Life After Blindness

Life After Blindness

By Tim SchwartzNewsEducationSelf-ImprovementHow To
Download on the App Store

Life After Blindness episodes

  • My Story: Life, Blindness, and the Journey to Life After Blindness

    This week, I’m doing something a little different. Instead of interviewing someone from the blind or visually impaired community, I’m taking the mic solo to share my own story. In this episode, I open up about how my journey with blindness began, how it’s shaped my life, and what led me to create the Life After Blindness podcast and website.

    In This Episode, I Talk About:
    • My childhood and the first signs of my vision loss
    • How my blindness progressed through my teenage years and early adulthood
    • My love of music and experiences in band and choir
    • The different paths my career has taken — from banking and retail to working with the blind community and federal government
    • My life now with my wife and daughter, and what family means to me
    • Why I started Life After Blindness and my hopes for where it’s headed
      • Why This Episode Matters

      Whether you’re blind, visually impaired, or just looking to better understand the blindness community, I hope my story helps you feel a little more connected. We all have a journey, and this is a piece of mine. If you’re on your own path with vision loss, know that you’re not alone — and there is life after blindness.

      Let’s Stay Connected

      Website: LifeAfterBlindness.com
      Twitter: @labcast
      Facebook: Life After Blindness

      The post My Story: Life, Blindness, and the Journey to Life After Blindness appeared first on Life After Blindness.

      34 min
    • LABCast #9: synthetic Retinas, smart paint, Amazon echo communication features and WWDC Rumors With Special Guest Holly Anderson

      Welcome to episode nine of the Life After Blindness Podcast. Returning this week is Holly Anderson from the Maccessibility Roundtable Podcast.

      Because of my blindness:
      Do you have a positive or inspirational story to share that might not of ever happen to you if you were not blind?
      Unfortunately learning negative experiences can happen when you were blind. I want to hear about your positive experiences. Have you gotten to go somewhere, meet someone or do something that you never would’ve been able to do if you hadn’t been blind.
      Please send your audio recordings or written stories to me at: [email protected]
      I will share your stories in upcoming episodes of the podcast.

      Headlines:

      Holly Anderson joins me to discuss a few news stories that affect the blind community.
      First, we discuss an oxford students research into creating a synthetic retina. It’s in its very early stages but could potentially be better excepted by the body and provide more realistic vision than other retinal replacements available now.
      Next, we discuss the new initiative coming out of Tampa Florida. And tapas efforts to become a “smart city”, they are looking to use smart paint with smart canes at certain crosswalks. Sensors in the smart paint would let your smart cane know where you are with in the crosswalk as you go from one side of the street to another. Holly talks about the potential pros and cons to using a technology like this.
      Finally, we will talk about our experiences using the new communications features for Amazon echo in the Amazon Alexa app.

      Review:

      If you ever wanted to use your Amazon echo or the Alexa app to send and receive texts and voice messages or to place phone calls; then the new communications update is just what you been waiting for!
      In this review, I will walk you through the new features and demonstrate how they work.

      Call he returns for the last segment of the podcast to talk with me about what we expect from this year’s WWDC conference from Apple. We talk about rumors and speculation surrounding the upcoming keynote address on July 5. We also talked about what our “one more thing” would be.

      Thank you so much for listening to episode nine of the Life After Blindness Podcast! Please come back again as together we continue our journey to find that there can truly be a life after blindness.

      The post LABCast #9: synthetic Retinas, smart paint, Amazon echo communication features and WWDC Rumors With Special Guest Holly Anderson appeared first on Life After Blindness.

      1 hr
    • Life After Blindness Spotlight Interview with Frank Facio

      Welcome to the Life After Blindness Spotlight. This is the podcast where I interview someone connected to the blind and visually impaired community.

      This week, I speak with Frank Facio.
      Frank is been an employee of the United States Postal Service for almost 35 years. During his life and career, Frank has faced many difficult transitions. Frank’s positive “roll with the flow” attitude combined with the insight and help of many wonderful people along the way, has helped him stay strong and overcome.
      In this interview, Frank talks about how blindness has affected his marriage, career and his passions. Two of these passions are playing Beep Baseball and performing with his band, ‘Steele Horse Country’.
      We highlight many of Frank’s personal and professional milestones. Then, we wrap up by discussing Frank’s future plans.
      Thank you very much for listening to the Life After Blindness spotlight interview with Frank Facio!

      Related Links:

      Frank’s emial: [email protected]
      Steelehorse Country on Facebook

      The post Life After Blindness Spotlight Interview with Frank Facio appeared first on Life After Blindness.

      1 hr 16 min
    • LABCast #8: AMC Theater, Space Accessibility and Google AI. Parenting with Holly Bonner. 2 Years of AppleWatch.

      Welcome to episode #8 of the Life After Blindness Podcast! My guest this week is Holly Bonner from blindmotherhood.com.

      In this week’s news, AMC Theaters settled a lawsuit which will cause them to provide better services to the blind and visually impaired. Also, The University of Chicago announced a new study where they hope to find better ways of teaching astronomy to blind children. Finally, Google announced a new AI technology that can detect Diabetic Retinopathy early by scanning the retinas.

      I then speak with Holly Bonner from blindmotherhood.com. She talks about her experiences with parenting and caring for a household from a blind mother’s point of view.

      The podcast wraps up with a discussion about the Apple Watch. It’s been 2 years since the Apple Watch was released. Tim talks about the differences between Series 1 and Series 2. He then gives examples of different uses for the watch.

      Thank you for listening to episode #8 of the Life After Blindness Podcast. Please join us again as we find that there can truly be a life after blindness.

      The post LABCast #8: AMC Theater, Space Accessibility and Google AI. Parenting with Holly Bonner. 2 Years of AppleWatch. appeared first on Life After Blindness.

      1 hr 1 min
    • Life After Blindness Spotlight Interview with Derek Daniel

      Welcome to the Life After Blindness Spotlight. This is the podcast where I interview someone connected to the blind and visually impaired community.

      This week, I speak with Derek Daniel from Life After Sight Loss.
      Derek talks about growing up in a small town in southern Indiana after having been adopted at just three weeks old. growing up, Derek discovered he had a passion for the performing arts as well as for helping people. Combined with his interest in technology as well as his experiences through church ministry, Derek is using these talents and interests to help others through his new website and podcast.
      Listen as Derek describes losing sight at age 18. And how the love of family and Friends as well as his love for the performing arts, helped him through the transition. Derek also discusses how he manages being a stay at home blind father while producing YouTube videos, blogs and podcasts. He then shares his hopes for the future of Life After Sight Loss before ending with some inspirational thoughts for those who are losing their vision.

      Thank you very much for listening to the Life After Blindness Spotlight interview with Derek Daniel.

      The post Life After Blindness Spotlight Interview with Derek Daniel appeared first on Life After Blindness.

      57 min

    About Life After Blindness

    From the publisher's feed

    A blog and podcast dedicated to the exploration of an enabled life with blindness.