The State Services for the Blind Success Series continues as Rakeb Max sits down with Blind Abilities Team member Jeff Thompson and talks about preparing to transition from high school to college and the workplace.

Rakeb was recently appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to the Young Women’s Initiative cabinet where she will assist the Governor and the Women’s foundation to develop initiatives and policies to close opportunity and disparity gaps between men and women, specifically women of color.

Last summer Rakeb attended George Washington University for a summer intensive program giving her some experience that will help her make decisions for her transition to college next year.

Rakeb has already began the process and has some good advice for others as she talks about her experiences and successes.

You can find out more about State Services for the Blind on the web.

Or call the main office at 651-539-2300.

Outside of Minnesota? Check out the State Agency Directory on the American Foundation for the Blind web site at www.AFB.org

See complete transcription below.

Thank you for listening!

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Transcription:

Meet Rakeb Max: Successfully Navigating the Transition from High School to College

[Music]

Jeff:

State Services for the Blind Success Stories.

[Music]

Transitioning from High School to College to the Workplace.

Working together with the Department of Education, school districts, TVI’s, parents, training centers, with a collaborative effort and one goal in mind, success.

[Music]

Rakeb:

I began exchanging emails with the head of the disabilities services, back and forth making sure they understood what my needs where.

So when it does come to Science and Mathematics, and dealing with visual concepts, I do need Braille and I do need tactile graphing.

[Music]

So when you are dealing with people who aren’t as familiar with accommodations, you have to speak up and you have to learn to express what you needs are, which as a kid is very annoying, but you have to do it.

Jeff:

For more podcasts with the blindness perspective check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com, and download the free Blind Abilities app from the app store.

That’s two words, Blind Abilities.

Welcome to Blind Abilities, I’m Jeff Thompson.

We’re talking to Rakeb Max, she is a senior high school student here in Minnesota, and she is planning her transition to college.

She has just been appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to the Young Woman’s Initiative Cabinet, she’s attended George Washington University this last summer in an intensive summer program.

She’s here to talk about her journey through high school, her plans to transition to college, and some tips and tricks that has helped her along the way.

How ya doing Rakeb?

Rakeb:

I’m good, how are you?

Jeff:

I’m good, and thank you very much for taking the time to come on to Blind Abilities.

Rakeb:

Thank you for having me.

Jeff:

Congratulations on your appointment to the Young Woman’s Initiative.

Rakeb:

Oh, thank you.

Jeff:

Can you tell our listeners what that is, and how that came about?

Rakeb:

I had been notified that the Governor was looking for people to...

That Blind Tech Show: And You Thought Just Apples Were Coming Out!

Allison Hartley and Jeff Thompson join Bryan Fischler on this 7th Episode of That Blind Tech Show.

With the release of the iPhone 8 and the 8 Plus, a lot of people are interested in stepping up and shining their new apples. With the new iPhones came the release of the new iOS 11 and it’s all about the accessibility on this episode of That Blind Tech show.

From Allison’s new Apple Watch Series 3, to the New High Sierra on Jeff’s iMac to Bryan’s Demonstration of NFB Newsline on Amazon’s Echo Dot, this episode brings out more than just Apples, yup, the entire orchard is coming out.

Check out the related articles in the links below.

 

South Park punks Amazon Echo owners

 

Has your guide dog ever ordered anything from amazon?

 

Amazon Alexa Coming to Glasses

 

NFB  Newsline Could be coming to the Amazon Echo. Currently they are looking for beta testers email them [email protected] 

 

Is Bluetooth really off?

You can find That Blind Tech Show on twitter @BlindTechShow

and contact Bryan and his team of co-host by email

You can find Allison on Twitter @Hot4Technology

Bryan Fischler on Twitter @BlindGator

and Jeff Thompson on Twitter @KnownAsJeff

Thank you for listening.

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Blind Abilities team member Jeff Thompson gets a chance to sit down with Karen Santiago for an opportunity to learn more about the person behind The Blind perspective News Letter. Karen was attending the National Federation for the Blind convention 2017 in Orlando, Florida, her first convention and her first time meeting up with a lot of virtual friends.

Karen talks about her adjustment to Blindness and the tools and determination that she incorporated on her journey to reestablish her place in the World, and how to accept her new Blind World.

Through classes at Hadley Institute for the Blind ranging from Braille, Guide Dogs, Elevated Gardening, to Technology, Screen Readers and mobility, karen took them all. She was Student of the Year in 2010 at Hadley Institute and learned enough to land her job at Easter Seals.

Karen is a mom and she experienced it all from family, work, education, internships, guide dogs, distance learning and initiating and creating The Blind Perspective News letter.

 

Full Transcript

 

How to Subscribe to The Blind perspective:

To start your FREE subscription just send an email to the following address, click here to subscribe to The Blind Perspective. Then you will be receiving a confirmation email that you are 

Wanting to subscribe to The Blind Perspective. All you are needing to do is use your email program's reply feature & send a blank reply and you will be automatically added to the distribution list. Please note: if you do not see the confirmation email in your in-box check your junk mail.

And don't forget to like us on Facebook at The Blind Perspective 

 

A big Thank You to CheeChau for his wonderful music, written and produced by @LCheeChau

 

Thank you for listening.

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Blind Abilities team member Jeff Thompson gets a chance to sit down with Karen Santiago for an opportunity to learn more about the person behind The Blind perspective News Letter. Karen was attending the National Federation for the Blind convention 2017 in Orlando, Florida, her first convention and her first time meeting up with a lot of virtual friends.

Karen talks about her adjustment to Blindness and the tools and determination that she incorporated on her journey to reestablish her place in the World, and how to accept her new Blind World.

Through classes at Hadley Institute for the Blind ranging from Braille, Guide Dogs, Elevated Gardening, to Technology, Screen Readers and mobility, karen took them all. She was Student of the Year in 2010 at Hadley Institute and learned enough to land her job at Easter Seals.

Karen is a mom and she experienced it all from family, work, education, internships, guide dogs, distance learning and initiating and creating The Blind Perspective News letter.

How to Subscribe to The Blind perspective:

To start your FREE subscription just send an email to the following address, click here to subscribe to The Blind Perspective. Then you will be receiving a confirmation email that you are

Wanting to subscribe to The Blind Perspective. All you are needing to do is use your email program’s reply feature & send a blank reply and you will be automatically added to the distribution list. Please note: if you do not see the confirmation email in your in-box check your junk mail.

And don’t forget to like us on Facebook at The Blind Perspective

A big Thank You to CheeChau for his wonderful music, written and produced by @LCheeChau

See complete transcription below.

Thank you for listening!

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store

Transcription:

Life Interrupted and The Blind Perspective – Meet Karen Santiago

[Music]

Karen:

The blind perspective is an online monthly newsletter it comes out once a month via email.

What I tell everybody the whole newsletter might not be for you but there’s something in there for everybody.

Jeff:

That was Karen Santiago, editor and creator of the Blind Perspective.

She is also a Mom, former business owner, teacher, and someone who just happens to be blind.

Karen:

I’m older and I learned Braille as an older person.

People ask me “Why should I learn Braille?”

And I say because you become more independent as a Braille reader.

Jeff:

Although Karen met the challenges of vision loss head-on, Karen was not the only one dealing with the challenges of vision loss.

Karen:

I have two two daughters and it was hard, very hard.

Jeff:

Karen’s story is about life interrupted, the challenges she faced, overcoming obstacles, and accepting blindness.

Karen:

Well I gave up driving in probably 2001 because it was just just too hard, I just really couldn’t see, but I still could function as what I was doing as a director and the teacher, but then in 2007 I had a couple surgeries and they, they really went kind of bad.

Jeff:

Join us as Karen talks about her journey,

AT&T and Aira Present: A Conversation With Belo Cipriani

Blind Abilities brings you another installment in the series, presented by AT&T and Aira featuring individuals who have influenced the blindness community through their passions and their actions. This installment introduces Belo Cipriani. belo is an author, an eloquent advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, and so much more. Join Jeff and Pete as they explore Belo’s story, beginning with the tragic assault that led to his blindness, to his rehabilitation at Orientation College for the Blind (OCB), finishing his Masters Degree, writing his book: "Blind, A Memoir”, and his life as a gay blind person. Belo offers a deep look at his thoughts, his fears and his noteworthy attitude that its great to be blind.   

 

This podcast is the second in a series featuring “influencers” who show not only their ability to survive blindness but their insistence to excel and #ExperienceMore through their passions and their actions. Check out all the details about  the AT&T #ExperienceMore campaign at: ExperienceMore.ATT.com, including a variety of videos about these “influencers”. 

 

Check out the amazing Aira technology at Aira.IO

 

Stay tuned for more interviews in this series.

 

Look for Belo at his web site: www.BeloCipriani.com, on Instagram and Twitter @Beloism. 

 

A big Thank You to CheeChau for his wonderful music, written and produced by @LCheeChau

 

Thank you for listening.

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Hey Siri, You’re In My Apple Watch 2! In My Bluetooth Headset! Time to Get the Series 3

Jeff Thompson of The Blind Abilities Podcasting team explains why upgrading to the Apple Watch Series 3 will be a good thing if you want the full experience in this Apple Watch experiment.

Seems like the Apple Watch to me is an ongoing process and as you wear this Jewel of the Nile of a watch, it seems to become more and more of your daily life. Yes, it is a simple yet expensive piece of kit that seems a bit excessive; however, with just a little help from the new 2 core processor giving this kit some 70 percent more horsepower and the addition of a cellular option, well... let the experiment begin.

Join Jeff as he shows you how the Apple Watch operating system 4.0 gets around using Siri and playing music through  Bluetooth speaker.

Thank you for listening.

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Apple Event iPhone 8, 8+, 10, Apple Watch, Apple TV4k and practicing Safe iPhoning

Bryan Fischler is joined by Allison Hartley  and Jeff Thompson for coverage of the Fall Apple Event where the new iPhone 8, 8+ and the iPhone 10 were announced. The Apple Watch Series 3, Apple TV4K and iOS 11 are all just around the corner.

You can check out apple.com for all the latest order, pre-order, and delivery estimates.

A big Thank You to Drew Weber for his original music! You can find more of Drew's music on the web at www.Weber-Air.com and follow Drew on Twitter @RadioDrew1

 

You can find That Blind Tech Show on twitter @BlindTechShow

and contact Bryan and his team of co-host by email

You can find Allison on Twitter @Hot4Technology

Bryan Fischler on Twitter @BlindGator

and Jeff Thompson on Twitter @KnownAsJeff

 

Thank you for listening.

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Bryan Fischler is joined by Allison Hartley and Jeff Thompson for coverage of the Fall Apple Event where the new iPhone 8, 8+ and the iPhone 10 were announced. The Apple Watch Series 3, Apple TV4K and iOS 11 are all just around the corner.

You can check out apple.com for all the latest order, pre-order, and delivery estimates.

A big ThankYou to Drew Weber for his original music and you can find more of his music on the web at www.Weber-Air.com

Follow Drew on Twitter @RadioDrew1

You can find That Blind Tech Show on twitter @BlindTechShow

and contact Bryan and his team of co-host by email

You can find Allison on Twitter @Hot4Technology

Bryan Fischler on Twitter @BlindGator

and Jeff Thompson on Twitter @KnownAsJeff

Thank you for listening!

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Kirk Adams sits down with the Blind Abilities team members Pete Lane and Jeff Thompson for this informative podcast on the American Foundation for the Blind. Kirk talks about the history and some of the latest happenings at AFB and the resources available to all students, teachers, TVI’s and parents. You can find a multiple of categories of articles ranging in topics from Transitioning to college,Life skills, Work Preparedness, Access Technology, Parents of Blind Children and much more. 

You can find out about the apps available from AFB that put the information in the palm of your hand.

Kirk also mentions the AFB Leadership Conference coming up on April 5-7 2018 in Oakland, California. Where AFB brings together all the entities around Blindness can be part of the conversation.

Check out AFB.org on the web and download their apps so you can stay in touch with the latest happenings and information available from the American Foundation for the Blind.

 

Full Transcript

 

Thank you for listening.

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Kirk Adams sits down with the Blind Abilities team members Pete Lane and Jeff Thompson for this informative podcast on the American Foundation for the Blind. Kirk talks about the history and some of the latest happenings at AFB and the resources available to all students, teachers, TVI’s and parents. You can find a multiple of categories of articles ranging in topics from Transitioning to college,Life skills, Work Preparedness, Access Technology, Parents of Blind Children and much more.

You can find out about the apps available from AFB that put the information in the palm of your hand.

Kirk also mentions the AFB Leadership Conference coming up on April 5-7 2018 in Oakland, California. Where AFB brings together all the entities around Blindness can be part of the conversation.

Check out AFB.org on the web and download their apps so you can stay in touch with the latest happenings and information available from the American Foundation for the Blind.

Check out the Apps below!

Access World:

This is the official app of the American Foundation for the Blind’s online publication AccessWorld.

AccessWorld is an online magazine dedicated to technology and people with vision loss

This app has been optimized for iOS VoiceOver and Accessibility features.

With this free app you can:

• Browse and read articles from the latest issue of AccessWorld.

• Browse and read any article in AccessWorld’s entire archive of back issues.

• Contact any member of the AccessWorld team.

AFB Career Connect:

This is the official app of the American Foundation for the Blind’s resource center AFB CareerConnect.

AFB CareerConnect is a free online resource center specific to career exploration, job seeking skills, transition from school to work, e-mentoring, and navigating the employment process as a person who is blind or visually impaired.

This app has been optimized for iOS VoiceOver and Accessibility features.

With this free app you can: · Browse and utilize transition lesson plans from AFB CareerConnect · Browse and read “Our Stories,” firsthand accounts from AFB CareerConnect mentors · Browse and read blog posts from the CareerConnect Blog · Contact AFB and the AFB CareerConnect team

You can find out more about Aira on the web and follow Aira on Twitter @Airaio

Explore your world

like never before

From exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants in the city, to traveling the globe – Aira empowers the blind to experience their world and surroundings like never before.

Accessible devices

Aira’s platform works on wearable devices such as Google Glass and Vuzix that can be paired with your smartphones.

Real-time request

The tiny camera mounted on your wearable device provides instant feedback so Aira Agents can safely guide you with any activity.

Certified agents

Our network of trained Aira Agents, who could even be one of your family or friends, are able to assist you whenever and wherever.

Team Sea To Sea and the Race Across America!

check out Team Sea To See on the web

And follow the Team Sea To See on Facebook.

(from the web)

Team Sea to See is committed to proving that blind people can succeed in any field. We believe that demonstrating this capacity to succeed is critical to empowering oth...