The Defending Vision Podcast

Guide dogs have been part of Matt’s life for twenty years. Each dog has been a companion on both good and bad days as they navigate the world together. Most people have little to no idea what it takes to produce a successful guide. Only a few can take on the demands of this work and even fewer even fewer have the temperament to do it with confidence and drive. This is part two of a conversation with two people who know exactly what it takes. Natalie Ergler and Sydney Fujishige from Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines bust some myths, share insights, and more.

It’s time to bust some myths, answer the most common questions about blindness, and tell some fun stories. Five awesome guests join Matt in the studio to ask some of the most common questions about blindness. You’ll likely find you have had very similar thoughts and questions. Listen, learn, and laugh along with the group in part 1 of this fun discussion.

What do a morning radio host and a marketing campaign planner have in common? In the case of Bill Jordan and Ken Baroff, a vision! In this episode they share stories and important wisdom from their years fundraising for Duke Children’s Hospital. Countless patients and their families have benefitted from the work these two (and many others) have done. From all of us, Thank you!

In this episode Matt answers some fun questions from a fourth grade class in Virginia. It turns out many students have been introduced to his story in recent years. Perhaps other classes have some of the same questions. Teachers and students are welcome to reach out with more.

Time to talk sports. In this conversation Matt and Frank Maynard III dive into blind golf and tell a few stories.

In this second part of our discussion with Daria Zawadzki and Isaac Lidsky, they share stories of finding love and raising children. We then dive into their incredible academic and professional careers despite their blindness. Together they prove that achievement comes from vision rather than sight.

Meet siblings Daria Zawadzki and Isaac Lidsky. In this first part of our conversation, they share their stories of losing eyesight to Retinitis Pigmentosa. They discuss the unique challenges of adapting to steadily degrading sight and how they ultimately found vision in their blindness.

Some great opportunities are themselves significant challenges. The opportunity to work hard for something is beautiful. Today Matt shares a pivotal story in his childhood. A lot of work but the reward was Bluenose.