In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow welcomes Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer at AccessiBe, National Ambassador for the National Federation of the Blind’s Braille Literacy Campaign, and author of Thunder Dog and Live Like a Guide Dog. The conversation explores safety and self-advocacy in healthcare settings for people who are blind or have low vision. Michael shares personal stories, including a recent hospital experience that highlights gaps in staff understanding of blindness, and offers strategies for educating providers, asserting one’s needs, and ensuring safety in medical environments. He emphasizes the importance of confidence, self-advocacy, and continuous education—both for blind individuals and for medical professionals.
Michael also discusses accessible technology in healthcare, from Kaiser Permanente’s app and medication labeling systems to tools like Envision labels and Braille organization strategies. He stresses that blindness itself is not the problem—societal attitudes and lack of awareness are. The episode closes with practical advice: ask questions, advocate for confidentiality, and remember that learning blindness skills through organizations like the Colorado Center for the Blind and NFB can empower independence and safety.
Contact Info
Guest: Michael Hingson
Chief Vision Officer, AccessiBe
Email: speaker@michaelhingson.com
Website: www.michaelhingson.com
Books: Thunder Dog, Live Like a Guide Dog, Running with Roselle
Aftersight Contact:
Email: feedback@aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Website: www.aftersight.org
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
Show Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Michael Hingson
Producer: Jonathan Price
An Aftersight Original Podcast
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Intro: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
00:25 — Meet Guest Michael Hingson
02:53 — Understanding Barriers in Healthcare Settings
07:30 — Advocating for Yourself in Medical Situations
09:53 — Dealing with Misunderstanding and Bias
11:57 — The Art of Self-Advocacy Without Conflict
13:32 — Communicating with New Providers
15:54 — Knowing and Defending Your Rights
19:06 — Accessible Health Tech and Kaiser Permanente
21:31 — Labeling Medication and Accessibility Tools
23:24 — Adapting to Vision Loss Later in Life
26:38 — Blindness as Perception, Not Limitation
28:50 — Changing Medical Education on Disability Awareness
31:15 — The Importance of Inclusion and Communication
31:32 — Final Advice: Confidence, Questions, and Community
33:19 — Closing and Resources
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In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow welcomes Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer at AccessiBe, National Ambassador for the National Federation of the Blind’s Braille Literacy Campaign, and author of Thunder Dog and Live Like a Guide Dog. The conversation explores safety and self-advocacy in healthcare settings for people who are blind or have low vision. Michael shares personal stories, including a recent hospital experience that highlights gaps in staff understanding of blindness, and offers strategies for educating providers, asserting one’s needs, and ensuring safety in medical environments. He emphasizes the importance of confidence, self-advocacy, and continuous education—both for blind individuals and for medical professionals.
Michael also discusses accessible technology in healthcare, from Kaiser Permanente’s app and medication labeling systems to tools like Envision labels and Braille organization strategies. He stresses that blindness itself is not the problem—societal attitudes and lack of awareness are. The episode closes with practical advice: ask questions, advocate for confidentiality, and remember that learning blindness skills through organizations like the Colorado Center for the Blind and NFB can empower independence and safety.
Contact Info
Guest: Michael Hingson
Chief Vision Officer, AccessiBe
Email: speaker@michaelhingson.com
Website: www.michaelhingson.com
Books: Thunder Dog, Live Like a Guide Dog, Running with Roselle
Aftersight Contact:
Email: feedback@aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Website: www.aftersight.org
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
Show Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Michael Hingson
Producer: Jonathan Price
An Aftersight Original Podcast
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Intro: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
00:25 — Meet Guest Michael Hingson
02:53 — Understanding Barriers in Healthcare Settings
07:30 — Advocating for Yourself in Medical Situations
09:53 — Dealing with Misunderstanding and Bias
11:57 — The Art of Self-Advocacy Without Conflict
13:32 — Communicating with New Providers
15:54 — Knowing and Defending Your Rights
19:06 — Accessible Health Tech and Kaiser Permanente
21:31 — Labeling Medication and Accessibility Tools
23:24 — Adapting to Vision Loss Later in Life
26:38 — Blindness as Perception, Not Limitation
28:50 — Changing Medical Education on Disability Awareness
31:15 — The Importance of Inclusion and Communication
31:32 — Final Advice: Confidence, Questions, and Community
33:19 — Closing and Resources
S204: Safe at Home: Smart Tools and Adaptations with Neva Fairchild
Navigating Life with Vision Loss
39 minutes
1 month ago
S204: Safe at Home: Smart Tools and Adaptations with Neva Fairchild
In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow continues the Safety Series with a deep dive into home safety and smart tools. Guest Neva Fairchild, a nationally recognized advocate and expert in independent living skills, shares her journey from growing up with low vision to becoming a leader in accessibility at the American Foundation for the Blind and Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind.
Neva highlights practical strategies for adapting the home environment: improving lighting, using color contrast, reducing clutter, and adopting labeling systems like Braille, ScriptTalk, and WayAround. She discusses the value of proactive safety—preventing falls before they happen, leveraging smart home speakers and smartphones for communication, and preparing for emergencies with go bags and labeled medications.
The conversation also explores balancing independence with interdependence: how to ask for help specifically, how friends and family can support without overstepping, and how everyone can benefit from simple safety measures. Neva’s personal anecdotes—like biking as a child with low vision, mishaps with mislabeled medicine, and experiences with chemical safety—bring humor and urgency to the discussion.
Listeners walk away with practical next steps and resources, including APH Connect Center, VisionAware, and 211, to make their homes safer, smarter, and more accessible.
Contact Info
Guest: Neva Fairchild
Website: expertsonblindness.com
(Phone number and contact form available on site)
Aftersight
Website: www.aftersight.org
Email: feedback@aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Producer: Jonathan Price
Show Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Neva Fairchild
Producer: Jonathan Price
An Aftersight Original Podcast
Chapter Markers
00:02 — Welcome and Series Introduction
01:40 — Neva’s Story: Growing Up with Low Vision
04:50 — First Adaptations: From Cane to Home Safety
06:55 — Lighting, Color Contrast, and Clutter Control
08:15 — The Importance of Proactive Safety
09:40 — Falls and the Hidden Dangers After Age 50
11:20 — Smart Tools for Safety: Speakers, Smartphones, and More
13:45 — Go Bags and Disaster Preparedness
16:40 — Medication Labeling and Avoiding Prescription Errors
20:50 — Safe Storage: Cleaning Supplies and Household Chemicals
22:40 — Knowing Your Appliances and Fire Safety Basics
25:50 — Setting Up New Tools Safely
28:20 — Interdependence: How to Ask for Help (and Give It)
31:20 — Food Safety and Everyday Oversights
33:00 — Resources: APH Connect Center, VisionAware, and 211
35:40 — Neva’s Current Work and Contact Info
37:50 — Closing Remarks and Next Episode Preview
Navigating Life with Vision Loss
In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow welcomes Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer at AccessiBe, National Ambassador for the National Federation of the Blind’s Braille Literacy Campaign, and author of Thunder Dog and Live Like a Guide Dog. The conversation explores safety and self-advocacy in healthcare settings for people who are blind or have low vision. Michael shares personal stories, including a recent hospital experience that highlights gaps in staff understanding of blindness, and offers strategies for educating providers, asserting one’s needs, and ensuring safety in medical environments. He emphasizes the importance of confidence, self-advocacy, and continuous education—both for blind individuals and for medical professionals.
Michael also discusses accessible technology in healthcare, from Kaiser Permanente’s app and medication labeling systems to tools like Envision labels and Braille organization strategies. He stresses that blindness itself is not the problem—societal attitudes and lack of awareness are. The episode closes with practical advice: ask questions, advocate for confidentiality, and remember that learning blindness skills through organizations like the Colorado Center for the Blind and NFB can empower independence and safety.
Contact Info
Guest: Michael Hingson
Chief Vision Officer, AccessiBe
Email: speaker@michaelhingson.com
Website: www.michaelhingson.com
Books: Thunder Dog, Live Like a Guide Dog, Running with Roselle
Aftersight Contact:
Email: feedback@aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Website: www.aftersight.org
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight
Show Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Michael Hingson
Producer: Jonathan Price
An Aftersight Original Podcast
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Intro: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
00:25 — Meet Guest Michael Hingson
02:53 — Understanding Barriers in Healthcare Settings
07:30 — Advocating for Yourself in Medical Situations
09:53 — Dealing with Misunderstanding and Bias
11:57 — The Art of Self-Advocacy Without Conflict
13:32 — Communicating with New Providers
15:54 — Knowing and Defending Your Rights
19:06 — Accessible Health Tech and Kaiser Permanente
21:31 — Labeling Medication and Accessibility Tools
23:24 — Adapting to Vision Loss Later in Life
26:38 — Blindness as Perception, Not Limitation
28:50 — Changing Medical Education on Disability Awareness
31:15 — The Importance of Inclusion and Communication
31:32 — Final Advice: Confidence, Questions, and Community
33:19 — Closing and Resources
