🎙️ How Blind People Cook | Debra Erickson on Adaptive Tools & AI for the Visually Impaired

How blind people cook is a question many people with vision loss or caregivers often ask—this episode with Debra Erickson, founder of The Blind Kitchen, offers powerful answers rooted in lived experience and innovation.

If you or a loved one is navigating life with vision loss, this conversation will speak directly to your needs. Debra, a blind executive chef with retinitis pigmentosa, explains how she turned daily challenges into tools, methods, and confidence-building techniques that enable the visually impaired to thrive in the kitchen. Through the use of adaptive culinary tools, AI-powered smart glasses, and strategic kitchen organization, she empowers others to reclaim independence and joy in cooking.

This episode provides actionable insight into accessible cooking strategies, the role of assistive technology for the blind, and practical examples of how individuals can modify their environments for independence. You’ll learn about using talking thermometers, applying bump dots, and leveraging emerging tools like AI to identify ingredients, navigate kitchens, and prepare safe, delicious meals.

Whether you're searching for inclusive kitchen design tips, are a caregiver looking to teach safe kitchen habits, or someone with vision impairment wanting to regain autonomy, this podcast delivers hope, wisdom, and real-world solutions.

0:00 – Intro to Debra Erickson and The Blind Kitchen
1:18 – Debra’s background and vision loss journey
2:34 – How blind people cook: Sensory reliance and adaptation
4:05 – COVID pivot: How The Blind Kitchen was born
5:20 – Empowering the aging population with vision loss
6:38 – Common kitchen organization strategies for the blind
7:50 – Demonstration of adaptive culinary tools & practical hacks
9:15 – Role of AI smart glasses and assistive tech
11:10 – Advice to aspiring blind chefs
12:25 – Where to connect with Debra Erickson