The Blind Chick

In this episode, Penn talks with Jeff Flodin. He has authored over 200 blogs (and still counting!) since the inception of Jalapeños in the Oatmeal: Digesting Vision Loss in 2010. He is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Access Fellowship and his work has appeared in venues including Magnets and Ladders, The Rockford Review, Chicago Arts Journal, Kaleidoscope and the Chic...

In this episode of Aftersight, our Audio technician, Evan Starnes, has conversations with seniors looking for resources for those who have vision loss or are blind. We also address suggestions on services needed to make living as a senior in this day and age easier.

Blind Warrior Sven is a Dutch video game streamer who also happens to be fully blind. His game is Street Fighter V, he’s ranked in the top 1% of players globally, and he plays completely by sound. It’s so incredible that sometimes people do not believe it - even though he wears a mask to prove he is the real deal. But Sven is so much more than a high tier gamer. He’s a kind soul who wants to bring...

Sarah works - and that’s not just to say she has a job as an accessessibility analyst. Sarah WORKS. When she decides to do something, she commits. Even when things are hard or when things maybe aren’t looking perfect, she thinks back to the word of her father and says, “Yes, I can!” That attitude led her to judo, and through judo that led her to Rio for the paralympics. It led her to take a great...

Ellie is a bright light with a huge heart who says, “This is me, I’m doing this, you can’t tell me no!” And this is how she lives. Ellie was born with Wolfram Syndrome, a very rare genetic disorder that causes type one diabetes, progressive vision loss, and other progressive issues. But her response to being born with a disorder that takes was to give - and she keeps giving and giving and giving....

This week Penn talks with Tracy and Julie, two musicians who form Heart – and Music. Born in very different parts of the world these two have walked very different lives. But, they both have found music to be a centering and empowering force in their lives. Join Penn, Tracy, and Julie today! 720 724 8877 suggestions@heart-and-music.com

Chris’s dad was a World War II navy man, and Chris himself attended a military high school and eventually joined the marines. His whole life, he was told, “You just need to be strong, buck up, and do what needs to be done.” And then on his honeymoon he realized he was struggling to see. It turned out he wasn’t just tired… he had macular degeneration. In his own words, he had to learn to be vulnera...

Daniel was born in Mexico and came to the US when he was six years old. His family moved straight to KS city, where he was EVENTUALLY diagnosed with a form of Retinitis Pigmentosa. But Daniel struggled - at the time he didn’t speak English and he wasn’t getting the resources he needed to thrive. So, at age seven his family moved again, this time to Estes Park. Daniel still struggled, but in Colora...

This week Penn opens up. She realized that the people that she interviews have shown that bravery - so she decided it was her turn. Some of the guests on Aftersight are born with conditions that cause vision loss, others - like Penn - experience something that forever changes them… like a rattlesnake bite. Penn was a healthy, strong tomboy when she was bitten twice, and the treatment caused a rare...

Michelle has put the work in. At birth, her parents were told she would never be able to walk - but today she’s able to do that, and so much more. She skis, rafts, boats, rides a horse... Michelle talks with Penn about the barriers that she faced starting at a very young age. She talks about how hard it was to have her disabilities recognized, how overwhelming it was to be diagnosed with Cerebral...

On a special episode, Penn and Evan (Aftersight’s Audio Production Technician) go to Vail and ski with Foresight Ski Guides. ?Foresight Ski Guides, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to making challenging recreational opportunities through snow sports both affordable and accessible to visually impaired and blind skiers. Penn and Evan collected the thoughts of the other skiers and guides w...

Melissa was featured in a short movie, “From my Window,” which is about how she wanted to live life out in the world and not just live through what she could see through her window. She made a commitment to hike a mountain - but she had no idea how she was going to do it. Like the rest of us, Melissa faced a number of barriers in 2020, but she didn’t let the pandemic or cerebral palsy stand in her...

Tricia is an adventurous spirit, and she was also a passionate educator for youth with special needs. However, her Retinitis Pigmentosa affected her vision enough that she needed reasonable accommodations to keep working. When her school refused, she fought back, and she became her own champion. Now, Tricia continues to do the things she loves - go on cruises, hike, snowshoe, ski, and so much more...

Foresight offers transformational experiences in the mountains. In the winter, they offer skiing that is really led by the skier and supported by the guide - not the other way around. In the summer, they offer paddleboarding, rock climbing, and a lot of other activities. Experiences are almost “concierge” where for a nominal tax deductible donation, Foresight will provide lift tickets, equipment r...

Trevor is an activist, artist, and outdoor enthusiast - oh, and he’s also a new dad! He talks about finding peace in ice climbing and about how rock climbing led him to sculpture to make “art through touch.” Trevor also talks about his travels, particularly to Nepal shortly after he lost his remaining vision. There, he helped at a center for children with disabilities and climbed to 17,775 feet. T...

Born to a mother who is also blind, Peggy Chong has been blind her whole life, and she has been active in the community ever since she can remember. She’s an astounding person and a published author who brings life to women and men in history who were blind. It all started when she was asked to clean out some files at the Home for the Blind in Minnesota when it closed. Instead of tossing all of th...

Nick was born 90 days too early back in 1942, so early that the doctors told his mother to “pick a name so they could bury him.” But, with the help of an incubator, Nick survived - even if the process took most of his vision. He has been leading an incredible life ever since. As an advocate for people with disabilities, he spoke truth to power… and was fired and blackballed for his effort. He has...

Certified Senior Advisor and author of, Why a Reverse Mortgage, Don talks us through what a reverse mortgage is and how a reverse mortgage can solve financial issues for homeowners. Don Opeka is with Orion Mortgage, INC. He knows that a reverse mortgage is not for everyone, but is an expert in when it makes sense, and how it can positively impact the lives of seniors and their families. Orion Mort...

Diagnosed with a rare eye disease called Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a genetic condition carried by her parents. Effects the retinas and slowly degrades the vision. Jaden talks about how her parents recognized her symptoms of failing vision, and her journey through misdiagnosis to finally understanding her condition. She talks about how the signs were there from the age of two, but how it took a...

Penn and Olive chat together about the relationship between a granddaughter with vision and a grandmother who is visually impaired. Olive is a bright, effervescent spirit with a fun and candid take. Olive, who is nine, shares her thoughts on the positives and negatives of having a “Nana” who can’t see very well - but mostly, she makes it obvious that it’s really not a big deal for her. Join Penn a...

Bill Johnson was walking to the subway station with two colleagues when a lone gunman jumped out of the shadows and shot all three of them. Bill was the lucky one. The bullet that struck him entered one temple and exited the other, destroying his optic nerve. The other two men were killed. Now profoundly blind, Bill had to learn to navigate this new, dark world. Today on Aftersight, Bill talks wit...

Born months too soon, Jose's parents were told he only had 12 hours to live. But, Jose was a fighter. That fighting spirit has helped him persevere in spite of blindness (blindness of prematurity) and cerebral palsy. He is a recent graduate of Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, and has dreams of becoming a DJ. Jose also hosts his own podcast: It is my job. Blind students interview blind adult...

Bill is a working psychotherapist and an honest, engaging, and entertaining human… who also happens to be blind. Bill has Usher Syndrome, Type 2, a rare genetic disease that causes hearing issues and vision loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). On Aftersight Bill talks about “coming out” as someone with a disability - specifically vision loss. Because of his experience, he talks not just about th...

Beth Gustin is a therapist with a specialty in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Beth, who is visually impaired, talks about her work and her and explains this method of therapy which can help people coping with past trauma - even individuals who are blind. On this episode of Aftersight, Beth talks us through EMDR and therapy techniques that can help us as we work through traum...

Lorna is a retired teacher. She taught special ed, on reservations, and helped create the structure of Colorado's preschool system. Lorna also taught at Front Range Community College the next generation of Special Education teachers. She enjoys retirement with her dog, Frodo.