White Canes Connect

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Paul Howard and Kris Crawley from the National Organization of Blind Black Leaders (NOBBL). Paul tells us of the changes he has seen over his decades in the NFB. Kris explains how the NFB of South Carolina has started a black leaders division within the affiliate. Paul also tells us how he was blackballed from state services in Indi...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Shawn Callaway, President of the National Organization of Blind Black Leaders (NOBBL.) Shawn discusses the beginnings of the organization and the recent name change. He also talks about the need for NOBBL and how you can join. Show notes at  https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/061    Contact The National Organization Of Blind Black Le...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Suzy Wilburn from Southeastern Guide Dogs. She explains their program from breeding to graduation and beyond that. Suzy tells us how to get a guide dog and the training process. She also talks about Southeastern's greatest need: puppy raisers. Show notes at  https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/060    Connect With Southeastern Guide Do...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa speaks with The Blind History Lady, Peggy Chong. She tells us how she started telling the stories of ordinary blind people in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Peggy mentioned that while researching one individual, she gets leads on five or six more people to do research on. She also tells us how you can help her. Show notes at https://www.whitecanesco...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Sam Seavey from The Blind Life YouTube channel. Sam tells us how his channel started and has grown over the past decade. Sam encourages perspective YouTubers to just do it and gives recommendations on equipment. He also tells us about his diagnosis of Stargardt disease when he was 11 years old. Sam attended many schools growing up b...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Sam Seavey from The Blind Life YouTube channel. Sam tells us how his channel started and has grown over the past decade. Sam encourages perspective YouTubers to just do it and gives recommendations on equipment. He also tells us about his diagnosis of Stargardt disease when he was 11 years old. Sam attended many schools growing up b...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Michelle Glaze and Eric Bennardo from the Foundation Fighting Blindness. They explain how they came to the organization after participating in a VisionWalk. Eric, President of the Pittsburgh Chapter, talks about the FFB on a local level. Michelle, Director of Professional Outreach, discusses the research funded by the Foundation as...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Katia Hadjeb-Rahman, the newly-elected President of the Pennsylvania Association of Guide Dog Users (PAGDU.) Katia tells us about her first NFB of PA State Convention and how she almost didn't attend the annual PAGDU meeting there. She is a passionate advocate for guide dog users, and it shows. Show notes at  https://www.whitecanesc...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with blind actress Aszkara Gilchrist and Odd Man Out co-director Carlos Armesto. They discuss the immersive theater performance of the show and what the audience can expect. Aszkara tells us that she was drawn to acting at a young age. Carlos gives the backstory on this production, with its roots in Argentina.  Show notes at  https://www...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Stacie and David speak with Chris Westbrook, the newly elected President of the deafblind division. He tells us his plans for the division. Chris also discusses his day job, testing websites for accessibility. He is also part of the NFB of PA tech team and talks about assistive tech training he has done. Show notes at  https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/054  ...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Shirley Scott about her first NFB of PA State Convention. She tells us how the speakers inspired her. Shirley also talks about the senior possibilities fair and how much she enjoyed the tactile astronomy presentation. Shirley also loves making candy, so you may see some homemade candy at next year's State Convention auction. Show no...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Stacie and David speak with FIGHT LLC CEO Goddest Johnson. She discusses the life that led her to emancipation at 17, how she became a nurse and helped her younger sister do the same, to a devastating car accident that left her in a coma for nine months that claimed her sight. Goddest talks about motivational speaking and how she can help you with the servic...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Emily and David speak with Dr. David Hurd, Professor of Geosciences at PennWest University, and Dr. Matt Marone, Professor of Physics at Mercer University, about their upcoming presentation at the 2022 NFB of PA State Convention. They tell us how they teach astronomy to blind students. Show notes at https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/051   Dr. David Hurd Besi...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Chuck Morgenstern, former Treasurer of the NFB of PA, and Brian Mackey, the current Treasurer of the Affiliate. Chuck gives us a history of the NFB of PA long before it even went by that moniker. He also talks about early leadership seminars and national and State Conventions from back in the day. Brian explains the NFB PAC plan and...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Karl Smith, NFB National Representative, and Lynn Heitz, NFB of PA President, about the upcoming State Convention in Pittsburgh. Karl tells us how he came to the NFB and gives a sneak peek of what he'll talk about in his convention keynote. Lynn discusses the agenda and tells us about some other convention presenters. Show notes at ...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Stacie and David speak with LyVette Byrd, Deneice Brown, and Gabrielle Byrd about the Women Healed For A Purpose Conference coming up on October 22. LyVette tells us that even though she is blind, the conference focuses on all women. Deneice and Gabrielle are two of the featured speakers at the conference, with Gabrielle also serving as the webmaster for LyV...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Jana Jackson, a gospel singer, travel agent, and entrepreneur from Nashville. Jana talks about her music career and her travel agency. She also tells us her plans for a new 501(c)3 non-profit she has started. Jana also tells of her experience on Believe You Can! 2021 and if she'll be returning for this year's show on October 15. Sho...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David speak with Harriet Go about being a blind teacher of sighted students. She discusses the discrimination she encountered when she showed up for her first day of her student-teaching. Harriet also tells us how she started in the NFB of PA.  Show notes at https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/046   Links To Organizations Mentioned National Organizati...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and Stacie speak with Bill McCann from Dancing Dots. Bill talks about how he started the business 30 years ago and how it has evolved over the decades. He gives a demo of GOODFEEL®, their signature software, and even composes a short song called Cello for Stacie. His software allows visually impaired musicians to independently read music, write their mu...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David talk with Passle Helminski, an artist and marathon runner. She tells us that she lost her vision after being assaulted while training. Passle tells us about her love of creating art and music. She teaches other blind and visually impaired people that they can be artists, too. She also tells us how she got her unique nickname. Show notes at  ht...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa and David talk with Jenine Stanley from Aira. Jenine tells us about the different available plans — including a discounted plan for NFB members. She talks about partnerships with businesses, airports, universities, and other organizations that allow you to use the service for free while on-site. Jenine mentions some new and exciting features that are ro...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa talks with Mark Lee, Angela Woodard, and Debbie Hill from LAMP, the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians. They discuss the reason for the name change, all the options patrons of the library have on getting books, and that the service is free.   Show notes at https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/042    Connect With LAMP For more information on LAM...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, we talk to Myisha Allen, author of Navigating This Thing Called Life. She tells us what inspired her to write the book. She also talks about being a blind parent of sighted kids. Show notes at https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/041   Get The Book & Connect With Myisha Allen Purchase the book at Amazon ( https://amzn.to/3vdQwXs ). It is also available on Kindl...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, we talk to Trish Maunder and Katherine Allen from Philly Touch Tours about how they train museum staff to make their facilities more accessible to blind and low-vision visitors. They also discuss Philly Meetup For The Blind, a social group that meets monthly, and how you can start something similar in your community. Show notes at  https://www.whitecanesconn...

In this episode of White Canes Connect, Lisa, Stacie, and David take a look back at the podcast's first year. We discuss our favorite shows, things that we could do better, and what our goals are moving forward. We also discuss the various countries the podcast has been downloaded.  Show notes at  https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/039     More About Lisa Bryant Lisa is the Second Vice President of...