Navigating Life with Vision Loss

By AftersightBusiness Education Self-Improvement Non-Profit

Navigating Life with Vision Loss episodes

October 13 When Your Vision Changes: What Your Retina Is Telling You
Our eyes can tell us a great deal about our overall health, but would we recognize the warning signs if something started to go wrong?
On this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, Kim Wardlow welcomes Dr. Emily Cole, an ophthalmologist, vitreoretinal surgeon, and assistant professor at CU Anschutz, for an informative conversation about retinal health. Together, they explore common conditions such as retinal detachments, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and inherited retinal diseases, along with the symptoms that should prompt a visit to an eye specialist.
Dr. Cole explains what patients can expect during retinal examinations, how treatments such as laser procedures, injections, and surgery work, and why communication between patients and their healthcare providers is so important. She also shares considerations for children, the role of family medical history, and how factors such as travel and altitude can influence recovery following retinal surgery.
Whether you're managing a retinal condition, supporting someone experiencing vision loss, or simply wanting to better understand your eye health, this episode offers practical information to help you recognize changes, ask better questions, and make informed decisions about your care.
Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Dr. Emily Cole, Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon, CU Anschutz
Producer: Jonathan Price
Podcast: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Network: Aftersight
Contact Information
Aftersight
Website: https://aftersight.org
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Emily Cole
Organization: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Website: https://www.cuanschutz.edu

49 min
September 29 NLVL 407 Today Is Not Forever: Finding Hope Through Vision Loss
Summary
Vision loss can change more than how you see. It can affect your confidence, your routines, and your sense of who you are. Kim Wardlow welcomes Ricky Enger from Hadley for an honest conversation about grief, feeling overwhelmed, and rebuilding confidence one small step at a time. Instead of trying to learn everything at once, Ricky encourages starting with one thing that would make today a little easier. Pasted text
They also explore Hadley’s free resources, finding connection with people who understand, and the importance of giving yourself room to adjust. For anyone feeling stuck, Ricky offers a reminder: “Today is not forever.”

Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Ricky Enger, Hadley
Producer: Jonathan Price
Presented by: Aftersight
Contact Information
Aftersight: aftersight.org
Questions, feedback, or guest inquiries: [email protected]
Producer: Jonathan Price — [email protected]
Connect with Aftersight: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Hadley: hadleyhelps.org
Phone: 800-323-4238
App: Search for “Hadley Helps” in the App Store or Google Play. Contact Hadley to learn about its Adjusting and Coping Together series, support groups, and other resources discussed in this episode. Pasted text

41 min
September 22NLVL 406: Finding Support in the In-Between with Hadley
Vision loss rarely happens all at once, and figuring out what comes next can feel overwhelming. Kim talks with Cristi Stearns, Katie O’Connor, and Jim “Mac” McHolland from Hadley about free resources for people adjusting to vision loss, including emotional support, peer connections, practical workshops, technology training, Braille, and support for family and friends.
They also discuss why reaching out early matters and how Hadley can help people navigate the ongoing “in-between” as vision and circumstances continue to change.
Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guests: Cristi Stearns, Katie O’Connor, and Jim “Mac” McHolland
Produced by: Aftersight
Navigating Life with Vision Loss is brought to you by Aftersight.
Resources
Learn more about Hadley and its free resources for people experiencing vision loss at HadleyHelps.org.
Healthcare providers and organizations interested in connecting with Hadley can visit HadleyHelps.org/partner.
For more information about Aftersight and our podcasts, visit Aftersight.org.
(00:00) - Finding Support After Vision Loss
(01:42) - Meet the Hadley Team
(03:01) - Connecting Patients with Hadley
(07:09) - Where Do You Begin?
(09:16) - The Donahoe Center for Support
(13:16) - Peer and Group Support
(14:33) - When You’re Not Ready Yet
(18:25) - Practical Everyday Resources
(19:19) - Technology and Adjusting to Vision Loss
(21:43) - Learning Braille
(24:15) - Hadley’s App and Digital Resources
(26:24) - Supporting People Around the World
(28:17) - Stories of Growing Independence
(30:50) - Support for Family and Friends
(32:02) - Between the Visits
(34:40) - Living in the In-Between
(36:03) - Closing Thoughts
37 min
September 15 NLVL 405: They Took My Sight, Not My Vision - Chris "The Blind Steppa"
Episode Summary
Christopher “The Official Blind Steppa” Felder joins Kim Wardlow to share the story of losing his sight after being shot during a robbery in 2012, on the same day he received his EMS badge and was preparing to begin a new career. Chris describes leaving the hospital unable to see, spending years searching for a different medical answer, and resisting the reality of blindness even while learning some of the skills he would eventually need.
Nearly eight years into that journey, a simple moment with his son became a turning point. With no one available to take his son to basketball practice, Chris chose to pick up his cane, trust God, and get him there himself. That decision began a new chapter of independence, acceptance, faith, advocacy, and purpose.
Chris speaks candidly about depression, a suicide attempt, loneliness, grief, parenting, and the reality that accepting blindness does not mean the difficult days disappear. He explains how podcasting became a form of therapy and eventually a way to encourage people around the world who are navigating blindness, disability, trauma, and mental-health struggles.
The conversation also explores the importance of finding community, seeking therapy, connecting with other blind and low-vision people, and refusing to allow disability to erase identity or ambition. Today, Chris is building his work as a motivational speaker, podcaster, advocate, and entrepreneur while challenging others to keep moving forward, even when life looks nothing like the future they originally imagined.
Content Note
This episode contains candid discussion of gun violence, depression, suicidal thoughts and a suicide attempt, trauma, grief, and recovery.
Credits
Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Christopher “The Official Blind Steppa” Felder
Guest Podcast: Blind But Now I See
Producer: Jonathan Price
Presented by: Aftersight
Contact Information
Christopher “The Official Blind Steppa” Felder
Website: officialblindsteppa.com
Instagram: @official_blindsteppa
Podcast: Blind But Now I See
Booking Email: [email protected]
Booking Phone: 347-653-0076
Aftersight
Website: aftersight.org
Email: [email protected]
Main Office: 303-786-7777
Listener Feedback: [email protected]
Feedback Line: 720-712-8856
Producer
Jonathan Price
Email: [email protected]
Office: 303-786-7777

35 min
September 08NLVL 404: You Don’t Have to “Accept” Vision Loss - Shawn Cheshire
Episode Summary

Vision loss is not simply a physical change. It can carry grief, fear, anger, depression, and the painful loss of independence. Those emotions do not follow a predictable timeline, and moving forward does not mean pretending they have disappeared.
Host Kim Wardlow welcomes Army veteran, Paralympian, and adventurer Shawn Cheshire back to Navigating Life with Vision Loss. Shawn candidly shares how a brain injury at age 36 led to total blindness, the depression and fear that followed, and the moment she realized she needed to choose what kind of life she would build.

Together, Kim and Shawn explore why grief can remain present years after vision loss, how sadness and gratitude can coexist, and why courage means moving forward while fear is still present. Shawn also discusses reclaiming activities she once believed were gone forever, learning to use a white cane, asking for help, setting boundaries, and giving yourself permission to heal without someone else’s deadline.
This conversation offers no shallow promise that everything becomes easy. Instead, it offers something more honest: you can grieve what was lost while still creating a meaningful, adventurous, and deeply fulfilling life.

Content note: This episode includes candid discussion of trauma, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Shawn Cheshire
Producer: Jonathan Price
Organization: Aftersight
Podcast: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Contact Information
Shawn Cheshire
Website: ShawnCheshire.org
Nonprofit: Choosing to See
Instagram: @shawn_cheshire
Documentary: Blind AF

Shawn’s nonprofit, Choosing to See, provides encouragement, opportunities, and assistance to people who are blind or visually impaired. Her documentary, Blind AF, follows her 3,600-mile cross-country journey on a single, non-tandem bicycle. Official documentary synopsis

Aftersight

Website: Aftersight.org
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 303-786-7777
Listener feedback: [email protected]
Programming inquiries: Jonathan Price at [email protected]

Chapters

00:11 Introducing Shawn Cheshire
01:00 How a Brain Injury Led to Vision Loss
03:22 Denial and the Hope of Getting Better
05:20 Depression, Grief, and Losing Independence
07:27 Why Grief Does Not Follow a Timeline
11:05 When Gratitude and Grief Coexist
13:23 Fear of Leaving the House
16:02 Choosing What Kind of Person to Become
17:59 Taking the Next Step While Still Afraid
19:56 Reclaiming Cooking After Seven Years
21:51 The White Cane and the Pressure to “Accept” Blindness
24:42 Why Sadness Can Remain Years Later
28:11 Vulnerability, Strength, and Public Expectations
30:08 Rebuilding Identity After Trauma
32:20 Resilience Through Blindness and Hearing Loss
34:39 Carrying the Emotional Weight
37:07 Helpful Support, Unwanted Help, and Self-Advocacy
41:22 What Shawn Would Say to Someone Still Grieving
43:19 Closing Thoughts and Aftersight Programs
45:15 Choosing to See and the Blind AF Documentary
47 min
September 01 NLVL 403: Life After Sudden Sight Loss: One Step at a Time with Lynn Jensen
Episode description
At 27 years old, Lynn Jensen suddenly lost all her sight after an undiagnosed brain tumor led to emergency surgery. Her family was initially told she had only months to live. Lynn survived, but rebuilding her life required learning how to walk again, use a white cane, develop independent-living skills, and eventually trust the guide dog she never thought she wanted.
Lynn joins Kim Wardlow to speak honestly about grief, rehabilitation, family support, peer connection, Braille, assistive technology, and the small accomplishments that restore confidence after vision loss. She also shares how her experience led to a 25-year career as a vision rehabilitation specialist and inspired her book, Best Kept Secrets for Travelers with Sight Loss.
For Lynn, losing sight was devastating, but living with sight loss does not have to be. The path forward begins one step at a time.
Learn more about Lynn and her accessible travel guide at blindtraveltips.com.
Learn more about Aftersight’s programs, podcasts, and peer-support resources at aftersight.org.
40 min
August 25 S4:E02 - What Do I Do Now? Finding the Next Step After Vision Loss
Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Episode Title
What Do I Do Now? Finding the Next Step After Vision Loss

Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Melody Bettenhausen
Producer: Jonathan Price
Presented by: Aftersight
Episode Summary
What happens when your vision is changing and your eye doctor tells you there is nothing more medically that can be done?
That sentence can sound like the end of the road. But as Kim Wardlow and Melody Bettenhausen discuss in this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, it may simply mean it is time to begin asking a different question: What can I still do, and what tools can help me do it?
Melody joins Kim to explain the role of low vision rehabilitation and the work of Ensight Skills Center. They explore how low vision optometrists and occupational therapists help people identify usable vision, establish personal goals, and develop practical strategies for everyday life.
Sometimes those solutions involve technology or orientation and mobility training. Other times they are surprisingly simple: better lighting, magnification, high-contrast materials, bump dots, reorganizing a workspace, or learning a different way to accomplish a familiar task.
Kim and Melody also discuss why rehabilitation should begin before someone reaches a crisis point, the importance of letting the person experiencing vision loss determine their own goals, and how family members can help without unintentionally taking away independence.
They look at aging in place, progressive vision loss, transportation, support groups, emotional adjustment, family education, and the reality that two people with vision loss may experience the world very differently.
The central message is clear: when your vision changes, there are still options. You do not have to figure them out alone.

Contact Info
Ensight Skills Center
Headquarters:
1101 Oakridge Drive, Suite C
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone: (970) 407-9999
Email: [email protected]
Website: ensightskills.org
Ensight provides low vision rehabilitation and related services, with programs and outreach extending beyond its Fort Collins headquarters.
Aftersight
Phone: (303) 786-7777
Email: [email protected]
Website: aftersight.org
Address: 1805 Hwy 42, Suite 220, Louisville, CO 80027
Producer
Jonathan Price
Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
Email: [email protected]
Show Credits
Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Melody Bettenhausen
Producer: Jonathan Price
Presented by: Aftersight
Guest organization: Ensight Skills Center

44 min
August 18S4:E01 When Vision Changes, Where Do I Even Start?
Episode Summary

When your vision begins to change, one of the hardest questions can be the simplest: Where do I even start? In the opening episode of a new season of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow sits down with Empish Thomas and Pris Rogers from the APH Connect Center to talk about what comes next when vision loss enters your life.
Empish and Pris walk through the resources available through the APH Connect Center, including VisionAware, CareerConnect, FamilyConnect, and its Getting Started Guide. They discuss practical first steps such as understanding your diagnosis, connecting with vision rehabilitation, finding peer support, learning adaptive technology, and discovering ways to continue doing everyday tasks independently.
The conversation also gets into something deeper: the assumptions people make about blindness. Empish shares her own experience of losing her vision, finding rehabilitation on her own, developing a circle of support, and learning to advocate for herself. Pris emphasizes the importance of family and friends offering support without taking over, allowing a person experiencing vision loss to regain confidence and independence.

The message throughout the episode is practical and hopeful. Vision loss changes things, but it does not mean life is over. You do not have to figure everything out at once. Find good information, connect with people who understand, learn what resources are available, and take the next step one piece at a time.
Contact Information & Resources
APH Connect Center
aphconnectcenter.org
Resources discussed through the Connect Center include:
VisionAware
CareerConnect
FamilyConnect
APH Getting Started Guide

Aftersight
aftersight.org

The episode also mentions Hadley, Be My Eyes, the American Council of the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind, and vision rehabilitation services. The recording directs listeners specifically to APHConnectCenter.org and Aftersight.org.
Show Credits

Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guests: Empish Thomas and Pris Rogers
Producer: Jonathan Price
Operational Company: Aftersight
(00:14) - — A New Season: Where Do I Even Start?
(01:30) - — Meet Empish Thomas and Pris Rogers
(03:29) - — What Is the APH Connect Center?
(05:25) - — What People Need When Vision Begins Changing
(08:12) - — The Getting Started Guide
(10:08) - — Finding Resources in Your State
(11:39) - — Helping Without Taking Over
(16:56) - — Adaptive Tools and Everyday Independence
(20:53) - — Finding Peer Support
(21:27) - — Resources for Every Stage of Life
(25:19) - — What Vision Rehabilitation Actually Looks Like
(27:47) - — The Biggest Misconceptions About Blindness
(32:56) - — Building Support and Becoming Your Own Advocate
(37:51) - — Take It One Step at a Time
(40:14) - — Where to Find Help
42 min
May 26Sports 315: The Rope Team That Makes Mountains Possible
1) Episode Summary

In this final episode of the sports series, host Kim Wardlow is joined by Kelly Liggett from No Barriers and Christine Holmberg, Executive Director of Foresight Adventure Guides, for a conversation about coaching, mentorship, support systems, and the power of trying something new with the right people beside you.

Kelly and Christine explore how coaches, guides, mentors, friends, and organizations help people with vision loss move past fear, limiting beliefs, and the lie that “I can’t do this.” The conversation highlights the importance of patience, choice, trust, kindness, encouragement, and practical step-by-step support.
Christine shares stories from Foresight Adventure Guides, including a young skier who began the day frustrated and unsure but, through patient support, ended up thriving on the slopes. Kelly shares how No Barriers helps people break goals into manageable steps and build confidence through community, risk-taking, and meaningful support.

The episode also looks at the importance of representation, adaptive recreation, access to equipment, organizational collaboration, and the role of community in helping blind and low-vision individuals experience sports and outdoor recreation. The conversation closes with a preview of the upcoming collaborative fundraising hike in Winter Park with Aftersight, No Barriers, and Foresight Adventure Guides.
2) Contact Info

Guests / Organizations

Kelly Liggett
No Barriers
Website: No Barriers
Christine Holmberg
Executive Director, Foresight Adventure Guides
Website: Foresight Adventure Guides
Aftersight
Website: Aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Email: [email protected]
Producer
Jonathan Price
Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
3) Show Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guests: Kelly Liggett and Christine Holmberg
Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Series: Sports Series
Producer: Jonathan Price
Organization: Aftersight
(00:15) - — Welcome and final sports series episode introduction
(01:19) - — Coaching, mentorship, and support in sports
(02:02) - — Christine on how coaches inspire confidence
(03:54) - — Kelly on breaking big goals into small steps
(04:53) - — Mentorship beyond formal coaching
(07:07) - — A young skier’s breakthrough with Foresight
(10:05) - — Limiting beliefs and the power of guided experience
(12:48) - — What good coaching looks like
(15:27) - — Choice, trust, and knowing when to adjust
(18:47) - — Helping people try without forcing the experience
(21:55) - — Learning, expectations, and not needing to be great right away
(24:08) - — Rope teams, support systems, and calculated risk
(27:07) - — How peers and friends encourage courage
(30:01) - — Asking for help without shame
(32:37) - — Why representation matters in adaptive sports
(33:30) - — Eric Weihenmayer and expanding what feels possible
(37:36) - — How organizations create access and opportunity
(40:42) - — Community building beyond one-time experiences
(43:04) - — Gaps in adaptive recreation and accessible sports
(45:57) - — Why organizations should collaborate, not compete
(47:16) - — Save the date: collaborative Winter Park fundraising hike
(49:26) - — Christine’s closing thoughts
(50:08) - — Kelly’s closing thoughts
(50:56) - — Closing message from Kim
52 min
May 19Sports 315: Feeling the Game with Erin Gaston of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
1) Episode Summary

In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow talks with Erin Gaston, Director of Guest Experience at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, about how technology and accessibility are changing the live sports experience for blind and low-vision fans.
Erin shares how her team supports guest experience across Ball Arena, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and the Paramount Theatre, including accessibility planning, guest relations, venue tours, sensory kits, assisted listening devices, captioning, and ongoing work toward digital wayfinding.
A major focus of the conversation is OneCourt, a tactile broadcast device available at Denver Nuggets games. The device connects to live game data and allows blind or low-vision fans to feel the movement of the ball on the court through vibration and tactile feedback. Erin explains how Kroenke Sports & Entertainment brought OneCourt to Denver, how guests can access it, and how the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

The conversation also highlights a bigger truth: accessibility is not just about compliance. It is about hospitality, dignity, and making sure more people can share in the joy, energy, and community of live sports.

2) Contact Info

Guest:
Erin Gaston
Director of Guest Experience
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
Venue Accessibility / Guest Relations:
Website: ballarena.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 303-405-8548
Aftersight:
Website: aftersight.org
Phone: 720-712-8856
Email: [email protected]
Producer:
Jonathan Price
Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
3) Show Credits
Navigating Life with Vision Loss is brought to you by Aftersight.
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Erin Gaston
Producer: Jonathan Price
Organization: Aftersight
(00:00) - — Welcome to Sports and Technology
(00:40) - — Meet Erin Gaston
(00:56) - — What Guest Experience Means at KSE
(03:13) - — Why Accessibility Became a Bigger Focus
(05:01) - — Introducing OneCourt
(05:56) - — How OneCourt Works for Nuggets Fans
(08:14) - — Promoting OneCourt to the Community
(09:09) - — Guest Response to the Devices
(10:57) - — Future Sports Possibilities for OneCourt
(13:22) - — Other Accessibility Features at Ball Arena
(15:20) - — Accessible Security and Entry
(16:41) - — Requesting OneCourt Devices
(17:00) - — Assisted Listening and Digital Wayfinding
(18:53) - — Accessibility Across KSE Venues
(20:32) - — Historic Venue Challenges at the Paramount Theatre
(22:21) - — Encouragement for Hesitant Fans
(24:26) - — Finding Help During an Event
(25:26) - — How to Give Feedback
(26:17) - — The Future of Accessibility at KSE Venues
(27:36) - — Ball Arena Tours
(28:41) - — Final Thoughts from Erin
(29:13) - — Aftersight Walk and Hike Announcement
31 min

About Navigating Life with Vision Loss

From the publisher's feed

"Navigating Life with Vision Loss" is an Aftersight original podcast. In this seasonal format podcast, we answer your questions on a variety of topics surrounding vision loss. Need to know what to do…