Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welcome to Blind Abilities, I\u2019m Jeff Thompson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:
And I\u2019m Lori Thompson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we are talking about little tips for life, you know, things that you do when you\u2019re out there socially, you know, the pandemic is coming to a different level, I suppose, and people are getting out a little bit more, how about you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, getting out more socially and just maybe some tips on, you know, refreshers on how to do certain things as a blind person now that maybe you\u2019re going out more, just some refreshers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, and I think the elbow bump or the forearm smash is gonna fade away and handshakes are gonna come back, and I\u2019d like to say, like, when you\u2019re gonna shake hands, if you realize someone is gonna shake hands, that I put my hand out, I don\u2019t reach for their hand. I let them come and grab my hand for the handshake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely, because I\u2019ve been a- early blindness, I went out and reached, and you know, grabbed some things, and oopsies, yeah. Yeah. And then you just kind of- it\u2019s funny, maybe they\u2019re in a good mindset that they can laugh that off. You just put your hand out and let them reach for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if someone\u2019s gonna hand you something, like they have something, hey, here\u2019s this, here\u2019s a cupcake, or something of that nature, just put your hand out. If the person is sighted, or if not, they\u2019re sighted, they\u2019ll get it to your hand, but if you\u2019re both visually impaired or blind, you\u2019ll work something out because you both are in the same- it\u2019s like trying to high five someone when you\u2019re both blind, it could be an incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. I\u2019ve been in a situation with another blind person where we\u2019ve tried to high five and we were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, and when you\u2019re out with someone and maybe you\u2019re sitting down at a booth or a table, and you\u2019re using a cane, if it\u2019s a foldup cane just fold it up and put it underneath your chair, or if it\u2019s a full-length cane, I always kind of put it on the floor. Hopefully it won\u2019t reach out too far in the walking area, and put it parallel with me on the floor or under the table, so it doesn\u2019t roll out into a walking space for a waitress to trip over or, you know, who you\u2019re with won\u2019t trip over it when they get up or what have you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if you\u2019re in a booth and you\u2019re sitting inside against the wall side of it, you can always bring it in there, set it diagonally against the wall or something like that, but just be cognizant of it not being in the aisle for other people, because people will find it with their feet, and it could be interesting, so be cognizant of how your cane and where your cane\u2019s going, but don\u2019t be shy about bringing your cane, I mean, hey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely. And for guide dog users, when I go with Logan, if I\u2019m in a booth, I try to put him underneath the table, because booths are usually along the outer part of the wall, and you don\u2019t want to lay him on the floor where you enter your booth, because then that\u2019s where the waitress might stand, so if you can tuck him underneath there. If not, sometimes I try to find like that last booth off in the corner where there might not be a lot of traffic so he can lay against the wall, or in an area where there\u2019s low traffic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exactly. Another thing is, when you\u2019re going out to a restaurant- well, if you know which restaurant you\u2019re going to, it\u2019s always nice while you\u2019re at home or on the bus to actually look up the restaurant, and see if you can get the menu, get the general idea. If you\u2019re going to a Mexican restaurant, you know what, generally, there\u2019s going to be an assortment of, whether it be burritos, enchiladas, tacos, or something like that, you\u2019re not gonna be thinking of Chicken Kiev. It\u2019s probably not gonna be there. Get a general idea by checking out to see if there\u2019s a menu available, and now you can use Aira to have them actually take a picture of the menu if it\u2019s a JPEG type of menu thing, and they will read it to you and give you the general idea, so when you go in there you might have one or two items that you may want to order and you don\u2019t have to reference the menu. You might have to get deeper into the sides or something like that, but that\u2019s what the waitress is for. But you at least have a ballpark, where you\u2019re gonna aim for. But the other thing that I like to do is, if there\u2019s other people at the table that are always talking about what they see on the menu, I pay attention, and if someone else goes first, if there\u2019s four of you, listen to what they\u2019re ordering. It might give you an idea, you might go, oh my gosh, I love that! You know, you might want to get that, but I always look up ahead of time to do it. If you do have to check out the menu, rather you\u2019re gonna use, you know, like Aira and stuff. Make sure you have headphones on, because you\u2019re in a public area. No matter where you are in public, you want to use headphones, or at least one earpiece so you don\u2019t get distracted and don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening around you. You always want to be cognizant of the ambient noises around you when you\u2019re out in public. Use that with precaution, but when you\u2019re at a table or something, don\u2019t tell people to be quiet, because you can\u2019t hear your voiceover, use your headphones. Preferably a Bluetooth, because it\u2019s less cumbersome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes. And when you\u2019re at the table, and maybe your plate or your drink has been served to you, it\u2019s nice to just set your hands lightly on the table and just slowly move around to investigate. Don\u2019t reach too fast or don\u2019t come from the top down, I typically-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I come from the top down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you? Well, that\u2019s interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, that\u2019s once I know where my glass is. If my glass is at two o\u2019clock on my plate-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I will just come from the top down because I know where it\u2019s at. I know what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right, but when it first gets to the table, I like to just kind of make slow movements across the table to locate my things so I don\u2019t knock anything over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, and then you can investigate what else is all the way around you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. The napkins, salt and pepper, ketchup, you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or they didn\u2019t clean this table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exactly, that\u2019s a, yeah, ooh. Yes. Absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Another thing is while you\u2019re, you know, at a restaurant, or out in public or something, pay attention to who is talking. You always want to turn towards the voice, so it looks like you at least are paying attention. I get it a lot because I have a little bit of peripheral, where I\u2019m looking off to the side, sometimes I see the person kind of look over their shoulder, like what the heck is he looking at? But I try to give focus to the person who is talking. Yes, it\u2019s a sighted thing, but it\u2019s a public interaction type of thing that is a good habit to have, especially like job interviews or your boss or anybody that you\u2019re talking with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely, you want to face in the direction where you can hear that voice coming from, so it kind of gives them the idea that you are acknowledging what they\u2019re saying. One other thing that I would recommend is typically we\u2019re planners, so we know when we\u2019re gonna go out. You really want to make sure that your phone is charged before you go out, in case something happens. Maybe the bus misses you, maybe the bus is delayed and you\u2019ve got to get back soon and you need an Uber or a Lyft. Or maybe you want to look up on the Metro site, the- maybe a different alternative bus route to take to get home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone knows that feeling when you\u2019re down to 10%, and you get that warning and it\u2019s like, oh my gosh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:
Yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Okay, I\u2019ve got to use this sparingly, so try and have a full charge with you going out-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the other thing is, we mentioned Uber and stuff, if you\u2019re in an Uber or something, try and have the general person that you send, or share, if you\u2019re alone, that you share your ride with them. They\u2019ll receive it, they\u2019ll just know that you\u2019re in a ride and it just gives you a little more sense of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Especially if you\u2019re alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm. Jeff and I do that a lot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other thing is, know where you are. We may take an Uber, and we get to a place, and someone says oh, yeah, I\u2019ll come and meet you, or something like that, but know where you are, because it\u2019s always nice if you get in an emergency situation and someone says, where are you, yeah, you can say, hey, ask Voice, and ask for your location, but it\u2019s always a good thing to know where you are. I know that sounds silly, but sometimes we get out with a group of people and we\u2019re walking around and we\u2019re just in a group, and we end up in a different place because that restaurant is overpacked or there\u2019s a 45 minute wait, and, oh, let\u2019s go down the street, well, where\u2019s that down the street, so always be cognizant of where you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, and too, utilizing Uber and Lyft, GPS is great. Sometimes, though, it\u2019s not as great as you think it is. And I have been dropped off thinking it\u2019s the door of the building I want, but actually, because of their GPS, it took me to another side of the building, so it\u2019s an unfamiliar side of the building that I\u2019m on, so I always try to ask, hey, what street am I on? Is this University, or is this 29th, or, just to make sure that I\u2019m on the right side of the building that I want to, or the location that I want to be on, not the back side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And most of you will know, like at a convention, there might be seven different exits out, you know, one goes to a patio, one goes to the front, one goes to a pool area, one goes to another thing, so knowing where you are really helps to really determine, knowing where you are just really helps your bearings, I guess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:
Yeah, absolutely, yeah, because you know, if you\u2019ve got friends that are on University, and you get dropped off on 29th, and you don\u2019t know it, you know, you\u2019ve got to figure out how to get to that, and there could be barriers in your way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other thing that I do, and I have, and I\u2019ve got set up, is Air Tags, or you have a tile or something, especially if you\u2019re out and about. Like, if I leave my murse, my backpack or whatever I have with me-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff\u2019s man-purse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I leave it behind and my keys are in there, I\u2019ll get a notification on my phone that says-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s out of reach, or something. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. It\u2019ll alarm me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
iPhone voice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Find my, three items were left behind. These items are no longer detected near you. They were last seen in Richard J Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s a neat feature for the Air Tags. Now as for Tile, or the tracker, I believe they have some of that set up, but I\u2019m not sure, I can\u2019t speak to that, but I notice when I leave the camp or something and I walk down the road, all of a sudden it says I left three things behind because I don\u2019t carry everything with me, but it\u2019s just kind of neat to have that turned on, so check that out in your Air Tags if you have them, and make sure you have that set up because that\u2019s kind of a neat thing to know, because if you\u2019ve left something behind, it\u2019s easier to get-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could be crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. Get back there right away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm. Absolutely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Another thing is don\u2019t be afraid to ask for assistance sometimes. If you\u2019re flying into an airport you\u2019ve never been in, and you\u2019ve got to get to baggage, well, search and discovery can be, you know, exploration is not probably the thing you want to do at that moment, you want to travel to that place, so if they ask if you need assistance, take the assistance, get to the baggage, and then ask them where do you go get your Uber, or your shuttle, or the next step, and you\u2019ll get there, and it\u2019ll be in a timely fashion. It\u2019s not that you are not being independent, or using Aira or something, you can use Aira, I suppose, too, that\u2019s a-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm, yeah. I\u2019ve used Aira before to get to baggage claim. Especially if it\u2019s an airport that I\u2019ve never been to before, if you\u2019re only travelling through that city once every 10 years, do I need to learn it? Ehhh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Probably not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Probably not, and usually if it\u2019s a destination, for instance, if I\u2019m visiting friends and I end up in Denver, for instance, I\u2019ve never been to Denver airport, I would probably either definitely use Aira, or I would have assistance waiting for me, you know, especially if I know I\u2019ve got people picking me up at a certain time, and time is the essence, I don\u2019t want to spend my time structure discovery, that\u2019s for a day- a different day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
That\u2019s a life thing, because structure discovery, you will be able to find it. You will be able to find it, believe me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through all the training that you\u2019ve had and I\u2019ve had, I mean, we\u2019d be able to find it, but to save time and efficiency, I don\u2019t need to learn San Francisco airport. I\u2019ve done it enough now where I\u2019ve kind of got an idea, but it\u2019s a lot easier-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you have a shuttle waiting for you to take you to Napa, it\u2019s a big airport, sometimes it\u2019s just easier to say, can I have assistance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the roadway there, you\u2019ve got to cross two little roads-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That might not have signals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Might be where the taxis-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:
You know, I don\u2019t know, there\u2019s probably not an APS button to hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And they say, go to the second median. It\u2019s like, um\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, yeah, and go to the red, is the yellow, or the orange marking on the curb, it\u2019s like, um, okay. I need some assistance. Also, just for your own stress. Why should you get worked up when someone is willing to walk with you? I\u2019m not saying be shoved in a wheelchair, your legs aren\u2019t broken, but just nicely say, can I just hold onto your elbow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, I\u2019ve been there. So it\u2019s all about efficiency sometimes, and the stress level that you mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you do ask for assistance, and you\u2019re using a guide dog, I just say, just let my dog and I follow you, just maybe give me some vocal cues when you\u2019re gonna turn left or right, and I can direct my guide dog to follow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Mm-hm. That conversation that you\u2019ll have with a person, like you\u2019ll find out, oh, they\u2019re from Little Rock, or they\u2019re from here, or why\u2019d you move here, it\u2019s that conversation but what I\u2019m using it for is cueing in on where they are in relationship to where I\u2019m walking, because they think, oh, you\u2019re doing fine, but I\u2019m listening to them, and that\u2019s my guide person, I guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:
Absolutely. Absolutely, you know, hey, we\u2019re gonna walk over here, you know, hey, will we be taking an elevator? You know, do we have to leave this concourse and go to another concourse? Just ask some questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when you get back to a hotel, say you\u2019re staying at a hotel or something, always have your room number, a log of the address of the place, because you might get separated from some people and if you need an Uber, you want to go to the Hilton, well, there might be two Hiltons in a twin city or a tri-city type of thing, or the quad-cities, there might be a couple different ones, and you want to make sure you get to the right one. There\u2019s a lot of Holiday Expresses, Holiday Inns, and stuff like that, so have the address in your phone or on you, so you can actually-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Give good directions to the Lyft or the Uber or whatever transportation avenue you\u2019re taking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. Just like at the airport, you want to arrive early, whether it\u2019s the airport, hotel, or any place, a convention, you just want to get there early so you can relax and not have that stress level and be prepared for delays, you never know when that line is gonna be super, super, super-de-duper long. You want to be able to just stride in, get situated in waiting for your plane, and if you do have time, don\u2019t leave your luggage behind. Pick it up, and you can use Aira if you want to explore, to get some food or something like that, that\u2019s really nice to do, and find a chair, because typically if you get up and move your stuff, someone\u2019s gonna take your chair. So, free Aira space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely. I typically, before I go on a trip, I\u2019ll use Aira to take a picture of my luggage, because then, even if I do have assistance picking up my bags at the baggage claim, I can just pull up that picture and say, this is what my bags look like. I have a green bandana that I tie on my handle of my- I have a couple different things that, someone can identify my bag. If I\u2019m not travelling with someone that can see-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should put a Duran Duran sticker on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I should put a Duran Duran sticker on it, because I love Duran Duran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thing about arriving early, if you\u2019re at the hotel, I like to do, is get there, preferably in the morning or the day ahead of time or something, I don\u2019t like arriving when things are already happening, because I like to get there, find out where the lobby is, and you can tell the lobby, it\u2019s typically, you know, you hear the commotion of it, but as soon as you walk in that door, you figure out the lobby, then the relationship back to the door, then you can hear the elevator banks, ask where you go up and don\u2019t try and figure out that whole elevator panel on the first day, you\u2019ll get used to it, but it\u2019s something to discover yourself, and then when you get off the elevator, is there elevators across from you, like is there a double bank? You\u2019ve got to be cognizant of that. Then, where\u2019s your room, or where\u2019s the coffee shop, where\u2019s the convention area? These things can be explored on your own time. Less stress, we\u2019re always talking about the stress and efficiency, so the next morning when the convention starts or when your group is meeting at some place, you have a general idea. You know you\u2019ve got to go down to this floor, and you know this button feels like this. Some of the, like the lobby entry has a star shape on the thing and you can feel that, or it might be the second one up from the bottom, or your floor might be the third one down from the top on the left. Usually you\u2019ve got it all figured out on the day you leave, but while you\u2019re there, it\u2019s nice to figure some of this stuff out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, and some of those elevator banks, some of them only go to certain floors, so you don\u2019t want to get on one that goes, you know, between the 12th and the 16th floor when you\u2019re on the third floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And some people I\u2019ve heard done this to their room, like on the inside of their door they hang an Air Tag or a tile, so they can find their room that way. Myself, I just figure out, you know, if I go left and I\u2019m this far down then there\u2019s Braille usually on the side of the door, on the wall, there\u2019s usually Braille there that- so I use that type of thing, but typically it\u2019s, I get there and figure that stuff out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
But I understand the tile would work too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely, so if you don\u2019t know Braille, I mean I\u2019m not saying sit down and read a novel in six months, but it is nice to know enough Braille to locate your room, identify the panel on the elevator to know what floor you\u2019re going to-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm, yep. A through J. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:
Yep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right there, you\u2019ve got all your numbers you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yep. I mean, I\u2019m not saying that\u2019s the minimum Braille you need, but it is the minimum Braille you need, in a sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Braille is very, very useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if you\u2019re checking into a hotel and you\u2019re solo, get two key cards. It\u2019s just nice to have that one that you use, but keep one like in your wallet or something that would always be there, because sometimes you come in, you\u2019ve got to go to the bathroom or you\u2019ve got to do this or you\u2019re thinking about something and you just set it down and you forget it on the counter or wherever you go-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you walk out, and your door shuts, and it\u2019s like, oh no. So have two, it doesn\u2019t really matter, they\u2019re not gonna charge you for them at all, and while you\u2019re getting those two cards for your room, ask about the internet. Because they\u2019ll tell you it\u2019s blah blah blah, the code is blah blah blah, or you use your last name plus something, you know, your room number or something of that nature, and ask if there\u2019s a fee for the WiFi. But usually you do get the general WiFi, but you get to your room and go, oh, what about the WiFi? Oh, we didn\u2019t ask. Then you pick up the phone and the phone is this foreign thing that, wait, where, is it zero? Do you hit zero?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But some of those phones aren\u2019t laid out like a typical keypad, there\u2019s like a whole panel of numbers, you know, and stuff like that, so while you\u2019re checking in, there\u2019s a list of things that you can do to help you out, get two key cards, ask about the WiFi, if there\u2019s a password, what is it, yeah, that\u2019s something that I try to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm. Absolutely. And you know, you can always probably take a little audio memo while you\u2019re at the front desk, just to have it recorded in case you think you might forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another thing I do when I get into my hotel room, is I turn and right by the hinges of the door, I keep my cane there. I lean it up there, and so every time I want to leave, I just reach across, opposite side of the door handle, and there\u2019s my cane, and that way it\u2019s not in the way of anybody else, it\u2019s out of the way, and it\u2019s always there, so I\u2019m not, like, groping a double bed hotel room like, where\u2019s my cane? Where\u2019s my cane? You know, it\u2019s just someplace that I keep it, and I think keeping things in the same place is a really good thing, like when you\u2019re at the hotel, your wallet, your sunglasses, all your little things that you keep in your pockets, your card, your keys, your, you know, everything like that, I\u2019m leaving the room, I can go to that one spot. Check here\u2019s my wallet, here\u2019s my sunglasses, here\u2019s my, you know, that type of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely, yep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That organization is something, it really pays off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, and too, you know, a lot of times when people are going to, say, a convention or what have you, they might be sharing a room with somebody. So you want to keep your stuff sorted from someone else\u2019s stuff, so you want to have your own space, you want to go in and maybe put your, you don\u2019t want to live out of a suitcase for the three or four days that you\u2019re there, you want to get organized just like you would at home, you want to keep things in the same spot and get organized and keep your things situated from someone else\u2019s-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Space, yeah, absolutely, and be respectful of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Another thing, if you\u2019re gonna be there for a convention of any sort, or some type of conference, you want to get an idea of, like, get the agenda, whether you\u2019re reading it from a Word document or whether you\u2019re reading it in Braille, you want to get an idea of like, oh, okay, breakfast is at eight to nine, and then here, this, that, lunch is at this time, blah blah blah, from this hour, but you want to get a general idea so you can plan, so you\u2019re not missing the first hour of the convention by just trying to figure out what \u2018s going on. And if you can get it in advance it\u2019s really nice, because then you might find some particular thing that you want to attend or that you want to not go to, so you can make your schedule and then when you meet up with people you can say oh, yeah, that sounds good, oh, I can\u2019t do that because I\u2019m going to the whatchacallit, thing in the Hubbard atrium or wherever it is, you know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right, yeah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That, too, is something when you get there early, you can find out where that Hubbard atrium is or where other things are, so you can be efficient, because typically when you\u2019re leaving one area to go to another area, there\u2019s a thousand other people or 400 other people trying to do the same thing, and if you know where you\u2019re going it really helps out everybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you know, sometimes when you go out for lunch or what have you, you might come across a, we\u2019ve been at conventions where you\u2019ve had to go stand in line and pull up a tray and go through the little slide your tray across and have them put food on your tray, and you\u2019re always trying to figure out how to finagle the tray, the drink, the silverware, your cane or your dog. What I typically do is, if I have a pocket or a purse, I would stick my silverware in there, and then my drink would go on my tray, but when I carry the tray with my food and my drink, I would wrap my arm around my tray and press it up against my body, and hold my drink with my fingers, hopefully that makes sense to people, and then I can use my cane with my other hand or I can use Logan with my other hand to travel to the chair and the table that I\u2019m gonna be sitting at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm, and don\u2019t be afraid to sit at tables that you don\u2019t know the people at, if you\u2019re not with anybody else, if they say there\u2019s room, it\u2019s a good way to meet a lot of people that way too, and believe me, the next time you go to the cafeteria, you\u2019ll meet different people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re talking about being in the hotel room, but the other thing I like to do is, you can use Aira for this, but you can also investigate where the outlets to plug your stuff in. Typically on each side of the bed there\u2019s gonna be something there, sometimes you have to move something a little bit to find it, or they have a desk area that might have a plugin or two. Sometimes they\u2019re attached to the lamp base, on the one side or the other, but more and more I see there\u2019s a panel on the desk where you can plug stuff in. The US- I don\u2019t like using the USBs that are provided, because that\u2019s connecting your device right up to them, and I don\u2019t know what they can do with that, because you\u2019re connecting your phone-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, I never thought about that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I do is I like plugging in my block, I always bring an extra block, you always need an extra block to plug in your device, and a cable, of course. Find out where that is and where you want to set your stuff, and I recommend getting a six foot cord if you\u2019re gonna be travelling, because where you plug it in, and where you\u2019re residing in your bed is important, because with a three foot cord, sometimes you can only roll over on your side, because the phone doesn\u2019t reach, so you get a little more room there, little more flexibility to be able to have your device charging, and still listen to your latest podcast or book that you may be reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, and you know, we\u2019ve been at hotels before, Jeff and I have, where the plugins are even in the headboard of the bed, and you have to swipe your card to utilize the lights, there\u2019s a-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh, you leave the card in the slot, remember?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, yes, mm-hm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You come in, and you put it in the slot, and the lights come on, and it powers up the room. So that way you don\u2019t lose the card, when you leave you\u2019re shutting the lights off too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely. Yeah, there\u2019s always something different with every hotel room, I think, we go into. They\u2019re making more and more advances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. And one other thing that I always do, I always bring a kitchen trash bag with me, you know the kind with the pull-string, drawstring? Because when I\u2019m building up my dirty clothes, it\u2019s so much easier to keep track of that sock, you know? Not the socks. It\u2019s that one sock that you miss, you know. So as you\u2019re going through your dirty clothes you can start putting them into that trash bag, and then as you\u2019re ready to leave you just cinch it up and put it all at once into your suitcase, and it doesn\u2019t really cross-contaminate with all your clean stuff that you may have overpacked. No one overpacks, do they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Um, no, I\u2019ve never overpacked. [Laughs]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes I bring more things home than what I should, and I might have to get a different bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that\u2019s a god way for organization, and to keep it separate from the other stuff, so that\u2019s what I do for that. And for the bathroom, the stuff you bring, like your toothbrush, your hairbrush, your comb, that type of stuff, I always keep it in a case, so that way I can bring it into the bathroom and set it in one spot, and what I do is I return it to it every time, because someone\u2019s gonna come in and clean that area up, and I just like having it all organized, zipped up, and every time I open it up it\u2019s the same experience for me, so I know where everything is, it\u2019s not off to the right or you know, it doesn\u2019t get mixed up with the three shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer, so I know what\u2019s mine and it doesn\u2019t get mixed up with someone else\u2019s stuff too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You use moisturizer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No, they provide it. I\u2019ve used it as shampoo once in a while, and that really doesn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m just kidding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then you really have to find the shampoo. One more thing, I just want to add this, find bottled water. I don\u2019t care if you\u2019re at a hotel, but if you\u2019re in a different state, city, country, whatever it is, bottled water is probably going to be not upsetting to you at all, because you just don\u2019t know. So we typically do that, we get bottled- but don\u2019t use the bottled water that\u2019s already in your room. That\u2019s like five bucks, they\u2019ll charge you for that. What you do is find the store down below, or find a general store that\u2019s in the location near you, and pick up, you know, six bottled waters so you have them on hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Absolutely. I think you just brought up something really good. We\u2019ve been at conventions before, or hotels before, where, you know, maybe we wanted to purchase a couple sandwiches or some lunch meats so we\u2019re saving some cost on dinners and lunches and what have you, and if you remove things from those refrigerators, they have little electrical things-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They know. They\u2019re watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, they know, and they\u2019re charging you every time you move that or pull that out of there, so you might want to make sure that, you know, the-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid their refrigerator supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, exactly, yep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may have a refrigerator, but you\u2019ll know that, that you can use, especially if you\u2019re diabetic or you have some medications that need to be chilled, you can always get it arranged to have a refrigerator put in your room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that stock of stuff that\u2019s in that thing, don\u2019t touch it. Don\u2019t even look at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah. Unless you\u2019re a millionaire, and I don\u2019t know too many millionaires. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the other thing, you know, there\u2019s so many things here. Be able to take a quick phone number. If you\u2019re out and about and stuff and someone says, yeah, give me a call, my number is 555-, you know, you want to be able to get that down, you don\u2019t want to say hold on, I\u2019ve got to fire up my laptop, hold on, I\u2019ve got to, let me go into my Word, have, you know-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have a slate and stylus with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or if you have a notetaker, yeah, you can Braille it right in there, or, you know, if you have, just press Record, app, you can tell your phone, you know, take a note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take a note, absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boom. Get it done, efficient, and get it down. And that way when you\u2019re back at your room, you can organize it and put the phone number where you want it, or log it into your contacts that way, but be efficient, be quick about it, and you can be nonchalant about it too, especially if you\u2019re using a Bluetooth earpiece in your head, you can just pull it up and just repeat it, or have them say it right into your phone too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mm-hm, absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It just works, it\u2019s just a simple, easy way to do it. Technically if you have an earpiece they\u2019d have to say it into your ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s where the microphone is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And when you\u2019re leaving a table, whether at a convention or a restaurant or at home, even, push your chair in, because the next person that comes by is gonna find it and go, who the- that\u2019s a common thing. And one of the most important things, you\u2019re out and about, it\u2019s easy to say, oh, I\u2019ve got to sign this, so you set your phone down, and then you sign this, and then they hand you your card back, so then you go and put it in your wallet, but your phone is still sitting there, so I never set something down. I don\u2019t set it down, I put it back where it goes, all the time, on my person, that\u2019s where I\u2019m carrying it, that\u2019s where I\u2019m going to and fro, I don\u2019t separate myself from it. My phone is usually embedded into my hand anyways, but if I set stuff down and then I get distracted, start thinking about something else, so I always try and put things away, yes, my murse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, his murse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So those are a bunch of tips that we use on a regular basis, whether we\u2019re at a convention or just going out, down the road to the coffee shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, absolutely, so hopefully these helped, and if you guys have any other things that you would like to know, maybe how we do them, you can always send Blind Abilities an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Give us a call at 612-367-6093. But yeah, if you have any suggestions, we just would love to add to this list. We\u2019re gonna put it out as a blog too, so people can have it to, just to look at themselves. You know, you may be experienced, you may be that person that doesn\u2019t need any of these tips, but you know, we always run into people that may, you know, may want to learn some of these tips, or some parents of some blind children that may think this would be a useful list for them. And you can help enhance this list by sending us some stuff in an email-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, you can give us some advice, you know, maybe there\u2019s something that we don\u2019t have on the list that, you know, it works for you, and we would love to hear how you do things, because, you know, being blind is- we\u2019re not all in one box. We\u2019re all different individuals and we all have different ways of doing things, and some things work for some people and some things don\u2019t, so we\u2019re always open to listening to other suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like in our camper where we keep the coffee, she moves it all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do. Because I hate where he puts it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeff:
Hm. So people, where do you put your coffee? Alright, thanks for listening, be sure to check out more podcasts at www.blindabilities.com, on Twitter @BlindAbilities, you can download our free Blind Abilities app from the Google Play store, or the Apple store, and that\u2019s two words, Blind Abilities. And from all of us here at Blind Abilities, to you, your family, and friends, stay well, and be strong. I want to thank you for listening, hope you enjoyed, and until next time, bye-bye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lori:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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
<\/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> Give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-9063 we would love to hear from you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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. Lori:And I\u2019m Lori Thompson. Jeff: And we are talking about little tips for life, you know, things that you do when you\u2019re out there socially, you know, the pandemic is coming to a different level, I suppose, and people are getting out a little bit […]<\/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-6862","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P6rcRg-1MG","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5782,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=5782","url_meta":{"origin":6862,"position":0},"title":"Blind Abilities Presents: Corona Virus from a Blindness Perspective","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Jeff Thompson: Welcome to Blind Abilities, Corona 19 from a blindness perspective. We realize that the information and stats and guidelines will be changing on a daily basis, and sometimes in just a matter of hours. So for the latest updated information on the Coronavirus, also known as\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":9482,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9482","url_meta":{"origin":6862,"position":1},"title":"Blind Abilities – the Musical No. 5: When the Screen Spoke Back to Me – Curiosity, Confidence, and Accessible Tech","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: We return with another Blind Abilities Musical about that first time you heard the screen speak back to you. How you dug in an learned about accessibility and use it in the workplace. And how the ever changing tech world keeps you on your toes. After the music\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":6638,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=6638","url_meta":{"origin":6862,"position":2},"title":"Unified English Braille (UEB) Practice Sentences – Comprehensive, Ready to Use and Fun. A New Book from Roberta Becker","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Pete: Introducing a new braille book entitled\u00a0Unified English Braille Practice Sentences. Roberta:\u00a0 This book is for teachers who are teaching braille to blind students, it works for anyone from beginning braille readers all the way up to adults.\u00a0 Pete: Our guests are Lori Scharff- Lori: It's like a\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":5211,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=5211","url_meta":{"origin":6862,"position":3},"title":"Getting Two Blind Brothers with One Stone! The Best Feeling Shirts You Will Ever Feel! Meet Bradford and Bryan from Two Blind Brothers. #NFB19","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Jeff Thompson:Check out the Blind Abilities community on Facebook, the career resources for the blind and visually impaired and the assistive technology community for the blind and visually impaired as well. Jeff Thompson:Welcome to Blind Abilities, I'm Jeff Thompson. Jeff Thompson:I was at a convention and met up\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":9351,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9351","url_meta":{"origin":6862,"position":4},"title":"Blind Abilities – The Musical: O&M and the Scarlet letter B","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"January 31, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Blind Abilities \u2013 The Musical: O&M and the Scarlet Letter B explores the deeply personal moment when a white cane shifts from symbol to tool, from stigma to freedom. Through music, storytelling, and candid conversation, the episode traces the emotional arc of orientation and mobility\u2014hesitation, acceptance, learning, and\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":9380,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9380","url_meta":{"origin":6862,"position":5},"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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6862","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=6862"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6863,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6862\/revisions\/6863"}],"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=6862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Contact:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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