The Eyes Free Sports Podcast - Ep. 34: Running with Deaf Blind Athlete Brian Switzer

In Episode 34 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we chat with deaf blind athlete Brian Switzer of Massachusetts. Switzer, who has competed in a number of sports and challenging running events, discussed:

• His early years growing up in Massachusetts
• Being diagnosed with Usher syndrome at a young age, which meant both a visual and hearing impairment
• Earning dual undergraduate degrees in economics and philosophy with a minor in German from Stonehill College
• Earning a master’s in public policy with a focus on disability policy from Suffolk University and his current master’s program at UMass-Boston
• Working at the Perkins School for the Blind in the Career Launch program to help prepare young people with visual impairments for employment
• Several sports he initially played and then how he got into running
• Playing beep baseball with the Boston Renegades
• Competing in the Equinox Marathon in Alaska, one of the world’s most challenging races
• Competing in the Radnar Relay Ultra in New Hampshire
• The adaptations of running for blind individuals and the relationship between blind runners and their sighted guides
• The concept of rucking and an event he competed in for Heroes in Transition to help veterans
• His guide dog from Guiding Eyes for the Blind
• Accessibility testing he has done on running apps like RunKeeper and Strava

 

 

Check out his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/briandeafblindathlete/.

Find his two books on Amazon:
1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y6MRD99/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_glt_BP5ENYHYR7H082B65CBR
2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3Z6ZM8/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_glt_B6ZMFKZ58S1DWDHRA53Y

Check out the Career Launchpad Facebook Group he manages for young visually impaired individuals seeking employment or professional development at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2497533623910676/?ref=share. Learn more about the Career Launch program at Perkins at https://www.perkins.org/school/transition-programs/career-launch.

For a text transcript of this podcast episode, visit: https://greglindberg.net/index.php?id=the-eyes-free-sports-podcast-ep-34-running-with-deaf-blind-athlete-brian-switzer-podcast-transcript.