AFB Possibilities

AFB Possibilities #7 -- AFB Scholars Josh Olukanni and Annika Ariel Join Us at AFBLC

In 2025, the American Foundation for the blind (AFB) launched the AFB Scholars Program, which provides substantial financial support and mentoring to graduate and undergraduate students who are blind. Our first cohort welcomed four students into the program, and we had a chance at the 2025 AFB Leadership Conference to sit down and meet with two of the scholars, Josh Olukanni at Georgetown and Annika Ariel at Stanford. Applications are open through February. 17th for our next class of scholars. Visit the scholars program page to learn more and apply. Goto: https://www.afb.org/scholarships. Visit the podcast page for other episodes and transcripts, and to learn more about AFB or to support our work creating a world of endless possibilities for people who are blind or have low vision, visit us online at www.afb.org. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

AFB Possibilities ep. 6 -- A Conversation with Matt Ater of Vispero

Welcome back to another episode of AFB Possibilities, a podcast from the American Foundation for the Blind. In this episode, Tony Stephens sits down for a conversation with Matt Ater. Matt is Senior Vice President for Vispero, a leading global assistive technology and digital accessibility company. In this episode, Matt share his own journey as a blind leader in the digital accessibility space. Together, he and Tony cover the span from the early days of low tech, to what exciting opportunities are on the horizon through high tech. Matt's leadership has helped make the world more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision -- he's even in the kiosk Hall of Fame. So, we hope you enjoy this conversation. You can learn more about the exciting work of Vispero at: https://vispero.com Be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and click here to access the podcast page for past episodes and transcripts. To learn more about AFB or to support our work, visit us online at www.afb.org. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

AFB Possibilities #5 -- AFBLC Plenary on the State of the Field

As we kick-off 2026, we wanted to share a special episode taken from the opening plenary of the AFB Leadership Conference held in Arlington, Virginia this past November. In this episode, we welcome leaders from across the field of blindness who weigh in on the current pressing issues facing people who are blind or have low vision today. Please be sure to like and subscribe to this podcast from wherever you get your podcasts. We're excited to bring an engaging new season of content to you over the coming year as we ramp up our podcasting efforts. Transcripts are available here on the AFB podcast page. For questions or comments, or to suggest an episode, email communications@afb.org. Learn more about the American Foundation for the Blind by visiting our website at www.afb.org and consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

AFB Possibilities #4 -- A Conversation with Dr. Randy Pierce and Russell Martello on Holistic Approaches to Rehab

Welcome to another episode of the AFB Possibilities Podcast. To mark Vocational Rehabilitation awareness week, which spans June 9th - 13th, AFB’s Tony Stephens sat down for an engaging conversation with Dr. Randy Pierce of Future Insight and Russell Martello from Visions to discuss the benefits around holistic approaches to rehabilitation.  Tony, Randy, and Russell met through the annual Vision Serve Alliance Conference this past April, where they spearheaded a track on holistic rehabilitation for people who are blind or low vision. At the end of the conference, they were committed to carrying on the conversations from the conference. So, Tony was excited they were able to join him to not only share their passion for this innovative approach to fostering independence, but we also get a sense of the rich history each guest has, which has helped form their own success in the field of blindness and low vision. Russel serves as the Chief Development Officer for Visions, which is one of New York’s leading rehabilitation centers for people who are blind or have low vision. Randy serves as President & CEO of Future Insight, one of the leading rehabilitation centers in New Hampshire. Blinded in his early 20s, Randy is also an avid extreme outdoor enthusiast. You can learn more about his own adventures across the globe in his published memoir, See You at the Summit: My blind journey from the depths of loss to the heights of achievement. AFB Possibilities is a podcast from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB. Check out the podcast page for past episodes and transcripts HERE. Be sure to like and subscribe to catch future episodes, and consider making a gift today to help support this podcast and our broader work to create a world of endless possibilities for people who are blind or have low vision. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

AFB Possibilities #3 -- A Conversation with Krystal Allen of EyesLikeMine

Spring has sprung, and so has a new season for the AFB Possibilities Podcast. As we kick-off this season, we’ll be focusing in on AFB’s Award winning documentary film Possibilities, which presents an authentic portrayal of life today for people who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. The film was awarded this past weekend the Broader Vision Documentary Award at the Garden State Film Festival, and we’re excited to share with you one of the featured voices in the film, New Jersey’s own Krystal Allen. Recorded in 2024, AFB’s own Melody Goodspeed joined Krystal for a conversation on the challenges people face when striving for independence, and the joys of shared experiences that blind people share across the world. Haling from Newark, New Jersey, Krystal is a leading community voice for people with vision loss and founded the nonprofit EyesLikeMine, which is rooted in the firm belief that “Vision loss doesn’t break us, it builds…” She shares her own story and the work underway in North Jersey to breakdown misconceptions of blindness. A past fellow with AFB's Blind Leaders Development Program, she stresses the importance of mentoring and finding those pathways that open doors to independence. Formally the Inform & Connect podcast, the AFB Possibilities Podcast captures the real life experiences of people who are blind or have low vision and those working to make our world more inclusive and accessible. A production of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), listeners can learn more about the work of AFB by visiting www.afb.org.  Be sure to like and subscribe to this podcast and consider supporting our work by making a tax-deductible gift to AFB. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.