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!

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!

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!

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!

With a federal election coming on September 20th, we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about what it’s like to cast your vote when you are blind or partially sighted. Shawn and co-hosts Nika and Kolby welcome back Betty Nobel to the podcast where she talks about the work she does producing braille for Elections Canada, and what adaptations are in place for voters who are blind or partially sighted. For those who have never voted before and don’t know what to expect, this is the episode for you -- and just in time for you to get out there and make your voice heard on September 20th! 

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!

It’s the first full week of September and time to dust off those backpacks and head back to the classroom! The start of the school year means big adjustments for everyone, from children going to classes for the very first time all the way to parents who have to adjust their schedules accordingly as well. This week Shawn welcomes Keisha, Randi, and Ella, all of whom are headed back to school this week, to discuss what it’s like to be headed to in-person classes again. They talk about everything from Guide Dog etiquette and the challenges of navigating COVID-19 measures as a student who is blind or partially sighted to the adjustments of schedules and pressures of a new year of post-secondary education after years of being out of school. It’s a full course load of subjects in this episode that you won’t want to skip!

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!

With the Paralympics still in full swing, we wanted to keep talking about sports, so this week Shawn and co-host Jinnie welcome Brian Cowie, the President of BC Blind Sports and Recreation Association to the show. They discuss all the different sports the BC Blind Sports offers, the importance of adapted sports, and even Brian’s own athletic career. 

BC Blind Sports and Recreation Associationhttps://bcblindsports.bc.ca/

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!

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics start August 24, so this week we are talking with two Paralympians who just happen to be our own Shawn Marsolais and her Tandem Cycling pilot, Lisa. Join Nika as she takes over hosting duties to interview Shawn and Lisa and find out about their experiences at the 2004 Athens Paralympics as competitors in Tandem Cycling. They discuss everything from the relationship and bond that forms between pilot and athlete as well as what their training regiment was like, what it was like competing at an elite level and even what the Canadian Paralympic Team swag was 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!

Audio description is an extremely valuable way for people who are blind or partially sighted to be able to access many TV shows, movies, and other programming. But apart from just pure entertainment, audio description can also offer up some very important lessons and learning moments for children who are blind or partially sighted. This week Shawn and co-host Kolby welcome Maria, who is the parent of a daughter who is blind, to discuss what kind of developmental impact audio description can have  on young children. 

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!

This week we’re talking about friends -- and no, we don’t mean that TV show with Jennifer Aniston. That discussion over at the Central Perk will have to wait because this episode is a full house (no, not THAT full house) as Shawn welcomes Ishita and her friend Jaslene as well as John and his friend Michael to the show to discuss the dynamics of friendship when one friend is sighted and the other is blind or partially sighted. It’s an open and frank conversation that is also filled with laughter and wonderful stories of the power of friendship that you and your BFFs won’t want to miss!

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!