Living Blind

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 employed at Apple Sherway Gardens as a Sales Specialist. She is currently pursuing a BA in Psychology at York University, and since this interview, has graduated from the Assistive Technology Apprenticeship Program here at Balance.

Since 2017, Minette has worked with the Alliance For Equality Of Blind Canadians(AEBC) to advocate for social change. She has designed and delivered consultations and workshops on meaningful employment, accessible education, housing, and customer service.

In addition to her work with the AEBC, Minette is an Accessibility Tester for Fable Tech, and serves as co-chair for The Accessible Housing Network and The Ontario Assistive Devices Program Working Group. Her ultimate goal is to remove inequality, discrimination, and injustice in order to make this world a better place for each of us.

Minette talks to Naomi about her life growing up with vision loss in Guiana, the challenges she faced while migrating to Canada, the freedom to work and manifest her potential changing the perception of disability, and her aspirations in counselling psychology. Her resilience is also rooted in her embrace of the Christian faith, which began as an isolated child in Guiana, and Christianity's embrace of her.

Links:

Follow Minette on LinkedInand Facebook.

Check out her appearance in a promotional video for The Disability Advantage Training Program.

What did you think of this episode? Get in touch with the podcast by joining our Listeners Facebook group, or by sending us an email at [email protected].

Follow Balance For Blind Adults on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,and Youtube.

The show notes and transcription for this podcast can be found at BalanceFBA.org/Podcast.

Donate to BALANCE: BalanceFBA.org

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, a devoted advocate, mother, and Grandmother. Barbara was born with Usher Syndrome, a condition in which a person has both partial or profound hearing loss in addition to progressive vision loss, due to the eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Barbara got her start in advocacy work in 2000, as Deafblind intervenor Services were losing funding and faced being dropped as a service offered under CNIB. She founded the Emergency Intervenor services program in 2013, and is currently working with the National Association of Deafblind America on a week-long deafblind conference to take place in 2030 in Atlanta Georgia, in honour of Helen Keller's 150th birthday.

Every spring, she can be found crocheting squares for the Yarnbombing for Deafblind Awareness month.

When she is not devoting her time to volunteer work, she is busy spoiling her grandchildren in her home in Burlington Ontario, and exploring the outdoors with her husband.

Links:

Email Barbara Davisto keep up with all of her projects.

Rosita Foley Intervener profile Page.

What is Usher Syndrome?

Yarn Bombing to Promote JUNE as Deafblind Awareness Month.

2022 Louisiana Helen Keller Deafblind Awareness Banquet.

Emergency Intervenor Services.

Deafblind Community Services (DBCS).

Deafblind Ontario (DBO).

Deafblind International (DBI).

Canadian Helen Keller Centre.

Helen Keller Services for the Blind.

Deaf Vacations.

For information about the Deafblind Escape Cruises: contact organizer Kelly Monahan, or Travel Advisor Stacy Yarbrough.

An even greater list of Deafblind organizations across Canada can be found Here.

The American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB.

The show notes and transcription for this podcast can be found here.

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 navigating the vast world of performing arts when you have low or no vision.

Named one of the most influential disabled artists by UK’s Power Magazine, Alex Bulmer has over thirty professional years’ experience across theatre, film, radio and education. She is fuelled by a curiosity of the improbable, dedicated to collaborative practice, and deeply informed by her experience of becoming blind. She is activated by obstacles, well exposed to the absurd, and embraces the disciplines of generosity, listening, and uncertainty within her artistic and personal life. Alex is co-founder of The Fire and Rescue Team, former artistic director of Common Boots Theatre, and was recently lead curator of CoMotionFestival 2022 with Harbourfront Centre. She is an award winning actor, playwright and a BAFTA nominated screenwriter.

Shayla Brown is an actress who has appeared in various film, television, and theatre productions. She is known for her supporting role in Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, as well as appearing in The Apple TV original series, See. She is also an up-and-coming performer in the Canadian Theatre seen, starring in the world premiere of George F. Walker’s orphans for the Czar in Toronto. When asked about working with Shayla, Sarah Polley, an academy award nominee and the director of Women Talking, said “she brought this wisdom, vulnerability and strength. She was also deeply attuned to the dynamics in the room, which is so important on set. She’s incredibly generous, and she’s a couple of steps ahead of most actors. A lot of actors will bring up the problems they’re facing, Shayla also offers solutions, and that’s incredibly helpful as a director.”

Together they talk to Naomi about how they got started in the performing arts, the similarities and differences between live theatre and film and television, and tell stories about experiences working with directors and set designers in order to ensure they had accommodations on set, even mining them for creative gain.

Finally, they provide some advice to those getting started in the performing arts, and share their recommendations for the media and performing arts industry going forward, particularly in the realm of casting blind and low vision actors across all types of roles, and creating inclusive environments where everyone can excel. As Alex herself puts it, “You are not playing blind, but rather you are playing a character who is blind.”

Follow Alex Bulmer on Facebook and Instagram, her website at alexbulmer.co.uk, and Perceptual Archaeology.

Follow Shayla Brown on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and IMDB.

What did you think of this episode? Get in touch with the podcast by joining our Listeners Facebook group, or by sending us an email at [email protected].

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and twitter, by searching Balance For Blind Adults.

The show notes and transcription for this episode can be found at BalanceFBA.org/Podcast.

Donate to BALANCE: BalanceFBA.org/donate

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 age-old question, To Dog, or not to dog?

Host Naomi Hazlett is joined by first time dog owner Samantha Moore, and certified orientation and mobility instructor Anita Laurnitus. Sam is the Events lead at  Equal Voice, a Multi-partisan organization which advocates for women and gender diversity in Canadian Politics. She got her first guide dog, a golden yellow Labrador retriever named Rockette, in March of 2022.

Anita is a certified orientation and mobility instructor with the Toronto District School Board. She previously worked as an O and M instructor and volunteer coordinator here at Balance, from 2007 to 2022.

Come along with the panel for a fun, free flowing chat, as Sam takes us on a journey of the first year having Rockette in both her personal and professional life, the pros and cons of canes and dogs, and what ultimately influenced her decision to get a dog after so many years. Anita expounds on Sam’s experience from her vantage point, and explains how she conducts O&M training for clients who travel with canes VS. those with dogs.

Sam talks about the application process, from choosing a school and filling out the paperwork, matching the right dog for you and your lifestyle, and evaluating the honeymoon phase to determine if the assigned dog is the one for you. For Sam and others like her, this also entailed going through the whole process during the pandemic, so what challenges did that present to clients, the schools, O&M instructors A la Anita, and the dogs themselves. Sam also talks about Rockette’s upbringing in prison, as part of the Prison Puppy Program.

For more information on choosing a guide dog school, check out a list of schools available in Canada and the United States.

Follow Samantha and Anita on LinkedIn, and Rockette on Instagram.

What did you think of this episode? Get in touch with the podcast by joining our Listeners Facebook group, or by sending us an email at [email protected].

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and twitter, by searching Balance For Blind Adults.

The show notes and transcription for this episode can be found at BalanceFBA.org/Podcast.

Donate to BALANCE: BalanceFBA.org

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, and worked full time with the organization from September of 2021 through September 2022. Longtime listeners might also recognize Eve’s voice from her Interview with David Lepofsky.

In this episode, Naomi and Eve discuss the lessons Eve has learned working as an O.T. with blind and partially sighted clients of all ages, as well as the myths and misconceptions surrounding both the world of blindness and the field of occupational therapy itself. Hear some of Eve's memorable stories about helping clients with cooking in the kitchen, applying makeup in the mirror, making devices with touch screens accessible, and finding alternative ways of reading books and other print materials.

The two also discuss the intersectionality and plurality of clients served by BALANCE and how the clients themselves are at the centre of decision-making and program planning as an Occupational Therapist. Finally, Eve provides some words to the wise for O.T's of all ages and stages in their careers, and also health care practitioners across all walks of life.

You can read more about the field of Occupational Therapy through the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, and click here if you would like to book an appointment with an O.T. at Balance.

You can contact Eve by sending her an email, and following her on LinkedIn.

Get in touch with the podcast by joining our Listeners Facebook group, or sending us an email at [email protected].

Follow Balance For Blind Adults on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,and Youtube.

The show notes and transcription for this podcast can be found at BalanceFBA.org/Podcast.

Donate to BALANCE: https://www.balancefba.org/donate/

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 off the third season of this podcast with an episode about this very topic, as Our host Naomi Hazlett is joined by Knights of the Braille Co-founder, Richard Bennett. Knights of the Braille is an inclusive online gaming community of enthusiasts dedicated to providing a variety of accessible options for tabletop roleplay games (TTRPG’s, and video games.

Having grown up in South Georgia where Dungeons and Dragons was perceived as being evil and dangerous, Richard tells us about his humble beginnings in the world of RPG’s, and the early days of making games accessible. This eventually lead up to him joining the team over at Knights of the Braille in 2019. He elaborates on how the Community organizes games for its members, provides a brief rundown of the current lineup of games being hosted on their discord server, and gives us a preview of what’s coming up in this year’s Everyone Games, taking place on Friday September 30 through Saturday October 1.

Join Naomi and Richard as they break down some of the lingo used in gaming, reminisce about a few of their fondest memories during gaming sessions, and have some fun doing a little role-play on the spot, with character voices thrown in for good measure.

Contact Knights of the Braille via Email, Facebook, Twitter, and visit their website at KnightsOfTheBrail.com.

To learn more about Everyone Games and their charity partners, visit their website at EveryoneGames.com, and follow Everyone Games on Facebook, Twitter, Redit, Twitch, and Youtube.

The Living Blind Podcast is now on Facebook, and

The show notes and transcription for this podcast can be found at BalanceFBA.org/Podcast.

Donate to BALANCE: https://www.balancefba.org/donate/

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 Executive Producer Deborah Gold and our Producer Jeff Rainey had a candid chat about this amazing Season 3 line-up, and also unveiled the news about the new Living Blind Listeners Facebook Group.

Donate to BALANCE: https://www.balancefba.org/donate/

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. Having lost his vision at age eight, Lawrence applies his outdoor experience, masters in environmental studies, local knowledge and ability to envisage nature with unique and insightful results.

Our Podcast host Naomi Hazlett speaks with Lawrence about bird watching, fishing, sailing, boating, cooking and barbecuing, and much more. Lawrence gives advice on how to navigate the outdoors using all five senses, along with the role that technology can serve and some of the tech items he finds useful. He also talks about exploring the outdoors with guide dogs, and how his dependency on a dog has increased over the years with his vision continuing to deteriorate.

Find Lawrence Gunther On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceGuntherOutdoors, 

on twitter at https://twitter.com/lawrencegunther,

Visit his website at LawrenceGunther.com,

As well as his Blind Fishing Boat Project 

And  Outdoors podcast.

Below are some outdoor clubs and organizations located in the Greater Toronto Area.

TRAILBLAZERS Tandem Cycling Club: https://trailblazerstandem.org/ 

The Toronto Ski Hawks: http://www.torontoskihawks.org/ 

Safari Walking Group: https://torontoaccessiblesports.ca/safari-walking-group/ 

Blind Sailing Canada: https://blindsailing.ca/ 

Ontario Blind Sports Association: https://blindsports.on.ca/

Blind Roadrunners: https://www.blindroadrunners.ca/

ACHILLES Canada: https://achillescanada.ca/

The show notes and transcription for this podcast can be found at https://www.balancefba.org/podcast/season-2/

Donate to BALANCE: https://www.balancefba.org/donate/

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 artist and school teacher with low vision.

As a singer, Blair has performed with the National Youth Choir of Canada, as well as with the Nota Bene Baroque Players. He has also starred in leading roles in Opera Laurier's productions of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress", and Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi”.

In addition, he runs a week-long summer music camp for blind and low vision children between the ages of 9 and 21, that has been in operation since 2007. It has even operated as a virtual camp during the COVID19 Pandemic, with recreational games and activities, campers receiving free private music lessons, writing choir songs together on Facebook, and putting on live concerts over zoom.

Join Blair and Naomi for a candid conversation about vision loss and education: learning environments in integrated schools compared with those of specialty schools for the blind, the terminology used to describe professionals who work with people with vision loss, debunking myths and stereotypes surrounding the blindness community, and much more. They also talk a little Mozart, because why not?

Email Blair Spry at [email protected]

W. Ross Macdonald school website: https://pdsbnet.ca/en/schools/w-ross-macdonald/

Music Camp for the Visually impaired Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CampsForTheVisuallyImpaired/

AMI Camp documentary: https://www.ami.ca/category/our-community/media/resilience?fbclid=IwAR2cpX1Lw90NtJS5vwsmZUhFgaxMs96x2VtevTT_63e_IUh5GnRum6zzORc

The show notes and transcription for this podcast can be found at https://www.balancefba.org/podcast/season-2/

Donate to BALANCE: https://www.balancefba.org/donate/

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 was discovered 250 years ago, it remains largely unheard of, undiagnosed, or diagnosed incorrectly. In fact, up until he began doing research on the condition with the Canadian National institute for the blind, DR. Gordon had not heard of this condition after 30 years in the ophthalmic industry. And, until she began working with clients and staff at Balance For Blind Adults, Naomi had not heard of it either.

In this interview, DR. Gordon tells stories about the research he has conducted up to this point, including some of the things people have reported seeing and how they feel about them, how many ophthalmologists, retina specialists, independent living instructors and other practitioners inform their patients of Charles Bonnet, and the reluctance and fear that people have about talking of their experiences with their hallucinations. He also elaborates on the neurological research that has been conducted up to this point, stressing that more investigation must be done at the level of the brain in order to gain more understanding about the condition and potentially find a cure.

The two of them offer advice to both the general public and medical community on how to deal with CBS appropriately, and while there is currently no cure or treatment, DR. Gordon offers practical solutions for those with CBS on how to cope with these visual hallucinations when they occur.

Dr. Keith Gordon is Chair of the Board of Directors at Balance for Blind Adults, and is currently the Senior Research Officer of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). His primary research interests lie in the area of ophthalmic epidemiology. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto."

Find out more about Charles Bonnet Syndrome through the following resources:

Charles Bonnet Syndrome Foundation Australia

Charles Bonnet syndrome - RNIB - See differently

Charles Bonnet Syndrome - Retina UK

Esme's Umbrella: https://charlesbonnetsyndrome.uk/

The show notes and transcription for this podcast can be found at https://www.balancefba.org/podcast/season-2/

Donate to BALANCE: https://www.balancefba.org/donate/