In this episode, Shawn and co-host Clement welcome Brandon Cole, descriptive video voice talent and video game accessibility consultant, to talk about the work that he does to make popular media and games more accessible. You won’t want to miss this fascinating inside look of how some developers and studios are working to help make movies and video games a more inclusive experience. 

This week Shawn welcomes Melissa Hope and Rhys Lloyd from Descriptive Video Works, one of the leading providers of audio descriptive services, to the show to discuss their roles within the company, what audio description does, how the entire process works, and how they engage with the blind and partially sighted community in order to improve their services.

Blind Beginnings has announced that it will be hosting a fashion show on October 16 in Vancouver, and has been designed to coincide with Fashion Week 2022. This week Shawn and co-host Nika, who is volunteering on the Fashion Show Committee, welcome Randi and Kolby to discuss the event and what it’s like participating in a Fashion Show when you are blind or partially sighted.

You’ve got questions and we have answers! We’ve been compiling some questions that our listeners have been submitting, so it’s time once again for another edition of our favorite episode series - Ask A Blind Beginning Youth! In this 4th volume, Shawn welcomes co-hosts Keisha, Kolby, and Nika to answer listener questions about a variety of topics around blindness. If you have questions for any of our co-hosts, don’t forget that you can submit your question to limitless@blindbeginnings.ca and you just might hear your question featured in a future episode!

It seems like just yesterday that a group of Blind Beginnings alumni and staff met in a Zoom room on a warm spring night to record the inaugural episode of the Limitless Podcast. Now, 99 episodes later, yet another group has gathered to help celebrate this landmark episode with something very special. Clement and Ishita create and host a Jeopardy-style game show that tests the podcast knowledge of podcast “Superfans”, Kristy and Emily. Then, as a bonus, it’s a clash of the titans as Shawn and Nika face off to see who holds the crown of Limitless Trivia Queen! It’s a fun episode of looking back at the last 100 episodes and celebrating all our listeners who make the show possible! 

Vancouver Community College’s Visually Impaired Program offers courses for students who are blind and partially sighted that cover the latest in assistive technology. This week Shawn welcomes Monty, who is an instructor in the program along with co-host Jill who is a graduate of the program to talk about what the experience was like, the type of technology that is covered, and the importance and impact that assistive technology can have. 

With Mother’s Day rapidly approaching on May 8th, Shawn gathers together with co-hosts Kolby, Ishita, and Leena to discuss how their Mothers impacted their own journeys through sight loss. It’s a very personal and open discussion about the challenges many Mothers face when they are dealing with a child who is blind and partially sighted as well as a love letter to all Mothers out there.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of many non profit organizations, and Blind Beginnings is no exception. Volunteer Appreciation Week takes place April 24-30 2022 and to help celebrate these unsung heroes, Shawn welcomes Blind Beginnings staff members Lia Dicicco and Rob Mineault to discuss the impact that volunteers have on the organization, from programs and special events to day to day operations.

Shawn and co-host Kolby welcome Teacher of the Visually Impaired (otherwise known as a TVI) Sofeya to the show to discuss what being a TVI entails. Kolby has a particular connection with Sofeya since she was Sofeya’s student for many years and the two share their respective perspectives of the challenges and successes they faced during Kolby’s school career. It’s a fascinating inside look at what it’s like to navigate the educational system as a youth who is blind and partially sighted and the teachers that work with them.

This week Shawn, along with co-hosts Jinnie and Kaya welcome Jeff West, who is one of the founders of the Lori Sheppard Memorial Bursary. They discuss the life of Lori Sheppard, the origins of the Bursary, and some of the impact that it has had on previous recipients.

This week Shawn and co-host Ishita talk with Shawna, who is an Occupational Therapist who also happens to be partially sighted. With Ishita being interested in possibly pursuing that career, they discuss not only the details of the job but also what it’s like for someone who is blind or partially sighted working in the field.

Shawn flies solo this week as she welcomes Brian Bushway and Thomas Izdebski from Acoustic Athletics. Using the technique of echolocation, Brian is not only an accomplished mountain biker who is blind, but has also taken his talent and applied it to Acoustic Athletics, where they train sighted and non-sighted athletes sensory awareness. It’s a fascinating conversation about echolocation, the senses and sports that you won’t want to miss!

Babysitting can be a very important marker in many teenager’s lives, teaching valuable skills and a sense of responsibility. For teens who are blind or partially sighted, this is no different, and can carry with it the added feeling of trust and confidence in their own abilities. This week Shawn is joined by co-hosts Jill and Nika to discuss their own experiences and the importance babysitting can be for building confidence and skill sets.

It’s a very special episode this week as Limitless celebrates International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Jinnie takes over hosting duties and talks with Shawn and Director of Operations for Blind Beginnings Lia Dicicco about their own professional journeys into the nonprofit sector, what it’s like to lead as women, some of the challenges that still exist in the workforce, finding a home/work balance, and much more.

The Paralympics are right around the corner, which means that Paralympic fever is beginning to build here at the podcast! Shawn and co-hosts Nika and Ishita welcome Courtney Knight, a 4-time Paralympian (1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens and 2010 Vancouver) who competed in not only the Summer Paralympic Games, but the Winter as well! They discuss the process of becoming a Paralympian, what training was like and the kind of sacrifices that she had to make in order to compete.

This week Shawn and co-host Jinnie welcome Rob Sleath, chair of Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers group (ASIC) and member of the User Advisory Committee for Translink to the show. They talk about Translink's new initiative to bring accessible signage to bus stops all around the Lower Mainland as well as the importance of having properly trained bus drivers that understand the experience of navigating the transit system as riders who are blind or partially sighted and other advocacy projects that Rob is involved in.

It’s the second part in our conversation all about what it’s like to date when you are blind or partially sighted. This time around Shawn welcomes Grant and Richard to the podcast in order to get the male perspective on dating and have an open and frank discussion on everything from attraction to how to stay safe during the early stages of dating. Due to the mature subject matter on this week’s episode, listener discretion for younger listeners is advised. 

This week we go international as Shawn and co-host Keisha welcome Italian foreign exchange student Sara to the show to talk about what it’s like to travel and live in a different country when you are blind or partially sighted, discussing everything from navigating cultural differences to overcoming their own fears and misgivings. From insects to toilets to insects inside toilets, this episode has it all!