Best Zaken Podcasts (2025)

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Susan born 1953 a "high partial" whose parents actively rejected her using a white cane 55:05

9M ago55:05

55:05

Send us a text My friend Susan who was born with retinopathy of prematurity and had 20/400 and 20/800 she is effectively mobility visually impaired – perhaps that cutoff is 20/500, so by 100 ? that’s a lot of stress. Susan and I met because she was the interim director of a program that I was hired to take over, she was the boss, and then I became …

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Mike Jones born 1963 - grew up using echolocation until his first dog guide in his second year of college. 1:51:39

11M ago1:51:39

1:51:39

Send us a text For New Years Eve 2024 I’m bringing you one of my all-time favorite interviews- conducted November 1999, just shy of Y2K- blind travel was not for the faint of heart. Born in 1963 –he didn’t get a full-time mobility tool until his first guide dog in his second year of college. Sit back and relax – this is a good one Mike’s honesty ab…

1
Barbara born blind in 1953 her first long cane in 1980 when she was 27 years old 1:13:07

12M ago1:13:07

1:13:07

Send us a text From 1999 – 2001, as a young professor I conducted over 100 interviews with employed adults with blindness. I was seeking insight into my profession from the everyday consumer – and I continue to learn and improve my practice by listening absent bias and judgement. This week we have Barbara Hadnott Her interview was conducted Novembe…

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Audrey Born 1953 working mother who embraced wayfinding technology before it was cool! 1:22:43

1y ago1:22:43

1:22:43

Send us a text Born in 1953, she got the full crazy treatment growing up blind. Yet, somehow she came through it all very well adjusted-a working wife and mother she has the same desires as anyone.. Her life is one lived just before the technology boom hit – before ride-share apps and other helpful smart phone tricks. Take a trip back with a very s…

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Mike born 1952, blind due to RLF/ROP a MUST LISTEN for all O&M Graduate Students!: Part 2 1:48:54

1+ y ago1:48:54

1:48:54

Send us a text This was one of the very early interviews I had done. Twenty-five years ago, late one evening I sat down across the table in my Hunter College office with good friend, Mike Levy. He had come prepared with written statements of memories and family lore surrounding his travel. I would recommend this interview to every graduate student …

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Mike born 1952, blind due to RLF/ROP a MUST LISTEN for all O&M Graduate Students!: Part 1 59:59

1+ y ago59:59

59:59

Send us a text This was one of the very early interviews I had done. Twenty-five years ago, late one evening I sat down across a table in my Hunter College office with good friend, Mike Levy. He had come prepared with written statements of memories and family lore surrounding his travel. I would recommend this interview to every graduate student st…

1
Judy Born 1952 - proof positive you can grow up without safe mobility and enjoy life to the fullest! 1:40:11

1+ y ago1:40:11

1:40:11

Send us a text Judy is a poster child of success absent safe mobility. As a child, she had light and color vision – and that means she was mobility visually impaired. In the 1950s, she learned to use the long cane, but she wasn’t allowed to take it home until she was older. She didn’t really start using a long cane until grad school. She and her hu…

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Don McBride born 1936 became blind at age 11, O&M instructor before it was a grad degree. Part II 1:35:15

1+ y ago1:35:15

1:35:15

Send us a text In every accomplishment – the O&M instructor in me wishes more value had been placed on his safety. His life is filled with accomplishments and yet- all I can hear is just how freakin’ hard it has been for him to get around safely and he blames himself – not the inferior tools he’s been provided… He taught orientation and mobility (O…

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Don McBride born 1936 became blind at age 11, O&M instructor before it was a grad degree. 1:37:57

1+ y ago1:37:57

1:37:57

Send us a text This week is a real treat- I found Don McBride’s interview, he was born in 1936. He is a great storyteller and gives amazing insight into what it was like to be blind child in the 1940s and 50s- he became blind at age 11, he attend residential school and so had certain advantages – but, there wasn’t white cane safety at the time and …

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Frances born 1952, RLF, prefers her Dog Guide over Long Canes 1:06:24

1+ y ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Send us a text We are entering the 1950s with Frances who was born 1952 seven years after the first white cane was taught to a blinded veteran of WWII. She remembered knowing that she had to wait to learn to use a long cane once she became 15. This is a terrific discussion of her dog guide use and paratransit. If you’re curious about the reality of…

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Taletha born 1951 with no light perception 1:03:12

1+ y ago1:03:12

1:03:12

Send us a text If you want some assurances that growing up blind, waiting until school age to get the first long cane can result in a well adjusted, fully employed and outgoing adult- then listen to Taletha. She compares working with O&M specialists who were sighted and blind. Overall, she felt she should have had much more time with either one of …

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Patricia, born 1951 - To Use or Not To Use the White Cane The conflict is real 44:30

2y ago44:30

44:30

Send us a text Patricia Montgomery is a terrific example of the seeds the world has sown. People with visual impairments are expected to be visually capable and blind people are expected to be treated as if they are sighted. Blindness and visual impairment are the most blatant form of stereotyping and marginalizing of a disability group out in the …

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For far too long adults have held an unrealistic expectation that blind babies will walk independently without the protection of a white cane. 12:05

2y ago12:05

12:05

Send us a text This is the soundtrack of the video posted on YouTube. It shows footage from 1960s and audio tape interviews of children born blind in the 1950s. Marcia new she was blind when she entered kindergarten. She noticed her peers ran around and she didn’t. Running without a two-step safety buffer is not recommended. A 1966 blind high schoo…

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BREAKING NEWS! Real Tape of Interview with Maureen born 1950 - Dives Deep into Real Life of Living Blind in NYC and Beyond 1:44:28

2y ago1:44:28

1:44:28

Send us a text Maureen Moscato – a really good friend of mine – she is so funny. I found the original tape – It is worth a relisten!! She is much funnier than I am playing her!! Yay!! Maureen is a real treasure – her stories reveal a woman who grew up in the school of hard knocks and her resiliency go her through – but if you’re interested in the p…

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Marcia born blind in 1950 Classic Story of Growing up Independent without a Mobility Tool 1:48:26

2y ago1:48:26

1:48:26

Send us a text Marcia, born in 1950, is an example of what everyone would like me to understand – she is such a successful person (may she rest). Born blind she was an independent child – from her accounts she hated the long cane as a child, and she didn’t need it. This is the story that every parent wants to hear – that their child will grow up li…

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Jerry born visually impaired in 1950 difficulties traveling at night especially winter conditions 1:04:28

2y ago1:04:28

1:04:28

Send us a text Today I’m sharing the interview with Jerry, conducted March 11, 2001. He is visually impaired, but not mobility visually impaired, except at night. His experiences at night in winter snow demonstrate the resilience of mankind in the face of daunting odds, but also how alone people with visual impairments feel – never once had he cons…

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Betty born 1950 with ROP first cane 1967 1:06:31

2+ y ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Send us a text Betty grew up without a mobility tool – she will not admit to having any difficulties in her life, and on the surface one can attest – she is the embodiment of success. She is educated, she has a job, she is well-spoken and capable. As an O&M instructor – my interest is in the travel decision. She talked about using a guide to move a…

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Kathleen born 1949 with low vision and acquired a long cane at age 48 1:24:27

2+ y ago1:24:27

1:24:27

Send us a text Today’s interview is with Kathleen, born in 1949 with retinopathy of prematurity. Her story life with this vision is one of living in the margins as far as getting services. She had no specialized services as a child, conceivably she was considered to have too much vision – she was not “legally blind”. She got her first cane at age 4…

1
Gloria born with low vision in 1949 talks about her transition to a cane user at age of 40 58:44

2+ y ago58:44

58:44

Send us a text Gloria grew up with low vision, she couldn’t read street signs or see important details but moved about her world with her peers. She remembered having no difficulty getting around her hometown or otherwise, until she lost more of her vision when she was 40 years old. That caused her to lose her job and relearn how to get about place…

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Doug born 1948 began O&M instruction in 1976 1:37:29

2+ y ago1:37:29

1:37:29

Send us a text Today’s show is with Doug Schading. We spoke together August 15, 2001. He was born in 1948 and was visually impaired he had one good eye that had narrow field, but acuity of 20/80. At age 28 his vision deteriorated even in his good eye and he couldn’t travel independently any more. His perspective on traveling early with limited visi…

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Steve born 1947 first O&M lesson in High School 1:31:35

2+ y ago1:31:35

1:31:35

Send us a text Stephen Dresser –was born in 1947, he got his first long cane in 8th grade, but he wasn’t taught to use it as a probe and just hooked it on his arm. It wasn’t until high school that he finally received O&M instruction. He remembers having to be convinced that it was possible to move through space without bruises, tripping and clunkin…

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Jim born 1946 One Year After the Long Cane was Invented 55:44

2+ y ago55:44

55:44

Send us a text Jim said he wished he had had cane travel in grade school – instead of always sitting on the sidelines. He remembered moving about without the long cane and didn’t recall getting hurt, but when he attended his reunion getting about the campus as an adult he didn’t understand, how he managed without a long cane, because he bumped into…

1
Beatrice born mobility visually impaired in 1944, blind in 1956, first O&M lesson in 1960 58:16

2+ y ago58:16

58:16

Send us a text Beatrice weighed 2 pounds when was born into a family that already had four children. Her mom and dad didn’t have insurance and avoided hospitals. I don’t think my mother real…my mother or father realized how poor my vision was. She remembered that she was only able to see partially out of her right eye. She didn’t realize how little…

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Michael was born sighted in 1943 and became blind in 1945 1:29:12

2+ y ago1:29:12

1:29:12

Send us a text This week is Michael born in 1943 – 2 years before the long cane was invented. He became blind at 2 years of age due to retinoblastoma. He received his first O&M instruction at the school for the blind from a blind adult. Michael details some of the strategies that the instructor employed to teach him to use sound and some funny outc…

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Myrna born blind in 1939 Used GPS Before it was Cool! 1:02:14

2+ y ago1:02:14

1:02:14

Send us a text Myrna is a very intelligent woman who studied music, a career many bright children born blind were funneled into, her husband was a blind piano tuner – another career historically taught to intelligent students at schools for the blind. Myrna broke free of it and joined the modern world in career of assistive technology. She was usin…

1
Dr. Jo born 1939 with low vision, became blind age 11 1:23:45

3y ago1:23:45

1:23:45

Send us a text Jo was gifted in math and was quite capable, the first born – she helped look after her 3 siblings. Although long white canes had been used for 5 years when she became blind, one was not provided to her when she needed it. In school, there were plenty of ways for her to learn independently -she had talking books and eventually learne…

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Terri Born 1933 Mobility Visually Impaired Never had O&M instruction 1:12:46

3y ago1:12:46

1:12:46

Send us a text Terri prophetically remarked that without the radio’s noise as a beacon she would “end up going off track 2” is chilling for many reasons. First and foremost, that Terri died exactly as she prophesized, she walked (without a mobility tool) off track 2 into the path of an Amtrak train. One problem that may seem benign to sighted peopl…

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Suzanne born 1924 - got her first long cane when she was 24 1:02:08

3y ago1:02:08

1:02:08

Send us a text Suzanne grew up with severe visual impairment – she had no way to know if the drop was 6 inches or 60 inches. She got a long cane three short years after the veterans administration started using them and after a few hours of training incorporated it into her travel. Her family wasn’t thrilled by it – but she wasn’t about to go back …

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Marion born 1917 with one good eye and one bad eye 42:20

3y ago42:20

42:20

Send us a text Marion became blind at age 60 after a life of having one good eye and one bad eye. She was independent cane traveler before, but the methods of teaching her orientation and mobility at 60 left her in tears and a belief that it was her fault that she was no longer able to be independent when walking outside on her own. Marion tells us…

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January Wrap Up 16:59

3y ago16:59

16:59

Send us a text Grace gives an insightful summary of her interviews with Alvin, George and Frank. Visit our website: Email: [email protected] TikTok Facebook YouTube Thanks for listening! Please, leave us a review, ask questions and share with your friends!! Please donate to help Safe Toddles Inc. achieve our mission to provide blind toddlers wit…

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Alvin born severely visually impaired in 1930 in Illinois 1:03:28

3y ago1:03:28

1:03:28

Send us a text Alvin said, "I have two daughters and six grand kids. In my career I’ve done everything there is to do in my career. I used to teach mobility. I was superintendent of the Illinois visually handicapped, that’s the rehab center in Chicago. I’ve held about ever job there is. I even tried to drive a truck... This interview was conducted …

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George was born blind in 1928 17 years before the Long Cane was invented 1:03:05

3y ago1:03:05

1:03:05

Send us a text Not to take away anything from George about his ability to travel – instead it is important to shine a light on the definition of independence and ability – George was first provided a short Lions Club Cane at 14- but given no instruction, save from his classmate. He was also given a long cane, again with no formal instruction. His e…

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Frank Born Blind in 1915 30 years Before The Long White Cane 42:18

3y ago42:18

42:18

Send us a text The Safe Toddles belt cane is an early 21st century innovation –Some might assume the long white cane is a much, much older mobility tool. Who would believe that it is a mid-20th century innovation – the first long white cane was introduced in 1945. In the grand scheme of blind people – the long white cane being the only mass produce…

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Episode 60: Greta's Movement 46:31

4y ago46:31

46:31

This week, join Celia and Julia to learn all about the young activist, Greta Thunberg, including her background, her movements, and some inspiring quotes.

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Episode 59: Space - The Final Frontier? 1:07:06

4y ago1:07:06

1:07:06

Space is something that has peaked the interest of humans for thousands of years, and today Celia and Julia get into how space exploration impacts the environment.

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Episode 58: Mount Everest 1:09:04

4y ago1:09:04

1:09:04

Join Celia and Julia for this weeks episode which is full of mystery, controversy, and learning all about the legendary Mount Everest.

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Episode 57: Shaun Zaken With Boomerang Water 43:14

4+ y ago43:14

43:14

This month's special episode comes with a special guest, Shaun, who tells us all about the process of distributing drinking water with Boomerang Water. Their system of bottling water minimizes waste, and sets the tone for the future of sustainable, clean drinking water.

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Episode 56: The Loch Ness monster 44:13

4+ y ago44:13

44:13

Spooky season is... almost here? This week Celia and Julia are talking all about the Loch Ness Monster, even how it relates to saving our planet.

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Minisode 16: Would You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? 27:20

4+ y ago27:20

27:20

Welcome to our Good Girls Go Green Summer!! Today we wanted to give you all a taste of what some of our conversations really look like--and sometimes that includes ZOMBIES!

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Episode 55: Air Pollution 1:05:03

4+ y ago1:05:03

1:05:03

Celia and Julia discuss air pollution and share some shocking facts and deets you won't want to miss!

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Minisode 10: Q&A With Celia and Julia 14:11

4+ y ago14:11

14:11

This week we have a special Patreon minisode for all of you, because sometimes, life just gets a little crazy! The question Celia and Julia are discussing on this episode: have you ever gotten a ticket?

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Episode 54: Tiger King 54:27

4+ y ago54:27

54:27

Welcome to a new week, cool cats and kittens! Celia and Julia have a lot to say about going green and the big cat community, so don't miss it!

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Episode 53: Oil Spills 1:13:19

4+ y ago1:13:19

1:13:19

This week Celia and Julia talk all about oil spills, covering their impact, cleanups, and some of the most notable spills.

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Episode 52: Anniversary Episode 30:12

4+ y ago30:12

30:12

Take a walk down memory lane this week with Celia and Julia to celebrate 1 year of the podcast! Clips taken from the following episodes: 1, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 23, 32, 36, 40, 44, 47, and 51. Thank you listeners for all of your support!

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Episode 51: ft. Jamaica Trinnaman 53:08

4+ y ago53:08

53:08

Tune in to this month's special episode where the girls at Good Girls Go Green interview Jamaica Trinnaman, founder of a bulk store local to Utah, for a behind the scenes look on these types of stores.

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Episode 50: Shipwrecks 1:10:06

4+ y ago1:10:06

1:10:06

Celia and Julia are getting into shipwrecks this week, including famous wrecks and effects on the environment.

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Episode 49: Spelunking 51:25

4+ y ago51:25

51:25

Ever wonder what it would be like to explore the mysterious caves of this world we live in? Join Celia and Julia this week to learn all about what it!

1
Episode 48: Bigfoot 56:56

4+ y ago56:56

56:56

The man? The myth? The legend? Celia and Julia get into everything Bigfoot this week.

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Episode 47: Appalachian Trail Mysteries 1:00:21

4+ y ago1:00:21

1:00:21

Celia and Julia are changing up the episode formatting starting NOW! This week both of them cover the same topic: the mysteries of the Appalachian trail.

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Episode 46: Don't Be Deceived By Symposiums and Circus' 1:12:01

4+ y ago1:12:01

1:12:01

This week Celia recaps Earth Day for those who missed out this year, but want to start preparing for next year! Then Julia gets into more about house plants.

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