MCB Community Connect

Braille Revival League

Guest: Jane, Braille Revival League leader
Braille Revival League (ACB)

Jane, a leader with the Braille Revival League — an ACB special interest affiliate dedicated to promoting Braille use — joins us to discuss why Braille literacy remains essential for blind independence. They cover BRL membership, BRL magazines, the Braille Buzz community call, Braille displays and technology tools, and affiliate collaboration across the blindness community.

"Listening is not literacy."

Cyber Security & Online Safety

Guest: Tracy Hawkins
Personal Safety & Cybersecurity Expert

Cybersecurity expert Tracy Hawkins breaks down the evolving threats facing blind and visually impaired internet users. The conversation covers AI-powered scams, deepfakes and voice cloning, social engineering tactics, phishing, QR code scams, ransomware, and practical cybersecurity habits everyone can adopt to stay safer online.

Blind Pension Update

Guest: Denny Huff

Denny Huff leads a community discussion on proposed Missouri legislation — HJR 147 and SJR 112 — that threatens to replace the property tax funding for the Missouri Blind Pension with annual legislative appropriations. The call covers what these bills mean for current recipients, potential cost-of-living increases, eligibility criteria, and how MCB members can take action.

NaviLens Guidance for the Blind

Guest: Frank, Robin Wallen, Debbie Plattner, MCB Staff

Frank, Robin Wallen, Debbie Plattner, and MCB staff explore the NaviLens app — a free navigation and wayfinding tool for blind users — and how MCB is partnering to expand NaviLens adoption statewide. Discussion covers using NaviLens at transit stations, grocery stores, and conventions, and why accessible wayfinding infrastructure matters for blind Missourians.

Blind Transportation Issues

Guest: Robin Wallen and community advocates

Robin Wallen leads a community-driven conversation on transportation barriers facing blind and visually impaired Missourians. Topics include GoodMaps and NaviLens for transit navigation, Metro Transit updates, paratransit software changes, accessibility challenges in St. Louis and Kansas City, Lyft Silver and Uber accessibility features, and advocacy strategies for transportation funding.

Holiday Wellness and Vision Loss

Guest: Judy Redlich
St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Judy Redlich — community outreach specialist with the St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired, radio host, and certified life coach — shares strategies for navigating the holiday season with vision loss. Topics include holiday anxiety, seasonal affective disorder, isolation, the healing power of friendship and volunteering, exercise habits, and accessing vision loss support during the holiday months.

Non-24 Hour Sleep Wake Disorder

Guest: Vicki Preddy, RN
Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Vicki Preddy, a Registered Nurse Educator with Vanda Pharmaceuticals, explains Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder — a circadian rhythm disorder that disproportionately affects blind individuals. The episode covers how the disorder works, symptoms including daytime sleepiness, nighttime alertness and brain fog, how to use sleep journals for self-diagnosis, treatment options, and the role of melatonin.