Limitless: Blind Beginnings Podcast

Episode 235 - Catching Waves and Challenging Limits with Rita Duarte

On this week's episode of Limitless, Shawn sits down with Rita Duarte from Portugal 4 All Senses to reflect on Shawn's recent trip to Portugal, where she learned to surf. Together, they explore what it took to create an inclusive surf camp — from adapted surfing with experienced volunteers to immersive cultural excursions in Sintra and Lisbon. They also discuss the trust it takes to step outside your comfort zone in a foreign country, what accessible tourism really looks like, and how to fully experience a destination's food, history, sounds, and culture while feeling safe and empowered. If you've ever wondered whether traveling abroad is possible for someone who is blind and low vision or hesitated to say yes to a new adventure, this episode is for you!

Show Notes

Portugal 4 All Senses
https://portugal4allsenses.pt

Episode 234: Behind the Scenes - 6 Years of the Limitless Podcast

This week, we’re celebrating six years of Limitless with a very special behind-the-scenes episode! Join host Shawn and members of the Limitless Committee that include Clement, John, Randi, Acacia, Jugaad, Russell, and producer Rob as they pull back the curtain on how the podcast and blog come together every month. You’ll hear how a “sourdough project of COVID” became a long-running show with 234 episodes and listeners in over 70 countries. The committee shares updated download stats, reacts to the surprising global reach of the podcast, and discusses ideas for future episodes. If you’ve ever wondered how topics are chosen and how youth and alumni shape the show, you won't want to miss this episode. A huge thank you to our audience that has made this six year anniversary possible. Thank you for listening!

Blind Beginning’s mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind and low vision and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more!

Episode 233 - Introducing 3B Printing Services

This week Shawn sits down with Youth Leaders Kaia, Nolan, and Jugaad to introduce 3B Printing, a new youth-led initiative by Blind Beginnings that creates low-cost, custom 3D-printed braille signage. They share how the idea grew out of the Youth Leadership Program and into a full-fledged venture, why braille signage is essential for freedom, inclusion, and safety, and some of the funny (and frustrating) braille 'fails' they’ve encountered in the wild. You’ll hear how a team of blind and low vision high school and university students are handling design, production, marketing, and sales, all while proving that accessibility doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.

For more information on 3B Printing Services, visit: https://www.blindbeginnings.ca/3b-printing

Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more

Episode 232 - Blindness 101 and National AccessAbility Week

This week Shawn is joined by returning guests and newly trained Blindness 101 facilitators Jennie Bovard and Kerry Kijewski to celebrate National Accessibility Week (May 31–June 6, 2026) and dive into Blind Beginnings’ exciting new initiative: taking the Blindness 101 workshop across Canada. If you’re part of a business, community group, school, medical office, cultural institution, or tourism organization anywhere in Canada and want your team to feel more confident, respectful, and inclusive when engaging with blind and low vision folks, this episode shows exactly why a Blindness 101 workshop is a powerful place to start.

Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more

Episode 231 - Simulating Blindness Part 2

In this continuation of the previous episode, Shawn is once again joined again by Clement and Kaia to explore what happens when sighted people actually simulate blindness through blindfold party games, 24‑hour YouTube challenges, team‑building trust exercises, sports like goalball, “dining in the dark,” and even professional O&M training. Together they unpack when blindfolds can be harmless fun or useful educational tools, and when they reinforce harmful stereotypes, emphasizing how intent, framing, and meaningful involvement of the blind community make all the difference in whether these simulations help or hurt understanding of blindness.

Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more.

Episode 230 - Simulating Blindness Part 1

Join us for Part 1 of a special 2-part episode as Shawn sits down with co-hosts Kaia and Clement to unpack the troubling trend of sighted people simulating blindness for pranks, clout, and clicks on social media. Drawing on their lived experiences as blind and low vision individuals, they break down popular “blind prank” formats, explore how these videos shape public perceptions, and discuss the emotional toll of seeing disability turned into a joke. The trio also dive into cosplay, Halloween costumes, school plays, and the legal and ethical implications of using white canes as props, offering concrete guidance on what respectful representation or education can look like and where the line is crossed. 

Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more.

Episode 229 - Best Kept Secrets for Travelers With Sight Loss with Lynn Jensen

Get ready to travel this episode as Shawn sits down with Lynn Jensen who is a Registered Nurse, Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, and newly published author of 'Best Kept Secrets for Travelers with Sight Loss'. Lynn shares how a simple request to jot down a few travel tips over Christmas break unexpectedly grew into a comprehensive guide for blind and low vision travelers. Drawing on decades of professional experience, Lynn offers a rich mix of practical strategies, personal stories, and confidence building advice when it comes to travel. 

Show Notes
You can find Lynn’s book 'Best Kept Secrets for Travelers With Sight Loss' in multiple accessible formats at: www.blindtraveltips.com

 

Episode 228 - Surviving P.E. with Blindness and Low Vision

Remember dodgeball day in gym class.? Now imagine playing it when you can’t see the balls flying at your face. In this episode of Limitless, Shawn and co-hosts Kaia and Nolan get real about the gym class experience for blind and low vision students. For a lot of youth, PE means getting sent to the weight room by yourself, standing on the sidelines flipping numbers for the scorekeeper, or pretending to know what's happening during a chaotic school basketball tournament. But Shawn, Kaia, and Nolan share how they survived the awkwardness and eventually traded in flying volleyballs for sports that actually worked for them. If you are a student dreading your next gym block, this conversation proves you don't have to repeatedly take a dodgeball to the face to be an athlete.

Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more.

Episode 227 - Life With Buddy Dogs

In this heartwarming and hilarious episode of Limitless, Shawn sits down with Tom and Julie, two blind and low vision youth who share their lives with very special “career-change” canines: Bambi and Potter (yes, that Potter).
They dive into what a “buddy dog” really is and how it’s different from a Guide Dog and why these dogs are perfect partners for kids and teens who aren’t quite ready (or old enough) for a Guide Dog. You’ll hear about tandem bike runs with Bambi, an 80‑pound snack-loving Potter, sibling “custody battles” over who gets the dog, and what it’s like to go from being nervous around dogs to not imagining life without one.

Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more.

Episode 226 - Stamping Braille and Crushing Limits with Terry Hoddinott

This week Shawn welcomes entrepreneur and BrailleMasters founder Terry Hoddinott, whose frustration with inaccessible print sparked the creation of the cleverly low-tech “EmbossIt” Braille business card machine and a Braille business serving restaurants, governments, and organizations around the world. Terry and Shawn swap stories about the importance of braille and the challenges of braille production and then crank things up a notch with tales of riding 3200 km across Canada for cancer and what it's like scaling massive climbing walls as part of the Canadian Paraclimbing Team. 

Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives. Visit us online at www.blindbeginnings.ca to find out more.