1) Episode Summary

In this episode of The Blind Chick, Penn and Moses talk with blind technologist and accessibility consultant Austin Seraphin about tech, echolocation, and mind–body health. Austin shares how early experiences with Christmas lights, radios, and an Apple IIe pulled him into technology and programming, and how that curiosity grew into a career in accessibility, open source, and multi-sensory learning. The conversation moves through the spectrum of blindness, the promise and pitfalls of AI for disabled communities, and why open, community-driven tools matter. Austin then opens up about severe eye pain, burnout, and finding real relief through acupuncture, Qigong, and Daoist practice. He explains why slow, rooted movement and simple breath-focused meditation can help blind and sighted people alike release tension, avoid full-on burnout, and reconnect with their bodies—starting with just 15 minutes a day.

2) Contact Info

Guest — Austin Seraphin

Website: austinseraphin.net

Aftersight / The Blind Chick

Website: aftersight.org

Email: [email protected]

Listener line: (720) 712-8856

Producer Credits

Produced by Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

3) Show Credits

Show: The Blind Chick (An Aftersight Original Podcast)

Hosts: Penn Street & Moses Street

Guest: Austin Seraphin – blind technologist, accessibility consultant, ham radio operator, and Qigong practitioner

Produced and edited by: Jonathan Price

Recorded at: Aftersight Studios

4) Chapter Markers

00:00 – Show intro: “Blindness can be an adventure”

00:28 – Meet Austin Seraphin and his tech-meets-mind-body journey

02:45 – Christmas tree lights, partial color vision, and the spectrum of blindness

05:13 – Apple IIe, talking computers, and discovering programming

10:02 – AI, medicine, hallucinations, and what it means for blind users

17:12 – Star Trek gadgets made real: smartphones, OCR, and independence

19:24 – Echolocation training and “seeing” in 3D with sound

24:10 – Eye pain, band keratopathy, and turning to acupuncture for relief

29:00 – Discovering Qigong and Daoism as a complete mind-body system

33:52 – Penn’s accident and the power of combining Eastern and Western medicine

47:49 – Qigong for blind bodies: releasing tension, rooting, and flowing movement

55:06 – Breath-counting meditation: 15 minutes to reset your nervous system

57:31 – Outro, listener invitations, and a reminder to be kind to yourself this week