Amy Lynn Smith, Author at ConnectCenter

Parents teaching children to be their own advocate is the lesson of a lifetime

It’s not unusual for parents to advocate for their children, even if they’re not blind or low vision. But like many parents, Wendy Hardman and her husband, John did something even more valuable for their son, Cole: They taught him to speak up for himself from the start. Cole, now 34 years old, was born […]

An Inside Look at Accessibility from Microsoft Product Manager Jeff Bishop

Posted on April 13, 2023 - 7:41 am by Amy Lynn Smith

Editor’s note: The third Thursday of May is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), when people worldwide can learn and talk about access for all people with disabilities. Here, Jeff Bishop shares about his career in accessibility and the APH ConnectCenter invites you to a Career Conversation with Jeff. Jeff Bishop not only relies on accessibility […]

Second Acts: From Programmer to Braille Transcriptionist

Posted on December 16, 2022 - 10:20 am by Amy Lynn Smith

Individual in business casual standing in a kitchen

Steve Dresser had a solid career working for 30 years as a computer programmer for the state of Connecticut. But after he retired from the position in 2002, he started his own business: Jennco Productions, which is dedicated to producing high-quality braille materials from electronic documents. Blind since birth due to retinopathy of prematurity, Steve […]

Joe Strechay Helps Actors and Production Teams Accurately Portray Blindness

Posted on November 18, 2022 - 12:59 pm by Amy Lynn Smith

Individual smiles in front of an old marble building

Joe Strechay has the kind of career many people dream about: working in the entertainment business. His job? Making sure that blindness is represented accurately, especially by actors who are sighted. Born with retinitis pigmentosa, Joe later developed cataracts and has been legally blind since he was 19. He’s always been interested in media and […]

Cassandra McNabb-McKinney: Working as an Embalmer

Posted on October 21, 2022 - 12:00 am by Amy Lynn Smith

A white woman with green eyes and brown hair that falls just past her shoulders, wearing a red top with a floral pattern.

Being an embalmer and funeral director isn’t on the list of many people’s career choices. In fact, it’s often a trade handed down through generations of a family. But for Cassandra McNabb-McKinney, it’s work she felt called to do, both by her own experience and her faith. When she was 16 years old, there was […]

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