inSight Out

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves talks with Dolunay Kocabag, who goes by Luna, an actor, musician, playwright, and self-described non-technical dancer who works as an administrator at Dark Room Ballet. Dark Room is a tuition-free, Zoom-based movement program with an all blind and low vision faculty, offering ballet, modern, jazz, movement improvisation, and, this year, acting and podcasting classes. It was founded in 2020 by Krishna, a blind former professional ballerina who also teaches audio description. Luna joins the conversation from her family's library in Turkey, where she works American hours for the New York-based organization.

Luna describes moving to the United States for drama school, where mandatory dance classes were fast, mirror-based, and impossible to follow with her low vision. She talks about leaving class in tears, being repeatedly offered the option to sit out, and the sadness of knowing she will never be a professional technical dancer. An Alexander Technique teacher pointed her to Dark Room Ballet, where an eight-week, college-level intro class gave her anatomical vocabulary and confidence she carried back into her other classes. She also shares the survival jobs, off-Broadway credits, and discovery of pole and aerial dance that filled the years after graduation.

Matthew and Luna go on to discuss what audio description can do when it conveys how a movement happens rather than only what happened, and how tears and tension show up in the body. Luna compares life as a blind person in New York with life in Turkey, including infrastructure, unsolicited help, assumptions, and laws that exist on paper. The conversation closes on disability representation in the arts, why art by disabled people does not have to be about disability, the difference between inspiration porn and real encouragement, and why employment access matters for artists who need an audience.

Topics Covered: dance and low vision, Dark Room Ballet, inclusive movement education, audio description, embodiment and emotion, barriers in arts training, disability in acting, cultural attitudes toward disability, disability representation in the arts, employment and arts audiences.

Visit Dark Room Ballet: https://darkroomballet.com/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves talks with Kevin Lowe, a podcaster, public speaker, and former travel agency owner from the Daytona Beach area of Florida, about losing his sight at seventeen. After years of migraines, stalled growth, and glasses that never fully corrected his vision, Kevin was diagnosed in 2003 with a plum-sized, non-cancerous brain tumor pressing on his optic nerve and wrapped around his pituitary gland. Surgery on October 28th, 2003 was reported to his family as a total success, but when Kevin fully woke up three days later he could not see the blinking light on a pulse oximeter. Doctors had put the risk of blindness at one percent, and to this day no one can say why it happened.

Kevin describes the survival-mode months that followed: praying every night to see his family again, mourning a future built around sight, and holding onto hope for a medical fix. He also tells the story of deciding to graduate with his class, learning braille, a screen reader, and cane travel from teachers at his grandmother's house, and inventing his own strategies, like tracing math equations with his finger so he could picture them. A rough stretch at community college, a close friendship with his Nana, and a job readiness program at the Center for the Visually Impaired lead to internships at an AM radio station and a travel agency.

Matthew and Kevin then talk about entrepreneurship as an underdiscussed path for blind and low vision people, including the seven years Kevin spent running Better Days Travel from home with JAWS and a laptop, and how the pandemic erased what was set to be his best year in a single week. His sister's suggestion led to a podcast, launched in May 2020 as The Lowdown on Life and Travel, which opened the door to public speaking and to conversations with people he never would have met otherwise. The conversation closes on Kevin's belief that how we respond matters more than what happens to us, and on Matthew's observation that Kevin's hope never went away. It transformed from waiting to be rescued into creating something of his own.

Reach out to Kevin at [email protected]. Learn more about his podcast at https://gritgraceinspiration.com/.

Topics Covered: sudden vision loss, brain tumor surgery, adjusting to blindness as a teenager, hospital homebound teachers, braille and cane training, family support, entrepreneurship and blindness, starting a podcast, hope, living in the present.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves talks with Ann Wagner and her husband Eric Ringham about how vision loss moves through a relationship. Ann, a retired board-certified clinical psychologist who spent 26 years on the PTSD clinical team at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System, has autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, which runs through her mother's side of the family, and became legally blind at 18. Eric is a retired journalist who picked up some "blind skills" guiding his father through age-related macular degeneration, and who was raised to hold the door and offer help to anyone who might need it. Their different instincts collided early in their dating, over a glass of water.

Ann defines a dilemma as a moment when different values could be acted on and there is no way to act on all of them. She and Eric describe the shared names they use to meet those moments with compassion: "if you say you're thirsty," Eric's stance that he will always get the glass of water; "help by not helping," the phrase that finally helped him hold back; and "can I eat my pie," which came from an evening when Ann asked Eric to look something up while his mouth was full of dessert. Ann explains how helplessness and hurt show up to tell us what we care about, why hurt signals that self-esteem is intact rather than damaged, and how she draws on narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and attachment theory to approach conflict without judgment.

Eric shares a childhood memory of his mother and a shooting star on the Jersey Shore, and the grief he still carries about not being able to share visual moments with Ann. Together with Matthew, they talk about offering each other grace through a more generous interpretation (Eric's "innocent construction rule" from journalism), why tone of voice matters, and how all of this applies to relationships well beyond vision loss.

Topics Covered: relationships and vision loss, retinitis pigmentosa, unsolicited help, independence and self-advocacy, shared names for dilemmas, helplessness and hurt, nonjudgmental stance, grief within couples, grace and generous interpretation, couples communication.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves talks with Wyatt Edmondson, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age five, though his parents waited until he was fifteen to tell him. Wyatt describes the deliberate, protective choice behind that ten-year gap, the two weeks of anger and grief that followed the disclosure, and the pivotal afternoon on a high school fire escape when that grief turned into a sense of purpose: he knew, suddenly and completely, that he wanted to build his life around music.

Wyatt traces his path from an early mentor who convinced him he could make a real career out of songwriting, to becoming a working artist in Nashville's co-writing scene, to the origins of his upcoming album, Make Light of the Dark. He talks about collaborating closely with producer Bobby Holland, who also has RP, and about the community of musicians, friends, and 198 Kickstarter backers who helped bring the record to life. The conversation also covers his family's shared history with RP across two generations, learning to rely on others (including the moment he first used a cane traveling alone), and how he chooses when and how to disclose his blindness to an audience on stage.

Matthew and Wyatt close with a broader reflection on humor, resilience, and grief: how the album's title captures a philosophy that applies well beyond the vision loss community, that taking hardship seriously and refusing to let it define you can coexist. Visit Wyatt at www.wyattedmondson.com Topics Covered: retinitis pigmentosa, RPGR gene, family history and disclosure, grief and diagnosis, mentorship, songwriting with vision loss, Nashville music scene, Kickstarter and independent artistry, disclosure on stage, resilience and humor.

ABOUT THE PODCAST inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves talks with Janel Brooks, an engineer at a Fortune 500 company who has lived with Stargardt disease for almost twenty years. Diagnosed in her twenties after a routine LASIK consultation revealed the condition, Janel describes an unusually smooth diagnosis followed by a much harder decade of watching her vision quietly worsen while she kept driving, working, and problem-solving her way around it, until a stoplight she couldn't fully make out became her first real warning sign.

Janel walks Matthew through the guilt she carried before she finally quit driving in early 2018, the total restructuring of daily life that followed (walking to the grocery store, building thirty-minute buffers into every rideshare, treating errands as a shared family calendar rather than a solo task), and the moment her husband pushed back on being cast as her "helper" rather than her partner. The conversation turns toward her career, where Janel spent years hiding her vision loss out of fear it would stall her advancement, until a moment of crisis, walking into her regional manager's office to quit, led to an unplanned disclosure and a response that changed everything: "I do." His daughter has Stargardt's too.

Matthew and Janel talk about the exhausting, ongoing work of asking for help, the power of using humor to put people at ease, and how choosing to disclose, rather than waiting to be found out, can become its own form of control. Janel also shares an unlikely story about becoming an emergency feline chaperone on a cross-country flight, a reminder that vision loss doesn't disqualify you from showing up for the people you love.

Topics Covered: Stargardt disease, driving cessation and vision loss, disability disclosure at work, self-advocacy, reframing burden and independence, marriage and caregiving dynamics, humor as a coping tool, workplace accommodations, asking for help, community and podcast listenership.

Reach Janel at [email protected].

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

On the surface, this episode of inSight Out is about dry eye. Underneath, it's about something every listener with low vision or blindness will recognize: what happens when a very real experience gets minimized because it doesn't fit the box other people expect it to fit. Host Matthew Reeves talks with Rebecca Petris, president of the newly renamed Dry Eye and Ocular Pain Foundation, about a condition that is chronically misunderstood by its own name. Rebecca explains why "dry eye" has become an unhelpful catch-all term, covering everything from casual irritation to severe, sight-threatening disease, and why her organization recently added "ocular pain" to its title to better capture what many patients actually live with. As Matthew and Rebecca discuss early on, plenty of people in the low vision and blind community carry some degree of ocular discomfort alongside their vision loss without ever naming it or having it taken seriously, which is exactly the kind of overlap this conversation is built to surface.

Rebecca traces her own path into this work back to a 2001 LASIK surgery that left her with corneal damage and undiagnosed neuropathic pain. What started as one patient searching for answers online became a website, then an online community, and eventually a full-time career building support for people whose eye pain and vision problems come from wildly different causes but land in strikingly similar places: the powerlessness of not being believed, and the isolation of a body that no longer behaves the way it used to. She describes the foundation's helpline, where people who have often seen a dozen or more specialists without answers can finally be heard, and walks through how untreated eye pain compounds into financial, relational, and mental health crises, a pattern that will land as familiar to anyone who has navigated the medical system with vision loss.

Matthew and Rebecca also have a candid conversation about suicidal ideation within the chronic pain and vision loss communities, and why Rebecca fought to keep the word "chronic" out of her field's official diagnostic language. It's a wide-ranging conversation that starts with a name nobody likes and ends up being about connection, validation, and what it actually means to accompany someone through a painful and uncertain diagnosis, whatever that diagnosis happens to be.

You can reach the Dry Eye Helpline at 800-484-0244.
Concerned about suicidal thoughts? Dial or text 9-8-8 to reach the national crisis hotline in the US.

Topics Covered: dry eye disease, ocular surface pain, LASIK complications, chronic pain, medical trauma, patient advocacy, suicidal ideation, mental health and chronic illness, self-advocacy, accompaniment in illness.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves talks with Ana Nosal, a 30-year-old marathon runner from the Washington, D.C. area who was diagnosed with Stargardt disease at fourteen. Ana describes the early denial that came with starting high school just as her vision loss was confirmed, the accommodations she quietly refused to use, and the moment in college when giving up driving forced a new kind of acceptance. She also traces how her competitive life shifted, from soccer and softball, where her declining hand-eye coordination became too hard to ignore, to cross country and track, sports she could still control on her own terms.

Much of the conversation centers on disclosure: why Ana told professors and friends only on a strict need-to-know basis for over a decade, how therapy, originally sought for grief after her father's death, eventually surfaced how much of her anxiety and self-esteem was tangled up in her vision loss, and how she and her therapist worked through worst-case and best-case scenarios before she told her boyfriend just two dates in. That practice run set the stage for the leap that followed: posting her story to social media all at once, rather than telling people one at a time.

Ana and Matthew talk about what it's like to receive an outpouring of support you spent years bracing against, the guilt of wondering why you didn't trust people sooner, and the unexpected reward of helping other people, including partners, parents, and teachers, recognize vision loss they hadn't known how to see before.

Topics Covered: Stargardt disease, disclosure and self-advocacy, adaptive sports, marathon running, grief counseling, generalized anxiety, self-esteem work, social media visibility, dating and disclosure, worst-case versus best-case thinking.

Contact Ana at [email protected] and follow her on IG or TicTok: @Ana_Nosal

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves talks with Paralympic hopeful Graham Rainsby about losing most of his vision within a single year to Stargardt's disease, and the unlikely athletic career that followed. Diagnosed in sixth grade after his vision dropped from roughly 20/60 to 20/200, Graham describes the strange mix of denial and determination that got him through middle school, the accommodations that let him compete at the varsity level in high school and at Middlebury College, and the ongoing, exhausting calculus of deciding when and how to disclose a disability that isn't always visible at first glance.

A knee injury at the end of his senior year ended Graham's running career, and after several years adrift, he picked up competitive swimming, setting an American record in the 50-meter butterfly in his very first race. He's now training toward the qualifying time for the 2028 Paralympic trials, and he opens up about the strange unsatisfying quiet of finishing a swim race blind, unable to see the clock or know how he placed until someone tells him.

Matthew and Graham also dig into the difference between wanting to stand out because of a disability and refusing to be defined by it, why Graham still struggles to ask for enough support, and the philosophy that's carried him through two sports: that the value is in the pursuit, not the finish line.

Topics Covered: Stargardt's disease, progressive vision loss, disability disclosure, self-advocacy, collegiate athletics, adaptive sport transition, Paralympic swimming, identity and disability, resilience, chasing long-term goals.

Follow Graham on Instagram: @blindconfidences

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of Insight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with digital accessibility professional and entrepreneur James Warnken to discuss the transformative power of shifting from a mindset of survival to one of professional empowerment. Diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease at nine years old, James opens up about his journey through progressive vision loss, the intense burnout that can come with constant childhood self-advocacy, and how he ultimately learned to embrace his disability as his greatest professional asset.

James walks us through his career trajectory, from launching an apparel line in college to founding his own digital accessibility consulting framework, Clear Vision. He shares insightful reflections on how navigating a world not built for low vision instills crucial professional skills like hyper-organization, proactive planning, and innovative problem-solving. We also dive into a fascinating family dynamic: James’s younger brother shares the exact same visual diagnosis but approaches life with an entirely different personality, highlighting why accessibility and accommodations can never be a one-size-fits-all solution.

Whether you are currently navigating employment with vision loss, battling imposter syndrome, or considering taking the leap into entrepreneurship, this conversation offers a refreshing, solution-oriented perspective. James reminds us that lived experience cannot be replicated by certifications alone, and that embracing our unique adaptations allows us to walk through open doors with confidence.

Topics Covered: Stargardt's disease , progressive vision loss , childhood self-advocacy burnout , digital accessibility , entrepreneurship and disability , assistive technology , imposter syndrome , workplace accommodations , personalized IEPs , adaptive professional skills.

Contact James at [email protected] or 330-936-2556. Learn more about Clear Vision: https://clearvisionllc.org/.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In Episode 023 of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves — a legally blind psychotherapist — sits down with Nik Kirkpatrick, a forty-year-old with Stargardt's disease who found the podcast through the Stargardt's subreddit. Nik offers one of the most candid and grounded personal perspectives the show has featured: no silver linings forced too soon, no tidy arc — just the real, uneven, sometimes funny experience of building a life around a diagnosis that shaped everything without defining him.

Nick was seventeen when he was diagnosed, but the years that followed were marked more by avoidance than acceptance. He didn't disclose at college, dropped out of classes he couldn't follow, and spent years in the restaurant industry — work that felt accessible but came with genuine physical risk. Economic hardship, social misunderstandings, and a misconception about his prognosis compounded an already difficult journey. He was in his thirties before he connected with a therapist who could actually help.

What makes this conversation stand out is the specificity. Nik talks about the cognitive work of navigating a restaurant floor using peripheral vision and basketball footwork. He describes the quiet indignity of a friend assuming he couldn't split a bill. He reflects on advising his newly diagnosed mother-in-law — 20/40 vision — that his vision was worse at seventeen than hers is now, and that he still carries trays of glasses across a restaurant floor without falling. He plays chess at the 65th percentile on chess.com by memorizing the half of the board he can't see.

Matthew and Nik also dig into the deeper psychological terrain: how vision loss intersects with identity, the danger of conflating what you can do with who you are, and why the most durable coping resource Nik found was a sense of self he'd built before the diagnosis — one rooted not in achievement, but in accountability.

Topics covered: Stargardt's disease personal experience, vision loss and identity, adjusting to progressive vision loss, low vision in the workplace, navigating restaurants with low vision, peripheral vision adaptation strategies, vision loss and mental health, therapy for disability adjustment, Stargardt's subreddit community, low vision and employment challenges, economic impact of vision loss, SSDI and blindness, disclosure of visual impairment at work, vision loss grief and acceptance, macular degeneration family support, living well with low vision, quality of life with vision impairment, play to your strengths disability advice

Contact Nik at [email protected].

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Have you ever wondered what it takes to craft the audio description track that helps you follow a film, laugh at a visual gag, or feel the tension of a dramatic scene? In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves — a legally blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor — sits down with Darla Biccum, senior writer and creative lead at Descriptive Video Works, for a deep and illuminating conversation about the art, craft, and philosophy behind audio description. Whether you're a long-time user of described content or newly exploring what's available to you, this episode is essential listening.

Darla opens the curtain on a process far more nuanced than most listeners imagine. From her roots as a professional actor doing live description for dance competitions to writing scripts for animated series, gaming, expo experiences, and TV, Darla brings a storyteller's instinct to everything she does. She explains how she approaches a new project by watching it fully before writing a single word — connecting to the story the way an audience would — so that her descriptions carry the same emotional truth as the visuals themselves. Her guiding principle: describe what you see in a way that leaves the audience the same trail of clues you had.

Matthew and Darla also dig into the real-world constraints that shape every audio description script: the race against dialogue, the impossibility of capturing everything in a fast-moving action sequence, the challenge of maintaining narrative mystery without cheating the audience, and how genre expertise matters just as much as writing skill. They discuss how Descriptive Video Works' community advisory council — made up of blind and low vision consumers — actively informs and improves their work. And they tackle the growing conversation around AI-generated description with honesty, nuance, and genuine care for both the craft and the community it serves.

For listeners who want to know more about accessing audio description in their daily lives, Darla and Matthew walk through practical tips — from the SAP button on your remote to streaming platform settings, community Facebook groups, and resources like the Audio Description Project. This episode is a celebration of the people making access possible, and an invitation to engage more deeply and more joyfully with the described content available to you.

Topics Covered: audio description, described video, low vision accessibility, blind community, Descriptive Video Works, audio description writing process, live description, video game accessibility, genre-specific description, AI and audio description, community advisory council, how to access audio description, SAP button, streaming accessibility, storytelling and vision loss, emotional description, facial expression description, cognitive load

Contact Darla at [email protected].

Descriptive Video Works

Audio Description Project

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with Jessie Wolinsky, a clinical mental health grad student and long-time advocate with the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Jessie shares a raw and deeply relatable account of her life with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), focusing on the pivotal moments of her adolescence when her vision loss felt like a total "rug pull" on her future. She discusses the intersection of disability and mental health, detailing her personal battle with chronic depression and the traumatic moments that eventually led her to seek the transformative power of therapy.

Listeners will gain insight into the practical and emotional hurdles of adopting mobility aids. Jessie speaks candidly about her initial resistance to using a white cane, fearing the stigma and perceived vulnerability it might signal to the world. She explains how she moved past those fears to reclaim her autonomy, eventually finding that the cane didn't just help her get from point A to point B physically, but also helped her move from a place of shattered confidence to one of self-assured independence.

Finally, the conversation turns toward the importance of "occupying space" and the clean burn of empathy over anger when dealing with societal ignorance. Jessie offers a powerful message of hope for anyone early in their vision loss journey, emphasizing that confidence is not an innate gift but a cultivated practice. Whether you are struggling with a new diagnosis or looking for ways to deepen your own adjustment, Jessie’s perspective provides a roadmap for living a life of design rather than one defined by external messages.

Topics Covered: Retinitis pigmentosa, adolescent diagnosis, depression and vision loss, self-harm and trauma, therapy for disability adjustment, the white cane and stigma, reclaiming autonomy, situational awareness and safety, self-advocacy in public spaces, the fuel of empathy, building confidence as a muscle, pursuing a career in mental health.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

How do you continue to hold space for others’ mental health when your own world is fundamentally changing? In this episode, Matthew Reeves sits down with Jon Weaver, an LCSW living with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), to discuss the profound emotional and psychological shifts that accompany progressive vision loss. Jon shares his personal "backstory," from noticing flashes of light in grad school to the "surreal" experience of being the youngest person in a retina specialist's waiting room.

The heart of this discussion centers on the "mental load" of disability—the exhaustion that comes from hyper-focusing on symptoms and the anxiety of losing one's independence. Jon explains how he initially used "rationalization" to explain away his symptoms, such as joking that his fiancee simply had "night vision" superpowers. He provides a candid look at the grieving process, specifically the heartbreak of giving up his motorcycle and the "exposure therapy" required to accept a new way of living.

Listeners will gain practical mental health tools as Jon breaks down Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through a unique lens. Whether you are a fellow clinician, someone newly diagnosed, or a long-term member of the low-vision community, Jon’s insights on "practicing what you preach" offer a grounded, hopeful roadmap for navigating the plateaus and declines of vision loss with grace.

Topics Covered: Retinitis pigmentosa diagnosis, Stargardt's disease, family history of vision loss, the "mental load" of disability, anxiety and hyper-fixation, grieving the loss of driving, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) triangle, grounding techniques, adaptive gaming and hobbies, the future of AR and AI in low vision.

Contact Jon at [email protected] or (585) 310-4170.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with Licensed Professional Counselor Ronda Thorington to discuss the often-overlooked emotional landscape of caregiving. Ronda shares her powerful personal journey of navigating her daughter’s rare autoimmune diagnosis and the "aha moment" at the National Institutes of Health that led her to specialize in supporting caregivers. Together, they bridge the gap between general medical complexity and the specific experiences of families living with low vision and blindness.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of "vicarious trauma"—the emotional toll of witnessing a loved one’s struggle—and how to manage the "time offset" of grief within a family. Ronda provides a compassionate framework for moving past the labels that can rob us of our humanity, emphasizing that neither the caregiver nor the care recipient should be defined solely by a diagnosis. This conversation is a masterclass in maintaining individual identity while navigating a shared disability journey.

The episode also introduces practical tools from Ronda’s "Resilient Parent Toolkit," including how to set micro-boundaries and reclaim a sense of "new normal" through structure and routine. Whether you are a parent of a child with vision loss, a partner providing support, or someone living with a diagnosis who feels like a "burden," this episode offers the language and the permission to prioritize your own mental wellbeing.

Topics Covered: Caregiving, vicarious trauma, chronic illness, low vision, grief cycles, identity beyond diagnosis, family communication, curiosity in relationships, medical trauma, pediatric illness, resilient parenting, self-care, invisible disability, and mental health advocacy.

Reach Ronda at (860) 533-0912 or [email protected]. Download the Resiliant Parent Toolkit: www.resilientparentconsulting.com

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this episode of inSight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with Max Ivey, an author, speaker, and entrepreneur known as the "Blind Blogger". Max shares his unique upbringing in the East Texas carnival circuit, explaining how the high-stakes environment of the midway taught him creative problem-solving and the essential discipline of "making opening" regardless of life’s challenges. We delve into his transition to the digital world, where he taught himself HTML character-by-character to launch a business brokering carnival rides, eventually finding his "zone of genius" as a motivational storyteller and accessibility advocate.

Listeners will gain insight into Max’s philosophy of "honest storytelling" and why he prefers the term "individuals with disabilities" to emphasize our unique lived experiences. Max offers a candid look at the frustrations of inaccessible technology—from the early days of dial-up to the modern struggles with platform back-ends—while maintaining a grounded, "determined positivity" that avoids the pitfalls of toxic optimism. This conversation is a testament to the power of resilience and the importance of finding the "upsides" in any situation.

Whether you are navigating a new diagnosis or have been living with vision loss for years, Max’s perspective provides a practical roadmap for moving forward. He challenges the audience to identify one small thing they can do today to improve their mental or physical health, reminding us that success and failure are deeply personal definitions. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to build a rich, gratifying life by embracing their individual journey and the challenges that come with it.

Topics Covered: Retinitis Pigmentosa, Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, carnival culture and resilience, self-taught coding and accessibility, the Blind Blogger origin story, individual versus group identity in disability, determined positivity versus toxic positivity, honest storytelling, navigating digital inaccessibility, career transitions with vision loss.

Contact Max Ivey at [email protected] or 979-215-1770. View his site at https://www.theaccessibilityadvantage.com.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Cooking is one of the most fundamental activities of daily living, yet for many experiencing vision loss, the kitchen can suddenly feel like a landscape of hazards and frustrations. In this episode, Matthew Reeves speaks with Debra Erickson, a blind culinary school graduate and the visionary behind The Blind Kitchen. Debra shares her personal story of adjusting to Retinitis Pigmentosa and how a vocational rehabilitation course eventually led her to professional culinary training and a mission to help others "cook without looking".

Listeners will discover a wealth of practical strategies and specialized tools designed to ensure safety and consistency in the kitchen. From "bump dots" on flat-screen microwaves to "boiler alert discs" and cut-resistant gloves, Debra explains how simple modifications can prevent burns and injuries while fostering true independence. The discussion also delves into the social aspects of food, offering tips for navigating dark restaurants and using subtle cues with dining partners to maintain dignity and connection.

Beyond the technical skills, this episode addresses the emotional weight of vision loss, such as the fear of losing one's role as the family cook or the isolation of staying home to avoid "groping around" in public. Debra’s insights provide a hopeful roadmap for anyone looking to transition from a "microwave popcorn diet" to preparing nutritious, delicious meals. Whether you are a lifelong foodie or someone just trying to manage the basics, you will find encouragement in Debra's message that your contribution to the world—and the dinner table—is far from over.

Topics Covered: Retinitis Pigmentosa diagnosis , culinary school as a blind student , vocational rehabilitation and meal prep , The Blind Kitchen library , browning ground meat techniques , talking thermometers , dining out with vision loss , bump dots for accessibility , safety tools like cut gloves and boiler discs , the emotional impact of losing culinary independence , entrepreneurship with a disability , and the power of asking for help.

Visit The Blind Kitchen

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Navigating a new diagnosis of vision loss is often a traumatic and isolating experience. In this episode, host Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, sits down with three specializing genetic counselors—Rebecca Clark, Emily Place, and Taylor Sabato—to discuss their vital role in the diagnostic and adjustment process. The group explores the "human side" of genetics, explaining how these professionals provide the gift of time and empathy to patients who have just received life-altering news.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the difference between a clinical and genetic diagnosis, and why identifying a specific genetic variant can offer a clearer roadmap for the future. The guests break down the complexities of heritability, the "art" of interpreting DNA research, and the psychological impact of sharing genetic risks with family members. Whether you are curious about your own genotype or looking for ways to feel less alone in your journey, this episode offers a blend of technical expertise and deep compassion.

Beyond the lab results, this discussion emphasizes the importance of the "care team" and the resources available to those with inherited retinal dystrophies. From the nuances of participating in clinical trials to the emotional resilience required to face uncertainty, our guests provide a hopeful perspective on living well with low vision. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to move from a place of disempowerment to a position of informed advocacy for their own health and well-being.

Topics Covered: Ophthalmic genetic counseling, inherited retinal dystrophies, genetic testing yield, clinical vs. genetic diagnosis, emotional adjustment to vision loss, family planning and heritability, clinical trial screening, genotype vs. phenotype, National Society of Genetic Counselors, patient autonomy and privacy.

National Society of Genetic Counselors

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Living with vision loss or a chronic condition often feels like navigating a world that isn't quite built for you. In this episode, Matthew Reeves sits down with Destiny Davis, LPC, CRC, a therapist dedicated to the chronic illness community. Destiny shares her powerful personal history, growing up with a father who navigated blindness and a traumatic brain injury, and how that lived experience now informs her clinical work. Together, they explore the "bio-psychosocial" layers of disability—how it affects our bodies, our minds, and our social connections.

The conversation delves into the common frustrations of being misunderstood or "gaslit" by the medical community and the isolation that often follows. Destiny introduces the concept of "scaffolding"—the process of providing emotional and logistical support to ourselves and our loved ones as we learn to navigate new challenges. She shares practical tools, like using shared documents to help explain the nuances of a condition to family members, which can reduce physical stress and improve advocacy.

Finally, we discuss the role of values-based living. Destiny explains how making decisions based on what we value—rather than just our symptoms—can give our lives meaning and purpose even when an "outcome" like a cure isn't on the horizon. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to bridge the gap between their disability and a rich, gratifying life.

Topics Covered: Chronic illness and vision loss, bio-psychosocial impact of disability, medical gaslighting and microaggressions, the concept of scaffolding in relationships, tools for self-advocacy, values-based decision making, navigating the grief of disability, the importance of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs), and finding autonomy through assistive technology.

Destiny can be reach at:

404-905-3391

[email protected]

The Chronic Illness Therapist

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

How does a "rocket scientist adjacent" software developer navigate the world with Retinitis Pigmentosa? In this episode of Insight Out, host Matthew Reeves sits down with JP Patterson to explore the intersection of high-level engineering and the daily realities of low vision. JP shares his unique journey from being a 14-year-old racing dirt bikes in Baja to managing engineering teams in the aerospace industry, all while progressively losing his sight. He offers a refreshing, emotionally honest perspective on using an "engineering mindset" to view failures as mere data points rather than personal shortcomings.

The conversation moves beyond technical workarounds to the heart of the emotional journey. JP opens up about the "trap" of being hyper-independent and how he recently recognized a deep sense of depression that his engineering tools couldn't fix. Listeners will hear about JP's profound recent shift: his decision to finally seek Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training, start therapy, and "burn the boats" to leave his solitary island for the wider visually impaired community.

Whether you are a "tech nerd" or someone struggling with the exhaustion of "playing three-dimensional chess" every day, this episode provides a roadmap for turning inward to find peace. JP discusses his latest project, Gaming Vision, an application designed to make video games more accessible through computer vision, proving that our community's problem-solving skills are a marketable and vital asset. Join us for an inspiring look at how to stop faking it and start swimming toward a more connected, authentic life.

Topics Covered: Retinitis Pigmentosa diagnosis and progression, engineering mindset in disability adjustment, desert racing and Baja 1000, aerospace testing career, the "island" metaphor for isolation, parenting with vision loss, mental exhaustion of low vision, O&M training and therapy, Gaming Vision accessibility project, the value of community connection.

You can reach JP Patterson by email at [email protected] and you can visit his website at https://jpdoes.dev/.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, host Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, sits down with Eavan O'Neill, the founder of Brightside Community. Eavan shares her journey of vision loss, beginning with the early signs noticed in elementary school, through the "perplexing" diagnosis of cone dystrophy, which later confirmed as Stargardt disease, during her senior year of college. Her story provides a raw look at the emotional shock of a life-changing diagnosis at a pivotal time—just before the pandemic and her college graduation. We discuss the cultural misconception of blindness as an all-or-nothing experience and the profound, immediate fear that comes with a rare diagnosis where the prognosis is unclear and no cure is offered.

Eavan shares her initial struggle with depression following the diagnosis and the intentional steps she took to climb out of that dark place. She reflects on the "cosmic pause button" the pandemic provided, which gave her the space to process her new reality with her family. A key turning point was realizing the therapeutic power of sharing her story. This led her to find a new sense of control and self through running marathons, and most significantly, to establish a safe, supportive space for others facing similar challenges.

The conversation culminates in an in-depth discussion about Brightside Community, a non-profit support group that has grown to over 150 members worldwide. Eavan details the group’s mission—to connect individuals experiencing vision loss of any kind (age 18+)—and how their meetings offer a vital "other level of understanding" that even the most supportive sighted loved ones cannot provide. She shares the group's structure, including the use of Slack for 24/7 connection, and reflects on the fulfillment of seeing members build real-life friendships. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking community, coping strategies, and a reminder that acceptance is an active component of grief, not its endpoint.

Topics Covered: Stargardt disease, cone dystrophy, navigating vision loss in college, adjusting to disability, parental guilt, the role of research, coping with depression, finding control through running, the power of sharing your story, building community, peer support groups, Brightside Community, acceptance as a component of grief.

[email protected]

https://brightsidecommunity.com/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

In this deeply moving and inspirational episode, host Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, sits down with Meredith Tyree, an incredible woman who embodies the spirit of resilience and adaptation. Meredith shares her experience navigating the complex, dual diagnosis of hearing loss from birth and later, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which led to a diagnosis of Usher Syndrome. Her story highlights the emotional difficulty of the diagnostic journey—feeling categorized and underestimated by the world—and the pivotal moment when she realized her only true limits were the ones she set for herself.

Meredith's passion lies in adaptive sports and recreation, which she credits as a channel for frustration and a source of profound freedom. She details her initial reluctance to try tennis again, despite loving it as a child, and how a challenge from a friend pushed her to find adaptive solutions, even for a hearing-impaired person playing Goalball, a sport that relies on a bell. She emphasizes that adaptive sports organizations like Move United and Sportable have incredible volunteers who provide the necessary structure and guidance, encouraging participants to simply show up and be willing to learn.

This conversation offers a powerful message for anyone feeling isolated or disheartened by vision loss: don't let fear be the reason you don't live. Meredith encourages listeners to take the "thousand excuses"—which she calls fear—and throw them out, giving life one shot. It's about finding a supportive community where you can shed the "armor" of constantly having to prove yourself and experience the liberation of being your authentic self. Meredith’s commitment to living life to the fullest, and her involvement with the Foundation Fighting Blindness, serves as a powerful reminder that every challenge is an opportunity to adapt, adjust, and soar.

Topics Covered: Usher Syndrome, Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), navigating dual sensory loss, the diagnostic journey, low expectations from others, the power of mentorship, Foundation Fighting Blindness, adaptive sports and recreation, Goalball, tandem cycling, kayaking, overcoming fear and self-doubt, the importance of supportive community, Move United, Sportable.

Move United: moveunitedsport.org/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

The Power of Connection: Human-Centered Media for the Print Impaired Community with Dr. Brittany McLemore

In this heartfelt and illuminating episode, host Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, welcomes Dr. Brittany McLemore, the Executive Director of Vocal Point (formerly the Georgia Radio Reading Service). This conversation explores the incredible 45-year history of this essential, free service, which has evolved from a local radio broadcast to a 24/7 global digital hub for news, books, magazines, and original content for the blind, low vision, and print-impaired community.

Dr. McLemore shares the inspiring origin story of Vocal Point, founded in 1980 by a World War II veteran and former newspaper executive who lost his sight in his early thirties and recognized the profound lack of accessible media . Discover how Vocal Point is breaking stigmas about vision loss, intentionally reaching younger demographics, and moving beyond the passive "broadcast model" to actively build a genuine, bi-directional community with its listeners.

You'll learn about Vocal Point's commitment to using human voice over AI—creating a crucial sense of familiarity and connection for listeners who often feel isolated. As a clinician, Matthew deeply connects with Dr. McLemore's social work background and her systemic approach to service, bridging top-down organizational strategy with grassroots community needs. They discuss the "dangerous" reality of providing services that don't meet an authentic need, and the importance of recognizing the full humanity of every listener.

Dr. McLemore shares a deeply personal, surprising moment from her first week in the role—an experience that profoundly changed her lens and worldview, moving her away from an unintentional "superiority" mindset and toward radical empathy and intentional training for her team. This story is a powerful reflection on personal growth, humility, and the choice we all have to challenge our own biases.

Listen to find out how to access Vocal Point's free, 24/7 service and its on-demand program library, and learn about their vision for upcoming community-building initiatives, including in-person book clubs and a mentorship program.

Topics covered: History of Vocal Point (formerly Georgia Radio Reading Service), free accessible media service, blind/low vision/print-impaired community, radio broadcast to digital platform, Amazon Echo Dot access, on-demand listening (cvp.org), human voice vs. AI narration, volunteer readers, community building, diverse programming, newspapers, magazines, books, career corner, service programs (Capital View, Research Watch), breaking vision loss stigma, systemic and grassroots service approach, personal growth and internal biases, full humanity of listeners.

Visit Vocal Point: www.seevp.org

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Orientation and mobility specialist Hannah Kleinschmidt shares her journey from receiving O&M training as a young person with albinism to becoming a certified instructor who helps adults adjust to vision loss. Hannah discusses the emotional challenges many people face when first using a white cane, explaining how it serves both as a practical mobility tool and a visible identifier that changes how others interact with you. She walks us through what O&M training involves—from learning to trust the cane and cross streets non-visually to using public transportation and asking for help effectively. Hannah emphasizes that everyone's experience with the cane is different, and she offers insight into how instructors balance technical skill-building with the mental and emotional adjustments that come with vision loss. With candor and compassion, she shares both her personal story and professional perspective on helping people regain independence and confidence.

Topics covered: orientation and mobility, O&M training, white cane, mobility instruction, albinism, legal blindness, low vision, street crossing, public transportation, guide dogs, vision loss adjustment, disability acceptance, independence, pedestrian skills, assistive technology, vision rehabilitation, asking for help, mobility specialist.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Meredyth Mason shares her journey from receiving a devastating retinitis pigmentosa diagnosis at 32 with no resources or support, through two years of crippling depression, to rebuilding an active, entrepreneurial life with her guide dog. Diagnosed later in life after experiencing night driving difficulties and missing letters on computer screens, Meredyth discusses the complete lack of medical support she received and how she eventually climbed out of depression by taking agency over her recovery one small step at a time. She explores the difference between being alone and being lonely, the importance of removing toxic influences from life, and how she transitioned from corporate employee to successful entrepreneur. Meredyth also covers her experience with Division of Blind Services, learning to use a white cane, getting a guide dog from Leader Dogs for the Blind, and returning to activities like golf and trap shooting through adaptive sports. Her message centers on defining success on your own terms rather than living up to others' expectations, and building a supportive community within the vision loss world.

Topics covered: retinitis pigmentosa, late diagnosis, depression recovery, entrepreneurship with vision loss, guide dogs, white cane training, Division of Blind Services, adaptive sports, food security, self-care, agency, mental health, isolation vs solitude, toxic relationships, vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology, independent living, travel with vision loss

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Licensed psychotherapist and career coach Karen Rose (LMFT LPCC), who was born totally blind, shares her perspective on living as a whole person rather than someone missing something, and how she built a thriving practice despite facing significant employment barriers. At 73, Karen continues working six and a half days a week, using the creative problem-solving skills she developed navigating a world not designed for her to help others think outside the box in their careers and lives. She recounts accidentally stumbling into the historic 1977 Section 504 sit-in that secured the first civil rights protections for people with disabilities, and discusses how technology has transformed independence for blind individuals. Karen challenges the notion of lowered expectations and advocates for shifting from asking "Can I do this?" to "How am I going to get this done?" She also shares her journey through decades of advocacy work, the realities of building a private practice, and her approach to helping clients achieve post-traumatic growth.

Topics covered: blindness from birth, retinopathy of prematurity, disability rights advocacy, Section 504 sit-in, career coaching, psychotherapy practice, lowered expectations, problem-solving strategies, assistive technology, employment barriers, post-traumatic growth, disability identity, civil rights history.

Karen can be reached at [email protected] and at her website www.career-therapy.net.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

Philosophy professor Brian Deer joins host Matthew Reeves to discuss his journey from engineering to academia while navigating progressive vision loss from Stargardt disease. Brian shares his experience visiting nearly 100 doctors before receiving a diagnosis, the challenges of giving up driving at 24, and the practical adaptations that enabled his career transition. From learning to attend lectures without taking notes to managing the complexities of grading papers in an AI-influenced world, Brian offers candid insights about problem-solving, self-advocacy, and moving forward one obstacle at a time. This conversation explores both the frustrations and possibilities that come with vision loss, emphasizing that major life changes and professional growth remain achievable with different strategies and tools.

Topics covered: Stargardt disease diagnosis, medical gaslighting, transportation challenges, assistive technology, career transitions, academic accommodations, self-advocacy, family communication, and practical advice for facing overwhelming challenges.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In this episode of insight Out, host Matthew Reeves interviews Gretchen Fisher Orr (GDMI, COMS), an expert from the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, to discuss the world of guide dogs. They explore the emotional and practical aspects of training and working with guide dogs, the differences between service animals and emotional support animals, and the process of matching dogs with people who are blind or have low vision. Gretchen also shares her personal journey in this field and the rewarding moments of seeing guide dog teams thrive independently.

International Guide Dog Federation: https://www.igdf.org.uk/

Fidelco: https://fidelco.org/

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

We hear Dawn McAvoy’s personal perspective on vision loss. Dawn’s diagnosis came later in life after a great deal of confusion around what condition she was facing. While maintaining her career in marketing, Dawn uses humor, connection with community, research, and an honest embrace of her feelings to learn about herself and thrive with low vision.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!

CONNECT WITH US

Podcast Home: https://insightoutpod.com

Talk to Us: https://speakpipe.com/insightoutpod

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Watch on YouTube (with transcripts): youtube.com/@insightoutpod

Feed: https://www.insightoutpod.com/feed.xml

Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/inSightOut/

Social Media Handle: @insightoutpod

©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC