Nation’s Blind Podcast

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Anil, Melissa, and Chris Danielsen discuss the upcoming Washington Seminar of the National Federation of the Blind. They talk about their memories of past seminars and the importance of advocacy, as well as the issues that will be addressed during the seminar, including Social Security reform, accessible medical equipment, and website and software accessibility. They emphasize the powe...

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Anil and Melissa are joined by Gary Wunder, editor of the Braille Monitor, and Aaron Cannon, a blind accessibility specialist for Ancestry.com. They discuss the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in various aspects of life, with feedback from listeners incorporated into the conversation. The discussion touches on AI tools such as Be My AI and ChatGPT, their benefits and limitations, a...

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Melissa Riccobono and Anil Lewis discuss various shopping strategies that blind people use, both in stores and virtually, and some of the pros and cons of each method. Shopping methods discussed include using apps like Instacart, Shipt, and more, as well as acquiring assistance from Aira and Be My Eyes. Join the discussion by sharing your own strategies and tips for possible airing on ...

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Anil Lewis and Chris Danielsen introduce the 2023/2024 Braille Readers Are Leaders contest, which is a project of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, a longtime partner of the National Federation of the Blind. Lisamaria Martinez, the project manager for the program, joins them to provide more details. They encourage listeners to sign up, practice their Braille skill...

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, Melissa Riccobono and Chris Danielsen discuss Veterans Day and the role of veterans in the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). They are joined by Dr. Vernon Humphrey, the president of the National Association of Blind Veterans (NABV), a division of the National Federation of the Blind; and José Centeno, a blind veteran, marathon runner, and member of the NABV. They discuss the work...

In this episode of the Nation's Blind Podcast, hosts Melissa Riccobono and Anil Lewis discuss Blind Equality Achievement Month with two chapter and affiliate leaders, Cindy Scott-Huisman of Little Rock, Arkansas and Stacie Gallegos of Houston, Texas. They talk about the importance of educating the public about blindness and blind people and share the various activities and events they have been involved in to promote and celebrate ...

The Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Accessibility (CENA) is a concentrated center of expertise, best practices, and resources that enables businesses, government, and educational institutions to provide accessible information and services more effectively to the blind community. In this episode, originally recorded around Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Anil Lewis reviews CENA’s work in education, employment, technology evalu...

In this episode, Melissa and Chris Danielsen preview the virtual convention experience, a free, dedicated online space for people who are unable to attend the national convention but want to get a flavor of what’s happening. They detail the components of this experience, from exclusive content for virtual attendees to the live convention meetings and sessions that will be streamed online.

Important links:

Register for the Virtual...

If you haven’t already submitted a policy proposal for consideration at the national convention in the form of a resolution, or are just curious about the process, then this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast will tell you everything you need to know.

President Riccobono talks with new Resolutions Committee Chair, Donald Porterfield, who also serves as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona and on our natio...

The wealthy and influential YouTube celebrity MrBeast recently caused a stir in our community by posting a video in which he “cured” the blindness of a thousand people by funding cataract removal. In this episode, Anil Lewis and Chris Danielsen discuss why well-intentioned public efforts like this can be problematic. They also talk about what it means to be “okay with blindness” and about the importance of understanding and respect...

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, United states Treasury Department, is close to producing paper currency with tactile features to make it more easily identifiable by the blind beginning with a new ten-dollar bill in 2026. Anil Lewis and Chris Danielsen discuss how blind people currently use paper money and the long journey to this announcement. But first, they do some myth-busting about the historical position of the National ...

Is there such a thing as a model Federationist or blind person? Is Federation philosophy a rigid set of rules? How do we provide support and raise expectations without judging each other’s choices? Anil and melissa discuss these questions, dispel some common misconceptions, and point to some resources to help understand and apply the NFB philosophy.

Important links:

NFB Philosophy: What It Is and What It Is Not (Braille Monitor a...

This episode highlights recent developments in a case supported by the National Federation of the Blind, Orozco v. Garland, addressing the right of federal employees to sue their agencies under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act when information and communication technology are inaccessible to them in violation of that law. Roving reporter Chris Danielsen interviewed Ronza Othman, an attorney and president of the National Associ...

In January 2023, Anil and Melissa spoke with Dr. Craig Meador, President of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). They discussed the monarch, the new dynamic tactile display that has emerged from a partnership among APH, Humanware, and the National Federation of the Blind. With ten lines that can display both braille and tactile graphics, this device is a potential game-changer, especially for blind students. Hear abou...

In celebration of Black History Month, this episode highlights the National Organization of Blind Black Leaders, a division of the National Federation of the Blind. Melissa and Anil talk with Shawn Callaway, the division’s president, who is also president of the Washington, DC affiliate and a member of the national board of directors. Shawn explains the inspiration for forming the division, its mentoring and educational efforts, an...

In this episode, Melissa chats with Beth Foor from Kellogg Company, makers of some of your favorite cereals and snacks. Beth shares her story with blindness and discusses NaviLens, a technology to assist blind and low-vision adults. Kellogg is proud to be the first food company to feature this technology on packaging in the U.S on select cereal boxes. The NaviLens app and the NaviLens GO app are available for free download for use ...

In this episode, Anil and Melissa talk with Karen Anderson, who coordinates educational programs at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. She talks about the Teacher of Tomorrow program, which connects teachers of blind K-12 students with blind people so that our lived experience can inform their instruction of the children they teach. Karen shares the reaction of some of these teachers to the kick-off event of t...

This episode features an interview with NFB President Mark Riccobono about the purpose and importance of Blind Equality Achievement Month, formerly known as Meet the Blind Month. President Riccobono talks with anil and Melissa about how blind people are often forced to educate the public in situations that are not ideal, making it critical for us to plan intentional ways of conducting this education. Blind Equality Achievement Mont...

This episode features an interview with Elisa Beniero of Netflix. The popular streaming service received one of the 2022 Dr. Jacob Bolotin awards at the national convention in New Orleans. The award was given for Netflix’s industry-leading work in providing quality audio description in multiple languages for an ever-increasing number of hours of programming (over 18,000 at the time the interview was recorded and counting), as well ...