Hands on Safety

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Meaghan, George, and Leslie welcome Amy Wilson back to the show. Amy is the director of the SEED program and stops by to give the team an update. SEED, which stands for, Safety Education and Empowering Defense, aims to bring safety education courses and self defense classes to the blind community through peer to peer training. Seed is one of three programs which will be offered by the STRIVE organization. For more information on Seed and the other programs offered through STRIVE, check out their website.

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We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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To kick off the new year, George and Leslie (yep, you read that right, Meaghan couldn’t make it this time), recount their experiences with air travel, their thoughts about safety with each aspect of a trip, and the products they like to use to make flying easier and safer.

PRODUCTS

511 Tactical cargo pants
Scottevest jacket

OTHER RESOURCES

Delta Accessibility Services
Article “The Ultimate Guide to Air Travel with a Disability
Department of Transportation
Passenger Support from Transportation Security Administration
Accessibility with Air Canada
Blog Post “Useful Travel Tips for the Blind and Visually Impaired”

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We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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Following a webinar George gave to the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Fransisco on the same subject, Meaghan, George, and Leslie discuss the pros and cons of carrying personal safety devices.
The team will not be recording in December, so look for the next episode on the first Saturday in February. From all of us at Hands on Safety, we hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

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We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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On this episode, George, Leslie, and Meaghan were excited to welcome Steve Baskis to the show. Steve is, among other things, an adventurer, author, speaker, and the host of his own podcast, Baskis360. Steve shared his adventures with the team and discussed some of the safety measures he employs while mountaineering, white water rafting, and participating in other sports. To learn more about Steve’s adventures and endeavors, check out his website.

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We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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There’s no place like home, so of course that’s where we want to feel safe. On this episode, Meaghan, George, and Leslie talk about home security from its most basic forms to more expensive options.

Some of the products discussed on the show were:

Video Doorbells

Allow you to see and talk to people at your door and records any activity that triggers them.
Ring Video Doorbell
Ufy video doorbell

Smart Locks

Allow you to open the door by touching your phone to a sensor and provide entry codes to trusted people.
Yale smart lock
August smart lock

Other Devices

The Amazon Echo can be set to guard mode so it will alert you when it hears the sound of breaking glass or the smoke alarm.
Smart bulbs and smart plugs. Leslie likes the Kasa smart bulbs and Kasa smart plugs from TP Link.
Smart thermostats, such as Nest allow you to monitor your home’s temperature and adjust settings from afar.
Smart leak detector’s that notify you when a leak is detected. This product was new to the team, so here are some reviews that may be useful.

Home security systems

This was a hot topic, and the accessibility of each system was discussed.
Ring Alarm
ADT
SimpliSafe
Brinks
Guardian
Front Point
Vivent

Other resources discussed on the show:

Article: “Benefits of Smart Devices for People Living with Disabilities”
Article: “Smart Home Technology Enhancements for the Visually Impaired”
Publication: “Smart Homes Made Simple”

Providing Feedback

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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We’ve enjoyed bringing this show to you over the last year and a half. In that time, we have all had episodes that meant more to us than others. On this episode, George, Leslie, and Meaghan recap their favorite episodes and tell us why those shows were special to them. All the episodes mentioned below are in order of how they were discussed in the show. All the links below are from Spotify, but Hands on Safety can also be found on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts as well.

Meaghans’s picks

E2 – calling for Help
E9 – Shop Til You Drop
E4 – Calm Before the Storm

George’s picks

E14 – Make Good Choices
E13 – On the Road Again

Leslie’s picks

E6 – College Rules
E11 -It’s the Most Taxable Time of the Year
E10 – Do You Consent

Other people’s picks

Jim, our gues co-host picked the show he was on.
E15 – Have Gun, Might Travel
Jason, our theme composer picked every episode with the theme song as his favorite.

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We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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Do you own a gun? Can you own a gun if you are blind? Can you get a concealed carry permit? On this episode, Leslie, George, Meaghan, and Jim welcome TJ Meloy, to tell us about the processes and challenges he went through to buy a gun and get his concealed carry permit as some one who is blind. The team also provides information on how to find both open carry and concealed carry laws for each state and briefly discuss the process for military veterans and retired police officers.

Gun permits are handled by each state’s Department of Public Safety. To get information about your state’s laws check out the links below. These may not be up-to-date so contacting the DPS in your state is advisable.
USA Carry – for each state’s gun laws
US Concealed Carry Association – for information specific to getting a concealed carry permit
Federal Hand Gun Laws – for federal laws and history

And of course, we can’t leave out our Canadian friends
How to Get a Gun in Canada

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Dating is tough enough without adding an extra element of danger. On this episode, George, Meaghan, and Leslie discuss what you need to be aware of to protect yourself in the dating world, specifically when it comes to online dating and managing your online profile.
assault and harassment are never acceptable and are never the victim’s fault no matter what you were wearing, drinking, or whom you were with. The National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) and online.rainn.org is here to listen and provide resources, and is anonymous, free, and available 24/7.

Providing Feedback

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . Soon, you will also be able to find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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We all want to have a good time when we go out for a night out on the town. We make plans with our friends, fix ourselves up, and maybe even make arrangements to get home when we’ve had to much to drink; but do we include steps for being safe when we make our pre-party plans? On this episode, Leslie, George, and Meaghan tell us how they stay safe while having a good time and discuss additional tips and tricks to help everyone else stay safe as well.

Providing Feedback

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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Summer is fast approaching and we all know what that means… That’s right! Travel season is here. Leslie, George, and Meaghan discuss staying safe while traveling no matter what mode of transportation you choose. Some of the topics covered are planning your trip, navigating airports, safeguarding documents and identification, hotel rooms, and taking care of service animals.
George tells us a little about being interviewed by Nick Isenberg, host of the podcast, “The Tactile Traveler”, about active shooter situations, and we can’t wait to hear it.

For more information on what you might encounter when navigating airport security, visit the TSA’s page for traveler’s with disabilities.

If you are traveling with a service animal, you may find this blog post helpful.

For additional tips from other blind travelers, check out the following links:
Tips and Tricks from a Blind Business Traveler
Travel Tips for People Who Are Visually Impaired

Travel tips aren’t just for people with disabilities. These 7Essential Travel Safety Tips are also good to know.

Providing Feedback

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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Meaghan, George, and Leslie welcome Amy Wilson to the show. Amy is the director of the newly formed SEED program. SEED, which stands for, Safety Education and Empowering Defense, aims to bring safety education courses and self defense classes to the blind community through peer to peer training. Seed is one of three programs which will be offered by the STRIVE organization. For more information on Seed and the other programs offered through STRIVE, check out their website.

Providing Feedback

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.

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This month, George, Meaghan, and Leslie welcome Brad Martin, a tax preparer for United Way, to the show to discuss the best tips for finding a reputable tax preparer, what can happen if you don’t, and the pros and cons of doing your own taxes.

Don’t feel comfortable doing your own taxes? Here are some resources for finding someone to help you for free. Check out VITA, a free tax prep program through the IRS, call 2-1-1 locally to get in touch with the United Way’s call center to find local tax preparers, or check out the My Free Taxes website to either find a preparer or get assistance while doing your own.

If you do want to do your own taxes, the following resources are useful tools that also work with screen readers for blind users.
Tax Slayer
Turbo Tax
IRS Free File

And finally, if you want to go with a paid preparer, here are some things to keep in mind to make sure you have a reputable person.

A good preparer will…
Ask you a lot of questions about your finances
Will explain your return and make sure you understand it
Give you a copy of your return
Charge based on the form used, not a percentage of your return
Many other tips can be found on the web. Here is a good place to start.
And because we can’t forget our Canadian friends… contact the CRA in Canada to see if there are similar programs in your area.

Providing Feedback

We want to hear from you, so please send an email to feedback@handsonsafety.net. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter. . You can also find us on the web, for resources and other safety related topics.