BEST Together Podcast

BEST Together Podcast

BEST Together (Blind Early Services TN)

Episodes 40
Avg. Duration 48m
Activity Sporadic
Since May 2021
Latest Episode Mar 2025

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Hosting
anchor.fm

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

BEST, Blind Early Services TN, is a nonprofit organization co-founded by two moms of young boys who are blind. BEST provides family support, early intervention and advocacy services for families and providers of children who are blind or low vision. In each episode we will interview parents, providers and those with lived experiences in the blind/low vision community. We want to educate, empower, encourage and equip you with all the tools you need to ensure the BEST start for your child!

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Recent Episodes

Episode 39: Chasity McMillan, "We help people across the lifespan participate in meaningful activities."

Mar 27, 2025 36m

Flip For Function offers therapeutic gymnastics and occupational therapy. Their mission is to unlock potential by strengthening minds, bodies and confidence of children impacted by physical,…

Episode 38: Delta Gamma, "Our founder in the 1930's asked that we make our official foundation philanthropic mission helping those who are blind or visually impaired."

Feb 21, 2025 35m

Elizabeth Saum is a Nashville native. She went to the University of Tennessee and is now a financial analyst for a healthcare company. She is also in charge of Foundation for the Delta Gamma…

Episode 37: Judy Byrd, "Camp Abilities focuses on more than sports...they develop independence, orientation and mobility and so much more."

Nov 26, 2024 32m

In 2007, Judy Byrd got involved in the blind community by volunteering at the Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2010, she agreed to help start a beep baseball team. For the…

Episode 36: Danna Conn and Suzanne Dinwiddie, "Look at your child as an individual."

Oct 29, 2024 53m

In this episode we talk with two of Tennessee's most respected professionals in the field of deafblindness. We discuss state deafblind projects, the impacts of dual sensory loss and the new CVI…

Episode 35: Yvonne Neubert, "Blindness is a spectrum."

Aug 27, 2024 48m

Yvonne Neubert is a graduate of East Tennessee State University and has been a member of the National Federation of the Blind since 2012. In 2014, she completed the Partners in Policymaking state…

Episode 34: Liza and Campbell Rutherford, "There was one principal who said, I don't know if we should even bother with testing or pursuing a high school diploma for your daughter."

Jul 02, 2024 1h 21m

Campbell Rutherford is a rising junior studying Applied Mathematics at Harvard University. Blind since birth, she is passionate about ensuring that blind individuals can access the resources…

Episode 33: Leslie Jones, "We'll teach you what you need to know about vision loss, and the students will teach you what you need to know to serve them best."

May 28, 2024 49m

Leslie Jones is the Executive Director of the FMDG (Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg) Music School in New York City, a music school serving students of all ages with vision loss. Leslie holds a DMA…

Episode 32: Christie Elliott, "The people I know who are employed and have visual impairment, they are really good at using assistive technology."

Apr 22, 2024 43m

Christie Elliott, COMS, CATIS Christie Elliott graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2015 with a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation of the Blind and began working as an…

Episode 31: Christina Clift, "Independent living philosophy does not mean that you have to do everything by yourself without support. It's the exact opposite."

Jan 20, 2024 29m

Our podcast guest this month, Christina Clift, graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and attended the University of Memphis for graduate school.…

Episode 30: Caroline Aly, "We're not meant to do things alone."

Nov 28, 2023 42m

Caroline Aly is a Nashville-based educator with a background in non-profit leadership, private tutoring, and teaching in the exceptional education space. Caroline says that after continually…

Episode 29: Mae and Katie Lane-Karnas, "Using my vision is always going to be exhausting and tiring, and I'm going to have much less retention than if I learn things auditorily or tactually."

Oct 31, 2023 50m

Mae Lane-Karnas is a 14-year-old diagnosed with CVI who loves braille, math, and art. Due to CVI, Mae has a host of visual challenges that cause her to function at the level of legal blindness, even…

Episode 28: Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken, "There are so many kids and adults who are more capable than society believes in them"

Sep 29, 2023 1h 10m

Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken is the President and CEO of a nonprofit organization called Safe Toddles. She is a recently retired Professor of Special Education at Hunter College in New York where she…

Episode 27: Stacey Chambers, "the right to be equal and the right to be different...that is what the ECC is all about."

Aug 28, 2023 36m

Stacey Chambers is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) living in Texas. She is also the founder of The E.C.C. and me, an LLC and website that offers a monthly newsletter, trainings,…

Episode 26: Kristin Smedley, "As a mom, that's the success that I dream about...for our children to be so comfortable in their own skin and to not be sitting around and watching life pass them by."

Jul 25, 2023 49m

Kristin Smedley is the best selling author of Thriving Blind: Stories of Real People Succeeding Without Sight and Brilliantly Resilient: Reset, Rise and Reveal Your Brilliance. A recognized expert in…

Episode 25: Rachel Bennett, "My child is a gift to this world and I'm going to fight like heck to make sure the world sees him as worthy, and enough and that he lives a life of purpose and joy."

Jun 26, 2023 56m

Rachel Bennett is an Assistant Director at the CVI Center at Perkins, where she leads CVINow.org and parent advocacy and support. As parent to Henry, who has CVI and other disabilities, she knows the…

Episode 24: Dr. Cathy Smyth, "Love your baby. Your baby needs to be touched, held, talked to. Just because your baby can't see you does not mean they don't know you're there."

May 22, 2023 53m

Dr. Catherine Smyth has more than 30 years of experience in the field of early intervention and preschool education for children with vision impairments. She is now the Director of Research at Anchor…

Episode 23: Dr. Kirk Adams and Daniel Lubiner, "If you're a kid and you can't read print at the same speed as your sighted peers, you need to learn braille."

May 02, 2023 1h 6m

Dr. Kirk Adams is the Managing Director of Innovative Impact, LLC, a consulting company aimed at accelerating inclusion of people with disabilities into the workforce. Dr. Adams is also the former…

Episode 22: Victoria Watts, "The Touch Tags allow you the freedom to add them to your favorite product at home and make it instantly identifiable."

Feb 09, 2023 26m

Victoria Watts is a disability rights activist, entrepreneur and mother. When her youngest son, Cyrus, was born visually impaired, Victoria had just launched her own product line, VictoriaLand…

Episode 21: Southeastern Guide Dogs, "As a child grows and learns with their kids companion dog, they are that much more prepared when they are old enough to receive a guide dog."

Jan 11, 2023 51m

In this month's episode of the BEST Together Podcast, we sat down with Kelsey Fernandez, Regional Manager, Puppy Raising Services and Katie Perez, Manager, Children and Teen Programs from…

Episode 20: Sam Seavy, "Nobody knows how to be blind or visually impaired. Nobody knows how to raise a child who is visually impaired. You have to be taught. Steel sharpens steel."

Dec 01, 2022 40m

Sam Seavy is the host of a popular You Tube Channel called the Blind Life that highlights and reviews accessible products, new technologies and apps made for the blind community. Sam is himself…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does BEST Together Podcast have?

BEST Together Podcast has published 40 episodes since May 2021, covering topics in Kids & Family, Parenting.

Is BEST Together Podcast still active?

BEST Together Podcast is currently sporadic with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 48m.

How do I contact BEST Together Podcast for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for BEST Together Podcast, including email and social media links.

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