Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Eidson
Hi Alicia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Due to much drug and alcohol abuse by my parents and other supposed responsible adults in my life, my early childhood was very dysfunctional. I was born fully sighted and was told at age eight that I would someday lose my vision due to a disease called Chronic Uveitis. It was a slow process but with each passing year, my vision got worse, and I had to relearn at each step how to do everything that I did for myself. I was very fortunate at age sixteen to be able to drive for a short while, but by the time I was eighteen I was legally blind, and had to give up driving which, of course, diminished my sense of independence. By the time I was twenty-three, I had lost all of my vision, and then was totally blind. By this time, I had a two year old son and was raising him alone because my first husband left us.
The following years were not very productive for me. I suffered from depression and severe anxiety due to being newly blind. I didn’t know if I would become anything in my life, and I didn’t know if I would ever feel like doing much of anything ever again. When I was twenty-seven years old, I was diagnosed with diabetes and then again had to start learning about how to care for myself on top of being blind. This was not an easy process. I consider myself very fortunate in that by the time I was twenty-nine, I had met a really good group of other blind people who were also diabetic. I saw how productive they were and learned a lot about becoming more independent.
Life happened and in the journey, I went back to school and became a marriage and family counselor, did that for 13 years and then started teaching at two Florida colleges, Seminole State College of Florida and the University of Central Florida. I loved every minute of both adventures. During my teaching years, I became a DJ for fun on an Internet radio station. It was so much fun. I love music and at some point, I decided to start my own station with my husband. We call it Ocean Waves Radio due to my love for the beach, and it is sort of a play on words since it involves radio waves. I was very fortunate that many people were behind this project. I especially should thank you to my husband, Rick, my son, Scott, and Paula and Charlie with the Division of Blind Services.
I became a not-for-profit to be able to fundraise to give back to the blind community. You can read all about us on the “About Us” page on our web site: www,oceanwavesradio.com. We want to employ those who can’t find jobs in other places and give them a sense of ownership and security.
Now, after almost four years of being on the air, we have listeners in several countries which include, England, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Canada, some middle Eastern areas, Jamaica and Mauritius. We have been heard in at least 40 of the 50 states so far. We are taking donations and would love to invite you to be a part of our team by going to the website. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at oceanwavesradio@gmail.com
I am most recently very involved with the American Council of the Blind at the national level, the state level, and the local level with Greater Orlando Council of the Blind. Our focus is on the legislative needs of the blind and visually impaired. I have been to Capitol Hill and have spoken to representatives of our congressional district on accessibility issues in the areas of health, internet access, and audio description. I am very excited about the progress we have made in the local community and in the experiences that I have had. I have hosted many activities in our home and we will continue to do that this year and next. And would love for you to come and join us at one of these activities!
I am a wife, a mother of four, a grandmother of four, and a hard worker. I love to do crafting, and I am a diehard fan of Blake Shelton!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would not say that it has been smooth in the least. There are always obstacles. When do I need to eat, how much water do I need to drink, how many doctors do I need to see, how will I get from Point A to Point B? In Winter Springs, there is no public bus system so I have to rely on friends, neighbors, and paratransit to get to appointments or activities, This is a challenge because sometimes I arrive late to places or can’t show up at all due to failed transportation efforts. At family events, inside emotionally it breaks my heart not to be able to see my kids and grandkids smile. The former radio station I was on was difficult because management was a bit degrading and dishonest. When I stopped working there, I missed it so very much. My husband said we could have our own station and we began the process of learning how to make that happen. When I started Ocean Waves Radio, I had so much to learn! And I am still learning. There are challenges running a station in so many ways: first of all, there are so many people involved. And being sure that you are a real team and most of the time on the same page has been difficult. I have learned that I have to speak the truth with love and with some personalities this is difficult, as you can well imagine. We have become a not for profit and have an amazing Board of Directors. This has freed me up from having to make all the decisions on my own and to run ideas off of each one of them. Our main focus is to one day be able to pay all of our employees and at least to be able to give monthly stipends to each one involved. We have about 80% of the people who work for us are either totally blind or visually impaired to one degree or another. There is a lot of skill and talent amongst the team.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Since I was very young, I have loved the ocean. I love the sunshine, the water, and the people. The ocean is much like my life and my work. There are times when the waves are smaller and just sound so beautiful. There are other times when you hear the ripples near the shoreline and it makes me smile and feel like things are going easily, smoothly, and I feel like I’m having fun. There are other times when the ocean is very rough, almost like a typhoon or hurricane is on its way, and of course, I am in the middle of it. The sharks have shown up out of nowhere, and they are heading my way. Of course, I need to get back to shore, so my two choices are to sink or swim. I have always chosen to swim, even when I’m out of breath, I find a way to tread water. until I can build up the energy to swim again. At this time, I am very proud of my team. To one degree or another, everyone steps up to the plate and helps out when we meet challenges. I am also very proud of the fact that we have become a not-for-profit organization and are on the way to becoming listener supported. When we reach some of our financial goals, we will be able to honor our staff with bonuses that help to make each one of us the same as any sighted person that we know. I am a DJ, a marketing manager, a fundraiser, an editing/promo creator, and a station manager. I stay very busy, and most of the time, I’m loving everything I do. My team would probably tell you that they like working for me because I don’t micromanage, I hire people I can trust, and I let them be creative in the areas where they are the most strong. I put my heart into the station but most importantly, into the people that I work with. One of our DJs has had two strokes since July and I have done my best with other team members to show him love and to assist in being sure that his duties are not suffering.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Orlando in general because there are so many fun things to do….Everything from amusement parks which I love to music, dancing, local theater, and concerts. I would say what I like the least is right here in my hometown and that is no public bus system in Winter Springs.
Pricing:
- OWR Beach Bag $35
- OWR Mugs $13.99
- OWR Waterbottles $22.99
- OWN Ball cap $25
- OWR Short sleeve Tees $21.99 & up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oceanwavesradio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceanwavesradio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ocean-Waves-Radio/100063468675181/
- Twitter: https://x.com/OceanWaves407
Image Credits
Image credits: Alicia Eidson
