Everyday Blind Parents

WE continue our dialog about blindness challenges with respect to our children's education during the elementary years.  In this episode, I interview blind mom of two, Ronit Mazzoni and we discuss this topic from a parent's perspective.   WE talk about ways to communicate with our child's teachers, how to get involved in the classroom, and educating others about the capabilities of blind people.      Show Notes * For more on this topic, visit the episode: Fostering a Good Working Relationship with Your Child's School Teacher   *Contact email for Ronit: rovadia82@gmail.com     We'd love to hear from you.  Email us your feedback at everydayblindparents@gmail.com   Visit www.makingitontheplayground.com for more blind parent sharing.    Don't forget to subscribe and share this podcast!    

In this episode, we talk about what blind parents can do to foster a good working relationship with their child’s teacher from the school’s perspective. Join me as I talk with three elementary school staff members. We address such topics as how to communicate needs with your child’s teacher effectively, filling out important paperwork, , tackling homework challenges, overcoming blindness barriers in an effort to get involved in your child’s classroom and school environment, and so much more. We hope this episode will inspire you to sit down and talk with your child’s teachers to find a meaningful way to provide for your own needs as a blind parent which will in turn help you effectively meet your child’s educational needs.   Show Notes * Resources mentioned in the episode: 1. Reminder App (Please note:  This app is fairly accessible, but there are some buttons that are unlabeled and a few accessibility hang ups with voice over.  Overall though, it seems to be usable.  ) 2. Permission Click:  https://permissionclick.com/ (Please note:The full accessibility of this site with a screen reader is still TBD in actual practice.  Upon a basic view of the site however, it seems accessible with a screen reader and easy to navigate.)   Please email us your feeback at everydayblindparents@gmail.com   www.makingitontheplayground.com        

It’s surprising that in this day and age, a parent can still be denied custody purely on the fact that they have a vision disability. Thankfully, laws are changing, but there is still work to be done to eliminate such practices. In this episode, blind father, Mike Bullis from Maryland shares his experience dealing with a very difficult custody battle where his blindness was called into question. Mike Bullis is the father of a sixteen year old daughter. He has been blind all his life, and been a successful entrepreneur most of his life running several businesses. He is the founding director of the Image Center where he serves people with disabilities in the state of Maryland, and has played an active role in changing custody legislation in Maryland and other states. . Whether you are going through a similar situation or not, Mike’s story, his positive outlook on life, and some of the lessons he’s learned along the way as a blind father are something to be heard.   Show Notes *Contact Mike Bullis at bullis.michael@gmail.com   *Learning Ally (formerly known as RFB&D) https://www.learningally.org/   *Protecting the Rights of Blind Persons to Parent Children-NFB of Maryland Report to Maryland General Assembly http://www.nfbmd.org/node/117    Please visit www.makingitontheplayground.com    

In this episode we interview Terry Rupp, blind mom of two from Las Vegas, NV.  about some of the challenges blind parents face when wanting to participate in social outings with their children.  We address such challenges as arranging rides, engaging with other sighted parents, and creating your own system or "village" to ehlp you be successful in these endeavors.    Show Notes: *Terry's blog: Blind Mom in the Burbs www.blindmomintheburbs.com *www.Meetup.com   We welcome your feedback!  Please email us at: everydayblindparents@gmail.com   www.makingitontheplayground.com    

In this episode, we interview two blind mothers: Stacy Cervenka and Jessica Reed who are each pregnant with their second child.  We talk about  the impact blindness can have on your pregnancy and birth experience from dealing with social perceptions, medical staff,  and the birth experience itself.  We share advice on how to advocate for yourself and the needs of your partner and new child, including ways to make information and experiences more "blind friendly", and we discuss ideas and helpful resources for adjusting to life as a new parent, including some helpful strategies and valuable resources to support you in caring for a new baby when you are blind.    Show Notes: Making it on the Playground: Memoirs of a Blind Mom www.makingitontheplayground.com   National Federation of the Blind The NFB has a division for Blind Parents along with other helpful resources, including the literature discussed in the episode. www.nfb.org www.nfb.org/blindparents   Facebook groups for blind parents mentioned in this episode:  *Blind Parent Alliance  *Blind Parents Connect

Welcome to Everyday Blind Parents.  In this episode, blind mom of three and creator of the podcast, Mary Jo Hartle shares her vision and goals for this podcast.  Later in the episode, she and her husband, Jesse who is also blind talk about their own experience in starting their family and some of the daily challenges they face as blind parents.    About the Author: Mary Jo Hartle is a blind mom of three young children and is a certified Teacher of Blind Students (MEd) and has her National Orientation and Mobility Certification (NOMC).  At present, she is a full-time stay at home parent but continues to teach and consult contractually.  Before starting her family, she served as the Director of Education for the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute.  she enjoys hanging out with her family, volunteering in various community and school organizations, working on projects like this podcast, and writing about her family's experience with two blind parents.  She and her family reside in Maryland where her husband Jesse who is also blind,  works for the U.S. Department of Education as a Government Programs Specialist.  .  You can read more about the Hartles' experiences as blind parents at www.makingitontheplayground.com. Thanks for joining us.    Contact Us: We welcome feedback and want to make sure this show is relevant and of interest to you!  Please email us your feedback at everydayblindparents@gmail.com You can also visit the podcast at everydayblindparents.libsyn.com   Thanks for checking us out!