Practical access, lived experience, real independence.
Blind Abilities blends interviews, conversations, and personal stories from a blindness perspective. Its episodes move from screen readers, summer programs, and low vision care to style, self-confidence, career pathways, and disability rights.
PRESS PLAY
Blind Abilities is an accessibility show centered on blindness, low vision, independence, and community knowledge. It does not treat accessibility as a niche technical subject. It treats it as the fabric of school, work, medicine, style, transportation, technology, and civil rights. Recent episodes show that range clearly. Student-focused conversations explain Pre-Employment Transition Services in Minnesota and residential summer programs at the Colorado Center for the Blind, with attention to career exploration, daily living skills, and confidence beyond the classroom. Technology episodes get practical fast. NVDA Coach becomes more than an add-on; it becomes an example of how a free learning space can help someone move from first keystrokes to real command of a screen reader. Other episodes are more lyrical, including musical reflections on the moment a screen first speaks back and information becomes reachable. The show also follows individual journeys. Louie Mickey talks about growing up in Minnesota, studying law in Chicago, and living with Stargardt as part of a broader story about independence and curiosity. Wellness Wednesday brings in a more conversational rhythm. Jeff Thompson, Beth Gustin, and Robin Ennis move from cute shoes and clothing choices to grocery apps, appearance feedback, self-esteem, and the pressure of prescribed style. Advocacy episodes carry a sharper edge. Kaylee Brando discusses Section 504, Judy's League, and why disability rights protections matter well beyond one community. Medical conversations add another layer, especially when Dr. Solomon Alibai and Karen Forsten describe low vision care that considers daily function and emotional readiness, not only diagnosis or treatment. Across these pieces, Blind Abilities keeps returning to the same practical question: what helps a person move with more confidence through the world? Its strength is the mix. Policy is explained in plain language. Tools are tested against real life. Personal stories are allowed to be specific without becoming sentimental. The show suits people who want accessibility coverage with warmth, usefulness, and a strong blindness perspective.
Made for: Blind Abilities is for blind, low vision, and deafblind listeners, along with families, educators, service providers, advocates, and anyone learning how accessibility works in daily life. It especially suits people who want practical guidance without losing the human story.
What sets it apart: Blind Abilities stands out by moving naturally between personal experience, assistive technology, youth programs, medical care, and rights advocacy. It makes large accessibility issues concrete through ordinary moments: a keyboard, a grocery app, a summer apartment, a classroom, or a doctor's visit.
The most comprehensive resource for Assistive Technology, success Stories, College and Career Pathways and all with a Blindness Perspective.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Original songs turn an accessibility discussion into a warm musical audio essay grounded in practical experience with screen readers and computers.
Blind Abilities occasionally turns accessibility into music, using original songs to frame a roundtable about screen readers, keyboard shortcuts, and the first thrill of gaining independent access to a computer.
A screen speaks, a mobility device rolls, and independence starts feeling less theoretical to you.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A practical confidence chat linking accessibility, clothing choices, and everyday shopping.
Blind Abilities frames this conversation around the uneasy gap between self-esteem and self-confidence, using cute shoes, outfits, and the small private talk people have with themselves about what looks right.
A clear look at Section 504 and what disability access means in daily life.
Kaylee Brando's return to Blind Abilities keeps the focus on Section 504 and why the fight over it reaches far beyond one legal dispute. The episode makes its point without much detour: 504 is treated as the base layer that ADA protections rest on, so any weakening there would…
A grounded conversation about care, readiness, and hope after low vision changes daily life.
Low vision care is framed here as the next stage after glasses, contacts, treatment, or a specialist's best effort can only go so far. Jeff Thompson speaks with Dr.
A warm musical review of how speaking screens, shortcuts, and shared know-how can turn access into confidence.
The episode frames accessible technology as the first real foothold toward independence. It begins with a musical passage that moves from frustration to the moment a screen speaks back, making text usable and turning information into agency.
A hands-on Glide demo opens into a grounded conversation about orientation, safety, and the right amount of information.
Blind Abilities uses Glide, a new mobility aid, to open a practical conversation about what navigation should sound like for blind and visually impaired people moving through a route.
Disability talk after the polite version ends.
Live rooms where accessibility work happens.
Chicago critics DeRogatis and Kot pair new-album reviews with deep dives into records like Rumours.
Billboard's Keith Caulfield and Katie Atkinson break down the week's Hot 100 and 200 charts.
Blind Abilities presents a musical episode exploring the emotional and practical journey of blind individuals discovering accessible technology.
Simon Bonifant interviews Amos Miller, founder and CEO of Glidance, about Glide, a new mobility aid for blind and visually impaired people.
Jeff Thompson, Kelly Gray, Christina, and Pete compare hobbies, Braille practice, reading, smart-home tools, and cooking as ways to structure life after vision change.
Shane DeSantis, Ava, and Preston outline State Services for the Blind activities in Minnesota, including an August 5 volunteer night at Every Meal in Roseville and an August 11–13 camping trip in Carver County.
Blind Abilities hosts Jeff Thompson and Sri Roy discuss vision loss, accessibility, Apple devices, and daily adaptation through concrete personal examples.
This episode explores Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) in Minnesota, which helps blind, deafblind, and low vision students build career skills and independence through programs like the Summer Transition Program.
Tony Getpart introduces NVDA Coach, a free add-on for the NVDA screen reader that provides an immersive sandbox environment to help users learn from basic keystrokes to advanced navigation.
This musical episode explores the transformative moment when accessible technology like screen readers first gave blind individuals access to digital information, shifting from frustration to possibility and independence.
This episode features an interview with Tiffany Moon from the Colorado Center for the Blind discussing their No Limits to Learning summer programs for teens, including residential options and skill-building opportunities.
This episode features an interview with Louie McGee, a blind law student discussing his educational journey from Minnesota to Chicago, his diagnosis with Stargardt disease, and his aspirations in law and community service.
The discussion centers on self-esteem and self-confidence.
Kaylee Brando returns to Blind Abilities to talk about the challenge to Section 504.
Jeff Thompson speaks with Dr.
This episode features an interview with Michael Colbrin, a blind business owner in Minnesota's Business Enterprise Program, discussing his journey from aspiring college coach to entrepreneur through state services for the blind.
This episode discusses strategies for navigating today's job market with wellness and confidence, featuring advice on networking, avoiding settling for unsuitable jobs, and practical tips like attending job fairs and leveraging connections.
This episode celebrates White Cane Day at the Minnesota State Capitol, highlighting the importance of the white cane as a tool for independence and safety for blind and visually impaired individuals.
This episode introduces the APEX program, which helps blind and visually impaired individuals gain cybersecurity certifications and enter IT careers through remote opportunities.
This episode features an interview with Bob Geyer, a woodworker who is blind, discussing his journey, the supportive community of blind woodworkers, and practical tips for getting started in woodworking without sight.