Tough Love: A Blind Man tells his story

Wisdom Shared with Carole Blueweiss

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode, we meet Josh Burch, a 48-year-old man who was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. Josh talks about the challenges of growing up blind and shares how he navigates a world built for sighted people with the help of technology and his guide dog, Lou. We also hear more from Josh's stepmother, Julie Burch, and learn how they inspired and learned from each other, and how their relationship has changed over time.

Some learning gems from this episode: Don't pet a guide dog, (he or she needs to focus on guiding). Once out of harness, you can pet the dog; iPhones have an option called "VoiceOver" which anyone can use; If you meet a blind person, don't assume they need help, ask first; Do not spoon-feed or coddle people who are blind, they are like sighted people and just need more assistance; Support groups are great like Lighthouses for the Blind; Encourage independence and build confidence; Good manners, awareness of posture and exercise matters; Tough love sometimes requires patience but it beats sympathy.

RESOURCES:

• Guiding Eyes for the Blind
• Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Daytona, Florida
• JAWS, Job Access With Speech screen reader tool
• Lighthouses for the Blind - local chapters can be found across the country
• iPhone accessibility features
• Optic Nerve Hypoplasia
• 8 Everyday Items Originally Invented for People With Disabilities

PEOPLE MENTIONED:

• Anne Sullivan

FIND AND FOLLOW JOSH:

• Josh Burch: [e-mail]

FIND AND FOLLOW JULIE:

• Julie's Mindfulness Art Facebook Page
• Julie's Author Facebook page
• Julie's Author Website
• Subscribe to Julie's mailing list for information about upcoming books, nature, recipes, and life with Josh

Find and Follow Carole and Wisdom Shared:

• https://www.caroleblueweiss.com/
• Subscribe to YouTube channel
• Follow and send a message on Facebook
• Follow and send a message on LinkedIn
• Follow on Instagram
• Follow on TikTok
• Follow on Threads

The Wisdom Shared Team

• Audio Engineering by Steve Heatherington of Good Podcasting Works
• Co-Producer and Marketing Coordinator: Kayla Nelson
• Production Assistant: Becki Leigh