Limitless: Blind Beginnings Podcast

In this episode, Shawn is joined by Limitless Producer Rob Mineault for a discussion into some of the basic etiquette techniques when interacting with someone who is blind or partially sighted. From how to approach someone and start a conversation to how to properly assist with “sighted guide”, the two cover some of the basics for those who may have never interacted with someone who is blind or pa...

Youth who are leaving home for the first time to attend post secondary school find themselves in many new situations which can be challenging to navigate, not the least of which are social situations such as parties or other crowded events. In this episode, Shawn and Keisha welcome first year University student Acacia to the podcast to discuss strategies for ensuring safety and independence in var...

Blind or partially sighted individuals can sometimes feel excluded or experience a lack of belonging, whether it comes as a result of social situations with family or friends or larger, more generalized societal attitudes. In this episode Shawn welcomes Dougie, Keisha, and Clement back to the show where they discuss their own experiences of feeling excluded and struggling to find belonging and how...

For some individuals, sometimes not disclosing partial sight or blindness or not asking for help when it may be needed can be tempting. This week Shawn invites podcast regulars Ishita and Acacia back to the show to have an open and honest discussion about how they sometimes “mask their blindness”, some of the situations where they do it and explore the reasons why it can be tempting to do. Blind B...

For many youth, Summer Camp experiences are transformative and impactful in a multitude of different ways. This week Shawn welcomes co-hosts Clement, Alethea, and Nolan to discuss their past Camp experiences and favorite memories in order to highlight the importance that programs like this can have on youth who are blind or partially sighted. Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and yo...

Youth who have multiple disabilities can have a unique set of challenges and barriers to overcome. This week Shawn sits down with Priya, a Blind Beginnings program youth who has Cerebral Palsy as well as blindness to talk about her lived experience and about some of the challenges that she has faced living with multiple disabilities. Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who a...

Sometimes when people mean to pay a compliment with the best intentions, it may actually come off as insulting. This week Shawn is joined by Nolan, Ishita, and Nika to discuss their own experiences with backhanded compliments along with their strategies on dealing with it when it happens.  Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their famil...

Artificial intelligence is everywhere in the news these days, and most people by now have had an opportunity to interact with Chat-GPT, a tool that lets users enter prompts to receive humanlike images, text or videos that are created by AI. This week Shawn is joined by tech enthusiasts Clement, Jugaad, and Nolan to talk about the different ways AI has improved accessibility in certain applications...

Join Shawn and co-hosts Jinnie and Clement this week for a conversation about some of the fundamental differences between engaging with content in a Braille format versus audio. From personal preferences to the importance of Braille literacy, they touch on multiple aspects as well as the pros and cons of both formats. Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or part...

Pack those bags and get ready to hit the road! This week Shawn and co-hosts Keisha and Randi welcome Ted Tahequechi, a travel influencer, blogger, and photographer who also runs the website Blind Travels. They discuss his love of travel, how he adjusted after losing much of his vision in a car accident, and dive into travel tips and things to look for when traveling as someone who is blind or part...

This week we cap off our three part discussion about having sighted friends and acquaintances by inviting some of our high school aged youth to discuss what the experience of meeting new people in the high school environment is like. Shawn welcomes co-hosts Leena, Jugaad, and Nolan to provide insight and their own experiences being the only youth who are blind or partially sighted at their schools...

This week Jinnie, Clement, and Shawn gather together once again to discuss the nuances of relationships with sighted friends in the second part of this fascinating conversation. They discuss the challenges of communicating needs to new friends while trying not to feel self conscious, how to handle people that are being too helpful or attentive, and much much more! Blind Beginnings’ mission is to i...

This week Shawn is joined by co-hosts Jinnie and Clement for an open and honest discussion about the nuances of having and maintaining friendships with people who are sighted. It’s a fascinating conversation full of insights about everything from accepting help, finding teachable moments, and even building new friendships that you won’t want to miss! Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire childre...

This week Shawn is joined by co-hosts Jinnie and Acacia to discuss the recent Netflix limited series adaptation of the book, “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr.  They discuss the story, which centers around the character of Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl in Paris after it is invaded by Nazi Germany as well as how blindness was portrayed within the story and translated from th...

This week Shawn sits down with Scott Rees, who has retinitis pigmentosa and recently swam the Georgia Straight in order to raise money for  Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. They discuss how this epic 30 km  open water fundraising swim came to be, what it was like to train, and what it was like on the day of the swim itself after 11 hours in the water.  Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire chi...

It’s the first episode of 2024, and this week Shawn and co-host Keisha welcome Danielle Main, President and Program Coordinator of Leash of Hope, an organization which trains rescue dogs to be service dogs to enable people with disabilities to enjoy more independent living. They discuss some of the benefits and challenges when it comes to using rescue dogs to be trained and what the training proce...

Imposter Syndrome is the condition of being anxious or nervous and feeling like a “fraud” or a “phony” within a given community or job title. This week Shawn welcomes Acacia, Ishita, and Nina to talk about it in the context of being partially sighted and having this feeling of being stuck between the blind and sighted communities and not always feeling a part of either. From using mobility canes t...

Looking for work when you are blind or partially sighted can feel daunting, overwhelming, and even a bit scary, especially the part where you have to interview for the job. This week Shawn welcomes co-host Keisha back to the show to discuss looking for work, specifically how to prepare for the job interview, things to consider and plan during your search, and so much more!  Blind Beginnings’ missi...

The Limitless Podcast goes international this week as Shawn welcomes Jugaad and Jinnie to the show for a fascinating discussion about life in India as a person who is blind or partially sighted. They discuss the cultural differences in how blindness is viewed as well as how day to day life as a blind or partially sighted person can differ from daily life in Canada.  Blind Beginnings’ mission is to...

It is both Halloween and the last week of Blindness Awareness Month, so this week we’ve decided to do a bit of a monstrous mash-up of the two (kind of like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup)! It’s a full house on this episode as Shawn welcomes Jinnie, Acacia, Ishita, Jugaad, and Clement back for each to share what they would do if they each were “sighted for a day”. It’s a fascinating conversation that...

In our continuing series of podcasts centered about learning about blindness for Blindness Awareness Month, this week Shawn welcomes Keisha back to the podcast to simulate certain scenarios that illustrate the best way to interact with someone who is blind or partially sighted.  Blind Beginnings’ mission is to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through...

October 15th was White Cane Day. and this year to mark the occasion, we wanted to talk about white canes from a slightly different perspective. Join us as Shawn welcomes Acacia, Dougie, and Ishita to the show for a fascinating discussion about using a white cane later in life or choosing to use one even though you may have just enough vision to manage without one. Using their own lived experiences...

When vision loss is discussed, most people think about all the negatives but rarely consider that there can be some positives as well. It is a transformative experience, which brings with it both positives and negatives. This week Shawn welcomes back Ishita and Jill to the podcast to shift perspectives and talk about some of the many positives that their blindness has brought into their lives as w...

As we enter into the first week of Blindness Awareness Month, we are breaking some stereotypes! People in the disability community are often placed in two categories – hero or helpless. They can be seen as a source of inspiration, or as someone who is going to require support.  This week Shawn welcomes Ishita, Clement, Alexis, and Ella to the podcast to talk about reasons behind these stereotypes,...

Over the summer Blind Beginnings held a five day camp for youth that allowed them to practice and learn independent living skills (such as cooking, laundry, cleaning, shopping, etc.) with a group of their peers. Dubbed the “Limitless Life Skills Camp”, it was a great success and many of the participants were able to develop and learn skills that they will carry with them into adulthood. This week...