Changing the Perception of Blindness; One Conversation at a Time

Defining Good Jobs EP30 Explore the evolving definition of a "good job" through the lens of inclusivity and personal fulfillment with Chris LaFollette, President and CEO of Arizona Industries for the Blind. This episode of "Changing the Perspective of Blindness" with host, David Steinmetz delves into how modern career paths shift from traditional stability to […] The post Defining Good Jobs EP30 a...

Removing Barriers – Autonomous Vehicles E28 In this episode of "Changing the Perception of Blindness", host David Steinmetz is joined by guests Amanda Ventura from Waymo and Steve Tepper from the Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They explore the pressing issues of transportation accessibility and the empowerment of those with disabilities. Amanda […] The post Removing Barriers –...

Train the Teacher Improve Educational Outcomes E28 In this episode of Changing the Perception of Blindness, David Steinmetz engages with Niraj Parikh from the Center for Assistive Technology Training (CAT) to discuss the crucial role of assistive technology in education. David recounts his personal experiences as a blind student and the challenges faced in the […] The post Train the Teacher Improv...

Awareness Leads to Change E27 In the podcast Changing the Perception of Blindness, host David Steinmetz and guest Barbara Hinske explore the importance of inclusion for people with disabilities. Barbara, a lawyer-turned-novelist, discusses her journey into disability awareness through her book Guiding Emily and her experience transitioning it into a Hallmark movie. They address the […] The post Aw...

Driving Independence through Technology E26 In the episode hosted by David Steinmetz, Changing the Perception of Blindness becomes a compelling journey through the evolution and impact of assistive technology. Anat Nulman and Seth Leblond join the conversation, illuminating how innovations in OCR and smartphones not only empower visually impaired individuals but also drive broader technological […...

Voicing the Needs for Change E25 Host David Steinmetz discusses advocacy for people with disabilities, stressing the importance of voicing needs for change. CEO Sharon Giovinazzo, of The Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco, shares her journey from vision loss due to multiple sclerosis to leadership, emphasizing the need for opportunity […] The post Voicing the Needs for...

Fostering a Culture of Inclusion E24 In this episode, host David Steinmetz introduces Jules Hyde, whose journey into supporting employment for individuals with disabilities is shaped by a passion for empowering others to pursue meaningful work. Hyde shares personal anecdotes and insights into implementing the philosophy of Employment First, advocating for individuals with disabilities to […] The p...

Unscripted E23 Chris LaFollette, President/CEO of Arizona Industries for the Blind (AIB) and host David Steinmetz go unscripted and have a very open and direct conversation about eliminating barriers for people who are blind. In this episode they talk about everything from what holds people back, like fear and failure and defining success, to public […] The post Unscripted E23 appeared first on Bu...

Company Culture and Diversity E22 Kicking off this episode of "Changing the Perception of Blindness," host David Steinmetz shares insights from his 19-year journey at Arizona Industries for the Blind, underscoring the importance of challenging misconceptions about blindness and promotes inclusivity in the workforce. Joined by Kindra Maples, president of Culture Crush Business, they delve […] The p...

Digital Accessibility and Inclusion Making the Web a Better Place for All E21 In this episode of Changing the Perception of Blindness, host David Steinmetz explores digital accessibility with experts Kai Wong from Teladoc Health and Phil Yatvin from Level Access. They discuss the pivotal role of allies in fostering inclusivity for people who are […] The post Digital Accessibility and Inclusion Mak...

Awareness Starts at Home E20 In this heartfelt episode of Changing the Perception of Blindness, host David Steinmetz and his brothers--Mike, Jeff, and Greg--share their family's journey with hereditary retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and the impact of blindness. They discuss initial reactions, coping mechanisms, and how technology transformed accessibility for Greg, who is visually impaired. The […] The...

Improving Employment Outcomes Through Awareness E19 Recognizing National Disability Employment Month (NDEAM special guests Julie Oliver and Steve Tepper joined David Steinmetz in the conversation regarding the need for Hiring Managers to change their perception of blindness and as Julie mentioned removing conscious or unconscious bias from the hiring process. The trio gave insights on […] The post...

Abilities not Disabilities E18 On this episode of Changing the Perception of Blindness: One Conversation at a Time, Blake Steinecke and David Steinmetz talked about the importance for Hiring Managers to recognize the challenges people who are blind have to overcome in education, previous work experience and everyday life when evaluating candidates who are blind. […] The post Abilities not Disabili...

Changing the Mindset of Leadership E17 Special guest Jason Haines was in studio with host David Steinmetz talking about lean process improvement and organizational change. The challenge for companies today is finding talent, training and retaining employees. Leadership should look to the disability community to find qualified workers to fil positions from the frontline worker […] The post Changing...

Creating a Culture of Inclusion E16 Dr. Kirk Adams and host David Steinmetz talked about changing societal perceptions of the capabilities of people who are blind, transforming corporate cultures to ones of integration rather than differentiation, and building family, school, community, and service providers. Dr. Kirk Adams stated that 7 out of 10 working age […] The post Creating a Culture of Inc...

All Things Disability Employment E15 Chris Lafollette, Jeff Mittman and David Steinmetz talked all things disability employment including recruiting, training and retention for people who are blind .Jeff Mittman said that the biggest barrier to employment for individuals who are blind is the perception or misperception that these candidates are not capable to do the […] The post All Things Disabil...