades. Just through the woods, you know. By myself. I never thought we\u2019d be here. I didn\u2019t think we\u2019d ever be here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shakes his head incredulously. Now he meets back up with a brunette woman, who holds his guide dog\u2019s leash. She hugs him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s independence, you know? I\u2019m so dependent on people every day, you, the kids, Blaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He takes Blaze\u2019s leash and pets the yellow lab, who wags his tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just me and a line, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, it\u2019s an amazing program and I couldn\u2019t thank them enough, I had tears in my eyes, just with gratitude that Google heard the message, heard what Tom was saying, and they\u2019re continuing to work on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, I first heard of Thomas Panek, the CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, when he was using the dogs, and that was like, hmm, three or four dogs to make it, you know, I think he did that twice, and when this project came out it was neat to see that Google teamed up with Guiding Eyes to put this together. Now, my understanding is that the phone is strapped to your chest so it actually has a view of the line, and I guess one of the trickiest parts of it is when you\u2019re running you\u2019re not stationary, you\u2019re not aiming it, it\u2019s just picking up whatever it sees, and they trained the program to actually keep looking at the line and project where you\u2019re going and then give you the feedback audibly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right, it\u2019s a waistband. They put it on my waist and they have a sleeve that the phone sits in, and it follows the line, and yeah, so as someone runs, it\u2019s going to be moving, but it\u2019s able to stay focused. Now, I was not running, but that\u2019s the idea of it, and so they\u2019re continuing to tweak it, but for this testing that we did, it worked phenomenally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A blonde woman wearing a mask interviews. She loops the harness around her waist and lines up on the trail in high heels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t walk by myself outside of my home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Woman 2: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m feeling a little nervous. I\u2019ve never walked without a cane or my guide dog before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh wow. And with all the technology coming along, you know, with LIDAR starting to end up in some smartphones here, you\u2019ll be able to keep your distance from someone as you\u2019re running, pass them on the right or the left-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how did you get involved with it? What put you in that video?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had got a call from Guiding Eyes, and they chose a couple of us to be a part of it. I don\u2019t know why I was chosen for it, but I\u2019m certainly honored. I do what I can for Guiding Eyes, I\u2019ve been an ambassador for them since day one, I got my first guide dog in February of 1994. When they called and asked me if I\u2019d be open to this, I didn\u2019t know a lot about what was going to be happening because of disclosure, privacy, they didn\u2019t want it to get out in the public yet, so I didn\u2019t know much until the day before, and then even when I got there I learned more. That\u2019s when I found out about it. We had to sign disclosure until Google was ready to release it. Yeah, they called me and asked if I\u2019d be interested, and I rarely say no to Guiding Eyes, and I just said yeah, sure, that sounds great. And I didn\u2019t realize that a lot of them would be- they didn\u2019t say anything about running, because I\u2019m not a runner, you know, and I just said sure. I said \u201cI\u2019ll be there with my boots on, because that\u2019s the running joke, is I wear- you know, it\u2019s an interesting because I wear, you know, it’s an inch and a half, an inch and three quarters, but I actually walk better with a heel. Same in the summer, I’ll have sandals on that’s got a little bit of a heel, like a wedge, because I have better balance, and I’m 5\u201d9, but I put them on and it just gives me- I’m steadier on my feet with them. So-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you yourself, you’re a guide dog user yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since February of 1994. Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what was it like, that freedom to just let go, and just go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazing. I walked- I walked confidently, I felt my head up, I had good posture, and I just let out a yell at one point, saying yay, Google. It\u2019s amazing. How can I explain it to you, the freedom, if, you know, I\u2019ve been blind, lost my sight, around 1992 was the last time I drove a car, and having that freedom to be swinging both my arms? It was uncomfortable at first because I\u2019m not used to having both my hands free, oh my gosh, what do I do with my hands? Because usually one\u2019s got a cane, and the other- all of a sudden I\u2019ve got this freedom, and we joked about it, I said oh my gosh, what do I do with my hands? So I said maybe we\u2019ll just do some dancing out here. But it was great, and the way they took the camera, the guys- one of them was on a hoverboard, and the other one was walking near that person, but even the way they were doing the video was pretty neat, and then of course it started to rain a little, but it was freeing, it was exhilarating, I mean, you can probably hear it in my voice, I just felt- wow, I mean, I was speechless. And then of course I had tears in my eyes, of gratitude, for their willingness to do this, to try, to be committed, and that\u2019s the words that they used to me when they were interviewing me and talking to me about it, their commitment to assisting blind and visually impaired people to make things more accessible and to give us that freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s really something. That freedom- I was just thinking, you know, that line, it\u2019s following a line but this is just the start of this project, and to think if we could change that line into a map, or some type of instrument that\u2019s out there, who knows where it could go, but it\u2019s neat that they did do it, you\u2019re right, I was totally impressed, at first I was wondering what\u2019s this, and then it all came to me, because I remember hearing about Tom as a marathon runner, but to run and to think it\u2019s on your waist, it\u2019s moving about and still picking up the line, it\u2019s like wow, this could really go someplace, so that\u2019s really cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, what was neat too is that as soon as the line stopped, I heard in my ear, it said \u201cStop,\u201d the audio said \u201cStop.\u201d So I thought well, that\u2019ll be pretty good, however, if they can do that for curbs, or say, a subway station when you\u2019re near the edge, that if we can give you that before you even get too close, if there\u2019s a way of finding, and that\u2019s something that- when they asked me my input for that, for me out on the street, I said the problem is I cannot see myself walking down the street at this point because it\u2019s not going to protect me from obstacles, from things that are above, like our dogs do or a cane does. But who knows? I mean, I don\u2019t know, who knows, this is just the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, I\u2019m imagining right now, I\u2019m sorry, I\u2019m imagining right now someone with a spray can right in front of you, oh, she wants to go to the store, but I mean, now, if you take that figuratively and put it into technology, that line could be drawn instantaneously with your app coordinates that you want to go, if they could get GPS down to a point that line doesn\u2019t have to be a physical line, it could be information of what to do, and then preempting what\u2019s coming up, preempting the corner, the crossing, the changing, all that information, how we get the information is really neat, and I\u2019m sure this was- for Thomas, this was probably wow, running free, not being tethered, no guide dog, no, yeah. He said his guides couldn\u2019t keep up with him, now hopefully he had good battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, I don\u2019t think he did 26 miles that day, but yeah, the freedom, the amazing- you\u2019ll see, you can hear in the video how he feels, and how grateful he is. I called him, and let them know when I got home how grateful I was to be a part of, and exciting the whole experience was for me. In fact I kidded when I was walking with them and talking to Google, I said \u201cSomebody can just walk in front of me with a line down their back!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
There you go! And have the song playing, \u201cThese Boots Were Made for Walking!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:
Yeah, right! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl McNeil Fisher, you\u2019re not just a guide dog owner, you also do books, you write books, and I went to your website and I saw- you have quite a few books out there available for people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chery:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you\u2019re an author?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am, and it started when I was getting one of my guide dogs, one of their big donors to Guiding Eyes, I had been journaling and sharing it with her, and she was enjoying hearing the story. She kept encouraging me to put this in a book, and I, you know, so many people over the years have said \u201cOh, you should write a book,\u201d how many times do we all hear that? And for me, it was about putting this together, it took me, I think it was two years after the fact to get the girl that I wanted to illustrate it that time, and be able to put something together, and I did my first one as a learning tool, because I\u2019m out speaking to schools and organizations all the time, and so that\u2019s how that first book started. And then it just went on, I\u2019ve got three of the Sidney and Sammy books, and then there\u2019s a fourth one coming out this year, it\u2019s History Mystery in Philadelphia<\/em>. What I do is, say in the Zoo book, there\u2019s the interactions between the guide dog and these animals, there\u2019s 10 animals in the zoo, and they\u2019re actually based on a trip that we took to the Philadelphia Zoo. Everything in there is pretty much true, you know, I made up the conversation, but it\u2019s based on photos that my friend took, except for the black rhino. We saw a spotted rhino, but at that time Dateline had something on about the black rhinos, and National Geographic had a story about them too, they were rescuing black rhinos in Africa and helicoptering them out, so I put a black rhino in, and I put a link in for kids and adults and teachers to research that more. But there\u2019s one where you\u2019ll see the back end of a zebra, because the zebra, they came from way out in the fields, and they come walking in, there\u2019s two of them, and then all of a sudden they bellowed, I don\u2019t know if you\u2019ve ever heard a zebra but they sound like a donkey, and they bellowed at my dog, and then all of a sudden the one turned around, went about 10 feet, pooped, and then looked back at my dog and went on his way as if, that\u2019s what I think of you, dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow. Nothing against Guiding Eye dogs but we\u2019re just saying\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I just put in the book that one of their predators, the predators that go after zebras, is the hyena. So it\u2019s a dog-type animal, so that\u2019s why I thought, I thought well, it\u2019s looking at it as a dog, you know, and then there\u2019s one where the dog, my dog is Sanka, but Sammy has his nose and his paw up against the glass, and there\u2019s a river otter on the other side with his nose and paw up against the glass, and again that\u2019s based on a photo that my friend took, that the river otter came up, and my dog went up, one little, you know, it was the size of- a couple inches off the ground and put his paw up there, and the river otter, they were nose to nose and paw to paw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And these books are geared towards children?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, yeah. The History Mystery in Philadelphia <\/em>again is going to be talking about different guide dog training and things that we do as a guide dog handler and a guide dog team, but in History Mystery<\/em> it goes through the map and walk around the city there, and there\u2019s a walking tour of Philadelphia. They\u2019ve got the ghosts of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock with them, and it\u2019s fun. It\u2019s a fun information learning for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What would you suggest to someone who\u2019s thinking about writing books or people are telling them to write books? What words of advice would you have for them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just start. I just wrote a memoir with somebody who’s 95, she just turned 95, and I wrote her memoir. And sometimes we struggle in writing our own story, and so this helped me in writing hers and asking her questions, and I recorded her. And then also knowing whether it’s a children’s book or a book for adults. Just to keep writing, don’t get focused on the editing, and then you’re going to go back and edit later. There’s a lot of editing that goes on. And there’s different ways to publish, to be careful about publishing through some of these self-publishing companies, that as an independent author, there’s ways of publishing \u2013 not just through Amazon, but where I get my print books, from a place in Colorado. There’s different ways and I’m always willing to teach and help people in any way I can, because it took a lot of research on my part. I did send my manuscripts out and I got some of those rejection letters, plenty of them, but I also had special notes written in and that’s what kept me going. And that’s what keeps me going, is when I’ve got notes like that, and I look at the children’s books, they’re still a part of me, there’s one series, a sister series and those are things that my sister and I did. Finding that way to share your story, and look at why are you writing it, you know, if you’re writing it to become famous, well, hopefully you’ll get lucky with that. But there’s ways to make money on Amazon doing your e-books, you know, you need to do a little research. You can’t just put one book out there and hope it does great. There’s a lot of work behind it. But for me, I just tell people just start, just do it. And then everything else can fall into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n How would someone get ahold of you if they wanted to ask you some questions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through my website, at cherylmcneilfisher.com, and I welcome questions because again, I want to give back freely to what’s been so freely given to me, you know, that\u2019s the way it works, for us to be networking together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did. I was high myopic. And so I had 20\/30 vision with contact lenses until I was in my 30s. Last time I drove my car, I had a flash of light, retina detached, and yeah. Luckily, I was less than a mile from my house. But then I went back to school, and I got my bachelor’s in counseling. And then I was going on to law school, but then I got this punch in the gut. The last session of my last class, a girl was talking about going to the seminary, Interfaith Seminary down in Manhattan. And I just felt that punch in the gut that I needed to check this out. It was for spiritual counseling. I had no intentions of being part of a church, working at a church, none of that. I wanted to do spiritual counseling, but God had other plans. And I did two years there, and then I worked at a church locally for four years, it was wonderful, as the assistant pastor and youth minister and I loved it. It was just a wonderful experience, along with the spiritual counseling. And then during that time, I went to Bethel University and Seminary out in Minnesota and did their program, which is online except for two weeks in the summer and in the winter. No, I didn’t like Minnesota in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey, hey, hey, hey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl: Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily I can edit some of that. Yeah, it\u2019s fine, it\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I’m constantly learning. I want to keep learning. I’m constantly learning. Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, that’s great. So Cheryl, with the guide dog situation, this isn’t your first guide dog. You’ve had guide dogs, as you mentioned, since the mid-90s. What is it like for someone to decide to get a guide dog? I mean, you obviously use a cane, you have mobility skills, but there must have been a point in your life where all of a sudden you said you know what, I’d like to give this a try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn’t know anything about guide dogs. And when I had my second retina, my eye detach, I kept saying I’m going to get a dog. Knew nothing about guide dogs, but it was something that came inside of me, it was a coping mechanism. And then with Guiding Eyes, I don’t even remember how it even got on the radio. It was the only time I ever heard the walkathon announced on radio up near me, out of Ulster County. And I went to- that’s Ulster County, New York. And then I went to a walkathon down in Yorktown Heights. And that’s where I had my first experience with the guide dogs, and that was in October. And then I put my application in, and I was in the following February class. I wanted to get a guide dog, but I was scared. On the way down, my sister drove me, because I’m only about 45 minutes or an hour from Guiding Eyes. I felt sick. I said, oh my gosh, I don’t want to go. I was scared. And back then, you know, I brought my whole computer with me, the big heavy monitor and everything, because I needed to make sure, you know, I could keep doing my schoolwork and stuff. But I was panicked. And then once I was there, I didn’t want to leave. I was scared to leave and be back out in the real world. So I kind of understood when people have gone to rehabs, you know, what kind of rehab training, a type of- whether it’s recovery or some people go away when they, you know, lose their sight, whatever, all of a sudden, I realized and I was in a safe environment, I was in a family. I was going through a lot. I was going through a divorce at the time, and as much as I wanted the dog, when I got my ID card that said I’m an official blind person with a guide dog, and I’m, you know, that says that you’ve completed your training, so when I got my ID, I cried, because I wanted it but it was just the reality, a lot of realities happening. And my roommate at the time, she was an OR scrub nurse and she had lost her sight. And we were about the same age. So the way they paired us up at that time, of course now, you get your own rooms, but I had someone I became best friends with. So it’s just a positive experience right from the beginning. Kathy’s a bricky who’s, I don’t remember her exact title now but she had become Director of Training and Vice President of something now, sorry Kathy, but she was one of my trainers. So I’ve had a relationship with her since day one, too, which has been phenomenal. So I love Guiding Eyes. They have done wonderful training, and they’re there. It’s not like they give you a dog and say, Okay, now that’s that. They’re there 24\/7. And what’s really nice is that I’m only about 45 minutes to an hour away depending on traffic, so I can take my dogs down to the bat. I have my retired golden retriever, right now, he’s turning 13 this month, and I have a shepherd now, who will be 4 in March. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, great. So what’s it like when you have a retired one? Explain that. Guide dogs are pretty good, you know, for 8, 9, 10 years maybe? Or something of that nature? Ballpark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then you retire them. So you have a choice of keeping the dog, or how’s that work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, because we have in our home- so I’ve been fortunate, I’ve always been able to keep my dogs. My first guide dog, she is a black lab. My second was a black lab. And a couple times she snuck into the harness when I wasn’t paying attention. And I mean, it took- it didn’t take me long to figure it out because she was a small 60 pound dog and then my second one was 80 pounds. But most of the time by the time they’re ready to retire, they’re like yeah, yeah, okay, let the young one go out. But it’s been good. My golden retriever has been the longest working dog, he worked nine and a half years, he’s going to be 13. But yeah, it’s good for them to have the younger dog around, keeps him young. And then it’s a good playmate for her right now. My dogs, I’ve had an overlap, usually for a couple years after I’ve gotten the dogs, but Sanka, he’s hanging in there. He’s doing great. He’s got cancer, he’s got little aches and pains, but he’s still just as strong as he was when I first got him. He just doesn’t have the stamina anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What advice would you have for \u2013 I want to grab all the advice you can give \u2013 for someone who is thinking about getting a guide dog? What advice would you have for them to ask themselves, question themselves? Or where do they go? Who do they call?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m going to speak for Guiding Eyes. There’s several guide dog schools, but for Guiding Eyes, and especially now with the COVID, I don’t know, I haven’t checked in, I don’t know what the waiting list is right now. But you should get your application in, and you need to have mobility skills, you need to be able to use your cane, it’s not like you tell the dog well, go to the post office and he goes, you need to know how to get there and get there safely, because you\u2019re a guide dog team and you work together. Yes, they\u2019re a responsibility. But think about it, your dog gets to go everywhere with you. You don’t have to run home to feed it, you just bring the food with you in a bag and there’s collapsible bowls, there’s little easy things you can bring with you for water or to take care of your dog, picking up after your dog, they teach you how to do it, it’s very easy, you know, putting that bag over your hand, sweep down and pick it up and throw it in the garbage. I didn’t understand any of that before I got a guide dog, you know, my dog- I’d walk it, let it go the bathroom and pick it up and or would pick- you know, let it go in the yard and then have to go around and pick it all up all at once with a shovel, where now, this is so simple and easy, that just to pick up after my dog and toss it each time, there’s a responsibility but I trust my dog more than any human being walking me. And with a cane- this is my opinion, any cane users, my opinion, with a cane I can miss things. My dog doesn’t miss, takes me around and especially a shepherd, she’s thinking ahead of time, with my labs, with my golden would bring me- say there’s a car in the middle of the sidewalk sticking out of the driveway, the lab and the golden have brought me to that obstacle. Then I figure it out, we figure it out, where we’re going. The shepherds are already thinking and anticipating. And sometimes I don’t even know that there was an obstacle there because she’ll take me up on the grass or around and she’ll get me right out of the way without having to stop. There’s a little difference with the shepherd. But I’m grateful for all my dogs. I know it’s scary, but it’s exciting too, and it’s given me freedom. And I just can’t imagine not having a dog because also just think about it, when you’re walking down a street with a cane and you’re talking to yourself, people think you’re crazy when you’re talking to yourself and you’re walking down the street with a dog, they think you\u2019re talking to a dog. So, I hope that helps a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, the guide dog schools. Guiding Eyes for the Blind. You don’t go in and pick your dog. They assess you and find the dog, the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. And sometimes you may have some issues where it’s not perfect, I’ve had a couple that have not worked out. In fact, when I got Raven, they had her picked out for me ahead of time, they brought her up to meet me, but there was another shepherd that was in the kennel as well. So they asked me if I’d be willing to test her out, and I said sure. And so she was taller and they both worked really great, and I said okay, well, we’ll try Kenna. Well, she was a great, great worker, but I was in class at the time, and when I would groom her, she just didn’t like being touched. And for me, I’m a hugger, I’m a lover and I like to, you know, and I’m going to groom my dogs, and pet my dogs all the time. Well, she didn’t like it and she let me know she didn’t like it. So she was released and became somebody\u2019s really great pet and luckily Raven was still there. And right from the get-go, Raven and I were just, boom, just like that, you know, bonded, because I could tell Kenna, the first shepherd, there was a disconnect. It wasn’t a total connection, where with Raven, we just connected and that’s how it’s been with my other dogs, too. We just, can just pick up that harness, and I can feel the connection, but I have had it happen where it didn’t work out, I had another one that didn’t work out. So if somebody does get a dog and something happens, it doesn’t work out, it’s not the school’s fault. It’s not anybody’s, it’s just, you know, they\u2019re dogs, we\u2019re humans and sometimes, you know, it needs tweaking, or maybe you need another dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great. You mentioned that you went to school after losing some eyesight, what kind of technology did you use while going to school?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I learned ZoomText, because I still had some better vision than I have now, and that’s back when we, you know, I used cassettes, my books were on cassette, I was able to get them from Princeton, the talking books there, that- get my textbooks and in fact, it was so much easier than even when I was in high school or going through school because having low vision I struggled reading. So all of a sudden, I was able to listen to my books and I comprehended. It was a great way to learn. I learned new things \u2013 problem was I balked at learning JAWS and learning ZoomText in the beginning, and I put my face up close to that screen, so I think that deteriorated my vision a little quicker. I was willing to keep learning and a lot of the professors I had weren’t used to working with a blind student, so they were learning as we went along too. It was a great experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now you’re into the Apple orchard. The iPad, the iPhone. How do you write your books?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s something that the students, kids love to hear. Well, how do you write? For me, I have found first of all that a new technique, if I have a headset on with the microphone, dictation works almost perfectly on my iPhone or my iPad when I’m dictating something in rather than sitting and typing it. So that’s been beneficial, because those of you that know, sometimes if you just have your phone and you’re dictating it in, it’s hit or miss if it’s going to get it right. That’s been helpful, but I normally use a Pages in the beginning, I use Microsoft Word on my computer. And that’s the nice thing between the PC and the iPad and iPhone, that I can go back and forth between the two. And Microsoft Word works with Pages and with Pages, you can save in a Word document and I find Pages being better as far as spell check now than I had when I was doing Microsoft Word, it just seemed with Windows 10, I was struggling with that. But again, I was using at the time, still using the magnification. So now on the PC, I’m learning the voice also. Then I have people edit also, but some of the formatting I can do. But I do have somebody else who does some formatting for me before I actually go to publish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that’s pretty much normal that an author has an editor, I mean of sorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right, right. Yeah, yeah. So I might have to do a little, maybe an extra step here or there. But the memoir I just wrote, I was fortunate enough to- one of the employees at the nursing home used to work for one of the major publishers, so she did editing, I was able to get her and she helped out. So it was a joint effort in editing, and she not only did the basic editing, but she also did the line editing and editing my book and it was great. Yeah,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. It always seems like when I’m talking to an author, they always talk about the team. Lois Strachan, from South Africa, was talking about getting to know your editors and the relationship that you build with them, and the community of authors and publishers is a really great community. There’s a gentleman from Minnesota here, Daniel Bernstrom, and he released his third book, he’s visually impaired. He wrote the book One Day in the Eucalyptus Tree<\/em>. It’s a children’s book, Gator, Gator, Gator<\/em>. And it was just neat to be able to talk to the authors and yourself and find out, you know, that the relationship that they build with their editors. It seems like a good place if you want to be an author, that there’s a good community out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as an indie author now, as an independent author, just in five years how things have changed. In five years since my first book came out, that libraries and bookstores, they’re more open to the indie authors, we\u2019re in the- how publishing continually is changing so much faster. And they have more awards for the indie authors. Now also, the other thing as a children’s author, I have relationships with my illustrators. If you’re with one of the big publishing companies, you don’t have the choice of who illustrates your book, nor do you have the choice, a lot of times, who’s going to narrate your books, but for me, I have, my main illustrator now is in Spain, she doesn’t speak English, I don’t speak Spanish, yet we work really well together. And another one is in Indonesia, who has done one of my other books, and then the narrators I’ve been able to pick, and I found someone who did a wonderful job for my audiobooks on Audible. So yeah, I’m very fortunate, and funny, the relationships that I’ve built, and people I’ve met along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve also seen on your website that you have pages they can download to color, and then they can resubmit it, and you’ll use those. Are those pages from your book?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, I made coloring pages from the illustrations. So utilizing the illustrations, also, when I do presentations at schools, because sometimes teachers or kids, they\u2019ll ask me if I can do a demonstration. And it’s hard sometimes when we’re in an auditorium. And if the kids are either- whether they’re sitting in the chairs, or they’re sitting on the floor, it’s not easy. So with my illustrations, they’re on 18×27 inch poster boards, so that I can show them how we stand, and on an escalator where my feet are positioned, where the dog is, I can use some of my illustrations from my books. Yeah, I’ve made coloring pages, there’s about two, I think there’s three from each book that can be downloaded. And there’s a little description of what they are. And then if you want more coloring pages, email me and I’ll be happy to get some more to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you can find all that information at cherylmcneilfisher.com, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. And we’re putting together a kids newsletter magazine, that we’re collecting articles written by kids for kids and some of their drawings and illustrations. So I’m constantly working with others to find different ways, especially now during this pandemic, to touch and help children and feel like they’re involved with something extra positive. And if people have suggestions, let me know, I’m willing to do what we can. In fact, one of the books, Surprise Sammy, It\u2019s Your Birthday<\/em>, I wrote with a 7th grader, I met her at a Y2kids event at Stewart Airport where we had all kinds of vendors and the kids come through and they’re checking out careers, and one girl said she was an artist, and she liked to draw. And she ended up following up with me about doing a book and she came up with the illustrations, the names of the characters and some of the ideas. And then my illustrator in Spain went and digitized them, you know, tweaked them and digitized them for me. But yeah, that was done with a 7th grader. And I have another one, The Bully Bites the Dust<\/em>, that came from an idea from a 6th grader. So yeah, I’m always willing to work with kids on writing their books, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, I think it\u2019s a great thing that you’re doing, Cheryl, you’re crossing over from the blindness community into the sighted community, and with children who are being exposed to some positives about blindness, because I remember when I lost my- I, like you, I was in my 30s. And I didn’t know anything about blindness, I really didn’t. I was pretty naive. But now with your books, and you’re going out there, speaking demonstrations that you’re doing, you’re exposing them to a positive side of blindness, and I think that’s really important, because educating the world about inclusion and differences that some of us have is important. So thank you for doing what you’re doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you. And you know, when you say that, when I got my first guide dog, and I had a lot of questions about being blind, they told me I would learn, some of the people who had been blind, they said you’re gonna learn how to be blind. And I’m like, what? I didn’t understand that, until now, you probably understand too, just knowing the way the wind changes or the air, even if the air is not moving and your inside of a building, all of a sudden knowing there’s a wall there, or there’s not a wall because you feel the difference on our faces. And it doesn’t mean my sense- when people ask me have your senses gotten better? I don’t think that, I think I’m more in tune with things around me, surrounding me and that have enhanced those things, and it’s because I’m more aware, I’m paying attention. Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think there’s a lot to be said about things that you don’t even know you don’t know, because I didn’t know that I was more in tune with my surroundings and everything, I have some peripheral sight that I can use, but when I put on a mask, I notice there’s a difference. There’s something different and because slowly you learn to take in so much information to compensate for what you don’t get for information, that you’re adjusting, and it\u2019s just like when someone’s losing sight, they don’t realize how much sight they’re losing, then all of a sudden one day they go oh, wait, I used to be able to read this or something, you know, and then slowly make adjustments to it like yourself did, you know, from ZoomText over to using a voice synthesizer screen reader type of device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, yeah. I don\u2019t know about you, but I noticed during these seasonal changes, when the sun shifts, that\u2019s when I noticed what\u2019s changed in my vision, by going out in my backyard by my pool or something, because the sun is in a different position, so each year when the time changes and the sun shifts, I can become aware of how much I can no longer read, but also outdoors I notice it when the seasons change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, one of the biggest things that I noticed when I was going through the biggest phase of sight loss was the point between the sky and the ground in front of me, it may be trees, it may be houses, but there\u2019s a gray area, that kept getting bigger. I could tell the sky, I could tell the ground in front of me, but identifying everything else in between was getting a little more grayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, yeah. That\u2019s an interesting way to put it, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s usually the stuff you run into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right, absolutely. Right, yeah. And for people who are visually impaired, you know, again, I balked at learning braille, I\u2019m not a braille reader, but I did learn basic braille, and my rehab person was telling me how she used it, and she\u2019s sighted, for finding things in her closet, like spices or something. I\u2019m so glad that just knowing basic braille, that I can label something and just touch it and know what it is, so I encourage people that maybe you don\u2019t, you might balk at learning braille to be able to read it, it really does make life a lot easier when we can use tactile to figure out what things are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. Like I said, I didn\u2019t know anything about blindness and yet when they started to teach me stuff about it I acted as if I was very well-educated about blindness, like I was gonna make all the decision I wanted to make, and-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right, right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I always like it when people figure out a system that they label something and then they have to do the whole system over again every time they go grocery shopping, in a sense, it\u2019s like wait, that\u2019s not very productive, that\u2019s, so if you can figure out tips. Well, Cheryl, thanks- we\u2019re getting a little distracted here, but it\u2019s blindness, that\u2019s such a world of- you\u2019re always continuously learning and it\u2019s a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d like to put in a little plug for the American Council of the Blind. When they started these community calls, there was eight per week, now there\u2019s about 80 per week, and it\u2019s amazing that they have grown and ACB radio has seven channels now, there are calls, Zoom calls, or classes, or webinars, on almost anything you can think of. And I\u2019ve learned a lot on the Apple technology, there\u2019s tricks around the house, different things \u2013 I have one call that\u2019s a serenity-type call, it\u2019s at 10:00 on the eastern, on Monday nights, but then I also do a writing workshop every other Friday at 1, and I have been inspired and learning and there\u2019s so many people have learned how to facilitate and host on Zoom, it\u2019s just been an amazing, opening up a world that I didn\u2019t realize- I\u2019ve been a member of ACB since 1994, but I\u2019ve never been involved like I have been since this pandemic, so for anybody who\u2019s feeling lonely and you don\u2019t have to be alone, like Thanksgiving day we had calls on the hour every hour, and people just supporting people. There\u2019s so many different types of calls for you to find something, even one a week, something that you don\u2019t have to be out there by yourself, and even after the pandemic, having this community, it\u2019s amazing, I can\u2019t say enough about this membership of people that I have found, and you do not need to be a member of ACB to be a part of the community calls, and you can- at acb.org, I forget the email right now, but you- there\u2019s a daily community email list, so you can get the information every single day. I encourage you to look into it. And again, feel free, if you can\u2019t find it online, just get in touch with me and I\u2019ll be happy to help you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you can find more about Cheryl on the web at cherylmcneilfisher.com. Cheryl?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl: Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you for putting that out there about that video from Google\u2019s Guideline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Project Guideline, yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll put a link for that in the show notes, and your website, and acb.org. It\u2019s great information, because, you know, any time you can find out more information on blindness or what other people are doing it\u2019s good as gold, because like I mentioned when I first- I didn\u2019t even know where they kept the blind, you know? I had no idea, I was- no idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I know, me neither. And as you know, there\u2019s not one organization that has all the answers, it\u2019s about networking and finding who does what and where we can get help with certain things, and that\u2019s why for me being able to share with other people because I\u2019ve done the research and I\u2019ve done something, and there\u2019s still things I don\u2019t know, so, yeah, and the accessibility that\u2019s coming to with the- I\u2019m sure you can do a show on that Spectrum Axis app now, how many shows and things are becoming accessible, you don\u2019t need to be just spectrum, that there\u2019s movies, shows, that are audio description, so there\u2019s just so much out there, you know? There\u2019s just so much information out there, so. Anyway, thank you so much, Jeff, I appreciate you asking me to be a part of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, you bet. And thanks for being part of the project, because you know-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n -that, to me, is like having Google, you know, pretty big company, get involved in accessibility and making stuff inclusive and just for them to step up to the plate and work with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, great stuff. Well Cheryl, thank you so much for coming on, really appreciate you taking the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl: Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, really?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you- yeah, yeah, thank you so much, Jeff, really it is. And not- and that was before this call, it\u2019s been on there for a couple years, so yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff: Cheryl:<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, no, it\u2019s been on there for a couple years, so thank you so much, Jeff, appreciate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All right. Such a great time talking to Cheryl, and you can find out more about Cheryl and check out her books on her website at cherylmcneilfisher.com. And if you have any questions, want to leave any comments, or give us some feedback, give us a call at 612-367-6093, we\u2019d love to hear from you. And you can check out all the podcasts just by subscribing to Blind Abilities on your favorite podcatcher. That\u2019s two words, Blind Abilities. And a big shout out to Chee Chau for his beautiful music, you can find more about 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, I 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 Cheryl: You\u2019d be able to go running without the dog, without a cane, and there\u2019s freedom. I felt for the first time in almost 27 years that I could walk freely without a dog, without a cane \u2013 it was such a freeing experience. Jeff: Please welcome author Cheryl McNeil Fisher, a participant […]<\/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-6429","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P6rcRg-1FH","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9326,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9326","url_meta":{"origin":6429,"position":0},"title":"Blind Abilities \u2013 The Musical: When Lived Experience Takes the Stage","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"January 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Blind Abilities \u2013 The Musical reimagines the podcast as a live theatrical broadcast, blending news-style dialogue, personal storytelling, and original music into a fully immersive audio stage. Framed as a newsroom, the episode moves through three powerful themes: wearable technology, progressive vision loss, and the enduring importance of\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Image of 5 fictional anchors on a musical stage theater.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9199,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9199","url_meta":{"origin":6429,"position":1},"title":"From Screen Readers to Self-Reliance: Cheryl\u2019s Journey to Becoming a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this Blind Abilities conversation, Cheryl McIntosh shares her journey toward becoming a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist, or CATIS, and how she empowers others to build independence through technology. Cheryl teaches screen reader users\u2014primarily JAWS and VoiceOver\u2014through personalized virtual training. She explains that success starts with fundamentals\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":9380,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9380","url_meta":{"origin":6429,"position":2},"title":"Blind Abilities \u2013 The Musical: From K\u201312 to College and Careers, Finding Your Voice","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"February 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Episode Three of Blind Abilities \u2013 The Musical explores what it really means to find your voice as you move from K\u201312 into college and on toward a career. The three acts set the theme, but the heart of the episode lives in the conversation\u2014real stories about IEPs,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Image of 5 fictional anchors on a musical stage theater.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blind-Abilities-The-Musical-Image.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5514,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=5514","url_meta":{"origin":6429,"position":3},"title":"Raise Your Cane! White Cane Safety Awareness Day at the Capital!","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Jeff Thompson:Welcome to Blind Abilities. I'm Jeff Thompson. White Cane Safety Awareness Day 2019. This was an awesome event attended by so many. We had teachers, parents, kids, students, instructors, directors, senators, representatives, all gathering and bringing awareness to the White Cane and the month of October, National\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":9208,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9208","url_meta":{"origin":6429,"position":4},"title":"Minnesota Honors White Cane Day: Safety, Freedom, and a Future Without Limits","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: White Cane Day 2025 at the Minnesota State Capitol was a celebration of pride, freedom, and possibility. Leaders, students, families, and blind, low vision, and deafblind Minnesotans gathered to affirm a simple truth: the white cane is not just a mobility tool \u2014 it is dignity, safety, and\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":5960,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=5960","url_meta":{"origin":6429,"position":5},"title":"Guiding Emily: A Tale of Love, Loss, and Courage. A New Book from Best Selling Author Barbara Hinske","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"June 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcription Barbara: And my advanced reviews for this book are stellar. It is heartwarming, heartbreaking, inspirational, page turner. Can't put it down. By far the best thing I've ever written. Jeff: Please welcome bestselling author, Barbara Hinske. Barbara: We need to raise awareness within the sighted community of 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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6429","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=6429"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6431,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6429\/revisions\/6431"}],"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=6429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
That’s great. When you- you weren’t born blind, you’ve always had a little bit of vision, but then things went on that led you to start to use accessible technology, a guide dog and all that. And then after you lost your sight, you actually went back to school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holy moly, it\u2019s cold out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can read probably 43 words a minute in braille, which is not productive, I would not be able to read the breakfast menu and I\u2019d have to order lunch, because it would take me that long to get through it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But yeah, for identifying spices, that\u2019s a huge area of, you know, when you go into your cupboard, cabinet, and you\u2019ve labelled your spices, tips, tricks and techniques, that\u2019s what we do on Blind Abilities sometimes, we put out stuff like that, just some small little things that get you over that hurdle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Project Guideline?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thank you, thank you. And praise Google for their work, so, yeah, and everyone else who\u2019s working on accessibility, so thank you so much. And thank you, Jeff, for all that you do, I love your podcast, there\u2019s so much information and your app is right on my main home screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You just put it on there right now so you\u2019d remember who you\u2019re talking to. <\/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