Have you always believed that you could only make a living if you went to college? George Wurtzel was the star of a 2018 Subaru Outback commercial, but he is also a blind woodworker and craftsman who believes that blind people can be successful in any type of job. In part 1 of a two part interview, we’ll learn how George’s talent and resilience helped him to succeed throughout his 50-year woodworking career, and what it was like to film that famous Subaru commercial.

Seeing The World In Ways You Never Imagined Pt 1 TranscriptDownload

You can learn more about George by visiting his Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wurtzel or by visiting his web site, http://www.gmwurtzel.com/

 [email protected]

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While the Penny Forward Podcast team is preparing for the holidays, we thought we'd re-run the last episode of 2021, we shared a recording of a Zoom call hosted by our friend Mo Carpenter. She runs a Facebook group for blind parents called "Parenting Out Of Sight Kids," and they host a biweekly zoom call discussing topics of interest to blind parents. During last month's call, we had a conversation about staying on budget during the holidays. And it was such an enjoyable conversation that we wanted to share it with you. So, while you are enjoying the holidays with your friends and family, or reaching out to those who may be feeling isolated from their friends and family, we hope you will enjoy this discussion about budgeting during the holidays.

Holiday Budgeting TipsDownload

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"I now find advocacy really rewarding, and I realize that it's a long game, and sometimes advocacy's going to feel like you're banging your head against a brick wall, but every so often, the wall moves just a little bit. So, there is hope, and it can get better, and that's why I do believe, very strongly, in the work that the NFB does. Because it has turned many lives around, including mine."

Join us as we talk with Jonathan Mosen from NFB.

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The Past, Present, and Future of Blindness Media and Technology with Jonathan MosenDownload

Guest: Jonathan Mosen

Jonathan's Email: [email protected]

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"I did come to the realization that the food I purchase in the grocery store is never as good as the food that I grew up eating, so how do I get that good food, those really great tomatoes? I have to grow it."

Join us as we talk about Homesteading By Touch and learn exactly what that is, what it means with our guest, Nella Foster, who lives it.

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Homesteading by Touch TranscriptDownload

Guest: Nella Foster

Nella's Email: [email protected]

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This is a bonus episode of the Penny Forward Podcast, a show about blind people building bright futures one penny at a time. In this episode, we feature an excerpt from our September Financial Sense¢ program, featuring Everett Bacon, VP of Blindness Initiatives with Aira. Everett talks about Aira's partnerships with financial institutions, and how Aira explorers are using Aira to make managing their finances, and working with their financial institutions, more accessible.

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Banking With Aira TranscriptDownload

Guest: Everett Bacon, VP of Blindness Initiatives with Aira

Aira Email: [email protected]

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Because of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we wanted to focus on Penny Forward’s employment programs, so we brought on Jeremy Grandstaff, who leads our youth employment and advocacy programs, and is also the author of our Employment Essentials course, to talk about those things. In addition to his work with Penny Forward, Jeremy lives just outside Washington D.C, with his husband Jerry and their seeing eye dog Ozzy. Jeremy works for CurbCutOS as the VP of Business Development, focusing on bringing in new customers to help them develop accessible digital assets. And he is a strong champion of learning in the workplace about DEI initiatives.

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Employment Programs with Jeremy Grandstaff TranscriptDownload

Guest: Jeremy Grandstaff with CurbCutOS

Jeremy Grandstaff Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Phone: 202-810-5368

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James Boehm, Amanda Juetten, and Angus Kola from Kustom Canes, and the You Cane Give initiative, talk about their organizations and how they fund a need that's super important, and one we probably don't think about here in the United States, which is the needs of the blind and visually impaired in the rest of the world, who may not have access to something as simple as a long white cane.

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You Cane Give Initiative TranscriptDownload

Guest: James Boehm, Amanda Juetten, Angus Kola from Kustom Canes and the You Cane Give initiative.

Kustom Cane Website: https://youcanegive.org/

Kustom Cane Email: [email protected]

You Cane Give Email: YouCaneGive@gmail-com

Phone: 901-483-1515

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Learn about the founder of this startup and what it takes to make your dream turn into reality.

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Glidance TranscriptDownload

Guest: Amos Miller

Glidance Website: https://glidance.io/

Glidance Facebook Profile  https://www.facebook.com/glidance.io 

Glidance LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/glidance/

Glidance Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/glidance.io/

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In this episode, we have Richard Rueda, Katie Frederick, and Lori Scharff, not necessarily in that order, from the APH Connect Center, back on, as we do almost every year at about this time, to talk about the APH Connect Center. For those of you who are unaware of what that is, we’ll tell you in just a second. We’ll also find out what’s new at the APH Connect Center, and what people might be able to be expecting from the future.

Show notes

Penny Forward Podcast S2024 E16Download

Connect with APH Connect Center

APH Website: www.aphconnectcenter.org

Email: [email protected]

Call information and referral line: 800-232-5463

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Chris, Liz, and MOe talk with Mike Calvo, co-founder of Pneuma Solutions, about how, as a high school dropout, running with the wrong crowd, he found growth, success, and belonging in the blind community.

Show notes

Penny Forward Podcast S2024 E15Download

Connect with Pneuma Solutions

Pneuma Solutions Website: https://pneumasolutions.com/

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