Pre-episode Intro Ted: I run the Blind Travels web site, which is a web site that is dedicated to giving tips and tricks and reviews for people who are blind or visually impaired. Chris: This is the Penny Forward podcast, a show about blind people building bright futures one penny at a time. I'm Chris Peterson, ... Liz: I'm Liz Bottner, ... MOe: I'm MOe Carpenter, ... Chris: And our guest today is Ted Tahquechi of the Blind Travels blog, where we're going to learn all about blind traveling, and what that's like. Ted, thanks for being here. Ted: Absolutely. Thanks for having me. Chris: Tell us about yourself, and your connection to the blind community if you would please. Ted: Well, I started in the video games industry in the eighties, and worked there for about twenty years, until we got into a car accident, and lost about ninety-five percent of my sight. So I've got five percent remaining in, in one eye, and that's low vision, so all I can basically see is, is shapes and colors, and a little bit of light. And kind of pivoted from doing video games into doing blind travel type stuff, and I run the Blind Travels web site, which is a web site that is dedicated to giving tips and tricks and reviews for people who are blind and visually impaired. MOe: Can you tell us more about Blind Travels? Ted: Indeed. So we got started , I don't know, it's been about, uh, five or six years ago, but the web site itself came out of a resource that I had built kind of for myself. When I do a review for one of the properties that I go to, um, one of the first things that I take into consideration is kind of where the check-in desk is, and where the pool is, and, you know, the, restaurants and all of the other amenities for that property. I used to just make notes everywhere that I went, and, 'cause I've had vision issues for, for most of my life, but never to this level. And what it allowed me to do was have a resource that I could move forward, that I could put online for places that I had been to kind of share experiences and, and my kind of cliff notes for when I'm going to a, uh, hotel room. And that included, like how much space there was at the foot of the bed, and, uh, like I said, where all the amenities are, and we've since added, since I started using a guide dog, we've added service animal amenities and that sort of thing, so, you know, where you can relieve your dog, and how the, the staff handled, you know, dealing with a guide dog, and things like that. Liz: What do you love about being a blind travel blogger, and alongside that, what are some challenges? Ted: Challenges are just getting from point A to point B, I think just like with anything else, but I, I also love that as well. I love, in my life, just finding ways to solve problems, and education is also really big for me. So, when I travel I love to be able to interact with people, and I love to kind of educate people on how blind people travel or, you know, almost blind people in my case, and how, you know, guide dogs are an important part of society, and um, what their role is, and um, you know, educating them on, on that. Chris: We are a personal finance podcast, so we would be remiss if we didn't ask you, because travel is expensive, about what you re planning and budgeting process looks like for taking a trip. Ted: When I'm looking at traveling anywhere, the first thing that I do is do a bunch of research. And now, you know, if I'm looking to travel to a city, the first thing that I'll do is go on Google, and any other resource that I can find, and research everything that I can. Especially about restaurants and that sort of stuff that are close to the hotels that I'm gonna be at, and even, for me, most importantly about which direction I'm gonna be going when I come out of the hotel. So I know, you know, how many doors there are if I'm coming out of the main door or whatever, if I go to the left, I can go to, you know, Starbucks or something like that. So, you know, starting with research, and that kind of gives me an idea about what my budget's gonna be. Right? So I know what amenities are there, I know what kind of restaurants are there, and that gives me a real solid idea of what I'm gonna be spending, because , you know, no matter how much you budget for a vacation, there's always gonna be things that you're not expecting. Like if you go on a cruise or something like that, they're gonna be taking pictures of you, and maybe you want a souvenir picture, and those, you know, things like that can be, can be pricey and can add up fairly quickly. So kind of having that in the, in the back of my mind and, and doing my research to be able to figure out what my initial budget is, and then, once I've got that, then I'm looking at ways that I can kind of scrape up the money to go to wherever I'm going. And usually, for me, that involves using like the cash back rewards on credit cards and that sort of stuff. The one that we use, you know, you get the options of going for plane points, or for cruises, or hotels or whatever, as you're spending money during your month or whatever, um, you're just accumulating points. That you can use towards travel. So that's like, the number one thing for me. And then, next, I always look at how I can maximize the amount of money that I'm gonna be spending on a trip. And one of the first things that I usually do is, I'm, I'm a member of one of the big box stores, and they, as membership perks, have almost always have really great deals for going to places, and you'd be surprised at some of the crazy places that you can go for really cheap. And, um, a lot of times, if you do like the cash back rewards for like visa cards or, or whatever for the points, then you can apply those directly to the big box store cost for the vacation that you're gonna go on. If you have the ability to travel last minute, you know, there's a million and one web sites that you can get cruise deals, and hotel deals, and last minute flights, and that sort of stuff. So if you're not bound to going on any specific time, then you can definitely do that. And, also, traveling off season. So if you don't need to travel during the summer, and you have the ability to schedule in time where you can do the off season travel, you know, a lot of places, in, in, you know, tropical climates and stuff like that, off season is great. Because you don't have a million other tourists, and the weather is still beautiful. Chris: So, I think people do want to know what your research process looks like. If you could go into more of that and talk about what apps and web sites have been accessible to you as well. Ted: For me, as far as research goes, I almost always start with Google and go from there, but I think that, you know, one of the major reasons why I started the Blind Travels web site is because the information that was available was, wasn't what I was looking for. So I was looking for information, like I said, about where the, the check-in desk is and stuff like that, and the locations of, of specific things in and around a property that I'm headed to. So, you know, a lot of times, I'll use my web site, but Google is almost always there, and, and I love Google Street view. A lot of times I'll drag my poor wife down, and, and sit her in front of the computer and say "Okay, this is where I'm headed. Let's wander around, virtually, in front of the location that I'm headed to, and, um, you know, you can give me an idea of what's there," and, you know, Google Earth works pretty well. Or Google Street works pretty well. So I think that's probably what my primary research location is. MOe: Uh, and feel free to, take a second to think of this, 'cause I just thought of this question while you were talking but what are some of the assistive apps or other technology that you use when you're planning travel, or doing your travel, just kind of that all-encompassing look at the assistive technology side? Ted: Yeah. I, I think, uh, for me, the number one assistive technology device is the phone. And if I'm going someplace, a new city or something like that, I mean there's a million and one tours that are available, but not all of the bus tours are familiar with working with people that are visually impaired. So I don't have any problem calling them, and saying, "Have you worked with people who have sight loss? Are you okay with being more verbose about your descriptions of the places that you're headed in the city?" And, you know, a lot of times, they're okay with it, sometimes they're not, and that kind of gives you a heads up, but, you know, for me, like I said, I, I just do the Google earth and kind of wander my way through there, and the other assistive technology I use, (Chuckle.) Is my dog. Right? Because I used a cane for 18 years, and felt that somebody else needed the dog more than I did, so I finally, you know, put my name in the hat, and, you know, she's really been instrumental in me being more comfortable traveling by myself. Just about anywhere. And, and it's just, it's very, it's very freeing. Liz: For those listeners that may be interested in considering jobs that society may not see as quote unquote "normal" for people who are blind or low vision, what tips might you have for them in beginning their journeys? Ted: That's a really interesting question. I do photography. And I have always had a draw towards the visual. Uh, towards the still image. And because of that, because I, I do photography, I think that it kind of gives you a different outlook. On whatever it is that you're doing. So if you're, you know, if you play a musical instrument or something like that, and, uh, you're visually impaired and you want to teach people how to play that musical instrument, consider yourself, you know, an expert in that role in a different way than what a sighted person would be, if that makes sense. Like for me, as a photographer, I obviously see things very different than the normal person does. And anybody can go on to YouTube and learn about shutter speeds and ISO and F stop values and that sort of stuff, and, and learn about composition, but when you're visually impaired, and your kind of working with the limitations that you have, you're seeing things, or doing things, in a different way than most other people are. So, because you're offering a different perspective on things, I believe it makes, even maybe a little bit more valuable, for people to take classes from you for whatever it is. So I, I highly recommend, if you have a skill, and you're visually impaired, to, to teach others. And, and spread that education. Chris: And that's really what doing a podcast or a blog or a web site is all about, really. A ... Ted: Indeed. Chris: Just teaching people. Yeah. I'm curious, because I'm a guide dog user, and Liz is also a guide dog user, and there's a pretty strong debate that I don't think will ever end in the blind community about whether it's better to, to have a guide dog or, or use a cane. But I'm curious to know, since you used a cane for so long and now are a guide dog user, what are the differences that you've experienced while traveling with, with each? Ted: Well, I think for me, for traveling with a cane, it's, it's fairly straight forward, right? I mean, whenever I travel, I always recommend bringing back-ups of whatever you can bring with you. So, even if I'm traveling with my guide dog, I always have my cane in my suitcase. Because you never know when something's gonna happen. Right? You never know if your, if you're guide's gonna get sick or whatever. But, when you're traveling with a guide dog, you have so much more to contend with in terms of, you know, bringing their food, and making sure that they have their comfort items. I always bring a rug so that my guide Fauna knows where her space is when we hit a hotel room, so that way, you know, no matter whether we're, you know, in California, Colorado, or, uh, Canada, then, we can have a rug that, that is her spot. And she's always got her safe spot. Um, I also bring high value toys that she only gets when we travel. So I mean, there's, there's really a lot more to consider when you're traveling with a guide compared to the cane itself, and, and that includes all of the new documentation that we have to deal with through the department of transportation here. You know, so making sure that you have all your paperwork and everything in line, and, and I think, um, being wary of the schedules. You want to make sure that you have time for your guide dog to, to relieve itself, um, before you get on the plane, especially if you're going on a, on a long trip or whatever, and just making sure that they're comfortable, and that they can do their job, because if they're not comfortable, they're not gonna do their job as effectively. So, ... Liz: Although you are now a guide dog user, have you found it beneficial in some places, and in some situations, to use your cane over your dog, maybe at first? Or is that not something that you have experienced? Ted: I would say that I use my cane when I get to the room so that I know where everything is, and I'm kind of one of those people that regards everything as a tool, including the guide dog. So, uh, you know, I use whatever I need to use to get the information tactilely, or, or audibly, um, for, being able to do what I need to do. So, a lot of times what I'll do is I'll park her on her rug, and then I'll, I'll use the cane, if I'm traveling with, by myself, then, then I'll use the cane to make sure that I know where everything is in the room, of course. And a lot of times that includes, you know, taking pictures of, silly things, like, the, the shower gel and the, and the shampoo, and sending them to my wife, or having the, one of the readers on the, on the iPhone read it, you know, so that I know which ones the shampoo. It's just, you know, silly things like that. Chris: By the time this comes out, we will have published a book review of a book called "The Art of Asking," and the subtitle is, "How I stopped worrying and Began Letting People Help." I imagine that being a traveler and going to unfamiliar areas a lot of your life, you're asking a lot of people for help. How do you feel about that, and also about being independent as a blind person? Ted: Asking for help was one of the biggest problems that I had when we got into the car accident, and I lost my sight. I was really embarrassed about it. And I was really embarrassed about not being able to see, and not do things that I could in the past. And asking for help was, was just a huge issue all the way around, like I said, because I was embarrassed about it. And I think that first time traveling by myself again, uh, on a plane, because when I, when I worked in the games industry, I traveled, you know, three weeks out of every month. And so I was, I was gone all the time. So I mean, I had the experience under my belt. I knew where a lot of places were. But once I started doing the Blind Travels blog and, and traveling for a whole bunch of different reasons other than work, I found myself being in very unfamiliar situations, and I had to kind of buildup that courage, and be okay with asking for help. And it takes practice like anything else. I think that, you know, if you're, if you're learning to play an instrument or whatever, then, you know, at first, you're not good at it. And, you know, asking for help is exactly the same thing. You know, you're terrified, you don't want to ask, you're embarrassed, I mean whatever. Um, I also was terrified about talking about vision loss. To begin with. Because again, I was really embarrassed about it. I mean I, I had gone through this, and I, I went from, you know, being the director of product development for, um, Mattel toys, in the Hot Wheels division, to sitting at home going "Oh my gosh, I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life." And people wanted to know about what happened. And, the, you know, the story. And, all I wanted to do is just kind of curl up in a ball and not talk about it. So, my biggest thing is to practice, and to start small, and go up to the person that is, is at the desk, you know, checking people in, and, and tell them. "I can't see at all," or "I can see just a tiny bit, can I get help to get to my gate?" Because you can always call ahead, and, and now when you book travel, you can, you can put on your ticket that you want to have assistance getting to the, to the gate and stuff like that, but I like to put myself in situations where I have to interact with people, and have to practice what I preach as far as asking for help. And being able to do that is definitely a, a skill worth learning and honing and, and getting good at. MOe: So, kind of the reverse side of that, I saw on your web site that you do speaking engagements and, training sessions, I would call it, for the sighted. How did you get to the point of doing that, and what do you see that the sighted world wants to know? Ted: Yeah. I mean, when you, when you land in a new city, or when you go to a new, a new country or whatever, a lot of times, they don't have a lot of experience. They I mean being the people that are, that are running the properties. And, um, they just don't have a lot of experience dealing with people who are visually impaired. And I don't necessarily know why. I don't know if it's because a lot of people who are visually impaired don't travel solo, or if it's, you know, it's just something that, that people are embarrassed to talk about like I was, but I find myself in situations so often, especially with properties, about where they don't understand. They, they've gone through the, the government ADA, you know, mandated training and that kind of stuff, but a lot of times, that's not reinforced. You know, so, so when somebody actually who is visually impaired comes in, they don't know to tell them that the elevator is located directly behind them and ahead, as opposed to, pointing and saying "it's over there." And that's, that's one of the things that, when I go to a property to help them kind of get oriented towards people who are visually impaired, you know, to teach them to be more verbose about their directions, and, and, give people who can't see the information that they need, as opposed to just pointing at, at things. And, I mean I, I love, I've worked with so many properties, and, and gone through and, and explained to them how to work with people who are visually impaired, how to work with people who have guide dogs, you know, how not to interact with the guide dogs and that sort of stuff, and I've also been to a bunch of different restaurants. Where I've walked into the restaurant, and they say "You can't bring your dog in," and I'm like, "Okay, so, we need to talk about this." You know, so then, a lot of times, that will be talking with the corporate headquarters or talking with the owner of the establishment, and, and taking the extra steps to say, "Okay, let's talk about what I can and can't do. I'm allowed to bring my guide dog in here, and here's why." And, turning it to be, rather than an adversarial position where I'm going, you know, stamping my feet and saying, "I'm allowed to bring my guide dog in!" And saying, "How can I help you to understand that a guide dog is allowed to be in your establishment, and let's talk about, you know, your staff, and, and how you interact with the guide dog?" And, like I said, I've gone, many times to restaurants and that sort of thing, um, brought my guide dog, and helped people understand not only people with vision loss, but, you know, how to interact with guide dogs. And it's just incredibly rewarding for me. Chris: Starting to run out of time, but is there anything that we should have asked that we didn't that you might like people to know? Ted: I would say that one of the, the coolest projects that I'm working on right now, it has to do with my photography, and um, I, at the end of last year, began a partnership with a, uh, company called Red Line, uh, Contemporary Arts Center here in Denver, and we work with the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Art. And they are funding the expansion of one of my projects. Which is a black and white abstract view of the, of the human body. And, um, it was kind of a personal project that I started about ten years ago, and they are funding this project for accessibility. For people who are blind and visually impaired. Because, you know, obviously; there's very little accessibility in visual art. And, uh, what we're doing is we're creating tactile images using 3 D printers and 3 D modeling programs, which has been a struggle for me, of the images. And the tactile images, or tactile portions of the images, are gonna be displayed alongside the traditionally framed prints, and then we have QR codes that are either tappable with your phone or scannable, that are printed with the, the 3 D printer, 'cause QR codes is another thing that, that kind of always drives me crazy because you can't really tell exactly where to point your phone. So those are tactile as well. Um, but when you, when you scan them, it gives a full audio description, with my verbose bla bla; about each of the images. (Chuckle.) So that's, that's one of the thing that's, things that's happening with me this whole year. So, ... Chris: Well, that's really cool, and I bet we probably could have you back on for a talk about photography in itself. And maybe we should. We'll talk about that after we're finished recording. Ted: certainly. Chris: Uh, in the meantime, we do need to wrap things up, but why don't you give people any contact information, uh, any information also where they can find you, or read your blogs, and all that type of thing? Ted: Indeed. So, www.blindtravels.com is probably my primary source. Um, I am on X, Twitter, whatever you want to call it this week, and that's at Nedskee, N E D, S K E E, and uh, you can also get me on Facebook. We have a Blind Travels web site, or web page there, it's uh, facebook.com/blindtravels and you can also see my photography, and, you know, kind of the, the central hub for everything, is my last name, uh, T A H, Q U E, C H I dot com, and that's got links to just about everything, and contact information. Feel free to, to contact me. I love to talk to people. Chris: Awesome. Well Ted, thanks for being here. This has been really interesting. Ted: Absolutely. And thank you for having me. It's been wonderful. Chris: And, so I don't forget, I'd also like to thank our sponsors, Thrivent, Wells Fargo, and our valued partners, World Services for the Blind, and the APH Connect Center, for helping us with Penny Forward, and the podcast, and all kinds of different things. The Penny Forward podcast is a show about blind people building bright futures one penny at a time. It is produced by Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner, with assistance from MOe Carpenter. Audio editing and postproduction is provided by Brynn Lee at superblink.org. Transcription is provided by Anne Verduin, and the music is composed and performed by Andre Louis. And uh, we would also like to thank Aftersight for being our first affiliate broadcaster of the Penny Forward podcast. So welcome to all of our new listeners through Aftersight as well. For all of us in the Penny Forward community, I'm Chris Peterson, ... Liz: I'm Liz Bottner, ... MOe: I'm MOe Carpenter, ... Chris: And we hope you all have a great week and thank you for listening.