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.

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

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?

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

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

1) Episode Summary 

In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, Kim Wardlow continues the sports series with Calli Roars and Terry Garrett for a conversation about adaptive recreation, guiding, trust, and what it takes to try new things safely. 

Calli brings the guide and recreation-provider perspective, while Terry shares his lived experience as a blind athlete who has participated in goalball, wrestling, martial arts, triathlon, CrossFit, climbing, cycling, swimming, and endurance sports. Together, they talk about how most sports can be adapted, but the level of support, safety planning, communication, and trust will vary depending on the activity. 

A major theme of the conversation is that trust is often the most important piece of adaptive equipment. Calli and Terry explain how that trust is built slowly through communication, practice, clear goals, and honest conversations when something is not working. They also discuss the difference between pushing past a comfort zone and ignoring safety, especially in activities like climbing, biking, and open-water swimming. 

The episode closes with encouragement for listeners to take the first step, try again if a first experience did not go well, advocate for themselves, and look for community through recreation, sports, and local adaptive opportunities. 

2) Contact Info 

Guests:
Calli Roars
Terry Garrett 

Organizations mentioned:
Adaptive Adventures
Foresight Adventure Guides
No Barriers 

Aftersight:
Website: Aftersight.org
Listener questions/comments: [email protected]
Phone: (720) 712-8856 

Producer:
Jonathan Price, Podcast and Program Producer at Aftersight 

3) Show Credits 

Navigating Life with Vision Loss is brought to you by Aftersight. 

Host: Kim Wardlow
 Guests: Calli Roars and Terry Garrett
 Producer: Jonathan Price
 Aftersight: Bringing Print to Life 

• (00:11) - — Welcome to Navigating Life with Vision Loss

1) Episode Summary
 

Kim Wardlow welcomes Trevor Hahn for a conversation about the legacy and future of blind sports, with a strong focus on climbing, snowboarding, independence, and adaptive outdoor adventure. Trevor shares how growing up low vision shaped his relationship with sports, how losing the rest of his sight forced him to rethink identity and freedom, and how climbing helped him find his way back into adventure. 

The conversation moves through crack climbing in Moab, developing new climbing routes in South Dakota, learning from communities like Paradox Sports, and using communication systems and adaptive strategies to make climbing and snowboarding safer and more independent. Trevor also talks about the future he hopes to see: blind and low vision athletes being treated not as spectators or passengers, but as contributors, leaders, innovators, and full members of the outdoor community. 

2) Contact Info 

Guest: Trevor Hahn
Contact information not provided in the transcript. 

Organizations Mentioned:
Paradox Sports
Mountain Project
Adaptive Climbers Festival 

Aftersight:
Website: aftersight.org
General contact: [email protected]
Phone: (720) 712-8856 

Producer:
Jonathan Price
Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
[email protected]
(720) 712-8856 

3) Show Credits 

Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
 Host: Kim Wardlow
 Guest: Trevor Hahn
 Producer: Jonathan Price
 Presented by: Aftersight 

• (00:02) - — Welcome, YouTube reminder, and episode setup

1. Episode Summary 

In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow welcomes Jared Ciner from Spirit Club for a grounded, encouraging conversation about accessible fitness, movement, and the importance of starting where you are. As part of Aftersight’s 16-week sports series, this conversation focuses less on becoming an elite athlete and more on the simple but powerful truth that every person can move in a way that supports their body, confidence, independence, and long-term health. 

Jared explains Spirit Club’s mission to create fitness opportunities where people of all abilities feel comfortable, supported, and capable. He and Kim talk about the barriers many people face when beginning exercise, especially those who are blind or have low vision, including lack of confidence, fear of the gym, unclear instruction, transportation challenges, and the need for adaptive support. 

A major theme of the episode is that movement should be functional, meaningful, and connected to real life. Jared shares practical examples of accessible fitness, such as using a chair to teach squats, tactile cues to guide stretching, and verbal descriptions that are clear without being overwhelming. He also explains why exercise is not just about muscles or weight loss, but about staying able to do the things that matter—getting out of a chair, playing with children or grandchildren, gardening, building friendships, staying mentally healthy, and remaining connected to community. 

The conversation also highlights the emotional and social side of fitness. Jared talks about how sports, group classes, adapted workouts, and community-based programs can help people build confidence, find friendships, and discover joy in movement. He shares examples from Spirit Club, including trainers and athletes with disabilities who are leading, competing, teaching, and helping others see what is possible. 

Kim closes the episode by encouraging listeners in the Denver metro area to consider joining Aftersight’s Cane’s Tales and Trails event at Cherry Creek State Park on May 30, in partnership with Foresight Adventure Guides for the Blind. The episode ends with a simple but strong invitation: movement is broad, accessible, and worth trying. 

2. Contact Info 

Guest / Organization:
Jared Ciner
Spirit Club
Website: spiritclub.com 

Aftersight:
Website: aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Email: [email protected] 

Event Mentioned:
Cane’s Tales and Trails
May 30 at Cherry Creek State Park
Presented by Aftersight in partnership with Foresight Adventure Guides for the Blind
Registration and donation information: aftersight.org 

Producer Contact:
Jonathan Price
Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
[email protected] 

3. Show Credits 

Navigating Life with Vision Loss is brought to you by Aftersight. 

Hosted by Kim Wardlow.
 Guest: Jared Ciner from Spirit Club.
 Produced by Jonathan Price. 

Thank you for listening to Navigating Life with Vision Loss, helping you navigate your life with vision loss. 

• (00:02) - — Welcome to Navigating Life with Vision Loss

1) Episode Summary

In this powerful panel conversation, Kim Wardlow brings together Shawn Cheshire, Penn Street, and Christine Holmberg for an honest discussion about women in sports, blindness, access, fear, courage, and what it really takes to create opportunity. The episode starts with a clear challenge: blind women in sports should not be treated like a separate afterthought, but as athletes worthy of equal respect, visibility, and opportunity. 

From there, the conversation digs into the real barriers—lack of inclusion in mainstream sports culture, limited development pathways, the cost of adaptive competition, and the ongoing struggle to find qualified guides and pilots who are treated like true teammates. The panel also explores how access begins young, why adaptive programs matter so much, and how blind kids need examples, mentors, and room to fail, grow, and discover what is possible. 

What makes this episode especially strong is that it does not stay theoretical. Shawn shares hard-earned perspective from elite-level competition. Penn speaks with clarity about discrimination, courage, and the need to keep moving even when fear is still present. Christine brings practical insight from years of building opportunities through Foresight and helping blind youth experience skiing, summer camps, and outdoor adventure. By the end, the message is simple and compelling: stop asking whether blind people can do something and start asking what they want to do—and then help build the path.
 

2) Contact Info

 Guests / Organizations
Shawn Cheshire — Paralympian, extreme endurance athlete, and co-founder of Choosing to See
Penn Street — Host of The Blind Chick and Aftersight personality
Christine Holmberg — Executive Director, Foresight Adventure Guides for the Blind

Organizations / Events Mentioned
Foresight Adventure Guides for the Blind — summer youth camps in Vail Valley, June 22–24 and July 13–15
Aftersight + Foresight fundraiser walk — May 30 at Cherry Creek Reservoir
Aftersight annual hike with No Barriers USA — September 12 at Winter Park 

Aftersight Contact
[email protected]
(720) 712-8856

Producer Credits
Produced by Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

3) Show Credits

Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guests: Shawn Cheshire, Penn Street, Christine Holmberg
Producer: Jonathan Price
Network: Aftersight

1) Episode Summary

 In this episode, Kim Wardlow welcomes Paralympian Lex Gillette for a clear and highly practical conversation on how track and field works for blind and low-vision athletes. They break down the difference between track and field events, explain T11, T12, and T13 classifications, and walk listeners through the real mechanics of accessibility in the sport: blindfold rules, guide runners, tethers, verbal cueing, and the trust it takes to compete at a high level. The conversation also gives a vivid picture of what it feels like to be in the blocks, on the runway, and in motion, while reinforcing a bigger message that movement, competition, and courage are not off-limits because of vision loss. 

2) Contact Info

 Guest / Featured Voice: Lex Gillette — Team USA Paralympic athlete and long jumper. 
 Aftersight feedback / questions: [email protected] | (720) 712-8856 
 Producer: Jonathan Price
 Host: Kim Wardlow 

3) Show Credits

 Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
 Host: Kim Wardlow
 Guest: Lex Gillette
 Producer: Jonathan Price
 Organization: Aftersight