In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil and Melissa are joined by Carla McQuillan, executive director of Main Street Montessori. They’re also joined by Sean Seward, our independence market manager, and Grace Pires, board member and president of the NFB of Rhode Island. They discuss whether they describe themselves as blind, low vision, or visually impaired and why it matters.

In today’s episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil Lewis and Melissa Riccobono are joined by colleagues, Danielle McCann, our membership coordinator, and Nikki Jackson, our employment programs coordinator. They discuss how blind people are portrayed in the media and in pop culture, and what should change to ensure that the portrayals are accurate and positive representations.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil Lewis and Chris Danielsen are joined by Jonathan Mosen, former producer and host of the Bolotin award-winning Living Blindfully podcast and our incoming executive director for Accessibility Excellence. They discuss Access On, our new podcast that focuses on the role that technology plays in living the life we want. Jonathan also provided advice and tips for new podcasters.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil and Melissa are joined by two of our new board members, Jamie Richey and Ben Dallin. They discuss how to protect our dignity as blind people and how to properly respond to individuals who may challenge our dignity. They also reflect and share their thoughts on President Riccobono’s 2024 banquet speech that focuses on dignity.

Important link: 2024 Banquet Speech

This episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast focuses on the right of blind Americans to cast a secret, independent ballot, and what we can do when that right is compromised. The conversation covers the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), ways blind voters can prepare for Election Day, different accessible voting options, blind people as poll workers and election officials, and more. The episode also highlights the continuing advocacy and data collection efforts of the National Federation of the Blind, including the NFB's blind voter survey and hotline.

Important links:

NFB Voting Resources Page: https://nfb.org/resources/voting-resources

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Melissa Riccobono, Anil Lewis, and Danielle McCann (NFB Membership Building Coordinator) discuss the upcoming National Federation of the Blind National Convention. They talk about the virtual convention experience, which allows individuals who are unable to attend in person to participate in hours of convention content from home. They mention that there will be exclusive virtual events, such as a walk around the exhibit hall and a discussion on employment. They emphasize the importance of the convention and the opportunities it provides for networking, learning, and advocacy.

Important Links:

Convention Web page: https://nfb.org/convention

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Anil Lewis and Chris Danielsen are joined by Sanho Steele-Louchart, an attorney and the legal program coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind. They discuss strategies we employ to address issues faced by blind individuals in ways that make systemic change. They also describe some current cases and explain how the program can help with self-advocacy skills and resources.

Important links:

Legal program web page: https://nfb.org/legal

In this special episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Anil Lewis is joined by members of the Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Accessibility (CENA) team to discuss the work they do in promoting accessibility. They discuss topics such as artificial intelligence, including its potential benefits and risks, as well as various technologies and devices that promote accessibility, such as the Cadence Tablet, Monarch dynamic tactile display, and Tactonom Reader. They also highlight the work they do under the Nonvisual Accessibility Initiative grant from the state of Maryland, including training modules for education professionals, customer service training for the Maryland Department of Labor, and the Accessibility Inclusion Fellows program. Additionally, they mention upcoming boutiques and trainings on topics such as accessible video gaming, advanced PDF tagging, and native low-vision accessibility features. There is also a discussion of the Nonvisual Accessibility Self-Advocacy Toolkit, which provides resources for individuals to report accessibility issues and contribute to creating more accessible experiences.

Important links:

https://nfb.org/cena