White Canes Connect

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'...

In Episode 137 of White Canes Connect , hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome John Berggren, Executive Director for Operations at the National Federation of the Blind. With just weeks to go before the 2025 national convention in New Orleans, John offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to coordinate the Federation's biggest annual event. From humble beginnings in 1999 buildin...

In Episode 136 of White Canes Connect , hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome retired Judge David Tatel, author of Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice . Judge Tatel reflects on his remarkable legal career—most notably, three decades on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit—while offering an unflinching look at his personal struggle with blindness caused by retinitis pigmento...

In Episode 135 of White Canes Connect , hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome Martha Steele and Natanya Sortland to spotlight the inaugural Blind Birders Birdathon happening May 18, 2025. This nationwide event invites blind and visually impaired individuals to identify birds by sound during a flexible two-hour window within a 24-hour period. No birding experience required—just a love of li...

In Episode 134 of White Canes Connect , host David Goldstein is joined by Pam Baquero, President of the Pennsylvania Association of Blind Merchants, for a lively preview of the upcoming Spring Fling Blind Vendor Showcase , taking place May 17 at the Best Western Premier in Harrisburg. This high-energy event celebrates blind entrepreneurship with food, music, raffles, and a marketplace of blind and...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, David Goldstein plays the latest episode of Federation Focus. This weekly video mentions what is happening within the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania. Make sure you visit our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@nfbofpa/ and subscribe! Show notes at  https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/133         This is what the description on each ep...

In Episode 132 of White Canes Connect , hosts Michelle McManus and David Goldstein welcome Shawn Welker, founder of Visual Eyes Access , a low-cost visual interpreting service with a unique approach. Shawn shares how his background in accessibility and mobility training gives him a deeper understanding of blind users' needs, setting his service apart from other platforms like Aira and Be My Eyes....

In Episode 131 of White Canes Connect , host David Goldstein shares highlights from a powerful panel on digital accessibility and the expanded scope of ADA Title II, which now includes websites, mobile apps, and digital documents of publicly funded institutions. Moderated by Thomas DiAgostino and facilitated by JEME Agency and Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind, the panel features four exp...