E56 Deja Powell, blind cane travel instructor

For some people who’ve never been given travel instruction by a blind person, the idea seems proposterous and downright dangerous. How can a blind orientation and mobility specialist keep their students safe and monitor their technique? And yet, there are many capable, successful, and totally safe blind people teaching other blind people how to get around.

Deja Powell is a blind cane travel instructor based in Utah. She talks with Jonathan Mosen about her journey to acceptance of her blindness and provides detailed answers to Jonathan’s frank questions about how she does what she does.

Deja also discusses her PHD thesis, and last but by no means least, her love of fashion.

Jonathan concludes the podcast with a follow-up on our New Zealand general election series. The election took place on 23 September. What happened to the people he spoke with, and can we officially call The Blind Side Podcast a political jinx?