melissa 
By Kim Ann Wardlow I and two other staff members attended the International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) annual convention in Columbus, Ohio. What we do is very unique and it is always enjoyable to meet with others in the industry. There is always something to learn. After a two year hiatus, program of … Read more
Carol Custer is one of AINC’s newest listeners, and she’s a fan of some AINC Originals like Aftersight and Blind Level Tech. Carol has a soul full of adventure and doesn’t let vision loss keep her from being active. In fact, when AINC’s Listener Services Coordinator, Matt Kissane, called her, she was using the flashlight on her phone to organize … Read more
Volunteer of The Month is an AINC reward program to recognize volunteers for achieving excellence in their recorded programs. Recipients showcase consistent, high quality, and engaging episodes, and go above and beyond AINC expectations. If you are interested in volunteering, apply online! April: Mariel Paulina Canepa New York Times en Espanol Mariel Paulina Canepa is … Read more
By Kim Ann Wardlow Spring has begun, and it is a busy time at AINC. We collaborated with Mile High United Way for an Earth Day volunteer event. May began with our inaugural Concert in the Dark fundraising event. There will be numerous resource fairs over the next few months where AINC will have a table. … Read more
Are you looking for a new and exciting way to experience music? If so, you won’t want to miss the upcoming Concert in the Dark with Diane Schuur and musical guest Heart and Music. This concert is a unique opportunity to experience music in a new way while celebrating artists with vision loss. “I’ve been … Read more
Our new Outreach and Listener Services Coordinator, Michael worked 20 years in the aviation industry which took him across the country and back to Colorado. He has a varied background, from selling diamonds, to healthcare, to owning his own business. He is excited to be back in Colorado and extremely excited to work with people … Read more
By Matt Kissane Jere Rood says, “I was born high, and I remain high.” Born in Leadville, Jere migrated to Aspen in 1973 after his divorce, and he hasn’t left. After his 20-year career as a teacher and counselor in Chicago and San Francisco, he quickly learned how to sustain an Aspen lifestyle by making … Read more
“Our precious Kat was like the AINC “House Mother”! She not only managed the volunteers…and events, but took the time to chat with us and hear about our daily lives. Such a caring and vibrant woman.” – Elaine “My name is Danny and for close to two years I have read (remotely) for the Children’s … Read more
Volunteer of The Month is an AINC reward program to recognize volunteers for achieving excellence in their recorded programs. If you are interested in volunteering, apply online! January: Emily Human Health Emily has volunteered with AINC for many years and is close to the AINC Family. She was also the first guest on our brand-new … Read more
By Kim Ann Wardlow Happy New Year! As we begin the new year, we take a few moments to reflect back on 2022. While we miss Kat, we have had three amazing people join our team. The Program Advisory Committee started their work which resulted in new programming relevant to the community. The Audio Trekkers skied … Read more
Have you recently had an accident that caused blindness, or been diagnosed with macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, or another eye condition that has caused or might cause vision loss? You’re not alone. Over 100,000 Coloradans have some form of vision loss. That being said, everyone’s journey into vision loss is unique, and it’s not an … Read more
Blindsight is dedicated to the healing of the mind, body, and soul. The host, Bill Lundgrin addresses behavioral health topics ranging from addiction, grief, and denial, to overcoming trauma, dealing with relationships, and “next steps” in your specific journey. He answers questions through conversations with industry professionals and experts.. Who is Bill Lundgren? Well, he … Read more
Elizabeth Michelin sold real estate in California’s Bay Area and wine region for 30 years. After being diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2014, she moved to Castle Rock, Colorado to be with family. “That did not work out,” she says, and she moved into her current apartment by herself. She quickly discovered the local resources … Read more
On August 28th, AINC held our second-annual fundraising hike in Estes Park. It was a perfect late-summer day in the Colorado hills, and almost all of our staff was at the event. We were blessed to be joined by almost 30 hikers with a visual impairment and even more volunteers who came along to be … Read more
Living with vision loss is a different experience for everyone, but one thing is always true: The ability to speak up for yourself and take charge of your life is critical to your independence and well being. Continue reading to learn about these common scenarios in everyday life, your legal rights to accessibility, and what … Read more
Our entire team at AINC is thrilled to announce we hired Lauren Bear as our Volunteer Coordinator! She comes to us with exceptional experience managing volunteer teams, instructing classes, and spearheading award winning projects in her previous roles. So, meet Lauren: the newest member of the AINC family! Lauren has a degree in Physical Science, … Read more
We are committed to meet the needs of our listeners. The landscape of news media has changed dramatically in recent years, and so has the way that people get their news. At AINC, we are working to change with it. As part of this goal, we have formed the Programming Advisory Committee (PAC) to assist … Read more
Did you know that volunteers provide around 8,000 hours of service to AINC every year?! That equals about $239,600 in value! That’s CRAZY! We really, honestly, and truly could not do what we do without the support of our wonderful volunteers. We thank each and every one so much. Each month one volunteer is selected … Read more
The Audio Information Network of Colorado (AINC) has been broadcasting news and information for over 30 years for blind and visually impaired Coloradans. Over that time, technology and the landscape of news media has changed dramatically. At AINC, we are working to change with it to better meet the needs of Coloradans with a print … Read more
Foresight Ski Event Volunteer Appreciation 2021 Highlights Foresight Ski Event Penn Street and Evan Starnes – a couple of vital AINC staff members – hit the slopes with Foresight Ski Guides early in 2022! They even used the opportunity conduct a few interviews, which were released as a special edition of Aftersight. Evan has a knack … Read more
AINC NEWS IN 2022: AINC’S New Board President AINC Staff and Board Gathering 30th Anniversary Volunteer Highlight Marshall Fire AINC’S NEW BOARD PRESIDENT Scott Chaplick recently took over as AINC’s acting board president. Scott, the owner of Beyond Sight, Inc., is full of ideas and energy for the future of AINC – we welcome him … Read more
“I don’t want to sound like a cliché or anything, but I’m proud of what I accomplished.” -Evan Starnes Evan, who is almost totally blind, was talking about hiking at Arapahoe Basin, where he summited a climb of 12,456 feet. He and nine other visually impaired climbers were assisted by specially trained sighted guides (including AINC … Read more
AINC’S FIRST HIKE • CO GIVES DAY • LISTENER SPOTLIGHT • VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT • NEW PODCAST • EVENT CALENDAR AINC’s First Hike AINC’s first ever fundraising hike took place on August 28th at Keystone in Arapahoe Basin. At the event, a team of ten blind or visually impaired hikers aged 20-70 were supported by … Read more
Melissa Simpson climbs the summit with her ropes team in the Rocky Mountains. Pulling is Skyler Williams from Touch the Top and Emily Breeden from TRANE. Penn Street of AINC is pushing. Next to Melissa is her trainer, Karen Fenske, on Tuesday, Sept 29th, 2020. Photo Credit: Moses Street. What’s within you is stronger than … Read more
AINC listener Bob Weinberg was a professional photojournalist and accomplished portrait photographer with his own business when his eyesight began to rapidly deteriorate in 1996. He was diagnosed with retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy, blurring his central vision. By 2003, after more than 30 years of shooting and producing photos, he was legally blind with a … Read more
The American Disabilities Act, signed 30 years ago, was intended to end discrimination against the disabled and make all public facilities and services accessible for the disabled community. We still have not reached that goal, even here in Boulder. For example, whereas most Americans switched to carrying out routine tasks (shopping, paying bills, filling prescriptions, … Read more
More than 100,000 people in Colorado have uncorrectable vision loss that interferes with daily activities, according to the American Foundation for the Blind. The prevalence of vision loss and blindness increases with age and age-related visual conditions. Simple activities like cooking, shopping, using email and computer tasks can be overwhelming for them. The Center for … Read more
Feelings of social isolation and disconnection are a risk of aging. Isolation can lead to serious physical and mental health problems that can decrease one’s quality of life. If you or a loved one suffers from social isolation… Amazon’s Alexa can find a solution. The Amazon Echo, AKA, Alexa, is a voice-activated smart speaker. She … Read more
I became familiar with Gerry Leary when I would occasionally see him on the bus with his guide dog, Devyon, lying obediently at his feet. I always greeted him and reminded him that I work at a place very familiar to him. I would get off at the stop near my home and he would … Read more
Are you looking for very flexible, but fulfilling, volunteer work while you are social distancing? Social distancing is vital to slowing the spread of COVID-19. This pandemic is changing the way we live our lives through social distancing, and finding ways to give back can be challenging. The good news is, you can still give … Read more
COVID-19 UPDATE: AINC is committed to continue providing our listening services throughout the COVID-19 developments. We have worked hard to provide a solution that will protect the health of staff and volunteers, while also continuing to provide our services to the fullest extent possible. AINC studios are currently closed but all listening services are still available. … Read more
Publishers and Editors Network (PEN) held a public panel discussion at the Denver Public Library in January. The discussion was part of PEN America’s nationwide project based on their report “Losing the News: The Decimation of Local Journalism and the Search for Solutions.” The main issue addressed was the decline in local news coverage. Small … Read more
Every 10 years the census counts everyone living in the United States. Every address will get a questionnaire by April 1st. The data is then used to inform funding for services like fire stations, schools, clinics, and representation that affects our communities. So how does the Census Bureau ensure that everyone is counted? On AINC, … Read more
You may know that AINC is the only reading service for youth, adults and seniors who are blind, losing vision, or who can’t read due to some other learning, physical or neurological disability (“print-disabled”). But did you know what’s new in 2020? 1. New website Check out our new online services at www.aincolorado.org 2. … Read more
“Alexa, can flamingos fly?” “Falmingos fly very well,” answers a polite female voice, in the deadpan delivery of computer synthesis. “Many flamingos migrate or regularly fly between the best food sources and nesting grounds. When flying in a flock, the top speed of a flamingo can be as high as 35 miles per hour.” “Thank … Read more
Shortly after becoming legally blind due to macular degeneration about eight years ago, Birdie Knapp attended a presentation at a low-vision group where a fellow attendee mentioned a radio that exclusively broadcast news and information for the blind. Birdie sought out the presenter, AINC’s Kim Ann Wardlow, registered as a listener, and soon began listening … Read more
Behind the Mic You can hear the deep, friendly voice of Carl Babb reading the grocery store ads every Wednesday. The listeners who phone the office to commend Carl are occasionally answered with a call-out (“The Lovely Ladies of Loveland”) He is one of our most popular readers with the staff as well, and not just … Read more