UnScripted: A Lost iPhone, Changing Tech, and Figuring It Out
Release Date: 12/29/2025
Career Climb: Building Confidence, Careers, and Independence for the Future
Blind Abilities
Career Climb is more than a weekend workshop—it’s a launchpad for blind and low vision students to explore careers, strengthen independence, and build confidence for the future. Through hands-on activities in self-discovery, budgeting, resumes, LinkedIn, interviewing, networking, and self-advocacy, students learn not just how to find a job, but how to build a life with purpose. What makes Career Climb unique is its focus on process: students develop tools they can return to throughout their lives whenever they face a new opportunity or transition. Parents will appreciate seeing their...
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From Possibility to Pathway: Building Futures Through Pre-ETS
Blind Abilities
Across the country, students who are blind, deafBlind, or low vision are asking big questions about their future—and in Minnesota, those questions are turning into real opportunities. In this episode of Blind Abilities, we explore how Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) through State Services for the Blind are helping students move from uncertainty to action. Through hands-on experiences like summer programs, outdoor adventures, career exploration, and workplace training, students build independence, confidence, and real-world skills. From canoeing and snowshoeing to job...
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NVDA Coach: From First Keystroke to Confidence—A Free Tool Changing How NVDA Is Learned
Blind Abilities
Tony Gebhard returns to the Blind Abilities studio to introduce NVDA Coach—an innovative, free add-on designed to change how NVDA is taught and learned around the world. Built from real classroom experience, NVDA Coach supports both beginners and instructors with structured lessons, guided modules, and practical skill-building. Tony created this tool not just for his own students, but for anyone ready to learn NVDA with confidence—no matter where they are. With over 40 lessons organized into clear chapters, NVDA Coach removes the intimidation factor and replaces it with a...
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Blind Abilities - the Musical No. 5: When the Screen Spoke Back to Me - Curiosity, Confidence, and Accessible Tech
Blind Abilities
We return with another Blind Abilities Musical about that first time you heard the screen speak back to you. How you dug in an learned about accessibility and use it in the workplace. And how the ever changing tech world keeps you on your toes. After the music ends, Pete, Christina, Lori, and Jeff jump back into the studio for a lively, reflective, and thoughtful conversation about accessible technology and how it has changed their lives. They reflect on the first time they heard JAWS, VoiceOver, or ZoomText Extra speak, and how those early moments opened doors to independence, speed,...
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No Limits to Learning: A Summer Program That Builds Independence
Blind Abilities
Step into a summer that could change everything. At the Colorado Center for the Blind, the invites blind, deafblind, and low vision students ages 15–21 to live, learn, and grow in a fully immersive experience. You’ll stay in real apartments, cook your own meals, travel using public transit, and build independence from morning to night. Days are filled with hands-on training in Braille, technology, orientation and mobility, and independent living skills—taught by blind mentors who’ve been where you are. Beyond the classroom, adventure awaits with rock climbing, whitewater rafting,...
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Curiosity Opens the Door: Louie McGee’s Journey from Minnesota to Law School
Blind Abilities
What does it take to step beyond comfort and truly build independence? In this episode of Blind Abilities, Louie McGee shares his journey from Minnesota to law school in Chicago, proving that curiosity—not perfection—is the real key to success. Born with Stargardt’s, Louie doesn’t just adapt—he explores. From completing a triathlon and rafting the Grand Canyon to studying abroad in London, he shows how asking questions and taking chances can open doors you didn’t even know existed. For students beginning their academic journey, Louie offers a powerful message: your path...
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Aira Goes Wearable Again: Unlocking Freedom with Meta Glasses
Blind Abilities
Aira is stepping into a new era of accessibility with hands-free support through Meta smart glasses, and Jenine Stanley joins Jeff Thompson to break it all down. With the latest update to the Aira Explorer app, users can now connect directly to Meta glasses and access visual interpreting services with a simple voice command—no phone handling required. This shift brings back the power of wearable access, allowing users to stay fully engaged in their environment while navigating, working, or tackling everyday tasks. Whether you’re using a cane, walking with a guide dog, or even...
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New Language, New Opportunities: Unlocking Independence Through English Learning with Abbi Mayland
Blind Abilities
What if learning English could open the door to independence, education, and meaningful work? In this episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson sits down with English Language Learning specialist Abbi Mayland from State Services for the Blind of Minnesota. Abbi shares how she helps students who are blind, DeafBlind, or low vision — and who may not speak English—build the skills they need to succeed. Using creative, hands-on teaching methods like real objects, conversation, audio learning, and Braille, Abbi supports students from all over the world as they grow in confidence and...
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Wellness Wednesday: Self-Esteem vs. Self-Confidence — And Yes, Those Are Nice Shoes
Blind Abilities
What’s the difference between self-esteem and self-confidence—and why does something as simple as a pair of shoes sometimes spark the conversation? In this Wellness Wednesday episode, Beth, Robin, and Jeff explore how the way we present ourselves can shape how we feel on the inside. From compliments and comments to personal style choices, the crew reflects on how outside voices and inner dialogue influence confidence and self-worth. Do we dress for comfort, expression, or approval? And how do we find the balance between listening to feedback and staying true to ourselves? Join the Wellness...
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Riding the Future: Inside Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox Autonomous Rides with Kevin Chao
Blind Abilities
In this episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff welcomes Kevin Chao, an early adopter who has taken more than 60 rides in autonomous vehicles across San Francisco and Austin. Kevin shares his firsthand experiences riding in Tesla RoboTaxis, Waymo vehicles, and Amazon’s new Zoox autonomous vehicle—built from the ground up with no steering wheel and inward-facing seats. He describes what it’s like to request, ride, and interact with these driverless systems while offering feedback that helps improve the experience. From accessibility to independence, Kevin explores what autonomous transportation...
info_outlineIn this UnScripted episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson and Sree Roy dive into real-life tech, travel, and accessibility—no script, just experience. From recovering a lost iPhone overseas using Find My, to navigating chaotic airports and noisy streets as a blind traveler, the conversation blends humor with practical takeaways. The episode also marks the end of the Blind Abilities app and reflects on how learning technology has evolved. Jeff and Sree explore why building adaptable skills matters—bridging tablets to PCs, learning screen readers, choosing accessible keyboards, and keeping up with rapid iOS changes. It’s a candid, instructional discussion rooted in everyday independence.
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