White Canes Connect

Could driverless cars transform transportation for blind and low-vision travelers? On episode 162 of White Canes Connect , hosts Lizzy Muhammad Park and David Goldstein welcome Monica Freundlich, Northeast Public Affairs Manager at Waymo, to explore the possibilities of autonomous transportation. Monica explains how Waymo works, the company's approach to accessibility, and its interest in bringing...

What happens when blind Black leaders bring accessibility advocacy to one of the biggest celebrations of HBCU culture and football? In Episode 161 of White Canes Connect, hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome Shawn Callaway and Audrey Lester to discuss the inaugural Accessibility Symposium organized by the National Organization of Blind Black Leaders (NOBBL), its HBCU Committee, and the Bl...

Have you ever been traveling and wanted to hear about your surroundings as you move? Well, now you can!     While attending the NFB National Convention in Austin Texas, White Canes Connect host Simon Bonenfant sat down with Dirk and Neill Vander Wilt of Heritage Harmony Group, creator of Audio Vista. Using a compilation of image sources, Audio Vista extracts visual data about an outdoor location a...

Meet Cazerny Bussey Cazerny Bussey is a recording artist, author, entrepreneur, speaker, advocate, and founder of Even Though I'm Blind. After losing his sight as a teenager, he continued pursuing music and eventually discovered a much larger community of blind people doing extraordinary things. That discovery helped inspire a mission to use media to amplify their voices. In Episode 159, Cazerny t...

Every September, Philadelphia hosts more than 1,000 performances as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, presented by FringeArts. In its 30 th year, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival "is a city-wide celebration of innovation and creativity in contemporary performance."     On this episode, we spotlight a multi-sensory experience called Lunar Retreat, which will be performed as part of this yea...

In episode 157 of White Canes Connect, the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Students takes the lead. PABS President Noor Khraisat, Vice President Leen Khraisat, Secretary Rose West, and Treasurer Dauad Yasar guide students through real-world scenarios they may encounter in college. The conversation begins with an inaccessible pop quiz and what students can do when a professor unexpectedly uses te...

Summer is in full swing and what better time to take a trip! Join Simon Bonenfant in the virtual studio, as he sits down with Lynn Jensen, author of Best Kept Secrets for Travelers with Sight Loss.   Organized into 11 chapters and 6 appendices, topics include: traveling on a variety of transportation methods, packing and unpacking, orienting to a hotel, and much more!   Throughout the conversation...

In this episode, the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Students leads a Convention 101 conversation for anyone preparing to attend the NFB National Convention in Austin. The questions come from students and first-time attendees, while the answers come from leaders who have learned how to navigate the week through experience. Lynn Heitz explains why National Convention is more than a conference. It...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, David Goldstein welcomes Rich Crawford for a wide-ranging conversation about blindness, independence, work, leadership, and the power of high expectations. Rich became legally blind at age 10 due to retinitis pigmentosa. Rather than lowering expectations, his parents encouraged him to try things, work hard, and figure out alternative ways to get the job done...

The blind and visually impaired community faces numerous considerations when undertaking a fitness program. From developing proper form to using equipment safely and more in between, Cane and Able Fitness has a solution for all your fitness goals.   Join Simon Bonenfant in the studio as he sits down with Cane and Able Fitness Founder Evan Schwerbrock. Schwerbrock discusses his vision-loss journey,...

Freek van Welsenis, founder of Hable, joins the show to share how a simple idea—helping a blind grandfather use a smartphone—grew into a global company creating affordable assistive technology used in over 60 countries. With a background in engineering and a lifelong connection to disability through his family, Freek brings both technical insight and real-world empathy to everything Hable builds....

In this episode of  White Canes Connect , host David Goldstein speaks with Kaleigh Brendle, founder and president of Judy's League and a recent graduate of Villanova University preparing to begin law school. Kaleigh is a passionate disability rights advocate dedicated to protecting the civil rights of disabled Americans through education, outreach, and grassroots organizing. Kaleigh joins the show...

For over a decade, blind and visually impaired people throughout New York City have had the opportunity to play the game of tennis. Launched in 2015 and presented by Court 16, Sound of Tennis offers once-per-week sessions, enabling blind and visually impaired people to learn, practice, and play full games of tennis through sound.   Now, in 2026, Sound of Tennis partnered with a Court 16 location i...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, David Goldstein sits down with Noor Krraisat, a national scholarship finalist and President of the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Students. Noor shares her journey as a blind college student, future law school applicant, and emerging leader within the National Federation of the Blind. Noor walks us through the entire National Federation of the Blind schol...

In episode 148 of White Canes Connect , we share the powerful General Sessions remarks of David DeNotaris from the 2025 National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania State Convention in Harrisburg.   Speaking from a lifetime of experience, David reflects on growing up with Braille, discovering the Federation, and the profound influence of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan on his understanding of blindness a...

White Canes Connect episode 147 features a powerful address from National Federation of the Blind President Mark Riccobono, delivered to the NFB of Pennsylvania State Convention in Harrisburg. Reflecting on the eve of the organization's 85th anniversary, President Riccobono shares his personal journey of discovering the Federation in 1996 and how the community transformed his understanding of blin...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, we share the 2025 NFB of Pennsylvania State Convention banquet keynote delivered by National Federation of the Blind Executive Director of Blindness Initiatives, Anil Lewis. With humor, honesty, and warmth, Anil traces his journey from sudden blindness and early misconceptions about rehabilitation to discovering the Federation's philosophy of high expectatio...

In Episode 145 of White Canes Connect , Lisa Bryant   and David Goldstein   welcome Patrick Long and Bryan Vuong, co-founders of InnoSearch.ai , a groundbreaking platform making online shopping accessible for blind and low-vision users. They built InnoSearch to serve as an accessibility layer—streamlined, screen-reader friendly, and simple to use. Beyond shopping, InnoSearch now offers flight book...

In episode 144 of White Canes Connect , Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome an incredible team from the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians (LAMP) in Pittsburgh. Joining us are Mark Lee , Library Administrator; Mary Beth Parks , Patron Services Manager; Laura Hughes , Youth Services Librarian; and Jeff Wright , Manager of Technology and Materials Fulfillment. The LAMP team shares ho...

In episode 143 of White Canes Connect , hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome back Karthik Kannan, co-founder and CTO of Envision, for an exciting update on accessible technology. Karthik last joined the podcast four years ago to discuss Envision Glasses, then partnered with Google. Today, he returns to introduce the brand-new Ally Solos, a next-generation wearable that pushes accessibilit...

In episode 142 of White Canes Connect, Lisa Bryant takes the lead to interview co-host David Goldstein and NFB of PA President Lynn Heitz about our experiences at the 2025 NFB National Convention in New Orleans. We share highlights from Pennsylvania's strong showing — 56 attendees, 10 first-timers, four national scholarship finalists, and a Jernigan Leadership graduate. Lynn and David reflect on t...

In episode 141 of White Canes Connect , hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein speak with JP Williams, a blind mental health and life coach based in Nashville. Originally a successful country songwriter—co-writing the hit "Best Shot" by Jimmie Allen—JP shares how he transitioned from the music industry into coaching. After decades in music, a career pivot during the pandemic led him to become certi...

The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) is an active, thriving division of the National Federation of the Blind. In addition to extensive programming at National Convention, Washington Seminar, and virtual opportunities, the division hosts two student seminars each year in two areas of the country, tailoring content to a specific geographical audience. In this episode, Zachary Ledford jo...

In this powerful episode of White Canes Connect , hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome Tanner Gers, founder of Access Ability Officer and Paralympian, for an inspiring and insightful conversation. Tanner shares the harrowing story of how a tragic car accident in 2004 left him totally blind—and how that life-changing event became the catalyst for a purpose-driven career in accessibility, a...

In Episode 138 of White Canes Connect , hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome back Shawn Callaway, President of both the National Federation of the Blind of the District of Columbia and the National Organization of Blind Black Leaders (NOBBL). Shawn shares updates on NOBBL's growth, programming, and plans for the upcoming National Convention in New Orleans. He reflects on the organization'...