The hardest part of vision loss is often the part nobody can see. Austin and Charity get honest about the invisible battles that shape everyday life - the anxiety, the overthinking, the fear of being judged, and the exhausting pressure to “look normal” when the world is watching.

Charity opens up about what it feels like to navigate crowded schools, restaurants, travel, and public spaces with just 3 to 4 degrees of vision, and why perception can weigh just as heavily as the physical challenge. Austin shares the moments that made him confront his own blindness head-on, from speaking on stage for the first time to the awkward, hilarious, and deeply relatable ways vision loss shows up at self-checkout, ATMs, bathrooms, TSA, and social gatherings.

You'll discover:

• Why so many people with vision loss say no to plans, even when they want to go
• How anxiety around being perceived can be more draining than the practical obstacles
• The social misunderstandings that make blindness look like rudeness, distraction, or disengagement
• How both hosts adapt through routines, mental mapping, and surprising strategies that help them stay independent
• Why embracing assistive tools like canes and guide dogs can change more than mobility - it can change confidence

Charity also shares how deciding to do hard things led her to orientation and mobility training and this podcast itself, while Austin reflects on the power of naming your reality instead of hiding it. Together, they make a compelling case that vision loss is not just about what you can’t see - it’s about everything you carry because of it.

This conversation is especially meaningful for anyone living with vision loss, supporting someone who is, or trying to better understand the unseen side of disability. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, self-conscious, or limited by what other people assume, this episode will feel both validating and eye-opening.

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: OLC6M9RDMQABNHKX

In our first episode, we’re starting at the beginning.

Charity and Austin share their individual experiences with vision loss—when it started, how their lives changed, and some of what brought them to where they are today. We also get into the story behind Central Vision Podcast: why Charity originally created it, how the two of us ended up behind the microphones together, and what made us decide it was time to bring the podcast back with a new direction.

Along the way, there are plenty of side quests, laughs, and conversations that probably tell you more about us than any formal introduction could.

This episode is our starting point—who we are, how we got here, and what we hope Central Vision Podcast can become: a place for honest conversations about blindness and vision loss, without pretending every conversation has to be serious.

Learn more and listen at www.centralvisionpodcast.com

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: OLC6M9RDMQABNHKX