Join us for the new podcast series entitled Blind Frontiers. We share lifestyle topics, education tips and techniques for individuals who are blind or who have visual impairment. Brought to you by the professional staff at TWC’s nationally-known Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, Blind Frontiers also features expert voices of the blind community. Find the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts or download on the Podbean app.
Episode 1 Welcome to CCRC
In this powerful debut episode of Blind Frontiers podcast, host Jeff Molzow takes us inside the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center (CCRC) in Austin, Texas—an innovative training facility for blind and visually impaired adults. The Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center isn't just a school—it's a launchpad. Join us to hear how CCRC’s expert instruction, unwavering support, and belief in each student’s potential, helps blind individuals reclaim their independence, discover new possibilities, and achieve their career goals.
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Episode 2 Welcome to CCRC - Part 2
In this compelling follow-up episode of Blind Frontiers, we continue exploring life and training at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center (CCRC) in Austin, Texas. Host Jeff Molzow invites you to hear directly from the students—past, present, and future—who are transforming their lives through blindness training.
Tune in to hear how CCRC helps individuals rewrite their stories and take the next bold step toward independence.
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Episode 3 Have Cane, Will Travel
In this episode of Blind Frontiers, host Jeff Molzow dives into the dynamic world of Orientation & Mobility (O&M)—the essential training that enables blind individuals to navigate the world safely and independently. Jeff is joined by two certified O&M instructors, Joni Martinez and Andrew Burnett, who not only teach these vital skills but also live them every day as blind travelers themselves.
Orientation & Mobility (O&M) is more than cane training—it’s the gateway to true independence for people who are blind, and it’s deeply personal, adaptive, and empowering.
Tune in to discover how the long white cane becomes more than just a mobility aid—it becomes a symbol of self-determination.
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Episode 4 Pick of the Litter
In this eye-opening episode of Blind Frontiers, host Jeff Molzow and co-host Joni Martinez dive into the world of guide dogs—what it takes to work with one, and whether it’s the right choice for someone who is blind or visually impaired. Joined by seasoned guide dog users Kendal Lyssy and Claire Stanley, along with orientation and mobility specialist Charlotte Simpson, this conversation brings a candid, well-rounded look at what life with a guide dog really entails.
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Episode 5 Beauty and the Blind
In this episode of the Blind Frontiers podcast, titled Beauty and the Blind host Jeff Molzow and producer Jessica Glasebrook sit down with Valerie Alvarez, Blindness Training Coordinator at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, to explore the connection between self-image, independence, and confidence. Valerie shares the inspiration behind her innovative curriculum, My Reflection Matters—a program that teaches people who are blind how to make intentional choices about their appearance, grooming, and personal style. Her message is clear: how we present ourselves isn’t about vanity, but about self-determination and empowerment.
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Episode 6 An Open Question
In this episode of the Blind Frontiers Podcast, host Jessica Glasebrook explores what it truly means to be blind—not as a limitation, but as an open question. Speaking from the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center in Austin, Jessica invites listeners to rethink blindness beyond the word “can’t” and instead view it as a journey of discovery, confidence, and independence. Through a creative “question bucket” experiment, she shares some of the most common questions people ask about blindness—ranging from “What’s your cane for?” to “Do you dream?”—and offers insightful, often humorous, and deeply educational responses that reveal both the history and humanity behind these everyday curiosities.