Episode 7 — Mom Guilt, Milestones & Making It Work | Parenting With Vision Loss

“My kids know that I can’t necessarily see them, but my kids know they’re seen — a hundred percent, all the time.”

What does it actually look like to raise children while losing your vision?

In this episode, Austin and Charity are joined by Stephanie, a mother of two living with retinitis pigmentosa, for an open conversation about parenting with blindness and progressive vision loss.

Both Charity and Stephanie became mothers at very different stages of their vision loss. Charity was diagnosed before having children. Stephanie already had her first daughter when she received her diagnosis at 24.

Between them, they’ve experienced parenting while driving, parenting after giving up their licenses, raising young children with declining vision, asking family and friends for help, adapting where they live around transportation and schools, and watching their children grow up alongside their vision loss.

They talk honestly about one of the hardest parts of parenting with a disability: the fear that your limitations might somehow become your child’s limitations too.

Stephanie shares the guilt of getting a call that her daughter is sick at school and not being able to simply get in the car and pick her up.

Charity talks about wanting to be the soccer mom, the room mom and the parent chaperoning field trips — while having to accept that her involvement might look different.

They also discuss the milestones that carry an entirely different weight when you are progressively losing your sight: graduations, weddings, grandchildren, sporting events and simply wondering how much you’ll still be able to see when those moments arrive.

But this conversation isn’t only about what vision loss takes away.

It’s also about what their children have gained from growing up around it — patience, compassion, adaptability, advocacy and an understanding that people can do things differently without being less capable.

You'll hear about:

• Raising children while living with progressive vision loss 
• The fear of not being able to protect your children the way you want to 
• Mom guilt and learning to ask other people for help 
• Giving up driving while raising young children 
• Building your life around transportation, schools and accessibility 
• The difference between needing help and being incapable of parenting 
• Explaining blindness and vision loss to young children 
• When your children begin recognizing your disability on their own 
• Worrying that your children are growing up too quickly because they help you 
• How children can become advocates for their blind or visually impaired parents 
• Using a white cane at your child’s school, events and activities 
• The fear of your children being embarrassed by your disability 
• Missing visual details at concerts, sports and other milestones 
• Wanting enough remaining vision to see graduations, weddings and future grandchildren 
• How technology and recorded video can help preserve moments you couldn’t see in real time 
• The fear some blind and visually impaired parents have about whether they are “allowed” to have children 
• Charity’s experience adopting a child as a single visually impaired mother 
• Why having a support system matters 
• Why parenting differently does not mean parenting poorly 
• The unexpected ways growing up with a disabled parent can shape a child 

Charity and Stephanie also reflect on something they both spent years worrying about: whether their blindness was negatively affecting their children.

Looking back, both say they carried far more fear about it than their children ever did.

Their homes looked different. Transportation looked different. School events looked different. Sometimes their kids had to lend a hand.

But their children were okay.

As Stephanie puts it:

“My kids know that I can’t necessarily see them, but my kids know they’re seen.”

That may be the most important takeaway from the entire conversation.

Being a great parent has never depended on eyesight.

It depends on showing up, adapting, asking for help when you need it, loving your children and making sure they know they are seen — even when you can’t always see them.


🎙️ CENTRAL VISION PODCAST

Website:
https://centralvisionpodcast.com

YouTube:
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Episode 6 — Traveling With Vision Loss: Airports, Hotels & Leaving Your Shame at the Door

Traveling can be stressful for anyone. Add blindness or vision loss to the equation, and sometimes just getting where you're going becomes the hardest part of the trip.

In this episode, Austin and Charity talk about what traveling actually looks like when you can't always see the signs, find the elevator that just dinged, navigate an unfamiliar hotel room, read the departure board, locate your gate, or even find your seat on an airplane.

And yes — sometimes that ends with Austin accidentally sitting on a stranger's lap.

They talk about the funny moments, the frustrating ones, the anxiety that can come before a trip even begins, and the amount of preparation that often happens behind the scenes just to make traveling feel manageable.

Charity shares how she plans trips around accessibility, researches airports before flying, organizes her suitcase so she always knows where everything is, and uses tools like Be My Eyes and Aira to travel more independently.

Austin talks about his own packing system, why he actually loves airports despite the chaos, an experience with TSA that helped inspire Rare Perspective Co., and why he's learned to leave the embarrassment behind and simply ask for help when he needs it.

You'll hear about:

• Why hotels can be surprisingly difficult to navigate with low vision 
• Dark hallways, inconsistent room layouts, elevators, stairs, hidden mini fridges and the never-ending search for the hotel pool 
• How Austin and Charity have changed the way they pack and prepare for trips 
• Why preparation can reduce anxiety when you're traveling with vision loss 
• Choosing airports and destinations based on accessibility 
• Be My Eyes and Aira — two tools that can provide visual assistance while traveling 
• Your rights as a passenger with a disability when requesting assistance at an airport 
• How airline personnel can assist you from the terminal entrance or vehicle drop-off point through security, to your gate and onto the aircraft 
• TSA Cares and how travelers with disabilities can request additional assistance at security 
• Traveling with a guide dog and navigating TSA screening 
• The difference between helping someone and completely taking over 
• Why asking “What do you need me to do to help you?” can be far better than assuming 
• Traveling internationally and using technology like translation apps and Meta glasses 
• The anxiety that can come with traveling independently 
• Why changing your plans doesn't mean you've ruined your trip 
• The places Austin and Charity still want to experience — and the places vision loss has made them reconsider 

Most importantly, this episode is about not allowing the difficult parts of traveling to stop you from experiencing the world.

The destination may be the easiest part. Getting there might be stressful, awkward, frustrating and occasionally hilarious.

But sometimes you have to leave your shame at the door, ask for the help you need, and take the trip anyway.


TRAVEL & ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES

U.S. Department of Transportation — Wheelchair & Guided Assistance 
Airlines are required to provide requested assistance to passengers with disabilities navigating the airport, including assistance from the terminal entrance or vehicle drop-off point through the security checkpoint, to the departure gate and onto the aircraft.

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/wheelchair-and-guided-assistance

Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights 
Learn more about your rights under the Air Carrier Access Act.

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/disabilitybillofrights

File a Disability-Related Air Travel Complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation 
If you believe your rights were violated or you experienced disability-related discrimination or problems with airline service, you can submit a complaint directly to DOT.

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint

TSA Cares 
Travelers with disabilities or medical conditions can contact TSA Cares before traveling with questions about screening or to request additional assistance. TSA recommends contacting them at least 72 hours before travel when requesting a Passenger Support Specialist.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/tsa-cares

TSA Cares Phone:
1-855-787-2227

Be My Eyes 
Free visual assistance connecting people who are blind or have low vision with sighted volunteers, participating companies and visual AI.

https://www.bemyeyes.com

Aira 
On-demand visual interpreting for people who are blind or have low vision. Aira connects users with professionally trained visual interpreters and is also available at participating Access locations.

https://aira.io


🎙️ CENTRAL VISION PODCAST

Website:
https://centralvisionpodcast.com

YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@centralvisionpodcast

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/centralvisionpodcast

Facebook:
https://facebook.com/centralvisionpodcast

TikTok:
https://tiktok.com/@centralvisionpodcast

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

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Episode 5 — Depression, Isolation & Mental Health: Finding Your Way Back

Vision loss can change far more than what you see. It can change how you see yourself.

In this episode, Austin and Charity have one of their most personal conversations yet about depression, isolation, loneliness, identity, self-worth, and the mental weight that can come with progressive vision loss.

They talk openly about the difference between being alone and feeling truly lonely, the strange experience of being surrounded by people while still feeling like nobody understands what you're going through, and how easy it can become to withdraw from the world when everything starts feeling harder.

Austin shares the darkest period of his own journey after being diagnosed with a progressive vision condition — including years of drinking, partying, self-hatred, removing the mirrors from his home because he couldn't stand to look at himself, and reaching a point where he questioned whether he wanted to continue living if his vision and hearing disappeared.

Charity opens up about losing her career, feeling like her identity had been stripped away, spending years struggling to accept the life she now had, and later experiencing another major emotional setback after losing her guide dog.

But this episode isn't only about getting knocked down.

It's about what it takes to start getting back up.

You'll hear about:

• Why isolation can become a cycle that becomes harder to escape the longer you're in it
• The difference between physically being alone and emotionally feeling lonely
• How progressive vision loss can force you to repeatedly adapt as your circumstances change
• What happens when your identity, career, independence, or idea of your future suddenly disappears
• Why rebuilding your life in the shadow of your old one can keep you trapped
• How negative self-talk can become habitual — and how both Austin and Charity learned to interrupt it
• Why small victories sometimes matter more than massive goals when you're trying to climb out of depression
• The importance of finding community and people who genuinely understand your experience
• How talking honestly about what you're going through can begin to take away some of its power
• Why accepting that life may look different does not mean accepting that your life is over

Austin and Charity also reflect on what they wish they could tell the versions of themselves who were struggling years ago — and why neither of them would describe their lives today the way they once feared they would.

A note before listening: This episode includes honest conversations about depression, isolation, alcohol use, self-hatred, and thoughts of not wanting to continue living. Austin and Charity are sharing their personal experiences and the things that helped them find their way forward — not suggesting that the same path will work for everyone. If you or someone you know is struggling, whether because of vision loss or something else entirely, please reach out. Talk to someone you trust, a mental health professional, or another source of support. You do not have to carry it alone, and asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of.

Central Vision Podcast is rooted in blindness and vision loss because those are the experiences Austin and Charity know personally. But the emotions discussed in this episode aren't exclusive to vision loss.

If you've experienced a major change in your health, independence, career, relationships, identity, or future — or you've simply found yourself isolated, depressed, lost, or trying to figure out who you are after life changed — parts of this conversation may sound familiar.

Whatever brought you here, you don't have to have retinitis pigmentosa or even vision loss to take something from this conversation.

For those specifically navigating a recent retinitis pigmentosa (RP) diagnosis, Austin also created a completely free RP Guide designed to explain the experience in plain language — more like hearing from a friend who's been through it than reading another medical pamphlet. It also includes a section for friends and family who want to better understand how to support someone experiencing vision loss.

FREE RP GUIDE
https://www.rareperspectiveco.com/pages/rp-guide

🎙️ CENTRAL VISION PODCAST

Website:
https://centralvisionpodcast.com

YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@centralvisionpodcast

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

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Episode 4 - Dating, Relationships & Vision Loss

Dating and relationships can already be complicated, but vision loss can add challenges most people never have to think about. Austin and Charity get honest about confidence, disclosure, independence, feeling like a burden, and the difficult question of whether someone will see your vision loss before they see you.


Austin shares how dating changed after his diagnosis, including the impact vision loss had on his own self-worth and the moment a woman walked away almost immediately after he told her about his condition. Charity offers the perspective of nearly 20 years of marriage and talks about how progressive vision loss has changed the roles within her relationship, from leaving her career to finding new ways to contribute to her family and partnership.


You'll discover:


Why accepting yourself can completely change the way you approach dating and relationships
When and how Austin chooses to disclose his vision loss - and why he now prefers to address it early
How not driving affects dating, independence, and traditional expectations within relationships
Why feeling like a burden can become one of the hardest emotional challenges for both partners
How to communicate when someone is trying to help but their help actually takes away your independence
The surprising ways vision loss can create more patience, empathy, awareness, and connection
Why meeting a partner’s family can bring up fears about protection, providing, and whether you will be seen as “good enough”
Austin and Charity also explore the difference between being supported and being managed. From partners speaking for you to people announcing your blindness to a room, they discuss why good intentions do not always feel good - and why healthy communication means explaining not only what hurts, but what would actually help instead.


The conversation also turns toward something neither of them expected: the ways vision loss may have made them better partners. Charity reflects on the patience she has developed with herself and others, while Austin talks about becoming more attentive to tone of voice, emotion, touch, and the things people communicate without visual cues.


Ultimately, this episode is about refusing to discount yourself because of vision loss. Someone else having different preferences does not make you less worthy, and having a disability does not mean lowering your standards or accepting a relationship that is less than what you want.


This conversation is especially meaningful for anyone with vision loss navigating dating or marriage, anyone supporting a partner through progressive vision loss, or anyone who has ever wondered whether a disability changes what they deserve from love. If you have ever struggled with confidence, independence, vulnerability, or feeling like you bring less to a relationship, this episode is for you.


Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com


Austin is wearing the “Use the Floors” shirt from Rare Perspective Co. If you're curious about the shirt or want to see more, visit www.rareperspectiveco.com.

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

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Episode 3 — Eyece Breaker: Alexis on Vision Loss, Independence & One Very Hairy Target Encounter

This week, Austin and Charity welcome 13-year-old Alexis, August’s Rare Perspective Co Eyece Breaker feature, for a conversation that starts with one of the funniest vision-loss stories we’ve heard yet — and ends up going much deeper.

While shopping at Target on a bad vision day, Alexis was feeling her way through a clothing rack when she found what she thought might be an unusually hairy, slightly greasy fur coat.

It was not a coat.

It was a man’s arm.

From there, Alexis takes us through what life has looked like since being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in 2024. She talks openly about using a white cane at school, learning Braille and JAWS, orientation and mobility training, dealing with classmates who don’t always understand blindness, and the family and friends who have helped her approach vision loss without letting it define what she can do.

And Alexis is doing plenty.

From tandem cycling and sailing to rock climbing, creative writing, baking and plans to play blind hockey, she shares what she’s learned about independence, adaptation and finding another way to do the things that matter to you.

She also takes us back to her RP diagnosis at just 11 years old — hearing that she was “going blind” while still being able to see, learning for the first time that blindness exists on a spectrum, and eventually realizing that losing vision may change how she does things without changing who she is.

It’s funny, honest and surprisingly powerful — and a pretty great reminder that sometimes the difference between “I can’t do that” and “how can I do that?” is simply having the right people around you.

👕 MEET ALEXIS + THE EYECE BREAKER

Read Alexis’s story, hear it in her own voice and explore the Eyece Breaker features from Rare Perspective Co:

https://rareperspectiveco.com/pages/eyece-breaker-alexis-aug-2026

Have your own ridiculous, awkward or impossible-to-make-up story from life with blindness or vision loss?

Submit your Eyece Breaker story: 
https://rareperspectiveco.com/submit

Every Eyece Breaker purchase helps support the Foundation Fighting Blindness and its mission to fund research, education and advocacy for people affected by inherited retinal diseases.

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🎙️ CENTRAL VISION PODCAST

Central Vision Podcast is a conversation about life through a different perspective — bringing together people who are blind or have low vision, along with the families, friends, professionals and advocates who share the journey.

🌐 Website: 
https://centralvisionpodcast.com

📺 YouTube: 
https://youtube.com/@centralvisionpodcast

📸 Instagram: 
https://instagram.com/centralvisionpodcast

📘 Facebook: 
https://facebook.com/centralvisionpodcast

🎵 TikTok: 
https://tiktok.com/@centralvisionpodcast

If you enjoyed the episode, follow or subscribe, leave us a rating or review, and share it with someone who should hear it.

Have a question about blindness, low vision or something you’ve always wanted to ask? Send us a message. Your question may become part of a future episode.

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👕 RARE PERSPECTIVE CO

Apparel and storytelling created to shift how blindness and low vision are seen — through honest conversation, humor, visibility and perspective.

🌐 Rare Perspective Co: 
https://rareperspectiveco.com

📸 Instagram: 
https://instagram.com/rareperspectiveco

New episodes of Central Vision Podcast every Tuesday.

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

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Episode 2 - What People Don’t See: The Everyday Reality 

The hardest part of vision loss is often the part nobody can see. Austin and Charity get honest about the invisible battles that shape everyday life - the anxiety, the overthinking, the fear of being judged, and the exhausting pressure to “look normal” when the world is watching.

Charity opens up about what it feels like to navigate crowded schools, restaurants, travel, and public spaces with just 3 to 4 degrees of vision, and why perception can weigh just as heavily as the physical challenge. Austin shares the moments that made him confront his own blindness head-on, from speaking on stage for the first time to the awkward, hilarious, and deeply relatable ways vision loss shows up at self-checkout, ATMs, bathrooms, TSA, and social gatherings.

You'll discover:

• Why so many people with vision loss say no to plans, even when they want to go
• How anxiety around being perceived can be more draining than the practical obstacles
• The social misunderstandings that make blindness look like rudeness, distraction, or disengagement
• How both hosts adapt through routines, mental mapping, and surprising strategies that help them stay independent
• Why embracing assistive tools like canes and guide dogs can change more than mobility - it can change confidence

Charity also shares how deciding to do hard things led her to orientation and mobility training and this podcast itself, while Austin reflects on the power of naming your reality instead of hiding it. Together, they make a compelling case that vision loss is not just about what you can’t see - it’s about everything you carry because of it.

This conversation is especially meaningful for anyone living with vision loss, supporting someone who is, or trying to better understand the unseen side of disability. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, self-conscious, or limited by what other people assume, this episode will feel both validating and eye-opening.

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

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Episode 1 - How We Got Here

In our first episode, we’re starting at the beginning.

Charity and Austin share their individual experiences with vision loss—when it started, how their lives changed, and some of what brought them to where they are today. We also get into the story behind Central Vision Podcast: why Charity originally created it, how the two of us ended up behind the microphones together, and what made us decide it was time to bring the podcast back with a new direction.

Along the way, there are plenty of side quests, laughs, and conversations that probably tell you more about us than any formal introduction could.

This episode is our starting point—who we are, how we got here, and what we hope Central Vision Podcast can become: a place for honest conversations about blindness and vision loss, without pretending every conversation has to be serious.

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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