Season 3, Episode 24

A Melanie Minute: Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Black History Month at Queen’s Park

This week the Connect4Life Team had the privilege of attending the 10th Anniversary of Black History Month in Canada at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The event was produced and hosted by several prominent Ontario trade unions, with the support of MPPs like David Smith of Scarborough Centre and Charmaine Williams of Brampton, as well as David Piccini, the Minister of Labour and the Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Doug Ford.

While there were many other dignitaries present, including five Consuls General, as well as members and guests of the unions themselves, it was the captivating speakers, musicians, dancers and singers who helped make this event truly special.

Host Melanie Taddeo brings you right into the moment in this Melanie Minute, as though you were there yourself. And she reminds us that celebrating the diversity and contributions of Black Canadians is something we don’t have to limit to the month of February.

A Melanie Minute is an exclusive feature of Connect4Life: The Podcast, brought to you by host Melanie Taddeo, President and CEO.

For more information about Connect4life visit www.connect4life.ca.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #accessibilitycanada #connect4life #aoda #unitednations #crpd #melanietaddeo #podcasts #podcast #disabilitycanada #blackhistory #mppdavidsmith #scarboroughcentre #charmainewilliams #ontariodiversity #premierford #melanieminute

Season 3, Episode 23

A Melanie Minute: White Cane Week

White Cane Week is observed during the first week in February. But, as this Melanie Minute points out, gaining knowledge about the use and purpose of white canes is beneficial each and every day.

Besides, we misplaced our host Melanie Taddeo during the snowstorm in southern Ontario and only recently found her in a snowbank, but ready and eager to record this Melanie Minute.

No, not really … our production schedule became piled up, and we also wanted to reinforce how understanding blindness and low vision is critical every week, and not just the first week in February.

For example, did you know that some white canes inform the user of upcoming construction, particularly important in the Toronto Region?

White canes, Smart Canes … Listen to this Melanie Minute and learn a whole lot more about white canes and how they’re used by people with varying degrees of vision loss.

And yes, our host, Melanie Taddeo, has thawed out and is safe and sound in her Mississauga studio, producing more Melanie Minutes for you to enjoy.

A Melanie Minute is an exclusive feature of Connect4Life: The Podcast, brought to you by host Melanie Taddeo, President and CEO.

For more information about Connect4life visit www.connect4life.ca.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #accessibilitycanada #connect4life #aoda #unitednations #crpd #melanietaddeo #podcasts #podcast #disabilitycanada #whitecaneweek #melanieminute

Season 3, Episode 22

A Melanie Minute: Celebrating Black History Month

February is Black History Month. Each February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month events and celebrations that honour the legacy and contributions of Black people in Canada and their communities.

This Melanie Minute encourages everyone to consider this year’s theme, “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries”. In fact, this year, as Melanie points out, we are celebrating 30 years of Black History Month in Canada by highlighting the enduring contributions of Black Canadians across time.

We acknowledge the foundational role of nation builders—those who fought for civil rights, advanced social justice, and shaped Canada’s cultural and political landscape. At the same time, it looks forward to tomorrow’s visionaries, the emerging leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are redefining excellence in every field.

A Melanie Minute is an exclusive feature of Connect4Life: The Podcast, brought to you by host Melanie Taddeo, President and CEO.

For more information about Connect4life visit www.connect4life.ca.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #accessibilitycanada #connect4life #aoda #unitednations #crpd #melanietaddeo #podcasts #podcast #disabilitycanada #blackhistorymonth #melanieminute

Season 3, Episode 21

Profiles in Advocacy: Maureen Haan – Myth Busting around the World

In this episode of Profiles in Advocacy, our focus in season three of Connect4Life: The Podcast, host Melanie Taddeo interviews employment specialists Maureen Haan.

Maureen Haan is the President and CEO of the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work. And her role is more than about filling jobs for people with disabilities – she’s more like a talent agent, out their discovering opportunities and energizing economic potential.

The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (or CCRW, as it’s known) serves as an intermediary in enhancing the employment market and not just as a job placement service. The CCRW works across Canada and engages in dialogue and advocacy around the world.

The work of CCRW, as Mareen explains, exemplifies both Small A and Big A advocacy: the high-level meetings as well as everyday grassroots efforts, as you’ll hear in this insightful conversation with host Melanie Taddeo.

Maureen is out there performing what she calls “mythbusting” – doing whatever she can do to shatter the myths that hiring someone with a disability is challenging or burdensome. She’s a leader busting that myth and demonstrating how higher levels of meaningful employment for people with disabilities can positively transform companies and economies.

What’s her personal approach to advocacy and public outreach? Simply recognizing the work that’s already been done, the foundations created by those who have preceded her, and building on that work. In other words, a nod to the past, a shoutout to the present and an energized outlook for the future.

Check out the programs and services available at www.ccrw.org.

For more information about Connect4life visit www.connect4life.ca.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #accessibilitycanada #connect4life #aoda #unitednations #crpd #ccrw #melanietaddeo #connectelife #podcasts #podcast #disabilitycanada #maureenhaan

Season 3, Episode 20

A Melanie Minute: The Power of Storytelling

In this Melanie Minute, your host Melanie Taddeo shares her story of telling a story. And she knows a thing or two about doing so: she’s the author of multiple non-fiction books and a renowned public speaker, so she can certainly attest to the fact that telling a story is central to making a connection with anyone.

And speaking of stories and making connections, Melanie’s “easter egg” in this episode talks about her newest book, “Connecting Possibilities: The Story of Connect4Life”.

The book is part memoir and part reference material on how to start a charity. Connecting Possibilities is about the journey in founding Connect4Life, the charity Melanie created more than a decade ago, and provides readers with an easy-to-read guide, complete with lessons learned, templates and takeaways.

But enough shameless promotion about the book. Listen to this episode and enrich your approach to connecting with someone through the power of storytelling.

And for those who do want to check out Connecting Possibilities: The Story of Connect4Life, you can read more and purchase your copy at https://a.co/d/03yvfukL available globally through Amazon.

A Melanie Minute is an exclusive feature of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, which we produce regularly – or, pretty much whenever Connect 4 Life’s President & CEO, Melanie Taddeo, has something meaningful to share with our listeners.

For more information visit www.connect4life.ca.

#melanieminute #melanietaddeo #podcasts #podcasting #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #advocacy #publicpolicy #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #accessibilitycanada #connectingpossibilities #connect4lifebook

Season 3, Episode 19

Connected Conversations – The CEO Newsletter - January 2026 Edition

This episode features the audio spoken word version of the January 2026 CEO newsletter, Connected Conversions, an exclusive feature of Connect4Life: The Podcast.

In this issue:

• Accessibility Lunch & Learn Series

• Skills Development in South Africa

• Connect4Life's Upcoming Programs

• Connecting Possibilities: The Story of Connect4Life is published and available.

For more information or to subscribe to the written version of this newsletter visit ⁠https://connect4life.ca/⁠.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #personaladvocacy #lobbying #accessibilitycanada

Season 3, Episode 18

A Melanie Minute: Taking Care of Our Caregivers

The realities of living with a disability and the importance of caregivers is the topic of this Melanie Minute. And more to point, Melanie highlights the needs of caregivers themselves.

Whether paid personal support workers or unpaid family members and friends, caregiving entails so many facets of consideration, not to mention how caregiving can often take an enormous toil on the caregiver.

And as host Melanie Taddeo points out in this candid Melanie Minute, without the appropriate recognition and support for the caregivers in our society, those who tend to the daily needs of someone with a disability or someone aging at home can lead to caregiver burnout.

Continue listening to “Taking Care of Our Caregivers” and be a part of the growing dialogue around the importance of caregiving.

A Melanie Minute is an exclusive feature of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, which we produce regularly – or, pretty much whenever Connect 4 Life’s President & CEO, Melanie Taddeo, has something meaningful to share with our listeners.

For more information visit www.connect4life.ca.

#melanieminute #melanietaddeo #podcasts #podcasting #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #advocacy #publicpolicy #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #accessibilitycanada #caregivers #caregiving #carers

Season 3, Episode 17

Profiles in Advocacy: Dan Walters Helps Make Change by Being the Changemaker Himself

This episode of Profiles in Advocacy takes us to the post-secondary education sector in Ontario.

Host Melanie Taddeo chats with Dan Walters, who is both a lecturer and the man who coordinates practica for students at Ontario Tech University in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

For Dan, this is more than a job of synching up a practical learning setting with the University’s requirements for a student to graduate; his focus is on finding the right ingredients to achieve a qualitive level of empowerment and self-determination for the individual. His method follows the ancient practice of listening, so as not to make assumptions, and to achieve a greater understanding about authentic accessibility and inclusion.

As Dan explains, he's always looking around, self-reflectively, asking: who is not included in the dialogue – whose voice hasn’t been heard at the table?

Listen to the episode and hear from one of Ontario’s most passionate and authentic champions of total inclusivity, and how simple, everyday steps can form a type of advocacy that can become second nature to us.

Learn more about Dan Walters and his approach to the practice of advocating for inclusion and accessibility by visiting Ontario Tech University.

Like Connect4Life, Ontario Tech University is also a recently accredited NGO to the United Nations on matters of disability.

For more information visit www.connect4life.ca.

#melanieminute #melanietaddeo #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #crpd #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #ontariotechu #danwalters #inclusiveeducation #accessibleeducation #accessiblecanada

Season 3, Episode 16

Profiles in Advocacy: Sean Pickard – Advocacy with a Mic

This episode of Profiles in Advocacy features host Melanie Taddeo and Sean Pickard. Sean is the Station Manager for V4A Studios in Canada. He also lives with a brain injury.

Sean’s work in digital media helps give a voice to the issues and faces of disability. His work helps build community, broadens access to information, and serves as an instrument of representation – key features of what defines the practice of advocacy.

As Sean points out in this Season 3 focus on profiles in advocacy, his approach to advocacy is perhaps among the simplest since just about anyone can pick up a mic and start recording and sharing.

Keep listening to learn more about Voices for Ability Radio, by, for and about people with disabilities, and how the use of microphone has helped shape one man’s approach making the world more accessible and inclusive.

For more information visit www.connect4life.ca.

#connect4life #melanietaddeo #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #accessibilitycanada #v4aradio #v4a #v4astudios

Season 3, Episode 15

A New Year’s Melanie Minute

What better way to start anything than with a fresh perspective? Every new year – indeed, every new cycle –- provides that opportunity for all of us to consider how to make the best of the moments ahead.

Enjoy this Melanie Minute, an exclusive feature of Connect4Life: The Podcast – and Happy New Year.

A Melanie Minute is an exclusive feature of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, which we produce regularly – or, pretty much whenever Connect 4 Life’s President & CEO, Melanie Taddeo, has something meaningful to share with our listeners.

Similar to an audio blog, A Melanie Minute might actually be a minute in length, or it might be 8 or 10 minutes. Each segment focuses on a special message, an important issue of the day, or something Melanie feels is worth talking about and engaging listeners.

For more information visit www.connect4life.ca.

#melanieminute #melanietaddeo #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #accessibilitycanada