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A Different Way of Seeing
A Different Way of Seeing episodes
- 150 - The Why of Web Accessibility with Karren Visser, Justin Hyde and Craig Strachan
Want to sponsor me the cost of a cup of coffee?? Hop onto
https://ko-fi.com/adifferentwayofseeing
In this episode, Lois is joined by three voices bringing web accessibility into sharp focus: Karren Visser, a visually impaired photographer who navigates the digital world daily. Justin Hyde, a front-end developer with a passion for building inclusive user experiences. And Craig Strachan, an IT architect who understands the structural backbone of accessible systems. Together, they unpack what it really means to create websites that work for everyone.
This conversation explores a broad range of topics related to web accessibility, from barriers that impact everything from simple browsing to making important buying decisions. We go behind the scenes to explore how thoughtful coding, modern frameworks, and evolving AI tools can help identify and fix accessibility gaps before they become obstacles.
Most importantly, the conversation is placed within the context of the business case for making websites accessible to all, demonstrating the bottom line affect that inclusion can have for an organisation.
To learn more and connect with our guests:
Karren Visser:
Website: karrenvisser.com
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn: @karrenvisser
Justin Hyde:
Website: vertopia.co.za
Socials: @vertopia
Craig Strachan:
Website: craigstrachan.com
Image Description:
White headphone and eye icon with a sound wave in the center, over a background patterned with hundreds of illustrated eyes.
I’d love to hear from you – contact me at
Website : loisstrachan.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeaker
This episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.com
Credits and music by Charlie Dyasi.
59 min - 149 - Dana Garrett on Parenting a Non-Verbal Autistic Child
In this episode, I chat with Dana Garrett on navigating parenthood of a neurodiverse child. Dana shares her insights into the tools and techniques she found helpful in creating a supportive environment for her daughter.
Dana is a proud advocate for creating inclusion and belonging. Through her advocacy work she has created children’s books sharing stories of a child who utilize alternative communication techniques. She also writes on these topics for a local publication in New Orleans, where she is based
During our conversation, Dana mentions two Facebook groups that has found to be useful. They areNonverbal Autism Group, Autism Awareness for Parents and Family Support Group
Follow Dana at these links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danagarrett
Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/dana__garrett
Website: https://danagarrett.com
Recommended Reading: Sincerely, Your Autistic Child https://a.co/d/0i9MRxnJ
Description:
A close-up portrait of a smiling woman. She has fair skin and long, wavy light brown hair parted to one side. She is wearing large gold hoop earrings and a light pink top with short, ruffled sleeves and a textured, gathered pattern on the front. The background is blurred and shows trees and what appears to be water, suggesting a lakeside or riverside setting.
I’d love to hear from you – contact me at
Website : loisstrachan.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeaker
This episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.com
Credits and music by Charlie Dyasi.
41 min - 148 - My Journey with Chronic Kidney Disease – From Hope to Waiting for a Surgery Date
In this episode, the third in the series detailing my journey with chronic kidney disease, Jeremy Opperman and I continue the story from where we left off.
Today we discuss how I went about finding a possible kidney donor, and the various types of donors there are. We then explore the range of medical tests my possible donor and I underwent to ensure we were a viable match, and all that is happening in the meantime
Now that I am awaiting a date for the surgery, I describe my emotions as I approach the final stages of this journey.
Listen to the first two episodes in the series:
138 My Journey with Chronic Kidney Disease: From Diabetes to dialysis, about being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a child, navigating diabetes and my subsequent blindness, and finishing with the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease.
Link: https://rss.com/podcasts/different-way-of-seeing/2597760
139 – My Journey with Chronic Kidney Disease: From Dialysis to Hope, about understanding what dialysis is, how I’ve adapted to the medical regime, and ending up discussing the possibility of a kidney transplant operation.
Link: https://rss.com/podcasts/different-way-of-seeing/2597759
Image Description:
A woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair who is lying on a reclinable medical bed. Beside her is a dialysis machine with various displays. The backrest of the bed is in an upright position.
I’d love to hear from you – contact me at
Website : loisstrachan.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeaker
This episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.com
Credits and music by Charlie Dyasi.
51 min - 147 - Job Talk: Heidi Lourens on Working as an Academic and Counseling Psychologist
In this episode, Lois Chats with Heidi Lourens about her work as an academic in the psychology field and her training as a counseling psychologist. Having started her education at a school for the blind, Heidi explores what it was like for her to shift into a mainstream university for tertiary education and her experiences in her current work.
Discovering a love for research, Heidi explains how she navigates the world of lecturing, supervising and researching at university level, and offers words of advice for those considering a career in psychology.
Heidi also chats about her fragrance-related YouTube channel, Heidi’s Perfume Corner where she shares reviews of fragrances.
Reach out to Heidi at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidi.klerk:
e-mail: [email protected]
Find Heidi’s Perfume Corner at:
https://youtube.com/@heidisperfumecorner7501?si=_paUDDKa95dtyI5H
Image Description:
A woman with shoulder-length auburn hair and green eyes is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a short-sleeved white dress and is sitting on a wooden chair. A black Labrador in a guide dog harness sits beside her. Grass, trees and plants can be seen beyond them.
I’d love to hear from you – contact me at
Website : loisstrachan.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachan
53 min - 146 - Erica du Toit on Loop Systems and Assistive Technology for the Hearing Loss CommunityIn this episode, Lois Chats with Erica du Toit on the topic of loop systems and other assistive technology for those living with hearing lossHaving worked in the advocacy space for 30 years, Erica has a broad knowledge of tools and techniques that can assist those with hearing impairments and the people around them.Reach out to Erica at the following links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-du-toit-13831370/Western Cape APDTel: 021 555-2881Email: [email protected]Website: https://wcapd.org.za/National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD)Email: [email protected]Website: www.ncpd.org.zaWestern Cape Network on DisabilityEmail: [email protected]Website: www.wcdisability.org.zaImage Description:A woman with short dark hair wearing a long-sleeved black top. Shehas a pendent around her neck with a circular pendent with a design on it.I’d love to hear from you – contact me atWebsite : loisstrachan.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeakerThis episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.comCredits and music by Charlie Dyasi.45 min
- 145 - Paws on the Path - Hiking the Pondo Trail with Angela Blackwell and Guide Dog JaydeeToday I chat with Angela Blackwell, the first blind person to hike the Pondo Trail in South Africa with her guide dog, Jaydee.Angela discusses how Jaydee helped her regain her confidence and independence after her diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa resulted in significant loss of visual acuity.Hiking the Pondo Trail, a four day hike on theEast coast of South Africa became a challenge that Angela set for herself as a way of raising awareness that blindness does not mean living small. She is also using the project as a fund-raiser for the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind.Follow Ange and Jaydees experience on the show and connect with them online:Instagram: @Angel on the Blindside.Please also support their fundraising at https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/paws-on-the-pathImage Description:A woman sitting on a large piece of driftwood on a sandy riverbank beside a white dog. The woman has short brown hair and light skin, and she is wearing a light gray T-shirt and denim shorts, barefoot, resting her chin on her hand and facing to the right with a calm, thoughtful expression. The dog is sitting close to her left side, wearing a collar, and also facing to the right. A wide, calm river stretches behind them, with green, tree-covered hills on both sides and a pale sky with light clouds.I’d love to hear from you – contact me atWebsite : loisstrachan.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeakerThis episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.comCredits and music by Charlie Dyasi.51 min
- 144 - Finding New Guests for A Different Way of Seeing with Lois StrachanIn my first ever solo episode, and possibly my shortest, I’m inviting you to reach out if you, or someone you know would be a great guest for the show.In the episode, I talk about the types of stories I like to share, and tell you how to contact me if you, your organization, or someone you know might be a good person for me to interview.Reach out to me on my website loisstrachan.comOr drop a comment on Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube if that’s where you found this invitation.Together let’s continue sharing stories that matterImage Description:A smiling woman with short dark hair who is wearing a teal blue and silver top. Behind her are light wooden shelves containing objects such as glassware, books, DVDs and a small model of a ship.I’d love to hear from you – contact me atWebsite : loisstrachan.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeakerThis episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.comCredits and music by Charlie Dyasi.10 min
- 143 - Reframing Disability as a Competitive Advantage with Simalumba NawaIn this episode, Lois speaks with Simalumba Nawa on the business case for increased inclusion in business.This wide-ranging conversation covers Sima’s story of becoming visually impaired, gaining blindness skills, how he began his work as an inclusion advocate, and some of the work he has done in this space.Sima also discusses his work with corporates in Africa demonstrating the value of increasing inclusion not only in employment, but in all facets of their business and offerings.Reach out to Sima Nawa:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simaragnar.nawaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simalumba-nawa-/Dear Sighted People Blog: https://dearsightedpeople.wordpress.com/:Watch Sima’s TEDx speech: https://youtu.be/xwiGmrs8chE?si=2SOyQ3hG1k_fPN50Image Description:A man with a goatee standing against a white background. He is wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and has a brown and white animal print over his shoulder.One hand rests on his hip and the other holds the handle of a white cane.I’d love to hear from you – contact me atWebsite : loisstrachan.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeakerThis episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.comCredits and music by Charlie Dyasi.51 min
- 142 - Job Talk: Karen Armour on Recruitment and Employment for Persons with DisabilitiesIn this episode, Lois speaks with recruitment agent Karen Armour on the topic of employment for persons with disabilities.During the conversation, they explore the role of a recruiter in advocating for job seekers with disabilities, the importance of a CV to showcase your skills, and thoughts on approaching interviews.This is an episode that is filled with practical details on how to set up your CV to sell your skills, ways to prepare for an interview and how to find a recruiter who will best represent the needs of a job seeker with a disability.Reach out to Karen Armour:e-mail: [email protected]Mobile: +27 (0)74 153 0992Website: www.isisekelo.co.zaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-armour-645ba221?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appImage Description:A woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair who is smiling gently at the camera. She is wearing a royal blue coat over a dark blouse and gray pants, and her hands are resting on her knee.I’d love to hear from you – contact me atWebsite : loisstrachan.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeakerThis episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.comCredits and music by Charlie Dyasi.58 min
- 141 - Dr Erna van der Westhuizen on the Concept of Voice Economy to Benefit Marginalised GroupsIn this episode, Lois speaks with Dr Erna van der Westhuizen about the concept of voice economy as a way for marginalized groups, including those with disabilities, to empower and advocate for themselves.Erna developed the concept of voice economy after leading an advocacy project to explore the out of pocket expenses experienced by parents of children with disabilities. When she initially struggled to get the information she needed for the project, she started a WhatsApp group to communicate with community leaders who began adding parents and other stakeholders to the group. Within a short time it had grown to more than 3000 participants sharing their lived experiences and knowledge to benefit others in the community.Erna defines voice economy as a system of expression and an exchange of individual and collective voices to generate shared value that drives social transformation and changeDiscover more about voice economy atWebsite: www.voiceeconomy.orgRead Erna’s latest article at:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12587122/Image Description:A woman with short hair wearing a red academic gown.. She is dressed in a black and white patterned shirt and has on a pair of spectacles and a chunky Necklace of red and black. The image is taken outdoors with trees and mountains in the background.I’d love to hear from you – contact me atWebsite : loisstrachan.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lstrachanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrachanspeakerThis episode edited by Craig Strachan using Hindenburg PRO – find out more on Hindenburg.comCredits and music by Charlie Dyasi.40 min
About A Different Way of Seeing
From the publisher's feed
Conversations on opportunities, challenges and lived experiences to foster understanding between disabled and non-disabled communities. Insights into the tools and techniques used by people with…
disabilities navigating the worlds of work, education, travel, sport, the arts and leisure. Because while we may be disabled we will never be disempowered.