Peter Field has degrees in journalism and English, has worked in government, and is on the board of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC), just one of multiple organizations offering advocacy and support to Canadians who are blind. He grew up in the Toronto area but has retired to British Columbia, just in time for the extreme rain and flooding and “atmospheric river phenomenon” that’s been taking place this fall on the west coast. Not to mention his southwestern Ontario connection, right along with us and our family, he’s got his own family ties to a place called Tavistock we know well.

This week on Outlook, we speak with Peter about the three-pronged project he’s involved in known as the Pandora Project. He joins us to share about the three components: a book on the history of blindness in this country, the Triple Vision podcast sharing diverse perspectives from the past, present, and future, and educational materials for Canadian children and students to learn about the role blind people have occupied in society.

Things we discuss in this episode include Peter’s years of transition as a teenager who was integrated and who rapidly became blind while trying to manage as a young person beginning his life, on his spotty interactions with other blind people (how to find mentors and friends and allies along the way) until later on in his life, and how he eventually came together with four other people (with even a Western University connection in there somewhere) to make the Pandora Project a reality.

Questions we pose: How do we find community and establish pride in ourselves and fight off eternalized ableism? How do we best bring people along who may be isolated or overwhelmed? And how do we best tell an authentic history of blindness and disability to focus on greater diversity?

As is said, once you open Pandora’s box, there’s no stuffing back in all that has sprung from said box. This is no different when it comes to the history of blindness in Canada, of our past, present, and future and is what a team of colleagues, friends, and advocates (including Peter Field) have set out to explore.

Some of the same things, these are why we do this podcast, as two blind siblings in Canada and we at Outlook On Radio Western think it’s about time.

Check out the Triple Vision podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/triple-vision/id1589475286

And learn more about Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians on their official website:

http://www.blindcanadians.ca/