The Pulse

Joeita speaks disability lawyer Sivan Tumarkin of Samfiru Tumarkin LLP about long-term disability claims and how to apply for them.

Highlights

• The Ins and Outs of Long-Term Disability Claims – Opening Remarks (00:00)
• Introducing Sivan Tumarkin, disability lawyer and the National Co-Managing Partner of Samfiru Tumarkin LLP (01:14)
• What is Long-Term Disability and Who is Eligible? (02:14)
• Differences Between Personal Injury Claims, Workers’ Compensation & Long-Term Disability Claims (03:45)
• LTD Claims Across Canada (05:37)
• How to Start the Process of a Long-Term Disability Claim (06:37)
• HR & the Impact of Long-Term Disability Claims on Insurance Premiums (07:41)
• How Long Does the LTD Claim Process Take? (10:01)
• Documentation Requirements & Application Process (10:47)
• Pre-Existing Health Conditions & Reasons Disability Claims are Disqualified (12:44)
• How to Appeal or Challenge a Claim Denial (14:55)
• The Legal Process and Taking Insurance Companies to Court (18:11)
• Ombudspersons & Lodging Complaints Against Insurance Companies (22:41)
• Impact of Changes Within Employers or Insurance Companies on LTD Benefits (23:40)
• Breach of Policy & Reasonable Treatments (25:02)
• Recurrence Clauses, Episodic Illnesses & Disabilities (26:45)
• The David Versus Goliath Myth (Spoiler: David Wins!) (29:10)
• Visit Disabilityrights.ca & LTDFAQ.ca for More Info (30:09)
• Closing Remarks (30:58)

Guest Bio

Sivan Tumarkin is National Co-Managing Partner of Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and heads the firm’s Disability & Personal Injury Law practice group across Canada. He also acts as a mediator for parties seeking to resolve their disputes efficiently and equitably.

Prior to co-founding Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, Sivan worked at one of the top insurance defence law firms in Canada. His clientele included insurance companies, municipalities and major retail corporations throughout Ontario. His previous experience working for insurance companies has given him unique insight into the long-term disability claim denial and appeals process, allowing him to secure strong results for his clients

Reference

Disability Rights Website

Frequently Asked Questions about Long-term Disability Claims

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

Joeita speaks with Beth Beattie and Carole Dagher about their new book “The Right Not to Remain Silent: The Truth About Mental Health in the Legal Profession” which discusses mental health and well-being amongst legal professionals. 

Highlights

• Mental Health Within the Legal Profession – Opening Remarks (00:00)
• Introducing Beth Beattie & Carole Dagher (01:29)
• “The Right Not to Remain Silent: The Truth About Mental Health in the Legal Profession” (03:12)
• Importance of Mental Health Amongst Legal Professionals (04:23)
• Fear & Secrecy Surrounding Mental Health Struggles (06:02)
• Contributors to “The Right Not to Remain Silent” & Mental Health Summit (08:31)
• What Can We Learn from Personal Essays on Mental Health? (12:27)
• Intersections of Mental Health, Sexism, Homophobia & Racism (15:56)
• Deciding to Disclose One’s Invisible Disability (19:31)
• Reducing Stigma & Changing the Culture Within the Legal Profession (22:24)
• Significance of Mental Health Awareness Amongst Legal Professionals (24:22)
• Closing Remarks (25:23)

More Info: 

The Right Not to Remain Silent: The Truth About Mental Health in The Legal Profession is a groundbreaking book that sets the stage for revolutionizing how mental health is perceived in the legal profession and beyond. It contains a series of candid and courageous memoirs by members of the legal profession living with mental health and addiction issues. The authors are judges, lawyers, and law professors with wide-ranging legal practices in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario including at Bay Street and small boutique firms.

Young lawyers and senior members of the profession share their experiences of working while living with various types of challenges – depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, addiction, grief, imposter syndrome, and perfectionism.

The Right Not to Remain Silent: The Truth About Mental Health in The Legal Profession addresses the insidious nature of mental health stigma and isolation in the legal community. But it is fundamentally a book about hope. As the authors discuss their sometimes harrowing journeys, they also show routes back to meaningful engagement with colleagues and work.

To read these personal accounts is to be moved, inspired, and hopefully galvanized into action at the individual, collegial, and organizational level. This book offers practical solutions to change the culture of legal practice and beyond so as to bust apart stigma and isolation, foster people getting the support they need, and cultivate more diverse workplaces.

Book Contributors

• David S. Goldbloom
• The Honourable George R. Strathy
• The Honourable Michele Hollins
• Beth Beattie
• Carole Dagher
• Thomas Telfer
• Katherine Cooligan
• Orlando Da Silva
• Michael R. Ferguson
• Michael Herman
• Aidan Johnson
• Imran Kamal
• Ryan Middleton
• Yadesha Satheaswaran
• Leslie Anne St. Amour
• Dan Stein
• Courtney Wilson
• Leena Yousefi
• Brett D.M. Jones
• Shayan Imran
• M. Ishrat Husain

“Postpartum depression made me feel hopeless. Not Today.” article by Carole Dagher for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) 

Guest Bio: Beth Beattie

Called to the Bar in 1994, Beth Beattie has a broad-based health law litigation practice.

Since January 2018 Beth has been a Friend of the Bell Let’s Talk campaign. Her story of working as a lawyer with bipolar disorder has been featured on television, radio, podcasts, print media and even billboards across the country. Television appearances include The Marilyn Denis Show, CTV News, CTV North News, CP24 and a CTV prime time special, “In Their Own Words”.

In 2021, 2022 and 2023 Beth co-chaired with the former Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario, Teresa Donnelly, Mental Health Summits for Legal Professionals. Each year the Summits were watched by nearly 6,000 registrants.

Beth is a founding member of Voices for Mental Health which is a group of employees at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General who have lived mental health experience or who have cared for loved ones with lived experience. Voices provides programming within the Ministry of the Attorney General and beyond on topics relating to mental health.

In 2022 Beth was awarded the Law Society Medal, the highest honour available to a lawyer in Ontario. The Medal was awarded for outstanding service within the profession in accordance with the highest ideals of the profession. She was also awarded the Ontario Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Advocate of the Year Award.

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
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• Email [email protected]

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Health Equity

00:52 Barriers Faced by People with Disabilities

06:07 The Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity

07:30 Addressing Health Inequities Highlighted by COVID-19

09:39 Tackling Health Equity in the Canadian Healthcare System

11:02 Understanding Sustainable Community Well-being

15:29 Taking a Critical Disability Lens in Healthcare

16:28 The Right to Health and Affirmation of People with Disabilities

22:19 Conclusion and Future Conversations

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

Joeita speaks with Dominic Roberts, author of a new book of poetry "Blinded by the Write: Poems from a Twisted Mind" in which he discusses his vision loss journey.

Highlights:

• The Emotional Landscape of Blindness - Opening Remarks (00:00)
• Introduction – The Pulse Home Studio (01:14)
• Introducing Dominic Roberts, Poet and Author of “Blinded by the Write: Poems from a Twisted Mind” (4:22)
• Writing Process (06:30)
• Fantasy Side (6:58)
• Making Peace with Vision Loss through Poetry (08:04)
• “Eyes Tell Lies” (09:23)
• Prominence of Nature in Poetic and Vision Loss Journey’s (13:03)
• Other People’s Poetry (14:15)
• From a Poem to a Book (14:46)
• Nature’s Own Disco (15:32)
• Paradise Lost, Inspiration & the Milking Process (16:53)
• Deciding to Write & Publish a Book (18:09)
• “Blind is Beautiful” (20:40)
• Is Blindness Something to be Overcome? (24:16)
• Find More from Dominic Roberts (25:00)
• Show Close (26:11)

Links:

Blinded by the Write: Poems from a Twisted Mind (Amazon Canada, GoodReads)

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

Joeita speaks to Carli Friedman of the University of Washington about disability and intimacy. 

Highlights:

• The Value of Intimate Relationships - Opening Remarks (00:00)
• Introducing Carli Friedman, Director of research for the Council on Quality and Leadership (01:09)
• Studying Disability & Intimacy (02:17)
• Defining Intimacy (03:26)
• Benefits of Having Intimate Relationships (04:01)
• Barriers to Close Relationships (05:30)
• Impact of Housing Situation (06:11)
• Access to Privacy (07:39)
• Stigma Around Inter-Abled Relationships (08:40)
• Understanding Access-Needs (10:29)
• Common Experiences Versus Shared Interests (11:35)
• Social Media and Intimate Relationships (13:10)
• Attitudinal & Other Barriers (15:06)
• Facilitators & Gatekeepers (16:03)
• How to Form Intimate Relationships (18:56)
• Kinship, Belonging & Well-Being (20:15)
• Independence Versus Interdependence (21:06)
• Show Close (23:11)

Guest Bio:

Carli Friedman is the Director of Research for CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership. CQL is an international not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to the definition, measurement, and improvement of personal quality of life, through a world of dignity, opportunity, and community for all people with disabilities. Carli’s research at CQL works to promote meaningful community participation and empowerment of people with disabilities by exploring the impact policy, service systems, and providers can have on quality enhancement and quality of life. Carli, who has a Doctorate in Disability Studies, is the author of over 230 journal articles, book chapters, research briefs, and reports, focusing on ableism, community integration of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Medicaid, and social determinants of health.

Article: AAIDD Honors CQL’s Carli Friedman, PhD, With The 2022 Research Award

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

Joeita speaks to Andrew Leland about his book "The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight"

Highlights:

• “What is Blindness?” - Opening Remarks (00:00)
• Introducing Andrew Leland, Author of “The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight” (01:14)
• About H.G. Wells’ “The Country of the Blind” Short Story (01:57)
• Memoir Writing Process (04:12)
• Curiosity in Exploring Vision Loss (06:30)
• Balancing Intellectualizing Blindness & the Emotional Reality of Blind People (09:30)
• Deciding Where to Draw the Line (12:16)
• Blindness & the Male Gaze (15:05)
• Culture of Blindness (17:38)
• Surprises, Revelations & Conclusions (20:57)
• Lingering Questions & Tensions (23:31)
• Show Close (26:02)

Guest Bio: 

Andrew Leland’s writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s Quarterly, and The San Francisco Chronicle, among other outlets. From 2013-2019, he hosted and produced The Organist, an arts and culture podcast, for KCRW; he has also produced pieces for Radiolab and 99 Percent Invisible. He has been an editor at The Believer since 2003. He lives in western Massachusetts with his wife and son.

About The Country of the Blind

Named one of the best books of the year by: THE NEW YORKER • THE WASHINGTON POST • THE ATLANTIC • NPR • PUBLISHERS WEEKLY • LITHUB

A witty, winning, and revelatory personal narrative of the author’s transition from sightedness to blindness and his quest to learn about blindness as a rich culture all its own

“After reading Andrew Leland’s memoir, The Country of the Blind, you will look at the English language differently . . . Leland rigorously explores the disability’s most troubling corners . . . A wonderful cross-disciplinary wander.” —The New York Times Book Review

We meet Andrew Leland as he’s suspended in the liminal state of the soon-to-be blind: he’s midway through his life with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that ushers those who live with it from sightedness to blindness over years, even decades. He grew up with full vision, but starting in his teenage years, his sight began to degrade from the outside in, such that he now sees the world as if through a narrow tube. Soon—but without knowing exactly when—he will likely have no vision left.

Full of apprehension but also dogged curiosity, Leland embarks on a sweeping exploration of the state of being that awaits him: not only the physical experience of blindness but also its language, politics, and customs. He negotiates his changing relationships with his wife and son, and with his own sense of self, as he moves from his mainstream, “typical” life to one with a disability. Part memoir, part historical and cultural investigation, The Country of the Blind represents Leland’s determination not to merely survive this transition but to grow from it—to seek out and revel in that which makes blindness enlightening.

Thought-provoking and brimming with warmth and humor, The Country of the Blind is a deeply personal and intellectually exhilarating tour of a way of being that most of us have never paused to consider—and from which we have much to learn.

Related Links:

NPR Article - As a writer slowly loses his sight, he embraces other kinds of perception

Blindness isn't a tragic binary — it's a rich spectrum (Ted Talk, July 2023)

Andrew Leland Website: https://www.andrewleland.org/

The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight (Wikipedia)

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

Joeita discusses emergency preparedness for people with disabilities with Kaitlynne Lowe, Policy Researcher at MacEachen Institute for Public Policy at Dalhousie University.  

From Emergency Supply Kits and Vulnerable Person’s Registries to accessibility barriers in transportation and housing, people with disabilities are often especially vulnerable during a crisis, disaster, or emergency.

Highlights:

• “Vulnerable in an Emergency Situation” - Opening Clip (00:00)
• Disability & Emergency Preparedness - Opening Remarks (00:34)
• Introducing Kaitlynne Lowe (01:47)
• Public Safety for People with Disabilities (02:15)
• Emergency Response Capacity Across Canada (03:17)
• How are People with Disabilities Vulnerable During a Crisis? (05:41)
• Effective Communication During an Emergency (07:36)
• Accounting for Local Nuance in Emergency Planning (09:46)
• Accessibility Barriers in Transportation & Housing (12:30)
• Vulnerable Person’s Registry (16:23)
• Emergency Supply Kits (19:25)
• Rethinking What Constitutes an “Emergency” (22:49)
• The State of Emergency Preparedness for Canadians with Disabilities (24:57)
• Show Close (27:27)

Guest Bio:

Kaitlynne Lowe is a Policy Researcher at the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Kaitlynne is a Dalhousie MPA graduate, hopeful life-changer, book lover, theatre-goer, adventurer, and cat mom.

Follow Kaitlynne Lowe on X/Twitter: @KatieALowe

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

In the third of three episodes on Accessible Fashion, Joeita speaks to Alexa Jonovavic, founder of Aille Design, a brand featuring clothing with Braille beadwork. Alexa dives into her collaborative process with members of the blind and partially sighted community. Plus, a fascinating exploration of the relationship blind women have with colour.  

Highlights:

• “So Much More Than Clothing” - Opening Clip (00:00)
• “Accessible Fashion as a Social Good” - Opening Remarks (00:28)
• Introducing Alexa Jovanovic of Aille Design (01:40)
• Discovering Love of Fashion & Design (02:36)
• Functionality Versus Aesthetics (04:00)
• Caring for Braille Beadwork Clothing (6:06)
• Learning & Writing Braille (7:27)
• Impact of Braille Beadwork Messages (9:12)
• Establishing Your Fashion Brand (11:18)
• Why Beads for Braille? (13:25)
• Formal and Professional Beaded Attire (15:02)
• Custom & Bespoke Braille Beadwork (19:54)
• Relationship Between Colour & Blindness (21:25)
• Influencing the Broader Industry (24:12)
• Personal Journey Through Accessible Fashion Work (26:11)
• Show Close (29:51)

Aille Design on AMI-tv’s Fashion Dis

Guest Bio: 

Now known as "The Braille Fashion Designer," Alexa Jovanovic first began creating Braille fashion as a research project in university where she was taught the importance of disrupting fashion industry norms through innovative design thinking and the co-design process.

Alexa built strong relationships with local blind and partially sighted individuals and together they discussed everything from shopping, clothing trends, and closet organization, to society’s misconceptions of what it means to “look and feel” blind.

About Aille Design - ​https://ailledesign.com/

Our brand name comes from the French verb Aller which means "to go" or "to move forward". We believe inclusivity is the direction the fashion industry needs to move forward in and we're ready to help lead the change!

The pronunciation of our name alludes to the personal "I" since our products help to empower and increase independence, as well as the physical "eye" since braille provides a source of vision and understanding.

Did you know? The two dots in our logo are the braille character for the letter "i". It represents the importance of braille while helping you remember the pronunciation of Aille.

We make clothing and accessories with fully legible braille that are designed alongside the blind and visually impaired community.

Use the braille to describe the physical garment, choose one of our value based phrases, or customize the braille to say anything you want! The tactile braille beadwork is the focal point of each design. It generates conversation about accessibility and inclusion and makes for an incredibly unique gift. 5% of all t-shirt sales are donated to organizations for the visually impaired.

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

In the second of three episodes on Accessible Fashion, Joeita speaks to Wendy Wong, founder of June Adaptive on her creative choice and journey. Wendy discusses the practicalities of getting her business off the ground, including obtaining feedback from People with Disabilities.    

Highlights:

• “Adaptive Clothing for People of All Abilities” – Opening Clip (00:00)
• “You Are What You Wear” - Opening Remarks (04:46)
• Introducing Wendy Wong, Creator of June Adaptive (01:52)
• Inspiration from Aunt June (02:55)
• All About Aunt June (04:43)
• Challenges in Catering to a Niche Community (05:25)
• Making JuneAdaptive.com Accessible (06:57)
• Adapted Clothing Designs: Zipper Sneakers (08:09)
• Grip Socks (08:59)
• Magnetic Button-Down Shirt (10:25)
• Open-Back Tops (11:48)
• Denim Jeans with toggles, loops, thigh pockets, velcro ankle-openings (12:58)
• Process of Creating Adapted Clothing (14:54)
• Ensuring Quality (15:42)
• Collaborating with Suppliers (16:30)
• Evolution of Adaptive Fashion (17:53)
• Universal Design in Clothing (19:19)
• Affordable & Accessible Fashion (21:02)
• Wardrobe Essentials (23:46)
• Adaptive Fashion Goals (25:03)
• Show Close (26:02)

About June Adaptive: 

From people frustrated by inaccessible buttons and zippers to people recovering from medical treatments, people living with mobility challenges or disabilities can find fashion solutions at June Adaptive.

We found pieces that helped people in our lives and we hope we can help you too.

“The Start of June Adaptive”

June was more than just a “cool” aunt to our founder Wendy; she was a sister, friend, and a hard-working medical professional who adored her cocker spaniel. Following an accident later in life, June had lost mobility in her arms and legs.

With a fashion background, Wendy wanted to help June maintain her independence and dignity by finding clothing that was beautiful yet functional. To Wendy's surprise, it was nearly impossible to find adaptive pieces that fit into June’s new everyday life.

As life went on, Wendy had found that additional family members had developed mobility challenges, sharing related issues in finding accessible fashion.

After discovering the adaptive fashion space, Wendy wanted to bring back the joy of fashion to people experiencing similar struggles. June Adaptive was created out of an inspiration to provide an inclusive shopping experience for different levels of ability.

Our goal is to create a universally designed experience for more people to shop. We want to make adaptive fashion more accessible because everyone should be able to look good.

Links

 Toronto Star - These adaptive fashion designers are making personal style more accessible - 

Fashion Magazine - Adaptive Fashion Brands You Should Know About

Seneca Journalism -Making Fashion Fit for Everyone

About The Pulse 

On The Pulse, host Joeita Gupta brings us closer to issues impacting the disability community across Canada. 

Joeita Gupta has nurtured a life-long dream to work in radio! She's blind, moved to Toronto in 2004 and got her start in radio at CKLN, 88.1 FM in Toronto. 

A former co-host of AMI-audio's Live from Studio 5, Joeita also works full-time at a nonprofit in Toronto, specializing in housing/tenant rights. 

Find Joeita on Twitter: @JoeitaGupta 

The Pulse airs weekly on AMI-audio. For more information, visit https://www.ami.ca/ThePulse/recent_ep... 

About AMI 

AMI is a not-for-profit media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. Operating three broadcast services, AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French, AMI’s vision is to establish and support a voice for Canadians with disabilities, representing their interests, concerns and values through inclusion, representation, accessible media, reflection, representation and portrayal. 

Learn more at AMI.ca 

Connect on Twitter @AccessibleMedia 

On Instagram @accessiblemediainc 

On Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc 

On TikTok @accessiblemediainc 

Email [email protected]

Check out the Pulse on YouTube!

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
• Email [email protected]

In the first of three episodes on Accessible Fashion, Joeita speaks to  Izzy Camilleri, the founder of IZ Adaptive, a clothing brand that provides accessible fashions for people with disabilities. 

We discuss her foray into inclusive fashion and design at a time when no one was talking about it. She discusses how her desire to create clothes that are functional, as well as beautiful, changed the course of her life while conferring dignity to people with disabilities.

Highlights:

• Opening Clip – Izzy on Adaptive Clothing (00:00)
• Opening Remarks – Accessible Fashion as Function (00:39)
• Accessible Fashion Series Overview (01:42)
• Introducing Izzy Camilleri & IZ Adaptive (03:32)
• A Life-Changing Phone Call (04:11)
• Initial Challenges Designing Clothes for a Wheelchair User (06:30)
• Designing for People Who Need Help Dressing and Those Who Dress Themselves Independently (08:19)
• Disability Inclusive Features of Adapted Clothing (09:58)
• Inspiration for Getting into Fashion Design (11:11)
• Reaction of Colleagues to Izzy’s Shift into Adapted Clothing (11:46)
• The Business Side of Adaptive Clothing (13:58)
• Consulting with Large Labels on Accessible Design (14:58)
• Toronto as Accessible Fashion Hotbed (16:11)
• Creativity in Adaptive Clothing (17:01)
• Wardrobe Essentials (18:53)
• Feedback on IZ Adaptive (19:40)
• What’s Next for IZ Adaptive? (21:44)
• Show Close (22:38)

Guest Bio: 

Izzy Camilleri is one of Canada’s leading and most celebrated fashion designers, and a pioneer in adaptive clothing. Izzy first ventured into the world of accessible clothing after initially doing custom work for a wheelchair user in 2004. It opened her eyes to the huge necessity for this type of clothing in the world.

In 2022, Izzy received 2 awards for her adaptive line. She won the Innovation Award from the Women’s Empowerment Awards and the Fashion Impact Award from the CAFA Awards. In 2006, she received CAFA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. Her adaptive line has been featured in the Royal Ontario Museum. For more than 39 years, she has designed custom clothing for an international clientele, crafted gorgeous collections featured in fashion magazines from Vogue to InStyle, and dressed celebrities like Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Wahlberg, Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie and David Bowie. Since 2009, Izzy has focused on inclusive fashion through her brand IZ Adaptive, with the mission to make great looking and well-fitting clothes accessible to everyone. To learn more about Izzy, visit www.izzycamilleri.com.

See more of Izzy Camilleri on AMI-tv’s Fashion Dis!

Each episode of Fashion Dis celebrates the head-to-toe overhaul of a frustrated style seeker discouraged by an industry that lacks adaptive options. 

The Story of IZ Adaptive 

IZ Adaptive was launched in 2009 after fashion designer Izzy Camilleri spent a few years creating custom clothing for a client who was a wheelchair user living with paralysis. This experience opened her eyes to the clothing challenges and limitations people face while living with a physical disability.

After years of creating these first custom pieces, Izzy realized that if her client had all these obstacles around clothing, there must be many others with the same issues. Izzy decided to hold a focus group meeting where other voices were heard around  the challenges, likes and dislikes around everyday clothing while living with a physical disability. With listening and learning, the seeds of creating a line of adaptive clothing were being planted.  After doing online research of the market, she saw that there was very little out there designed specifically for this demographic of people.  Most of what was available was for the elderly or for people living in long term care facilities. Clothing that was very dated in both design and fabric choice. Seeing this huge void in the market, Izzy saw this as an opportunity to create a line of clothes for people living with a disability, starting with modern wardrobe basics.   In June of 2009 IZ Adaptive was born.

Izzy Camilleri was hailed a trail blazer pioneering the category of adaptive clothing in the form of fashionable, functional pieces. Her new and innovative work was called revolutionary. The path since that time has been long and hard, but Izzy kept it on life support, knowing the importance of what she was creating and how many lives IZ Adaptive positively affected. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, Izzy also created the first ‘Seamless Back Pant’ which helps to reduce the risk of life threatening pressure sores.  This patented technology is the most important work Izzy has done throughout her long career. These pants have become an important staple in many of IZ Adaptives customer’s wardrobes.

Today, Izzy is seen as the Thought Leader in this space. IZ Adaptive has a global reach with its online store. Major media outlets have featured IZ, and museums have also displayed this work. Universities and colleges reach out as well to learn about this new and exciting category of clothing for their studies.

IZ Adaptive continues to push boundaries, lead in innovation and is looking to the future with plans of big growth. 

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About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

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