Host Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken, President and CEO Safe Toddles non-profit discusses safe mobility for learners who were born blind and visually impaired. In 2023 & 2024, I am sharing the over 100 interviews I conducted with adults born blind or mobility visually impaired. I discussed with them their recollections of growing up. and walking before, during and after obtaining orientation and mobility instruction and mobility tools. In 2021/22, I worked with co-host Kelvin Crosby. Together we int ...
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Verdieping. Verbreding. Verdikking.
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Literatuurkritiek door Toine Donk, Tim de Gier en Ernst-Jan Pfauth. Niet gehinderd door enige kennis van zaken. Vanuit zorgcentrum Evean KadoelerBreek in Amsterdam-Noord en live op gezette data in de Rode Hoed.
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Two girls with a mission to save the world, but we have no idea how to do it! Learn how to live a more environmentally friendly life one step at a time on the Good Girls Go Green podcast, hosted by Celia Linford & Julia Sliwoski
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Mike born 1952, blind due to RLF/ROP a MUST LISTEN for all O&M Graduate Students!: Part 1
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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 studying O&M. Mik…
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Judy Born 1952 - proof positive you can grow up without safe mobility and enjoy life to the fullest!
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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 husband go on gra…
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Don McBride born 1936 became blind at age 11, O&M instructor before it was a grad degree. Part II
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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&M) too – learn…
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Don McBride born 1936 became blind at age 11, O&M instructor before it was a grad degree.
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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 his older broth…
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Frances born 1952, RLF, prefers her Dog Guide over Long Canes
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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 getting around…
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Taletha born 1951 with no light perception
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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 them – she had …
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Patricia, born 1951 - To Use or Not To Use the White Cane The conflict is real
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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 open. Consider …
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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.
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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 schooler is shown be…
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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
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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 pros and cons of…
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Marcia born blind in 1950 Classic Story of Growing up Independent without a Mobility Tool
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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 like Marcia – a s…
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Jerry born visually impaired in 1950 difficulties traveling at night especially winter conditions
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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 considered bringing…
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Betty born 1950 with ROP first cane 1967
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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 about and she wa…
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Kathleen born 1946 with low vision and acquired a long cane at age 48
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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 48 – for protect…
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Gloria born with low vision in 1949 talks about her transition to a cane user at age of 40
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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 places she knew well…
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Doug born 1948 began O&M instruction in 1976
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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 vision, his experie…
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Steve born 1947 first O&M lesson in High School
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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 clunking into the worl…
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Jim born 1946 One Year After the Long Cane was Invented
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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 a lot of bicyc…
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Beatrice born mobility visually impaired in 1944, blind in 1956, first O&M lesson in 1960
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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 sight she had …
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Michael was born sighted in 1943 and became blind in 1945
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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 outcomes as well. H…
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Myrna born blind in 1939 Used GPS Before it was Cool!
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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 using GPS before it…
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Dr. Jo born 1939 with low vision, became blind age 11
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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 learned braille to re…
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Terri Born 1933 Mobility Visually Impaired Never had O&M instruction
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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 people, is her mispl…
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Suzanne born 1924 - got her first long cane when she was 24
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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 to having risk …
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Marion born 1917 with one good eye and one bad eye
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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 about a seriou…
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Grace gives an insightful summary of her interviews with Alvin, George and Frank. Visit our website: Email: info@Safetoddles.org 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 with a solution fo…
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Alvin born severely visually impaired in 1930 in Illinois
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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 August 23, 1999…
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George was born blind in 1928 17 years before the Long Cane was invented
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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 entire life was …
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Frank Born Blind in 1915 30 years Before The Long White Cane
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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 produced, ubiquitous t…
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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?
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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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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
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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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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?
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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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Celia and Julia discuss air pollution and share some shocking facts and deets you won't want to miss!
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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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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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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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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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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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Celia and Julia are getting into shipwrecks this week, including famous wrecks and effects on the environment.
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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!
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The man? The myth? The legend? Celia and Julia get into everything Bigfoot this week.
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Episode 47: Appalachian Trail Mysteries
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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'
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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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We have pre-recorded this special episode so that while we put together some exciting things for our listeners, you don't miss out on some good old-fashioned knowledge. Do you know the difference between climate change and global warning? This week we get into that and eco-jobs. Don't pass this episode up!…
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Episode 44: Back In My Day, the Snow Was White!
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Change is on the way, and who is pushing it? The youths! This week, tune in to hear Julia unpack how the younger generations are pushing change through social media, especially TikTok. Then, Celia gets into the life of the extinct dodo bird, and tells us exactly what happened to them.
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Grace Asks Kelvin About His Career, Inventions and Beef with TikTok
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Kelvin Crosby, the deafblind potter, has become quite famous on TikTok and this has led to appearances on Good Morning America and CBS News. On this episode Grace asks Kevin to discuss his inventions, the smart guider and the lighted blind cane. The also discuss some of the challenges inaccessible technology create for people with disabilities seek…
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This month we have a VERY special guest on our podcast, the one and only, CELIA LINFORD. Her and her siblings grew up participating in 4H, a community club that teaches homegrown work ethic. Toon in for a behind the scenes look on what goes into raising animals for the use of food in a more ethical way than the general practice of mass producing an…
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Interview with O&M specialist Daniel Simmons
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Daniel Simmons has been an O&M Specialist for 14 years. He taught adults before beginning his career providing O&M through early education services. The two O&M specialists discuss the meaning of safe mobility and the need for effective cane tools. Both agree safe mobility is a universal need. Visit our website: Email: info@Safetoddles.org TikTok F…
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