Finding My Voice: Recent Episodes
Athena Garcia
Self-advocacy and having blindness or low vision can be challenging at times when others don't know what it's like to have a disability or have met someone and don't know how to interact. However, it's about understanding how those of us with visual impairments are able to be independent using the accommodations that we use and letting others know that we're individuals like everyone else. This podcast is about raising awareness of blindness and low vision in a positive way and educating others that you can still have a successful and meaningful life even with a disability.
Athena Garcia is a university student who is majoring in Special Education with a concentration in Visual impairment at Arizona State University. She is on a journey to become a Teacher of the Visually Impaired in which her visual impairment motivated and inspired her to teach others with blindness and low vision and be an advocate for the blind and low vision community.
Stephanie Shaw, a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist shares what being a TVI entails and the benefits and challenges that come along with it. She also joins Athena in addressing misconceptions on visual impairment and educating others on that individuals with visual impairments are able to be independent and advocate for themselves.
In the first episode of the Finding My Voice Podcast, ASU student Athena Garcia shares about her journey with having low vision and what being in a K - 12 school setting was like when she went without receiving accommodations from her local school district. She also shares how a nonprofit organization enabled her to receive the vision services needed to be independent and advocate for herself which resulted in her finding the passion for teaching others with visual impairments and pursue being a Teacher of the Visually Impaired.