Hands On Safety

Following a webinar George gave to the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Fransisco on the same subject, Meaghan, George, and Leslie discuss the pros and cons of carrying personal safety devices.

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

On this episode, George, Leslie, and Meaghan were excited to welcome Steve Baskis to the show. Steve is, among other things, an adventurer, author, speaker, and the host of his own podcast, Baskis360. Steve shared his adventures with the team and discussed some of the safety measures he employs while mountaineering, white water rafting, and participating in other sports. To learn more about Steve's adventures and endeavors, check out his website.

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

There’s no place like home, so of course that’s where we want to feel safe. On this episode, Meaghan, George, and Leslie talk about home security from its most basic forms to more expensive options.

Some of the products discussed on the show were:

Allow you to see and talk to people at your door and records any activity that triggers them.

Allow you to open the door by touching your phone to a sensor and provide entry codes to trusted people.

The Amazon Echo can be set to guard mode so it will alert you when it hears the sound of breaking glass or the smoke alarm.

This was a hot topic, and the accessibility of each system was discussed.

Article: “Benefits of Smart Devices for People Living with Disabilities”

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

We've enjoyed bringing this show to you over the last year and a half. In that time, we have all had episodes that meant more to us than others. On this episode, George, Leslie, and Meaghan recap their favorite episodes and tell us why those shows were special to them. All the episodes mentioned below are in order of how they were discussed in the show. All the links below are from Spotify, but Hands on Safety can also be found on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts as well.

E2 - calling for Help

E14 - Make Good Choices

E6 - College Rules

Jim, our gues co-host picked the show he was on.

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

Do you own a gun? Can you own a gun if you are blind? Can you get a concealed carry permit? On this episode, Leslie, George, Meaghan, and Jim welcome TJ Meloy, to tell us about the processes and challenges he went through to buy a gun and get his concealed carry permit as some one who is blind. The team also provides information on how to find both open carry and concealed carry laws for each state and briefly discuss the process for military veterans and retired police officers.

Gun permits are handled by each state's Department of Public Safety. To get information about your state's laws check out the links below. These may not be up-to-date so contacting the DPS in your state is advisable.

And of course, we can't leave out our Canadian friends

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

We all want to have a good time when we go out for a night out on the town. We make plans with our friends, fix ourselves up, and maybe even make arrangements to get home when we've had to much to drink; but do we include steps for being safe when we make our pre-party plans? On this episode, Leslie, George, and Meaghan tell us how they stay safe while having a good time and discuss additional tips and tricks to help everyone else stay safe as well.

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

Summer is fast approaching and we all know what that means… That’s right! Travel season is here. Leslie, George, and Meaghan discuss staying safe while traveling no matter what mode of transportation you choose. Some of the topics covered are planning your trip, navigating airports, safeguarding documents and identification, hotel rooms, and taking care of service animals.

For more information on what you might encounter when navigating airport security, visit the TSA’s page for traveler’s with disabilities.

If you are traveling with a service animal, you may find this blog post helpful.

For additional tips from other blind travelers, check out the following links:

Travel tips aren’t just for people with disabilities. These 7Essential Travel Safety Tips are also good to know.

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

Meaghan, George, and Leslie welcome Amy Wilson to the show. Amy is the director of the newly formed SEED program. SEED, which stands for, Safety Education and Empowering Defense, aims to bring safety education courses and self defense classes to the blind community through peer to peer training. Seed is one of three programs which will be offered by the STRIVE organization. For more information on Seed and the other programs offered through STRIVE, check out their website.

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

This month, George, Meaghan, and Leslie welcome Brad Martin, a tax preparer for United Way, to the show to discuss the best tips for finding a reputable tax preparer, what can happen if you don’t, and the pros and cons of doing your own taxes.

Don’t feel comfortable doing your own taxes? Here are some resources for finding someone to help you for free. Check out VITA, a free tax prep program through the IRS, call 2-1-1 locally to get in touch with the United Way’s call center to find local tax preparers, or check out the My Free Taxes website to either find a preparer or get assistance while doing your own.

If you do want to do your own taxes, the following resources are useful tools that also work with screen readers for blind users.

And finally, if you want to go with a paid preparer, here are some things to keep in mind to make sure you have a reputable person.

A good preparer will…

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

In the last few months there has been a movement in the blindness community to bring sexual abuse and harassment to light and take steps to put an end to it. On this episode, Leslie, George and Meaghan welcome Laura Millar, a researcher and teacher of sexual health for people with disabilities, and Bobbi Pompey, a living skills instructor at the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Fransisco, to discuss consent and boundaries, not only in relationships but in our everyday interactions as well.

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to [email protected]. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.