Podcast Feature: Navigating Vision Loss, Advocacy, and Community
- kenishacoon
- Mar 20
- 2 min read
In this episode of The Eko Lens, guest host Yorgos, Board Chair of the EkoVision Foundation, sits down with Kenisha Coon, Director of Community Engagement, for a powerful and personal conversation about vision loss, resilience, and advocacy.
This episode goes beyond a surface-level discussion. It offers an honest look into what it means to navigate a world that is not always designed with accessibility in mind—and how lived experience can become a catalyst for leadership and change.
Kenisha shares her journey with vision loss in a way that is both vulnerable and empowering. What emerges is not just a story of adjustment, but one of transformation.
Vision loss is often misunderstood as simply a medical condition. But as Kenisha explains, it impacts every aspect of daily life—from how you move through physical spaces to how you engage in professional environments and relationships.
Through her story, we are reminded that vision loss is not a limitation of potential—it is a shift in perspective.
A key part of Kenisha’s journey has been learning to navigate systems, tools, and environments in new ways. This includes her experiences with assistive technology, which has played a critical role in maintaining independence and access.
However, access to technology alone is not enough.
The conversation highlights an important truth:
Tools must be accessible
Systems must be designed with inclusion in mind
And individuals must be supported in learning how to use those tools effectively
Without these pieces in place, gaps remain.
Advocacy is a central theme throughout this episode.
Kenisha speaks to the importance of using her voice—not only for herself, but for others in the blind and low vision community. Advocacy shows up in many forms:
Speaking up in spaces that overlook accessibility
Challenging systems that were not built inclusively
Creating awareness around the realities of living with vision loss
Her work reflects a broader commitment to equity, where accessibility is not treated as an afterthought, but as a foundational component of inclusion.
One of the most powerful takeaways from this conversation is the role of community.
Navigating vision loss can feel isolating, especially in environments where representation is limited. But connection changes everything.
Through the EkoVision Foundation and beyond, Kenisha emphasizes the importance of:
Shared experiences
Peer support
Collective learning
Community creates space for people to be seen, understood, and supported—not just in challenges, but in growth and success.
This episode also challenges common narratives around disability.
Too often, stories are framed through a deficit lens—focusing on what individuals cannot do. This conversation shifts that perspective toward strength, adaptation, and possibility.
Kenisha’s journey highlights that:
Disability does not diminish leadership
Lived experience is expertise
And inclusive systems benefit everyone, not just those with disabilities
This episode is a reminder that accessibility, advocacy, and community are deeply interconnected. When we listen to lived experiences, we gain insight into the gaps that exist—and the opportunities to do better. Kenisha’s story is not just about vision loss.It is about resilience, leadership, and reimagining what inclusion truly looks like in practice.
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