Moving out on your own for the very first time can be one of the most exhilarating and at the same time terrifying experiences of anyone’s life. But what is it like for youth who are blind or partially sighted? This week Shawn is joined by co-hosts Nika, Ella, Jill, and Randi for a round table discussion of what the experience is like and some advice for those that might be looking to move out on their own for the first time. 

Quite often children and youth who are blind or partially sighted can feel isolated and not know any other peers that might share their condition. This week Shawn welcomes back co-hosts Nika, John, and Kolby to discuss the importance of meeting peers that are blind or partially sighted for the first time and the impact that it can have, as well as many of their own personal experiences.

This week Shawn and co-hosts Ishita and Nika sit down and talk to Lynn Langille, long time Vision Teacher and coordinator for the Children’s Low Vision Project of BC. They discuss the Project and its mandate to provide comprehensive low vision assessment to school-age children all over the province, how COVID impacted it, and plans for the coming year. 

Backcountry skiing is a type of ski excursion that involves being guided through areas that are more remote than conventional ski tours and has been growing in popularity in the past few years. This week Shawn and co-host Kiesha welcome Tyson Rettie, founder of Braille Mountain Initiative, a new non-profit organization that aims to inspire those that are blind and partially sighted to get involved in Backcountry Mountain Sports. 

Getting a guide dog is a significant event in any individual’s life, signaling a new independence and new host of mobility options. But the process itself can be more involved and complicated than you may think. This week Shawn is joined by Jinnie, who very recently went through this process in order to get her new guide dog, to talk about each part in detail and shed some light on what the experience is like. 

Fireworks have been a traditional form of celebration and entertainment all around the world for centuries, but have you ever considered how you might describe a firework display to a person who is blind or partially sighted? Shawn welcomes Colin van Uchelen to the show this week to talk about that very topic, along with his accessible exhibition about pyrotechnical arts called “Project Fire Flower”. Colin and Shawn discuss how and why he came up with the idea of creating an accessible art project like this and talk about what is in store for people who attend the show.

It’s the last week of Blindness Awareness Month, and we have saved one of our best topics for last. The question of whether people who are blind or partially sighted would undergo a procedure in order to “cure” their blindness is one that is very personal, somewhat controversial,  and not as black and white as some might think. This week co-hosts Clement, Nika, and Kolby join Shawn for a round table discussion about this question, and their answers may surprise you!

Did you know there is a statistic that indicates that anywhere from 75 - 80% of people who are blind are also unemployed? This week Shawn and her co-host Keisha welcome Megan (who has started her own business) onto the podcast to have an open and honest discussion about the very real struggles of job searching when you are blind or partially sighted. 

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.

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. 

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!

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! 

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!

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. 

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! 

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!

What kind of hobbies do you think people who are blind or partially sighted might be interested in and take part in on a regular basis? The answers might surprise you as Shawn welcomes a panel of co-hosts including Clement, Ishita, John and Nika to discuss some of the many hobbies that they enjoy, which include watching anime, sports, video gaming, and much more!