Limitless: Blind Beginnings Podcast

Episode 76 - Let’s Talk About Children’s Low Vision Project

This week Shawn and co-hosts Ishita and Nika sit down and talk to Lynn Langille, long time Vision Teacher and coordinator for the Children’s Low Vision Project of BC. They discuss the Project and its mandate to provide comprehensive low vision assessment to school-age children all over the province, how COVID impacted it, and plans for the coming year. 

Children’s Low Vision Project of BC
http://www.clvp-bc.com/

Episode 75 - Let’s Talk About Braille Mountain Initiative

Backcountry skiing is a type of ski excursion that involves being guided through areas that are more remote than conventional ski tours and has been growing in popularity in the past few years. This week Shawn and co-host Kiesha welcome Tyson Rettie, founder of Braille Mountain Initiative, a new non-profit organization that aims to inspire those that are blind and partially sighted to get involved in Backcountry Mountain Sports. 

For more information about Braille Mountain Initiative, visit them online at https://www.braillemountaininitiative.com  

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 74 - Let’s Talk About Getting A Guide Dog

Getting a guide dog is a significant event in any individual’s life, signaling a new independence and new host of mobility options. But the process itself can be more involved and complicated than you may think. This week Shawn is joined by Jinnie, who very recently went through this process in order to get her new guide dog, to talk about each part in detail and shed some light on what the experience is like. 

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 73 - Let’s Talk About Accessible Fireworks

Fireworks have been a traditional form of celebration and entertainment all around the world for centuries, but have you ever considered how you might describe a firework display to a person who is blind or partially sighted? Shawn welcomes Colin van Uchelen to the show this week to talk about that very topic, along with his accessible exhibition about pyrotechnical arts called “Project Fire Flower”. Colin and Shawn discuss how and why he came up with the idea of creating an accessible art project like this and talk about what is in store for people who attend the show. 

Colin's "Project Fire Flower" exhibition is taking place at the Grunt Gallery at 116-350 E 2nd Ave, Vancouver.

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 72 - Let‘s Talk About Curing Blindness

It’s the last week of Blindness Awareness Month, and we have saved one of our best topics for last. The question of whether people who are blind or partially sighted would undergo a procedure in order to “cure” their blindness is one that is very personal, somewhat controversial,  and not as black and white as some might think. This week co-hosts Clement, Nika, and Kolby join Shawn for a round table discussion about this question, and their answers may surprise you!

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 71 - Let‘s Talk About Employment

Did you know there is a statistic that indicates that anywhere from 75 - 80% of people who are blind are also unemployed? This week Shawn and her co-host Keisha welcome Megan (who has started her own business) onto the podcast to have an open and honest discussion about the very real struggles of job searching when you are blind or partially sighted. 

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 70 - Let’s Talk About Meeting Someone Who Is Blind

How do sighted people respond when meeting someone who is blind for the first time? For some, it might be a bit of discomfort at feeling unsure of what to do or say. This week as part of our ongoing Blindness Awareness Month content, Shawn has invited some special guests to the podcast to have an open and honest conversation about their own experiences with encountering blindness for the first time. Ryan, Linda, Rob, and Emily join Shawn to discuss what the process is like for both people who are sighted and people who are blind.

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 69 - Let‘s Talk About Low Vision

It's the first week of Blindness Awareness Month, and we are kicking things off with a very open and frank discussion about what it's like to live "between worlds" of total blindness and sight, in the grey area of low vision. Shawn and co-host Nika welcome Ashley, who shares Nika's eye condition (Peters anomaly), to the show to discuss some of the unique aspects of being partially sighted.

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 68 - Let‘s Talk About ”Through My Eyes”

On September 18th, 2021, Blind Beginnings hosted a special screening of a new documentary by Candice Macalino and Jaeger Mah that features the story of our very own Shawn Marsolais and the founding of the organization. This week on the podcast our producer Rob takes over hosting duties and welcomes the filmmakers, Shawn, and Jinnie to talk about how and why the project came to be, the making of the documentary, the challenges of shooting during COVID, and what it was like seeing the finished product in a theatre with an audience. 

Blind Beginnings will be hosting a Virtual Screening of the documentary on October 14, 2021 at 7PM PST. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.

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 67 - Let‘s Talk About Attraction

The concept of beauty and what attracts people to others is highly subjective, and the same is true for those who are blind or partially sighted. This week Shawn is joined by co-hosts John, Nika, and Kolby to have a round table discussion about how they each view beauty and attraction, talking about everything from self-image and fashion to what they each find attractive in other people. If you ever wanted to know what “the elbow test” is, then this open and honest conversation is for you!

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!