In this eye-opening episode of The Blind Chick, hosts Penn and Moses Street sit down with John Romano—nonprofit leader, former relief worker, and founder of Disaster Central. John shares how his experience as a pilot, motorcyclist, and Hurricane Sandy relief worker shaped his approach to risk mitigation and inspired the creation of the Be Ready app.

The conversation explores how the Be Ready app simplifies emergency planning, especially for individuals with disabilities and access needs. Though accessibility features are still evolving, the app already offers powerful tools like cloud-based document storage, community contact sharing, and preparedness prompts for building continuity in crises.

John breaks down his "Dare to Prepare" program, built in collaboration with global research partners and Independent Living Centers across Colorado. From Thailand to Estes Park floods, the stories shared reinforce the urgent need for personalized disaster readiness. The episode ends with a hopeful call for community input to shape the next generation of inclusive emergency tech.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Welcome to The Blind Chick

00:28 – Penn and Moses return from Iceland

01:45 – Introducing John Romano

03:20 – Motorcycle, piloting, and risk management

05:10 – Hurricane Sandy and discovering his purpose

07:22 – Founding Disaster Central

08:40 – Including people with disabilities in emergency planning

09:45 – Developing the Be Ready app

11:35 – Climate change and disaster trends

13:00 – The app as an easy button for preparedness

14:15 – Features: Cloud vault, encrypted storage, pets & guide dogs

17:00 – Accessibility and shared household planning

18:25 – Using the app with family and caretakers

20:25 – Uploading documents and offline access

22:50 – Teaching preparedness like fly fishing

24:00 – The “Dare to Prepare” training program

25:30 – Working with SILCs and CILCs in Colorado

27:40 – AI, accessibility, and the future of the app

29:00 – Outro and teaser for next week's deep dive

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