This week Shawn and co-host Ishita welcome back Jugaad, one of our youth from last week’s Culture and Disability episode, to discuss his passion for his favorite sport, Cricket!  While Cricket may not have much of a presence here in Canada, it’s huge in other countries around the world and if you were ever curious about how it’s played, it’s cultural impact in India, and even how it is adapted for players who are blind or partially sighted, you don’t want to miss this episode! 

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!

May 21 is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, and in the spirit of embracing and sharing about different cultures, Shawn welcomes Nika, Jinnie, Jugaad, Clement, and Ishita as co-hosts to discuss their own lived experiences navigating disability from within other cultures.  

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 past week saw us celebrate Mother’s Day, so we wanted to do something special to honor Moms in this episode of the podcast. As a Mom herself, Shawn takes the week off as host, turns the show over to Ishita and Jill, and takes a seat in the guest chair. Shawn and special guest Lovette describe their experiences of becoming Moms through the lens of being blind, some of the hurdles they faced, adaptations they needed to make, and the joys that motherhood brings. 

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!

Mental Health Awareness Week is May 3 - 9, 2021 and this year it’s more important than ever to take some time and reflect on the importance of mental health. Over 40% of Canadians have reported that their mental health has deteriorated since the pandemic began, and the feelings of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety felt can be overwhelming. This week Shawn welcomes Nika back to the podcast to talk about the importance of promoting mental health and overcoming the stigma that some people still feel about discussing it openly, sharing personal stories about various struggles as well as offering some strategies on coping and maintaining good mental health.

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 a Sunday afternoon in October of 2015, Blind Beginnings youth, volunteers, and parents gathered together in the Metrotown Mall in Burnaby, British Columbia. What came next was the result of over a year of careful planning and a LOT of practice. This week, in honor of International Dance Day on April 29th, Shawn, Randi, Nika, and Jinnie revisit the Blind Beginnings Flash Mob and take us through how the idea came to be, what kind of planning was involved to pull it off, and the lasting impact it had on its participants. 

Flash Mob 2015 (Described Version)Blind Beginnings Flash Mob with Descriptive Video - YouTube

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!

April 18 - 24 is National Volunteer Week and we are helping celebrate by talking all about the many benefits that Volunteering can have (well, aside from the awesomeness of helping an organization accomplish its given mission) -- from building new skills to paving the way for the possibility of future job opportunities. Shawn is joined by Clement and Ishita, both of whom have had Volunteer positions that have resulted in paid opportunities, to discuss what the volunteering experience was like, how it built confidence, and why it can be such an important and empowering experience for youth.

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 on the show, we’re navigating the very complex topic of Orientation and Mobility. Anyone who has ever had to go through this type of training knows that Orientation, or being able to conceptualize the space around you without being able to see it, is key. Yet for some people, it is much more challenging than for others. Shawn and co-host Jinnie welcome Patricia, who struggles with orientation, and Kim, who is a Orientation and Mobility Specialist to explore and discuss why this is. From mental mapping and spatial awareness to Orientation concepts and how they develop, this episode is a fascinating look into how different people are able to process and navigate information in very different ways.

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 on the podcast we’ve snared some great guests and there may be repercussions! If you guessed that our topic is drumming based on those incredibly bad puns, you’d be absolutely correct! This week Shawn and co-host Seerat are joined by Gary and Alethea, both experienced drummers who are blind or partially sighted and they discuss what made them pick up drumsticks in the first place, some of the challenges they face, and what they love about being percussionists. Take it from us, you just can’t beat this episode!

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 Shawn is joined by co-host Nika, who has had a passion for dance since an early age, and she shares her journey of trying to find a Dance Studio that was right for her. The two are joined by Sue, Nika’s ballet instructor, and Haley, a fellow dance student who acted as a sighted volunteer to talk about their respective experiences, how lessons were able to be adapted, and the powerful impact it had in all their lives. 

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!

Making the transition into University can be challenging in a multitude of ways for any student, but students who are blind or partially sighted can face a specific set of obstacles that can impact their studies. This week Shawn is joined by Jill and Ishita, both of whom are also students at Simon Fraser University, and their Accessibility Aid, Megan. They discuss some of the adaptations and services provided by SFU’s Centre for Accessible Learning and how Megan has helped both adapt materials in order to make them more accessible. 

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!