Blind Abilities

On this episode of Wellness Wednesday, Beth and Robin respond to a listener’s question about the connection between premature birth and attachment styles. Research suggests a link between prematurity and both secure and insecure attachment styles. They explore the three insecure attachment styles and how they can shape relationships. While this is just a broad overview, Beth and Robin provide thoughtful insight...

Julius Mbura, a blind adventurer, advocate, and model from Kenya, is redefining possibility. With an Awarewolf Gear All-Terrain Cane, he scaled Mount Kilimanjaro and six other Kenyan peaks, proving that blindness is no barrier to greatness. Founder of Heights Unseen, he aims to provide 4,000 mobility canes to blind individuals in Kenya, championing independence and empowerment. Now an ambassador for Awarewolf G...

The Desserts in the Dark event at Minnesota State Academy for the Blind (MSAB) provided a hands-on experience for sighted participants to gain insight into the world of blindness. Guests wore blindfolds while enjoying a variety of desserts, decorating cookies, and engaging in a Braille decoding activity. Led by blind and visually impaired students, the event highlighted the students’ capabilities and independen...

Valentine’s Day is often seen as a celebration of romantic love, but what if love starts from within? In this Wellness Wednesday episode, Beth and Robin explore the foundation of love—self-love. Without it, we risk settling for less, struggling with boundaries, and feeling unworthy. Self-love isn’t about grand gestures; it’s in the small acts of care—enjoying a morning coffee, setting boundaries, or acknowledgi...

The ACB Minnesota State Convention: Zooming into 2025 was an exciting gathering of Minnesota’s blindness community, offering insights, connections, and resources. Highlights included updates from State Services for the Blind, discussions on assistive technology like the NLS e-Reader, and opportunities in employment, including pharmacy technician training for those with low vision. The convention also featured a...

In this 2nd  episode of the Two Journeys to Employment,  Gabby Gingras shares her inspiring journey from student to professional, emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy, resilience, and using available resources. As a visually impaired environmental Studies graduate, Gabby describes her role at Rainbow Tree Care, advocating for herself at work, and overcoming challenges in education and employment. She ref...

In episode 1 of the Two Journeys to Employment series, Kat Wilke shares her inspiring journey from high school to becoming a speech-language pathologist. Diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease in eighth grade, Kat overcame challenges with vision loss by connecting with Minnesota’s State Services for the Blind (SSB), which helped her develop self-advocacy skills and provided vital resources like assistive ...

Beth and Robin revisit their most awkward, cringe-worthy, or downright baffling moments—the ones that weren’t funny at all back then. But hindsight (and a good sense of humor) turn those memories into laughable lessons. Discover how finding the funny side of life’s little mishaps can boost your well-being and lighten your load. Because let’s face it, laughter really is the best therapy (and cheaper than weekly ...

In this Something to Think About episode, Jeff brings a bit of awareness to the data usage while updating apps.

Updating apps can significantly impact your data usage, especially if you’re on a limited plan. Regular updates, sometimes over 500MB per app, can quickly add up. While updates can improve security and features, it’s worth considering whether automatic u...

Hold onto your canes, because the Tech Abilities crew is back! Jeff and Serina round up Leslie Dickson, Cheryl Macintosh, and Katy Todd for the first New Year  episode spanning the rains of Washington to the heights of

This episode of Blind Abilities highlights the inspiring journeys of three individuals—Judy Sanders, Janet Dickelman, and Ben Zheng—who exemplify advocacy in action. Judy recounts her pioneering efforts to challenge discriminatory policies in education and airline seating. Janet reflects on self-advocacy from her school days and her leadership within the American Council of the Blind, emphasizing the ...

This special holiday episode of the Wellness Wednesday series on the Blind Abilities Podcast is a heartfelt, lighthearted reflection on the holiday season and the approaching new year. Hosts Beth Gustin and Robin Ennis explore the joys and challenges of the f...

Jesse Anderson, Assistive Technology Specialist at State Services for the Blind of Minnesota, discusses the latest advancements in assistive technology for high school and college students. He highlights tools like Aira's AccessAI, BeMyAI, JAWS, and smart glasses, emphasizing the importance of learning both mobile and computer-based solutions to improve independence and efficiency. Jesse also explores emerging ...