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Welcome to the weekend edition of v the Life After Blindness podcast.
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Have you ever wondered about the experiences of someone who has been blind since birth? This week, Tim Schwartz and Maria Johnson will be exploring many things about being blind since birth with Holly Anderson and Darcy Bernard from the Maccessibility Roundtable Podcast.
A Blind Point of View is a new roundtable podcast where people who are blind or visually impaired come together to have a deep dive conversation about all things related to blindness.
In this roundtable, Holly and Darcy describe a variety of situations related to being blind since birth. They both talk about their childhood experiences and how things they “lost out on” are similar to the “loss” someone might feel from losing vision later in life.
They also describe whether they can see or not in their dreams as well as what colors really mean to them.
A lot of fruit analagies are brought up here.
Tim, Maria, Holly and Darcy discuss some of the more politically correct (or not) words and phrases associated to people who are considered blind or visually impaired and whether these terms really matter or not.
The conversation gets really deep as everyone speculates that no matter when you became blind, we are all in it together.
If you would like to be a part of the conversation or have an idea for a future roundtable, please get in touch with either Tim or Maria. Thank you so much for listening to A Blind Point of View!
Listeners Share for Blindness Awareness Month, Google Accessibility News And Sleep Phones Discussion with Maria Johnson
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Maria Johnson from Girl Gone Blind joins me on Life After Blindness for the entire show this week. We discuss Blindness Awareness Month, Accessibility news from Google as well as our experiences with a special bluetooth device called Sleep Phones.
If you would like to support Life After Blindness, please donate here. Thanks!
Commiserating on cruising
In October, I went on a big family cruise to the Caribbean. As the show opens, Maria and I commiserate about vacationing on cruises.
On this recent cruise, Carnival provided me with a large print event calendar that was almost 6 feet long. They also had audio description playing on their information TV channel in my cabin. Maria and I go on to discuss other aspects of our cruising experiences that have been fun and accessible.
On episode 33 of the Life After Blindness podcast, I interviewed the Senior Cruise Director for Carnival Cruise Line John Heald about the accessibility of cruising.
October is Blindness Awareness Month.
Throughout the month, Life After Blindness has been sharing submissions from listeners about things they would want others to know about blindness. Whether you are blind or visually impaired or a person who is sighted who knows someone blind, these stories are meant to inform and educate others about blindness.
This week, we hear from three people with very similar messages. They want people to know that just because you are blind, you are not helpless. However, if you are blind, they suggest that you should not be afraid to ask for help. They say it is also important to communicate with others about your level of vision.
Following the listener comments, I ask Maria for her perspective. She references an article entitled, “5 Things Blind People Shouldn’t Have To Justify To Anyone.”
How do you feel about what Maria the listeners and myself had to say? What else would you want others to know about blindness? Please comment below or send us an email. You can also leave a voicemail by calling 1-201-855-5221.
in the news.
Google has announced a couple of new updates. First, Google has added more specific walking directions for their popular Maps app. This update will provide you with more detailed information about intersections and your proximity to things. The other update from Google is within their Chrome Browser. They have added a feature that will attempt to describe images online.
Discussion about Sleep Phones.
Since February or so, we have both been using a product by Acoustic Sheep called Sleep Phones. Sleep Phones are headphones that are found inside a comfortable headband and are soft and flexible. They connect to any device that uses bluetooth and come in various colors and fabrics. Maria and I give examples of using Sleep Phones to listen to nature sounds or meditations as well as podcasts, music or anything else that will help you get to sleep.
The Sleep Phones tie into a final story about a recent study. The study states that severe sleep apnea is a risk factor for developing diabetic macular edema, a complication of diabetes that can cause vision loss or blindness.
A Blind Point of View.
Also in this episode, we tease an upcoming roundtable podcast we are working on. This special conversation is a deep dive into coping with blindness. Maria, Derek Daniel from Life After Sight Loss and myself will share our experiences with losing vision and talk about ways that we have coped with sight loss.
If you have any questions or comments, please send your emails to: tim@lifeafterblindness.com
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Welcome to the Life After Blindness Spotlight. This is the podcast where I interview someone connected to the blind and visually impaired community.
This week, I speak with Derek Daniel from Life After Sight Loss.
Derek talks about growing up in a small town in southern Indiana after having been adopted at just three weeks old. growing up, Derek discovered he had a passion for the performing arts as well as for helping people. Combined with his interest in technology as well as his experiences through church ministry, Derek is using these talents and interests to help others through his new website and podcast.
Listen as Derek describes losing sight at age 18. And how the love of family and Friends as well as his love for the performing arts, helped him through the transition. Derek also discusses how he manages being a stay at home blind father while producing YouTube videos, blogs and podcasts. He then shares his hopes for the future of Life After Sight Loss before ending with some inspirational thoughts for those who are losing their vision.
Thank you very much for listening to the Life After Blindness Spotlight interview with Derek Daniel.
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Hello! My Name is Tim Schwartz and I’d like to welcome you to the Life After Blindness Blog and Podcast!
I began to slowly lose my vision when I was about 13 years old. I’ve been through the good, the bad and the ugly of vision loss. If not for the help of family, friends and technology – I’d never be where I am today. And now I want to share what I’ve learned with you.
I originally launched the blog and podcast in 2013. My intention was to be a resource for the visually impaired and sighted alike. I wanted the blog and podcast to be a source of inspiration for the blind community. Not just a place to find the latest news and events, but also a source of comfort. I had also hoped that sighted people would find this a welcoming resource that could aid them in relating to blind family or friends.
These feelings and goals never changed but my personal life did. When I started the podcast in 2013, my wife and I had just moved and our daughter was 8 months old. So keeping up with a blog and podcast on a regular basis proved to be overwhelming.
In my absence from the podcast, I have continued to write some blog posts. I’ve also shared numerous blindness-related stories to Twitter and Facebook. But, my desire to podcast regularly and share my passion with the world has never waivered. I feel that my dream to make ‘Life After Blindness’ achieve its potential is stronger than it has ever been!
So whether you have been blind since birth or slowly losing your vision for years, we all have this one thing in common. Therefore, we share many of the same barriers as well as achievements. Please come along with me as we embark on this journey together! And let’s show the world that there truly can be a life after blindness…