Kim Wardlow: The Journey Behind Aftersight

1) Episode Summary In this special Aftersight Original, Kim Wardlow shares the personal story behind her leadership and the road that led her to become Executive Director of Aftersight. She reflects on growing up in Lamar, Colorado, her early love for creativity, 4-H, cooking, service, travel, and the many work experiences that quietly prepared her for nonprofit leadership. Kim walks listeners through pivotal moments in her life—from studying abroad in Scotland and working internationally, to volunteering at what was then Radio Reading Service of the Rockies, to unexpectedly finding both her calling and her husband through the organization. She also shares how Aftersight has evolved over the years from volunteer-read programming into a wider community-centered organization offering podcasts, peer support, book club, white canes, and more. This episode is both a personal milestone and a mission-centered reflection. As Kim celebrates her 60th birthday and approaches 25 years with Aftersight, she invites listeners to see the deeper heart behind the organization: building community, increasing independence, and creating meaningful access for people who are blind, low vision, deafblind, or in need of alternatives to print. The episode closes with an invitation to support Aftersight’s work through her birthday giving campaign. 2) Contact Info Guest / Organization: Kim Wardlow — Executive Director, Aftersight Aftersight website: aftersight.org Birthday campaign / donations: Visit the donate page at aftersight.org Aftersight: Aftersight Originals network featuring Navigating Life with Vision Loss, The Blind Chick, Blindsight, and Blind Level Tech Producer Credit: Jonathan Price — Podcast Producer, Aftersight 3) Show Credits Special Aftersight Original Featuring Kim Wardlow Opening by Jonathan Price Produced by Jonathan Price Organization: Aftersight 4) Chapter Markers 00:00 — Jonathan’s welcome and special Aftersight introduction 00:53 — Kim introduces herself, Aftersight, and the reason for sharing her story 03:14 — Childhood in Lamar, creativity, 4-H, and early PBS dreams 05:38 — Learning leadership, service, and community values 08:03 — Solar panels, first jobs, and developing a strong work ethic 10:28 — College, Scotland, travel, and broadening her world 12:54 — Early professional life, proposal writing, and service work 15:14 — Volunteering with Radio Reading Service and working at GE Access 17:37 — Friendship, snowshoeing, travel, and a season of transition 20:02 — Layoff, September 2001, and joining Radio Reading Service 22:21 — Meeting Doug, discovering purpose, and seeing the bigger calling 24:43 — Outreach across Colorado, music, and the value of volunteers 27:04 — How Aftersight expanded into podcasts, groups, and broader services 29:29 — Leadership, rebrand, relocation, and adapting through COVID 31:44 — Community, connection, and why the work matters 34:07 — Life purpose, independence, and the mission behind Aftersight 36:31 — Kim’s birthday campaign and invitation to support Aftersight (00:00) - Tempo: 120.0 ★ Support this podcast ★