Disaster Central: Planning with Purpose with John Romano Part 1

In this eye-opening episode of The Blind Chick, hosts Penn and Moses Street sit down with John Romano—nonprofit leader, former relief worker, and founder of Disaster Central. John shares how his experience as a pilot, motorcyclist, and Hurricane Sandy relief worker shaped his approach to risk mitigation and inspired the creation of the Be Ready app.
The conversation explores how the Be Ready app simplifies emergency planning, especially for individuals with disabilities and access needs. Though accessibility features are still evolving, the app already offers powerful tools like cloud-based document storage, community contact sharing, and preparedness prompts for building continuity in crises.
John breaks down his "Dare to Prepare" program, built in collaboration with global research partners and Independent Living Centers across Colorado. From Thailand to Estes Park floods, the stories shared reinforce the urgent need for personalized disaster readiness. The episode ends with a hopeful call for community input to shape the next generation of inclusive emergency tech.

⏱️ Chapter Markers
00:00 – Welcome to The Blind Chick
00:28 – Penn and Moses return from Iceland
01:45 – Introducing John Romano
03:20 – Motorcycle, piloting, and risk management
05:10 – Hurricane Sandy and discovering his purpose
07:22 – Founding Disaster Central
08:40 – Including people with disabilities in emergency planning
09:45 – Developing the Be Ready app
11:35 – Climate change and disaster trends
13:00 – The app as an easy button for preparedness
14:15 – Features: Cloud vault, encrypted storage, pets & guide dogs
17:00 – Accessibility and shared household planning
18:25 – Using the app with family and caretakers
20:25 – Uploading documents and offline access
22:50 – Teaching preparedness like fly fishing
24:00 – The “Dare to Prepare” training program
25:30 – Working with SILCs and CILCs in Colorado
27:40 – AI, accessibility, and the future of the app
29:00 – Outro and teaser for next week's deep dive

📱 Follow & Subscribe
Listen to more Aftersight Originals:
Blindsight – Mental health & resilience
Blind Level Tech – Accessible tech and innovation
Navigating Life with Vision Loss – Advocacy, safety & daily life
🌐 Aftersight.org | 🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts