Changing the Perception of Blindness; One Conversation at a Time

Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow E14 In this episode, Mike Hess and David Steinmetz discussed workforce development, training programs and empowering person's who are blind through careers in the technology field. Mike said that 86% of the fortune 10K organizations have a DEI initiative, but only 4% of those include people with disabilities. Low expectations […] The post Developing the Workfor...

Inspirational Leadership E13 Jared Kittelson and David Steinmetz discussed some of the misconceptions of what blindness is and and when appropriate training and technology are provided, people who are blind are able to compete and be successful in the workplace. When talking about leadership skills, Jared said that it is important for leaders to be [...]

Empowering People to Thrive E12 In this episode, host David Steinmetz and guest Dr. Hui Wu-Curtis talked about the importance of removing barriers to employment and creating a culture that values diversity and promotes inclusion for all. Dr. Curtis stated that she believes the existing BPO model is flawed and set out to create a [...]

Effective Leadership E11 In this episode, guest Sylvia Stinson-Perez shared the skill sets necessary for effective leadership. Sylvia stated that leadership is a role and shouldn't be soley thought of as a title or position. Sylvia said that effective leaders are continuous learners and must be willing to listen to others. The mission of the [...]

Celebrating NDEAM E10 In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Terell Welch, Frank Vance and Isaac Shapiro joined host David Steinmetz in a conversation about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Terell stated that a recent study has shown that companies that championed people with disabilities outperformed others -- driving profitability and shareholder [...]

Changing My Perception E7 Host David Steinmetz talks about his journey through blindness and how he changed his perception of blindness. David says that "just because your eyes dont work, doesnt mean that you don't have something to contribute to society." Hiring managers and business owners will gain a new perspective on the value people [...]

Aligning Your Values and Professional Goals E6 Ken's gave audience members an example of an organization that has defined DE&I practices… "Let's assume a business is having a luncheon. Inclusion means that everyone has a seat at a table. Diversity is where the people attending (and invited) correctly reflect the community they are in or [...]

Resiliency The Ability to Overcome Life Challenges E5 Motivational Speaker and Author Steve Welker discussed with host David Steinmetz the concept of Radical Resiliency which he and his wife developed after a horrific automobile accident The Radical Resiliency concept is ability to recover from difficult challenges and live the life of your dreams. He demonstrates [...]

Ownership and Accountability Equals Success E6 In this episode, David and Kristin discussed the importance of Changing the Perception of Blindness in order to solve the unemployment, education, and financial crisis for those that are blind and visually impaired. Kristin said that it is not only up to partnerships with organizations that are committed to [...]

Disability Readiness a Pathway to Disability Employment E5 In this episode, David Steinmetz and Tanner Gers discussed how organizations can develop a "disability readiness" strategy in order to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Tanner refers to "disability readiness" as an organizations ability to remove accessibility barriers company wide for their employees and customers....

The Recipe of Life E4 In this episode, David Steinmetz connects with the cast of the popular Cooking Without Looking TV show and podcast to discuss how they "change the way we see blindness." Executive Producer and creator of the TV show Ren'ee Rentmeester wanted to use the show as a means to de-mystify blindness [...]

Transforming the Mobility Industry E3 Host David Steinmetz and special guest Ron Brooks, founder and CEO of Accessible Avenue were in studio discussing the transformation of transportation and mobility for people with disabilities. Ron stated that "transportation must be simple, stress-free and accessible for all." This show will help public and private sector transportation professionals [...]

Improving Employment Outcomes E2 In this episode, host David Steinmetz and AIB President/CEO Chris LaFollette talked about the importance of recognizing the abilities of candidates who are blind or visually impaired, especially in a tight labor market. Chris stated that Corporate America in partnership with nonprofit organizations can move the needle on the 70% unemployment [...]

Digital Accessibility Creates a World That Works Better For All E1 In this episode, David Steinmetz, Brandon Ramsey, Dan Holbrook, and Rus Ahrens got together to discuss the importance of developing an accessibility action team to ensure digital products are accessible to internal and external customers. David stressed that "Digital accessibility is crucial to organizations, [...]