Living Blind

In May, 2023, the  Toronto Chamber Choir  presented its program “Musical Vision” about blind musicians and composers who did not let their visual disability prevent them from composing and performing great music. In this episode, Lucas Harris, Director of the Toronto Chamber Choir, and Michelle McQuigge, Concert Narrator, came on to talk with Naomi about how the concert came about, and some of the...

The  Canada Disability Benefit  will come into effect in one year, and then it will take another year to produce it’s regulations. This is just one important fact we learn as we listen to one of it’s leading champions describe the CDB on this episode of Living Blind. Len Baker, President and CEO of  March of Dimes Canada , worked with government and leaders of other national organizations serving...

In this episode, Naomi talks with Jason Romero, author, athlete, inspirational speaker. Jason is an expert on Success & Resilience, who travels the world educating companies and classrooms about how they can achieve their dreams. Jason is the subject of a full-length documentary film, as well as a former attorney and CEO. The BBC, Today Show, Forbes, Runnersworld and NPR are just some of the m...

In this episode, Ben Fulton, a private solo practitioner in the GTA and Hamilton area, talks with Naomi about the human rights case he has been working on since law school based on his own personal experience; his interest in restorative justice, the value of mentorship, and his advice to other blind people who would like to become lawyers. His practice focuses primarily on human rights and minor...

In this episode of the Living Blind Podcast, Naomi sat down not once but twice with the amazing and accomplished Kim Kilpatrick. While many blind tech users in Canada know Kim as the co-founder and leader of the Get Together with Technology Program of the Canadian Council of the Blind, in fact, Kim has a rich and varied career path, starting with Music Therapy and moving through technology coachin...

In this first episode Season 4 of Living Blind, we delve just a little bit into the complex gender area of masculinity and how it intersects with the lived experience of blindness. Wikipedia defines “masculinity” as “a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behav...

During our Because of BALANCE campaign, our Grand Prize included the opportunity to be a podcast episode curator, selecting a past episode to discuss “on air.” Our top fundraiser, Elizabeth Mohler joins us for a special Throwback Thursday episode. Elizabeth chose to discuss her favorite episode, "Mental Health Matters with Lisa Derencinovic," where Lisa delved into the crucial topics of...

In this episode, Alexis Fabricius introduces us to the world of self-defense tailored specifically for the visually impaired and individuals with vision loss. Join us as we cover a wealth of knowledge and techniques that will empower individuals to navigate their surroundings with confidence and safety. From specialized training methods to assistive technologies, we explore the innovative approach...

Ever wonder about getting more physically active or participating in a team sport? This episode aims to answer all your questions about sports participation for people who are blind.  Our guest is Glen Wade, President of the Ontario Blind Sports Association. Glen established his love of sports as a young boy, and it was at the Ontario School for the Blind (now W. Ross MacDonald School) where he wa...

In light of April being National Volunteer month in North America, we decided to shine the spotlight on three of our wonderful volunteers here at Balance for our next instalment of Living Blind. Or, as we like to call it, The Volunteer’s Voluntell! Join Naomi Hazlett  as she sits down with Myurika Sithamparanathan, Martin Courcelles, and Greg Pickios. These three have very different responsibiliti...

This month on Living Blind, Naomi Hazlett is joined by Minette Samaroo, to share her journey. From Guyana to Canada, from incapacity to capability. From exclusion and isolation, to social inclusion and empowerment. Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa and having lived with vision loss for most of her life, Minette was born in Guyana, South America, and migrated to Canada in September 2014. She is employ...

We often hear about how “Blind people are a minority within the population,” but within that broad spectrum of blindness there is an even smaller minority of folks who are born with, or develop later in life, both hearing loss and vision loss; otherwise known as deafblindness. We have not talked about living with deafblindness on our show before; until now! Joining us this month is Barbara Davis,...

The holiday season is upon us once again, and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to do an episode all about theatre and the performing arts. After all, there is nothing like a good movie, play, or television program to compliment the cold, snowy winter. And so, this month, Naomi Hazlett is joined by stage and film actresses extraordinaire, Alex Bulmer and Shayla brown, to talk all about nav...

November is a transitional month, no matter where you live. The temperature of the air changes, as does the terrain under foot. This affects how you travel, and if you have low or no vision you are already travelling with a mobility aid, whether it be a cane or guide dog. Everyone chooses between the two at some point in their lives, and in this November episode of Living Blind we are tackling the...

In honour of Occupational Therapy Month (October) in Canada, Naomi Hazlett sits down with registered Occupational Therapist and previous guest host Eve Pervin, for a light-hearted and in depth interview all about the field of O.T. and the services both useful to blind people, and helpful for participants at BALANCE. Eve started at BALANCE while she was still a student at the University of Toronto,...

Are you a hard core gamer? Or, are you someone who is curious about video games, but don’t know if there is an outlet for you? Well, accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired has become a huge priority amongst developers and enthusiasts in the gaming industry. And in light of the annual “Everyone Games” accessible gaming extravaganza being just around the corner, we are kicking o...

The Living Blind podcast returns for a third season, with the first episode dropping on Friday September 23. Each month we will have in depth interviews exploring the lived experiences of ordinary blind people doing extraordinary things, thinking outside the box in order to help live life to the fullest, and telling us about it so we can share it all with YOU. On Tuesday September 20, our Executiv...

Summer is finally here! And in honour of the weather heating up and the world continuing to open up, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit one of our early shows all about exploring the Great Outdoors, with the ever-adventurous Lawrence Gunther. Lawrence Gunther is North America’s only blind conservationist and professional angler, outdoor writer, podcaster, blogger, film maker and TV host...

All too often, people who are blind or visually impaired are told that they cannot do this or that. As a result, one must develop self advocacy skills and be proactive in finding alternate ways of accomplishing their goals. This month, Naomi Hazlett is joined by educator, Opera singer and fashion model Blair Spry, for an illuminating conversation about his journey through life as a performing arti...

For this episode, and in light of Vision Health month, Naomi Hazlett sits down with BALANCE’s own Dr. Keith Gordon for a conversation all about Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Often described as the ocular equivalent of Phantom Limb, Charles Bonnet Syndrome is a condition where by people with vision loss experience visual hallucinations. Nearly one in five people with vision loss have CBS, and while it w...

Our regular host, Naomi Hazlett, is back! And in this episode she is joined by the Schiafone Brothers, Christopher and Brandon Schiafone. That’s right, a double feature! Both brothers have degrees in psychology, but come from very different backgrounds. They provide a brief backstory of their career pathways, and how they ultimately ended up studying psychology in order to become better practition...

In the third and final installment of our 3–part series “Meet me at the Intersection of…”, we have guest host Ramya Amuthan, and her guest Timeshia Edwards. Timeshia is almost totally blind, and is Moose Cree First Nations. She currently works at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind as a coordinator in the Come To Work Program, serving Ontario west and north. She joins Ramya to discuss ma...

In part 2 of our 3–part series “Meet me at the Intersection of…”, we have guest host Ramya Amuthan, and her guest Ben Akuoko. Ben is a 33-year-old black man who lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa. He is currently working at the CNIB (GTA) as a Program Lead for Advocacy and Accessibility. He was diagnosed with the eye condition at the age of 2 years old. Ben and Ramya discuss Ben’s experienc...

In part 1 of our 3–part series “Meet me at the Intersection of…”, we have guest host Ramya Amuthan, and her guest Windy Ho-Li. As an Asian immigrant to Toronto from Hong-Kong, Windy has a unique perspective on her lived experience with sight loss. Windy discusses several different aspects of her identity, and how these aspects have intersected to the point that their intersections are an integral...

Michelle McQuigge joins Naomi to discuss her career as a journalist for the Canadian Press. They talk about the power of inclusion and mentorship, the need to prove yourself to able-bodied people, and how the pandemic has made journalism more accessible for Michelle as a blind person. Tune in to this hot-off-the-press podcast to learn more! Follow Michelle on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/mich...