Navigating Life with Vision Loss – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Kim Wardlow talks with Desiree Farley, Community Protection Specialist at the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, about recognizing and recovering from scams and fraud. They cover tech-support pop-ups, account takeovers, spoofed calls and AI voice mimicry, contractor and door-to-door schemes, safe public Wi-Fi use, device updates, credit freezes, and why reporting matters. Practical safeguards include family “safe words,” letting unknown calls go to voicemail, verifying businesses, and contacting banks first after any loss. Resources noted: local DA offices, Colorado AG, FTC, BBB, and AARP peer support.

2) Contact Info Guest: Desiree Farley, Community Protection Specialist, Boulder County District Attorney’s Office Aftersight: feedback@aftersight.org • (720) 712-8856 • aftersight.org Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

3) Show Credits Host: Kim Wardlow Guest: Desiree Farley Producer: Jonathan Price An Aftersight Original

4) Chapter Markers 00:00 — Welcome and safety season setup 02:21 — What a Community Protection Specialist does 04:43 — Why victims should report scams 06:57 — Community alerts and EBT scam example 09:23 — Tech-support pop-ups and remote-access traps 11:22 — Spotting fake websites and resisting urgency 13:43 — Spoofed calls, AI voices, and family safe words 16:02 — Keep devices updated and know support limits 18:29 — Public Wi-Fi risks and library computers 20:57 — Contractor and door-to-door fraud basics 22:59 — Vetting businesses: SOS, BBB, complaints 25:20 — First moves after a loss: call your bank 25:39 — Red flags: crypto ATMs and payment demands 28:05 — Credit freezes vs fraud alerts 30:22 — Resources: DA, AG, FTC, BBB, AARP; speaking invites

In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, host Kim Wardlow continues the safety series with a deep dive into financial safety and independence. Joining her are Chris Peterson, Founder and CEO of Penny Forward, and Liz Botner, Board Member, Financial Educator, and Accessibility Advocate. Together, they explore how education and confidence can empower individuals who are blind or have low vision to take control of their finances.
Listeners learn how to recognize and prevent financial fraud, the importance of monitoring financial activity, and practical strategies for maintaining independence even with trusted helpers. Chris and Liz share common scams targeting seniors and people with disabilities, early warning signs of financial abuse by trusted individuals, and steps to reclaim financial autonomy.
They also discuss accessible financial tools and apps like YNAB (You Need A Budget), Empower, and Excel, plus services Penny Forward offers—from online financial courses to one-on-one counseling and benefits planning. The conversation closes with an encouragement to speak up when something feels wrong and to pursue financial literacy as a form of empowerment and protection.

Contact Info
Guest Organization:
Penny Forward
Email: pennyforward@pennyforward.com

Aftersight Contact:
Website: www.aftersight.org
Email: feedback@aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856
Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

Show Credits
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guests: Chris Peterson & Liz Botner, Penny Forward
Producer: Jonathan Price
Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss — An Aftersight Original Podcast

Chapter Markers
00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
01:10 – What Financial Safety Means to You
04:30 – Origins of Penny Forward
07:10 – Confidence, Education, and Financial Independence
09:30 – Avoiding Vulnerability and Building Awareness
11:50 – Common Scams and Red Flags
14:20 – Recognizing Fraud from Trusted Individuals
19:00 – Monitoring Accounts and Credit Reports
21:40 – Steps Toward Independent Financial Management
26:10 – Accessible Banking and Budgeting Tools
31:00 – Penny Forward Services and Workshops
33:20 – How to Seek Help and Speak Up
38:00 – Closing Thoughts and Resources

In this inspiring and deeply informative episode, Dr. Charles Powell returns to Navigating Life with Vision Loss to tackle a powerful topic: Youth Advocacy. He and Kim discuss the urgent need to equip blind and low-vision youth—and their families—with the tools to advocate for themselves. From navigating inaccessible classroom materials to asserting their rights in higher education and the workforce, Dr. Powell brings clarity, urgency, and hope to the conversation.
He shares real-world experiences, practical strategies for families and educators, and the importance of knowing laws like the ADA and IDEA. Dr. Powell also emphasizes that advocacy is a learned skill, best taught early and modeled by parents, mentors, and communities. Listeners will walk away encouraged to build bold futures, educate others, and create real change—not just for one child, but for the community at large.

⏱️ Chapter Markers:
00:02 – Welcome and Episode Introduction
00:26 – Meet Dr. Charles Powell: Advocate, Mentor, Visionary
02:53 – What’s Holding Our Youth Back? Education, Employment, and Rights
05:16 – Knowing the ADA and IDEA: Advocacy through Law, Not Just Emotion
07:40 – Teaching Youth to Use Their Voice Without Fear
09:52 – Start Early: The Importance of Modeling Advocacy
12:18 – What to Do in Schools That Say “We Don’t Have the Budget”
14:42 – Advocacy is Also Education: Teach the System
17:07 – Roleplaying Advocacy at Home + Understanding IEPs and 504s
19:03 – The Bigger Picture: Policy Reform and Affordable Tech
21:30 – Transitioning from High School to College: Prepare Early
23:56 – Don’t Assume Disability Offices Know Everything
26:21 – A Real Example: Mentoring His Nephew Through College
28:42 – Accessibility Should Be Expected, Not Optional
31:07 – Unemployment and Breaking the Stereotype
33:26 – Advocacy in the Workplace: Proving You Can Do It
35:52 – From Chick-fil-A to Corporate: Don’t Wait to Show What You Can Do
38:14 – The Power of Mentorship and Networking
40:43 – Blind Workers Bring Hidden Strengths to the Table
43:07 – If Employers Knew the Truth, They’d Seek Out Blind Workers
45:32 – Advocacy Creates Market Standards (e.g., Audio Description)
47:30 – Don’t Wait for Someone Else to Speak Up—It Starts With You
49:48 – The Blind But Not Broken Movement
52:16 – Build Your Own Table—Then Invite Others

📲 Connect with Dr. Charles Powell:
Follow Blind But Not Broken on social media.
Connect with Divine Visions Consultant and Paralegal Services, LLC.
His contact info is in the episode show notes.
🔁 Listen to More Aftersight Podcasts:
Blind Level Tech – Accessible tech for independence
Blindsight – Mental health and the blind community
The Blind Chick – Vibrant stories from blind and low-vision guests

As we move into the second half of this month, we shift toward benefits for those with vision loss. Jessica, of Benefits In Action, joins Kim as they discuss SSI and SSDI. If you would like to learn more about who and what Benefits in Action does, visit them here https://www.benefitsinaction.org/. Enjoy your week! Watch for the name change coming in April for this show. The new name will be "Navigating Life with Vision Loss" aincolorado.org/podcast-guest/ aincolorado.org/resources/

We are talking all things savings today. Chris is back with some great money saving tips and tricks for you to put into place today. Visit Chris and his team at Pennyforward.com and use the discount code AINCO2023 to take 25% off your first month of services. www.aincolorado.org/podcast-guest/ www.aincolorado.org/resources

Welcome to March Madness! In this new month, we are talking about all things money and finances. From personal budgets, to saving, to social security to medicaid and everything in between. Kicking off this month, Kim is joined by Chris Peterson, president and CEO of Penny forward. So sit back and relax and enjoy the show!

Kim is joined by Jim Pilkington of Denver Vocational Rehabilitation. They talk about quite a few things, including cane travel and indoor GPS. There is a lot of information about transportation this month. Kim also addresses some concerns that our listeners have experienced with relation to RTD, so make sure you listen to the whole episode as to how to reach RTD with questions about Uber and Lyft. Thanks for listening, and join us in March as we dive into financial planning and resources for those who are low-vision and blind. RTD Access on Demand Program (Make sure you reference this program) Phone: (303) 299-6000 Email: customercare@rtd-denver.com www.aincolorado.org/podcast-guest www.aincolorado.org/resources

Kim is joined, this week, by Teague Kirkpatrick. Teague has been working in the transportation industry for many years and has an interesting take on what transportation means for those who are disabled, especially when it comes to tech and joining companies. www.aincolorado.org/podcast-guest/

Kim is joined by Angel, who discusses all the ways to access transportation and how to schedule your rides to and from specific locations. RTD, Lyft, Uber and more are all discussed in this episode of Topic of The Month. https://bouldercounty.gov/transportation/multimodal/mobilityforall/mobility-and-access-for-all-ages-and-abilities/ www.aincolorado.org/podcast-guest/ www.aincolorado.org/resources

Welcome to February and the month of love. We're all about transportation this month, and we kick it off with Colleen from DRMAC. If you have any questions about their services, you can find all the info below. DRMAC Phone: (303) 243-3113 Email: csamuels@drmac-co-org AINC Website: www.aincolorado.org/resources