In June of 2020, Shawn Marsolais, the Founder and Director of Programs and Engagement of Blind Beginnings, along with a collection of past and present youth leaders gathered online in a Zoom Room and recorded the inaugural episode of the Blind Beginnings Limitless Podcast. On that warm summer evening in June, the Limitless Podcast was born with an aptly named episode entitled, “Episode 1 - Why We Made A Podcast”.
The Podcast releases once per week, and is anchored by Shawn Marsolais who performs hosting duties, with a rotation of regular co-hosts that consist of program youth and alumni.
Monthly Limitless Committee meetings see both staff and youth volunteers coming together to plan content for both the Limitless Podcast as well as the Limitless Blog. Topics for the show are pitched by both staff as well as youth, giving both the organization as well as the youth we serve a voice for issues and topics that help shift the perspective on blindness.
Subscribe to the show: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RSS
Got a question, comment, or show idea?
Contact our Limitless Podcast Team at limitless@blindbeginnings.ca!
Episode 158 - Let’s Talk About Common Knowledge- Part 1
Incidental learning is defined as unintentional or unplanned learning that results from other activities. People can learn certain facts just through exposure or observation, even though it’s never taught. For those growing up blind or with partial sight, however, some facts that are seen as “common knowledge” may only be learned later in life. This week Shawn is joined by Ishita, Clement, and Jinnie to discuss some of this “common knowledge” and things that they may have only learned recently that “blew their minds”. From the color of pesto sauce to sunbeams, the list of topics was so big we had to break this one into two parts!
Episode 157 - Let’s Talk About MrBeast
In January of 2023, MrBeast, a popular and influential YouTuber, posted a video called “1,000 Blind People See For the First Time”. The video features highlights of him paying for cataract surgeries for a number of people and the impact the surgery had on their lives. While no one can argue the act was generous and provided information about cataract surgery, the video did garner some controversy in the Blindness community because of the way it portrayed blindness and the notion of “curing blindness”. This week Shawn is joined by Clement, Ishita, Nika, and Nina for a roundtable discussion about the video and subsequent controversy as well as their own thoughts and feelings about it.
Episode 156 – Let's Talk About Guide Dog Access
Having a guide dog can be an incredibly important part of daily life for many people, offering both companionship and independence wrapped up in one fuzzy package. But what happens when you are unfairly denied service because of your canine companion? This week Shawn welcomes back guide dog users Jinnie, Jill, and Nika to unpack the laws around Guide Dog access and share some personal experiences around being denied service and how they resolved or navigated these situations that happen more often than you may think.
Episode 155 - Let’s Talk About Blindness and Partial Sight
As anyone who has spent any time listening to the podcast is well aware, blindness is a gradient, and every person has their own acuity and level of vision. In this episode Shawn sits down with co-hosts Jinnie, Ishita, and Randi to compare and contrast their own lived experiences, from total blindness to low vision. From terminology and labels, to social situations and adaptations, they discuss how their experiences can vary wildly while also being very similar. It’s a frank and open discussion about vision that you don’t want to miss!
Episode 154 - Let’s Talk About Teachable Moments
Self advocacy is important, but finding the right moment to educate friends, family, and even strangers can be a challenge in day to day life. This week Shawn welcomes Keisha and Ishita to the podcast to discuss these “teachable moments” and what kind of factors go into the decision to educate others while avoiding awkward or challenging social situations.
Episode 153 - Let’s Meet Sarah Kane
The sky is definitely NOT the limit this week as Shawn welcomes back co-host Keisha who has brought with her a very special guest! Sarah Kane is a physics major at the College of Arts and Sciences at Penn State and is headed to get her PhD in astrophysics at the University of Cambridge next fall as a Marshall Scholar - and she also just happens to have been born legally blind. She discusses what inspired her love of science, the attitudinal barriers she had to overcome to enter the astronomy field, some of the adaptations she uses on a regular basis including the process of sonification, the importance of STEM accessibility, advice to those interested in entering the science field, and much much more!
Episode 152 - Let’s Talk About Living In Japan
The Limitless Podcast goes international this week as Shawn welcomes co-host Clement and his very special guest Kaho to the show! Kaho grew up in Japan but came to Canada when she was 20 and has been living in Canada for the past 7 years. They discuss what it was like growing up blind in Japan, the cultural differences in how disability is viewed, what education and employment opportunities are like there, and how accessible major cities like Tokyo are.
Episode 151 - Let’s Talk About Going Out In a Group
What happens when a group of people who are blind or partially sighted people go out in a group together? Find out as Shawn welcomes co-hosts Nika, Jill, and Ishita along with special guest Monty for a discussion you won’t want to miss! They discuss strategies used when everyone in a group is blind or partially sighted, and each share a few anecdotes of hilarious misadventures that have occurred during everything from trips to the mall to camping.
Episode 150 - Let’s Talk About Prosthetic Eyes
This week Shawn welcomes co-host Jinnie back to the podcast after an extended absence to talk all about prosthetic eyes. They discuss common misconceptions, the fitting process, what it’s like caring for them, the ways that people tend to react to them, and much more! And of course no discussion about prosthetic eyes would be complete without a few funny stories thrown in for good measure. It’s a fascinating and honest conversation aimed to demystify prosthetic eyes that you won’t want to miss!
Episode 149 - Let’s Talk About Moving To The City
Moving from a small town to a larger city is a big adjustment for any young person, but when you are blind or partially sighted, it can come with a whole other set of challenges. This week Shawn and co-hosts Acacia and Nina welcome Jill to the podcast to talk about her experiences moving from a small town in the Northern Interior of BC to Vancouver to attend University. From traffic noise to orientation and mobility, Jill tells us how she adjusted to city life and offers up some invaluable advice for anyone looking to do the same.
Episode 148 - Let’s Talk About Meaningful Outings
It’s a special episode this week as Shawn and co-host and Blind Beginnings Programs Coordinator Keisha Anderson discuss making outings and events meaningful and inclusive for children who are blind or partially sighted. They discuss the methods that Blind Beginnings uses in their Community Discovery outings and share their own personal experiences growing up to shed light on the importance of providing inclusive opportunities that allow children who are blind or partially sighted to fully engage with the world around them.
Episode 147 - Let’s Talk About Image and Self Descriptions
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but how many words are worth making a concise and impactful description for those who can’t see it? This week Shawn is joined by Jill, Clement, and Nika to talk about their experiences and preferences when it comes to image description online, from social media and websites to messaging apps. They discuss what exactly “alt-text” is, how it works, and tips on how to craft effective image descriptions that are full of context and meaning before also discussing their feelings on the new trend of meeting participants describing their appearance for other attendees who may be blind or partially sighted. It’s an informative and fascinating insight into what descriptions can mean for the community that you won’t want to miss!
Episode 146 - Let’s Meet Anthony Ferraro
It’s an exciting episode this week as Shawn and co-host Keisha sit down with Anthony Ferraro, skateboarder, musician, aspiring Paralympian, social media influencer, and advocate, to talk about his story and his efforts to motivate and inspire people to push through the obstacles in life.
Episode 145 - Let’s Talk About Youth Leadership Weekend 2023
The Blind Beginnings Youth Leadership Weekend is an annual program that is the culmination of a series of virtual programs that brings youth ages 13 - 19 from all over the Province to Vancouver for the weekend to connect, learn, and grow through a series of activities and field trips around the city. In this special episode of the podcast, Shawn sits down with Blind Beginnings Programs Coordinator Keisha Anderson to discuss the Youth Leadership Weekend, its mandate and impact among the youth as they share some audio clips of the weekend in action.
Episode 144 - Let’s Talk About Beauty Standards
What do beauty standards mean to people in the blind or partially sighted community? How do you develop your own sense of fashion, style, and beauty when you are blind or partially sighted? This week Shawn and co-hosts Ishita and Nika explore these ideas and share their own personal experiences exploring fashion and beauty standards as women who are blind. It’s an open and honest conversation that you won’t want to miss!
Episode 143 - Let’s Talk About Setting Up Your Home When You’re Blind
Shawn welcomes Jill and Keisha back to the podcast to dive into a fascinating discussion about decorating and setting up your home when you are blind or partially sighted. From favoured gadgets to dealing with roommates to developing your own decorating style, the trio discuss their own experiences and stories as well as offering up domestic decorating tips to veterans and novices alike.
Episode 142 - Youth Perspectives on Blindness: A Panel Discussion
It’s a very special episode this week as Shawn welcomes Acacia, Keisha, and Nina to a panel style discussion aimed at breaking stereotypes of blindness and giving an overview of their journeys through blindness or partial sight in order to educate and empower. It’s an open and frank discussion from the youth perspective that you won’t want to miss and a valuable resource for those new to the blindness community either as an individual, family member, or loved one.
Episode 141 - Let’s Talk About Eye Surgeries
For some people with vision loss, eye surgeries can be something that they have to deal with at multiple points in their lives. This week Shawn sits down with co-hosts Nika and Jill, both of whom have had Ocular Surgeries both recently and in the past, and talk about their experiences, from their initial emotions and nervousness at their respective procedures and how they prepared, to aftercare and dealing with the results.
Episode 140 - Let’s Meet Chad
This week Shawn sits down with journalist, advocate, and fellow podcaster Chad Bouton of the Hindsight is 20 / 200 podcast to talk about his podcast and its origins, as well his own journey growing up with Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Episode 139 - Let’s Talk About Looking Blind
What does it mean to “look blind” and can being self conscious about it impact your actions or add pressure in certain social situations? This week Shawn welcomes Dougie and Keisha back to the podcast to discuss their own experiences with their other people’s reactions to their vision, the pressure they put on themselves and the impact both can have on confidence and self esteem, and much more. It’s a fascinating and honest discussion that you won’t want to miss!