Nation’s Blind Podcast

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Anil are joined by counselors LaKisha Holmes and James Boehm. They discuss mental health, share words of encouragement, and talk about ways to relieve stress and anxiety.   Important Links: Mental Health: Overcoming Stress and Anxiety Transcript Alliance Counseling - Depression, Anxiety, Therapy LaKisha Holmes, Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, San Antonio, TX, 78229 | Psychology Today Blind Owned and Operated Marketplace | National Federation of the Blind STOP Acronym The Stars We Miss When We Rush Prayers for Ups and Downs Finding Your Center in the Storm: Why We Need Boundaries More Than Ever RELAX Acronym by James Boehm  

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Anil are joined by Legislative Director Leah Campbell and advocates Nathanael Wales and Lindsay Kerr. They discuss the mass layoffs within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, the expiration of Medicare telehealth benefits, and the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act. They also talk about why advocacy is important and how our members can advocate for policies that benefit us as blind Americans.   Important Link: Advocacy | National Federation of the Blind

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa is joined by Individualized Education Program (IEP) advocates Katie Filaski, and Javier Diaz. They discuss their experiences supporting blind students and their families and share tips and insights on why IEP advocacy matters. Important Links: Individualized Education Plans | National Federation of the Blind Home | National Organization of Parents of Blind Children  

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa Riccobono and Chris Danielsen are joined by students Harold Rogers and Miranda Lacy. They share their experiences pursuing higher education as blind students, as well as the challenges they faced with accessing educational materials, services and activities. Important Link: Self-Advocacy in Higher Education Toolkit | National Federation of the Blind

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa Riccobono and Anil Lewis are joined by Terri Rupp, an ultramarathon runner, Richie Flores, president of our Sports and Recreation Division, and Cassie McNabb, president of our National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC). They discuss all things movement, from running marathons to sports. Melissa and Cassie also share their experience participating in a 10k walk/run across the most thrilling bridge in America to raise funds to bridge the gap between blind people and our dreams.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa Riccobono and Anil Lewis are joined by Julie Deden, our 2025 Jacobus tenBroek award winner and executive director of the Colorado Center for the Blind. They are also joined by Wesley Hillman, a Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship winner who was a first-time attendee of the National Convention. They discuss President Riccobono’s banquet speech and the importance of collective action and knowing our truth and capabilities as blind people.    

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, our hosts are joined by Raul Gallegos, president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) and Meghan Whalen, a guide dog trainer. They discuss their experiences and the benefits of having a guide dog. As well as how NAGDU supports guide dog owners and those who are considering getting a guide dog.

If you haven’t already submitted a policy proposal for consideration at the national convention in the form of a resolution, or are just curious about the process, then this episode will tell you everything you need to know. President Riccobono talks with Resolutions Committee Chair, Donald Porterfield, who also serves as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona and on our national Board of Directors, about how to submit a resolution, what happens once it’s submitted, and the importance of resolutions to the activity of our movement.

In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we have invited Jonathan Mosen, our executive director for accessibility excellence and Brittany Savage, an instructor at our Colorado Center for the Blind. They discuss the latest technology, efficient ways to use technology, and emphasize the importance of being tech-savvy with low tech skills.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Anil are joined by Pam Allen, executive director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind, and Jordyn Castor. They provide advice on how blind people can travel with confidence to the National Convention, conferences, vacation, and more. They are also joined by Carlin Thomas who provides audio descriptions for vacations, live performances and events. 

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Chris are joined by President Riccobono. They discuss our stance on recent proposals to restructure or eliminate government agencies and programs that serve the blind community, such as the Department of Education, Social Security Administration, and Institute of Museum and Library Services. They emphasize our commitment to being partisan for blind people and advocating for policies that directly benefit the blind. They also address concerns that our members and followers have about the organized blind movement. 

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil and Melissa are joined by legislative directors Denise Avant, and Liz Wisecarver. They discuss the Blind Americans Return to Work Act, ways that blind people can advocate for ourselves, and highlights from the 2025 Washington Seminar.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Anil are joined by Jim Marks, a hunting instructor, and president of the NFB of Montana. They respond to a segment that The Breakfast Club did on a viral news story of a blind man from Indiana who experimented to see if he would be able to acquire a gun license, and to his surprise, he was able to but felt that he shouldn’t have been. Anil and Melissa also discuss a trending video from Audible that sparked a debate on social media about listening speeds.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil and Melissa are joined by Cameron Loehr, a blind Chef and instructor at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. They’re also joined by Elizabeth Rouse, a former student of the Louisiana Center, and Delfina Rodriguez, an instructor at the Colorado Center for the Blind. They discuss how they became successful in cooking and preparing meals for over forty people.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Anil are joined by NFB scholarship winners, Joshua Olukanni, and Trisha Kulkarni. They are also joined by Jenn Han, a registered nurse. They discuss their experiences, and advocacy efforts and share how they achieve the careers they want as blind students.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Anil are joined by Lisamaria Martinez and Stacie Leap. They discuss alternative techniques, tips, and advice for blind parents.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Melissa and Anil are joined by Lia Stone, a co-chairperson of our employment committee, Shawn Callaway, an employer liaison, and Janice Forbes, a jobseeker liaison. They discuss what needs to be done to increase employment for the blind, as well as resources that we offer to remove barriers and strengthen opportunities for blind jobseekers.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil and Melissa are joined by Carla McQuillan, executive director of Main Street Montessori. They’re also joined by Sean Seward, our independence market manager, and Grace Pires, board member and president of the NFB of Rhode Island. They discuss whether they describe themselves as blind, low vision, or visually impaired and why it matters.

In today’s episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil Lewis and Melissa Riccobono are joined by colleagues, Danielle McCann, our membership coordinator, and Nikki Jackson, our employment programs coordinator. They discuss how blind people are portrayed in the media and in pop culture, and what should change to ensure that the portrayals are accurate and positive representations.

In this episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast, Anil Lewis and Chris Danielsen are joined by Jonathan Mosen, former producer and host of the Bolotin award-winning Living Blindfully podcast and our incoming executive director for Accessibility Excellence. They discuss Access On, our new podcast that focuses on the role that technology plays in living the life we want. Jonathan also provided advice and tips for new podcasters.