A Sense of Texas

TSBVI built a blind soccer pitch in the spring of 2026 in partnership with the Verde Pitch Alliance, which includes the 4ATX Foundation, Austin FC, and Soccer Assist along with PSCI. The ribbon cutting was held in early May with musical performances from the TSBVI Drumline and the McCallum Samba Knights. Austin FC players held a clinic along with members of the US Paralympic Blind Soccer Team. Austin FC also announced new haptic spectator devices to be rolled out later this year from Field of Vision.   USABA Blind Soccer Field of Vision 4ATX Foundation Soccer Assist PCSI

With thousands of years of history, dragonboat is a sport built on working together as a team to accomplish a common goal. At TSBVI this is a skill we strive to teach everyday. In 2017 Outreach consultant Scott Balitisberger decided to bring these two things together and founded the TSBVI Dragonboat Team. We're happy to have you this month to hear from the TSBVI dragonboat team and their lead up to the Austin Dragonboat Festival. 

Identifying babies who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision can take a trained individual and a neonatal screening tool like the NAVEG. TSBVI Outreach providers are training others on its use and expanding access to services for infants and toddlers. Listen in to learn more about the NAVEG and check out the additional resources below.   TSBVI Coffee Hour TSBVI Article in TX Senseabilities NAVEG Training Flier NAVEG Training Flier for Medical Professionals NAVEG Screening Materials and Prices Anchor Center

The newest advancement in braille and tactile graphic technology is the Monarch available from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Thanks to significant grant funding from the Texas Education Agency, over three hundred students in Texas will be receiving their own Monarchs with roll-out training and support from TSBVI Outreach and partners. We're excited to share more about this device and how it's changing educational access for students. APH link: https://www.aph.org/product/monarch/

Creating a greater sense of community and involving everyone is huge here at TSBVI and nothing shows that more than TSBVI's Java Jam. This weekly event featuring music and hospitality from students and staff, and draws folks from across our campus to enjoy the festivities and grab a beverage to keep them going for the rest of the day. We get the feeling this newly created campus gem is here to stay. 

Braille literacy rates continue to be low and organizations like the ACB Braille Revival League and the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities are working to increase awareness and ensure all students who are blind or have low vision have access to braille instruction. Larry Johnson and Neva Fairchild are staunch advocates for braille, know exactly why our students need braille, and are willing to lend us their expertise.

Better late than never, but in this episode we want to highlight the Haunted House at TSBVI, which has been resurrected this spooky season after taking a few years off. It's always a special opportunity to let the community create an inclusive fall event on our campus that we hope to keep going for years to come. Come along with Emily as she takes her turn through the haunted house and then hear from the students and staff who make the halloween magic happen.

Most all of us need a cup of coffee to add that extra perk to the morning or get over the mid-afternoon slump, but not all of us are lucky enough to have highly trained baristas on hand to get a delicious cup of joe without leaving the office. Help us kick off the new year by letting us show you how we get our caffeine fix at TSBVI at the Wildcat Coffee Shop. 

Every spring, The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired puts on a play production that brings joy, and maybe a little stress, to the lives of students and staff from across our campus. This year we presented Disney's Moana Jr. Please join us as staff share the process and the positive impact it has on our students.

One of our main goals as a school for blind, low vision, and deafblind students is to expose students to as many experiences they can learn from as possible. Recently our host Emily Coleman helped to teach our Capitol Experience class, which gave the class a trip to the capitol to help advocate for their chosen causes to state representatives and their staff. This trip also gave them the chance to meet with Ron Lucey, the Executive Director of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities to learn about his job and how they can improve government for themselves. 

Understanding why an individual is blind, deafblind, or has low vision is key to understanding how to get them the support and services they need, especially for students. We're so happy to have TSBVI Outreach consultants Kathi Garza and Rachel Collins join us to discuss 5 etiologies (and one bonus one!) and how recognizing these conditions can help improve outcomes across our student population. 

Angela Wolf joins us to share updates to TSBVI's Curriculum and her experiences in education. TSBVI sells resources all over the world and to share an out-of-state perspective we share additional insight from Adam Wilton in Canada and Beth Peters in Iowa. You can check out resources mentioned at TSBVI's online store and in our Instructional Resource Library.    https://www.tsbvi.edu/store   https://www.tsbvi.edu/statewide-resources/instructional-resource-library

Public transportation has always been key to increasing mobility for blind and visually impaired people and new technology is advancing public transport to a whole new level. So we were delighted to have Waymo visit our campus last October to get a look at fully autonomous vehicles being tested in Austin. Waymo was kind enough to gift our campus with some codes to use the Waymo app during their testing phase and we have been able to share those with blind users and tech lovers across campus. With these codes we were able to take some newbies out for a few test rides to get their thoughts on this new technology and later we welcomed Amanda Ventura from Waymo to answer some of our questions. Be sure to visit https://waymo.com/ to find out more about Waymo in Austin and beyond. 

Learn more about this amazing sport with insights from its coaches and even top athletes! We will dive into what Blind Soccer is all about, why it means so much to its players and surrounding communities, and how it can help develop key skills like coordination, spatial awareness, teamwork and much more.

The American Printing House for the Blind brings educators together yearly for their Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY. This year, President Craig Meador shared information about their latest, game-changing product, the Monarch. To highlight the importance of this technology, you'll hear from the state at APH and experts like Paul Schroeder and Karen Anderson.   For more information on the Monarch and all the other great APH products visit their website at www.aph.org.

A lot of interesting things happen at TSBVI and it has a lot of assets you wouldn't imagine would be acquired by a school for the blind. But even we were surprised to hear from Ryan Dees at the City of Austin. He informed us that TSBVI purchased a cemetery lot in East Austin's Oakwood Cemetery in the 1870's that had fallen into disrepair. So come help us ring in the spooky season to learn more about this lot and how it came to be.  To take a walking tour of Austin cemeteries be sure to attend one of the 18th Annual Murder, Mayhem and Misadventure tours on Saturday October 26th.    

Welcome back for another new season! TSBVI is a national and international leader in the education of students who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. When we make leadership changes it doesn’t just impact our students on campus, but it impacts the 11,000 students around the state of Texas and even outside of our state lines. Today we’re introducing you to our new Outreach Director, Erica Cairns, and our new Short-term/ Summer Program Principal, Dr. Eden Hagelman.

After a long and eventful school year some of us here at A Sense of Texas were seeking a much needed break. And just like every good superhero, the students participating in the Audio/Visual class here at TSBVI came to our rescue. To close out the school year the students have created an episode showing us what day-to-day life looks like for students, and how attending school here has helped them socially and academically. As a bonus we've also included some key moments from the recent TSBVI Graduation ceremony. Thanks so much for being a part of our podcast and we'll see you next school year!

Solving for X is a pretty difficult challenge for most sighted students, so imagine learning algebra with a visual impairment? And add to that doing everything online? Well, lucky for our students in Texas we have TSBVI's very own John Rose here to save the day. John Rose and his students are joining us this week to discuss the TSBVI online algebra course and how it has helped them on their journey to becoming math experts.    For more information on the algebra course and the other great offerings visit the TSBVI Short Term Programs website.

On April 8th a solar eclipse will cross North America with totality being visible from Mazatlan to Montreal. Here in Austin we're lucky enough to be in the path of totality and this presents the unique challenge of making the eclipse accessible to our student population. We speak with Allyson Bieryla, an astronomer from Harvard University, along with students and staff at TSBVI to learn how technologies new and old are being utilized to make the eclipse accessible to the blind and visually impaired community. Special thanks to David Schechter and the folks from CBS News for speaking with us and putting a spotlight on accessibility to science for people who are blind and visually impaired. The CBS News story on accessibility and the eclipse is out now, be sure to check it out! Click here to get more information on the LightSound Project and how you can bring eclipse accessibility to your community. 

Pretty much everyone wants to do their best Peter Pan impersonation and never grow up, but unfortunately growing up is an inevitability for all of us, including our students here at TSBVI. Today we'll show you how Experiences in Transition (EXIT) helps our post-graduation students learn skills for everyday living as well as important job skills to help them contribute to society, and themselves, for years to come.  Click the link for more information on the EXIT Program and be sure to check out Wealthy Bee on Spotify to hear the full versions of her songs included in this episode.

As a school for students with a wide range of abilities, inclusion is standard practice here at TSBVI. But one event that goes above and beyond is The Big Show. The Big Show is held twice a year and any student enrolled in a music class at TSBVI is welcome, and encouraged, to participate. From piano recitals to jazz ensembles with a little bit of mariachi thrown in, the holiday Big Show has it all. This month we're going to pull back the curtain on The Big Show and speak with the musicians cheering up your holiday, and the teachers who help bring it all together. 

One of our favorite events that we host on the TSBVI campus every other year is the USABA Goalball Youth Nationals tournament. This year was a banner year for us with a record 23 teams in attendance and the competition did not disappoint. With two gold medal games that went down to the wire, we were lucky to witness some top notch talent. The USABA national teams have a bright future ahead with athletes like these waiting in the wings. 

Students who are deafblind often are paired with an intervener to supply important information about their environment through interaction and communication. Every year, TSBVI Outreach offers an intervener team training on our campus to focus on these important professionals, which we highlighted here. In addition to the training, we spent time in a TSBVI classroom recording conversations from a typical morning with one of our deafblind students.   About the Intervener Team Training: https://www.tsbvi.edu/events/2023-introduction-to-the-intervener-team-model TX Senseabilities Article: https://www.tsbvi.edu/tx-senseabilities/issues/tx-senseabilities-fall-winter-2014-issue/intervener-basics-myth-legend-and-reality

Blind Americans Equality Day, or White Cane Day, is coming up on October 15th, and we’ll have our campus event in Austin on Wednesday, October 18th. Over the years, White Cane Day has evolved from a focus on safety to a celebration of the achievements of people who are blind. The white cane is now recognized around the world as a symbol of blindness and a tool of independence. This episode highlights a song from The Spinrockers and the perspectives of students and adults who are white cane users themselves. The Spinrockers' original song, "Just Can't Stop This Groovin'," was written and produced by Devin Gutierrez and Mary Rose, and will be released on October 15th, National White Cane Day.  For more information see their Facebook page below: https://www.facebook.com/thespinrockers?mibextid=LQQJ4d    

From all of us here at A Sense of Texas we'd like to welcome you back from a relaxing summer. To kick off the new season we're trying something different with a fresh new format. Lucky for us, our friends over at the Braille Institute were more than happy to enable our new ideas by letting us capture audio from the Braille Challenge Finals held in Los Angeles this June. Braille Challenge is a great chance for our students and families to learn from each other and compete for a common goal. And hopefully with this episode you can learn a little bit too.  For more information on Braille Challenge and all things Braille, visit their website at https://brailleinstitute.org/

Joe Dlugo is a TSVI, COMS, and Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist (CATIS) at the Washington State School for the Blind. Joe is also the Vision Grant Program Mentor for Washington Sensory Disabilities Services. Always at the forefront of technology in the field of blind, low vision, and deafblind education, he brings us an introduction to ChatGPT and potential implications for our work.    Perkins School for the Blind recently published an article by Joe on this same topic: https://www.perkins.org/resource/generative-artificial-intelligence-impacts-on-professionals-in-the-field-of-educating-students-with-blindness-and-low-vision/

Cody Laplante is an itinerant TSVI in Maryland and co-founder of "eye.t". He aims to create curriculum and professional development rolled into one for busy teachers of students with visual impairment with an emphasis on technology. You can currently find information regarding screen reader instruction on his website and tech tips on his youtube channel.    For more information on eye.t be sure to visit them on YouTube at and the eye.t website.  

Neva Fairchild is here to tell us all about the American Foundation for the Blind, and what kind of opportunities its Blind Leaders Development Program can offer.   For more information: https://www.afb.org/blind-leaders

Being a parent is hard enough, and being a parent to an individual with dual sensory loss presents a whole new set of challenges. Luckily, several groups have been created to help families of individuals with dual sensory loss get support as well as advocate for their loved one. Jacqueline Izaguirre and Melanie Knapp join us to talk about The National Family Association for Deaf-Blind (NFADB) and The Deaf-Blind Multihandicapped Association of Texas (DBMAT) and how they have helped them support and advocate for their loved ones with dual sensory loss.    For more information on NFADB, DBMAT, and the Cogswell-Macy Act please use the following links: NFADB: https://www.nfadb.org/ DBMAT: https://dbmat-tx.org/ Cogswell-Macy Act: https://cogswellmacyact.org/   Please feel free to contact Jacqueline or Melanie if you have more questions about NFADB or DBMAT.  Jacqueline Izaguirre: [email protected] Melanie Knapp: [email protected]

The “Benefits of Audio Description in Education,” or BADIE contest is an opportunity for students to find something of interest to them and share their opinion of the description. Susan Glass, Tabitha Kenlon, and Jason Stark join us from the American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project and the Described and Captioned Media Program to give us all the details.   For more info about the contest: badiecontest.org

Our students always benefit from mentors and teachers who can identify with their disability so it's great to have Craig Edgley from TSBVI join us. Losing sight at a young age Craig has earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree so he's well aware of how to navigate the needs of blind and visually impaired students in an educational environment. We're so happy to have him here to share his experience and expertise. 

Greg Stilson, Karen Anderson and Peter Tucic give us the inside scoop about the Monarch. This innovative tactile device aims to modernize and advance the ways we can access braille and tactile graphics.   For more info from the American Printing House visit: https://www.aph.org/the-ebrf-revolution/ https://www.aph.org/dtd-fact-sheet/   Karen Anderson's Article:  https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr41/4/fr410414.htm

While the population of blind and visually impaired people is comparatively small, the resources available are quite large. One of those resources is the American Council of the Blind of Texas. Joining us is Peggy Garrett, Immediate Past President – Constitution & Bylaws Chair of ACBT, to tell us about what ACB does and how they can help people who are blind and visually impaired reach their goals.  For more information on services and how to get in touch with American Council of the Blind of Texas visit their website at https://acbtexas.org/

Peggy Chong, AKA The Blind History Lady, has taken it upon herself to document and explore lesser known historical figures who are blind. Today’s episode primarily focuses on Don Mahoney, however this is just the tip of the iceberg of knowledge that Peggy has accumulated over her impressive career. Check out: https://theblindhistorylady.com/ to find out more. Email: [email protected] to join the monthly email list!

One of the biggest hurdles in teaching students with visual impairments is creating accessible learning environments for STEM and many software applications that are minimally accessible, like video and audio editing. Joining the podcast this week are Chris Correll and Sue O'Brien who are pioneering new curriculums in our TSBVI MakerSpace and Rosa M. Gonzales Center for Broadcast Communication to help bridge these gaps in learning.  Programming note: we will be on a break for the holiday and will return with another episode January 15th. 

After TSBVI recently competed in the U.S. National High school Goalball Championship, we thought it would be a great time for an episode about what goalball is and what it means to the players and anyone else supporting the sport. We will hear from Mark Gronquist, Tammy Reed and Zach Arambula- and be sure to stick around until the end to hear from pro athlete, Libby Daugherty!

A few years ago, Kassy Maloney created an online space for Orientation and Mobility providers that has continued to grow. Her company, Allied Independence, provides professional development and resources to practitioners around the world. She highlights their programs and shares some of her own professional perspectives on our show.    Website: https://alliedindependenceonline.com Kassy's Interview with Emily on her podcast "A Step Forward": https://alliedindependenceonline.com/astepforward/motherhood-propelled-first-female-superintendent-with-emily-coleman  

Lee Sonnenberg shares his experiences as the newest Executive Director at the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, as well as his perspective as a parent of a child with a visual impairment. Be sure to stick around until the end where Kate Borg, President of the Texas AER and Outreach Director at TSBVI, shares more about TAER.

Peter Tucic is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Humanware. As a blind individual himself, he openly shares about his work and his upbringing. Be sure to stay on until the end when he provides solid takeaways for students who are blind and looking to be empowered. For more information on HumanWare and their products visit https://www.humanware.com/en-usa/home

The American Printing House for the Blind has partnered with Thinkerbell to create a new Braille teaching tool and learning device titled, "Polly." Shivam Agarwal and Donna McClure-Rogers tell us about the device, the intended outcomes, and the many ways it will positively impact a student's education and independence. To find out more and join the "Polly" wait list please visit https://www.aph.org/polly-wait-list/.

Going into our 5th season and our 81st (!!!!) episode we thought it was time to mix things up a bit. Last year we tasked on campus musical masterminds the Semi-Modulars with creating a new theme for our show and we're so happy to share it with you for the first time. We talk with band members Brandon, Destiny, Heather, Joel, and their fearless leader Daniel Butler about the creative process and how they came up with the new song. We love the Semi-Modulars here at A Sense of Texas and hope you do too. To check out all the albums they've created over the years visit https://thesemimodulars.bandcamp.com/ and download all your favorites. 

With graduations happening all around the country it's an important time to think about the skills our students are taking with them as they transition to adulthood. We thought this was the perfect time to bring on Dr. Michele McDonnall from the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision to talk about the work they do to help people with blindness and low vision get into the workforce. For more information on the NRTC please visit their website at https://www.blind.msstate.edu/ Also, with graduations upon us that means we're rapidly approaching summer and we'll be taking a break. Our next episode will arrive September 15. Enjoy your summer!

Virginia Rose, Founder and President of Birdability, along with Freya McGregor, Director of programs and outreach, and an occupational therapist, discuss the group's goals and their personal journeys that led them to birding.  Through education, outreach and advocacy, Birdability works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody.

TSBVI competes in athletics and performing arts with other schools for the blind in Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Louisiana through the South Central Association Schools for the Blind. As we just wrapped up our annual track and performing arts event, we wanted to debrief with one of our Athletic Directors, Coaches, and two of our Senior female athletes.

Dr. Rona Pogrund is the Coordinator of Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments Program in the Department of Special Education, College of Education at Texas Tech University. She provides instruction, mentoring, and guidance to those seeking to become a teacher of students who are visually impaired (TSVI) and those working on a Masters or Doctorate degree in our field. Her 49 years in blindness education make her an expert in teacher training, professional engagement, and all the things that make our profession great.

Housing one of the foremost collections of materials and technology used to advance the education of blind, low vision and, Deafblind people in the world, the Museum at the American Printing House for the Blind is showing how the contributions of the past can create better outcomes in the future. APH Museum director Mike Hudson is here to tell us about some of the exhibits on display at the museum and what they have planned for the future.  To find out more about the museum go to https://aphmuseum.org/ to plan your visit. 

When evaluating a student to determine eligibility for special education and to develop an educational plan, it's critical to take into account a student's accommodations specific to their visual impairment. Marnee Loftin has been a leader in this work for quite some time. We're lucky to have her on the podcast. Here ares some links to many other great resources available online: Additional podcasts to check out: https://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/258-assessment-with-visually-impaired-kids-part-1-w-dr-carol-evans-marnee-loftin-dr-terese-pawletko-may-nguyen-and-stephanie-herlich/ https://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/260-assessment-with-visually-impaired-kids-part-2-w-dr-carol-evans-marnee-loftin-dr-terese-pawletko-may-nguyen-and-stephanie-herlich/ Video Resource from Improving Literacy: https://improvingliteracy.org/videos/visual-impairment-and-dyslexia-video-series Curriculum Resources from TSBVI: https://www.tsbvi.edu/tsbvi-publications

Some of the most vital learning at a residential school happens outside of the classroom. TSBVI Residential Director Matt Schultz joins us to discuss how creating a positive environment in our dorms can facilitate learning in the classroom as well as at home with their families. Also joining us are Darius, Pedro, and Michael from the TSBVI Wildcat Wrestling team to tell us about how their experiences with athletics are helping them progress in their journey to adulthood. 

Our conversation continues as Lynne McAlister and Deanna Peterson provide their professional perspectives on children's behavior, and what can sometimes be misinterpreted as misbehavior. Later in the episode we are also joined by James Coleman, who shares a relatable parental view on the matter! Free behavior guidance tool can be found here: https://www.tsbvi.edu/tsbvi-publications#publications Further discussions about the topic: Coffee Hour Lynne and Deanna's contact info: [email protected] [email protected]