Beyond Sight: Innovation, Advocacy, and the Future of Accessibility

Beyond Sight: Innovation, Advocacy, and the Future of Accessibility

Dr. Kenisha Coon sits down with Dr. Jesse Bolinger, a legally blind individual living with hydrocephalus, to discuss the evolution of assistive technology, the power of community advocacy, and the future of accessibility innovation. From AI-powered tools to autonomous vehicles, this conversation explores how lived experience shapes technology, expands independence, and drives meaningful change for the blind and low vision community.

Tactile Maps, Advocacy, and Accessibility

In this episode of the Eko Lens Podcast, host Dr. Kenisha Coon sits down with accessibility advocate and innovator Tom Babinszki to explore the intersection of technology, advocacy, and inclusive design for the blind community. Tom shares his journey from growing up with limited awareness of the blind community to becoming a leading voice in tactile accessibility innovation. Together, they discuss the transformative impact of tactile maps, 3D printing, and accessible navigation tools in schools, museums, public spaces, and restrooms. The conversation also dives into the urgent need for standardization in accessibility practices, the role of advocacy in systems change, and why accessibility must move beyond compliance toward dignity-centered design. This episode is an inspiring look at how lived experience, innovation, and community leadership can help build a more equitable and accessible future for all.

Seeing Beyond Limits: Dana on Blindness, Technology, and Resilience

In this episode of The Eko Lens, host Dr. Kenisha Coon welcomes Dana Barber, State Coordinator of Blind Services at the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. Dana shares her powerful personal journey with retinitis pigmentosa, beginning with her diagnosis at just five years old and evolving into a lifelong commitment to supporting individuals with vision loss. Through honesty, humor, and insight, she reflects on how assistive technology opened doors to education, independence, and a meaningful career centered on advocacy and empowerment. Throughout the conversation, Dana explores the life changing role of technology, from her early experiences learning computers to embracing newer innovations like Meta Glasses and other accessible tools. She also highlights the impact of programs like College Quest, designed to help students with vision loss confidently transition into college life and adulthood. Together, Dana and Kenisha discuss the importance of community, mental health, self acceptance, and the ongoing process of navigating disability with resilience and hope. This episode offers an inspiring and authentic look at the intersection of accessibility, leadership, and innovation.

More Than Movement: Expression Without Limits

In this powerful and inspiring episode, Kenisha sits down with Brandy Mims—also known as Unique, the DeafBlind Dancer—whose work is redefining what movement, expression, and communication can look like. Brandy shares her journey navigating life with Usher syndrome, and how she has transformed challenges into creativity, connection, and purpose. Through dance, she has developed innovative ways of engaging with the world—using body awareness, counting, rhythm, and vibration to express herself and connect with others. This conversation goes beyond movement. It’s about resilience, identity, and reimagining accessibility in ways that center lived experience. Brandy also speaks to the importance of representation and how she empowers others in the deafblind community to find their voice, their movement, and their space. This is an episode about possibility about what happens when we stop defining people by limitations and start recognizing the brilliance in how they navigate the world.

Reimagining Access: Ana on Blindness, AI, and Advocacy

In this episode of The Eko Lens Podcast, Kenisha sits down with Dr. Ana Mendez Zamora a blind MPH candidate at Johns Hopkins University and intern at Eko Vision Foundation, who shares her powerful journey from sudden vision loss due to cancer to becoming an advocate and innovator in accessibility. Ana opens up about navigating life after blindness, the gaps in support for those newly adjusting, and how she turned her experience into purpose. We also explore the role of AI in assistive technology and what the future of accessibility should look like. This conversation is a reminder that accessibility is about more than tools—it’s about dignity, independence, and real systems change.