Living Blind

In this first episode Season 4 of Living Blind, we delve just a little bit into the complex gender area of masculinity and how it intersects with the lived experience of blindness. Wikipedia defines “masculinity” as “a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors considered masculine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors. To what extent masculinity is biologically or socially influenced is subject to debate. It is distinct from the definition of the biological male sex, as anyone can exhibit masculine traits.” While our society (and many cultures) stereotypically emphasizes the attributes of strength, capability and the role of “provider” with being “manly”, it (our society, and many cultures of the world) also stereotypically associates disability (even in the use of the word) with weakness or frailty, and dependence or lack of capacity (hence often the use of the word “handicapped”). In this episode, Paul Mack, Life Coach, and Jeffrey Rainey, former podcast producer, two men of different ages who are blind, discuss what it has meant to them to grow up and become men, and how their masculinity, and the expectations that go with it, both external and internal, intersect with their experiences as men who live with sight loss. Yes, blindness exists in a sighted world where it is associated with a lack of capacity, but Paul argues that his blindness doesn’t keep him from being a reliable partner or parent. And Jeff points out the challenges inherent in important life experiences such as dating. The following is a link to a research article about the subject of Masculinity and Disability, available online.

During our Because of BALANCE campaign, our Grand Prize included the opportunity to be a podcast episode curator, selecting a past episode to discuss “on air.” Our top fundraiser, Elizabeth Mohler joins us for a special Throwback Thursday episode. Elizabeth chose to discuss her favorite episode, "Mental Health Matters with Lisa Derencinovic," where Lisa delved into the crucial topics of mental health, overcoming stigma, and prioritizing self-care. With mental health always a major challenge for so many, we couldn’t think of a better way to complete our season and start the summer break. Our producer Jeffrey Rainey enjoyed chatting with Elizabeth, and her insights add a fresh perspective to this important conversation. It's the perfect way to wrap up the season on a high note! 

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In this episode, Alexis Fabricius introduces us to the world of self-defense tailored specifically for the visually impaired and individuals with vision loss. Join us as we cover a wealth of knowledge and techniques that will empower individuals to navigate their surroundings with confidence and safety. From specialized training methods to assistive technologies, we explore the innovative approaches that equip and empower the visually impaired community to defend themselves effectively. Tune in to gain invaluable insights and embark on a transformative journey of empowerment and self-defense mastery.

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Ever wonder about getting more physically active or participating in a team sport? This episode aims to answer all your questions about sports participation for people who are blind.  Our guest is Glen Wade, President of the Ontario Blind Sports Association. Glen established his love of sports as a young boy, and it was at the Ontario School for the Blind (now W. Ross MacDonald School) where he was able to try out and compete in many sports such as hockey, baseball, football, wrestling and goalball. He would go on to pursue goalball professionally, representing Ontario 12 times at the national championships, and was named to the Canadian team 4 times with 2 trips to the Paralympics in 1984 and 1992.

After several decades as an amateur athlete, he decided to turn his attention over to sports administration. He began assisting with events run by the Ontario Blind Sports Association (OBSA) in 2011, and was elected president in 2012. He attributes his success and quality of life largely to the lessons he has learned through sports, including drive, preparedness, persistence and leadership.

In addition to explaining how the sport of goalball is played, and learning about his sporting career, Glen gives some helpful advice on how to make sports like baseball, hockey and running accessible for children and adults who are blind.

Our guest host for this episode is Madeleine Sommerville. During her student occupational therapy placement at BALANCE, Madeleine was given the opportunity to conduct an interview on the topic of her choosing for the show. As a long-time soccer player and sports fan, she decided to bring these two passions together, and reached out to the Ontario Blind Sports Association, and before long she found herself sitting down with the President! Madeleine currently works as an Occupational Therapist in school-based rehabilitation services in Parry Sound Ontario.

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In light of April being National Volunteer month in North America, we decided to shine the spotlight on three of our wonderful volunteers here at Balance for our next instalment of Living Blind. Or, as we like to call it, The Volunteer’s Voluntell! Join Naomi Hazlett  as she sits down with Myurika Sithamparanathan, Martin Courcelles, and Greg Pickios. These three have very different responsibilities with the organization, with Myurika operating on the front lines with clients, and Martin serving behind the scenes with the board of directors. And Greg, well, has a foot in both camps.

Greg Pickios has Worked for a number of years in a marketing capacity for the internet division of various media companies. He recently went back to college to earn a Diploma as a Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant, and currently works as an OTA and PTA. Volunteering with Balance has allowed him the opportunity to marry these two passions, and improve the lives of the blind and low vision clients he works with. Additionally, He serves as the transcriber of the Living Blind podcast, and we thank him very much for his continued hard work.

Myurika Sithamparanathan immigrated to Canada when she was 10 years old, and is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, with an honours bachelor of science degree. Her passion for helping people with various needs started from a young age, and she has volunteered at BALANCE for 2 years. In that time she has served as a tele-support counselor, a life skills assistant, the facilitator for Coffee Connections, and much more. Her passion for volunteering to help those in the community stems from the work her father did as a field staff in Sri Lanka, supporting displaced people and their families during the Civil war.

Martin courcelles brings over 15 years of expertise in the realm of screen reading technology, and currently works at CIBC on the accessibility team as a User Experience Accessibility consultant. As a person with lived experience having to use access technology every day, Martin explains how to improve web properties and smartphone apps to ensure accessibility for all. He’s a subject matter expert at using JAWS, NVDA and Narrator on the PC, and Voiceover and Talkback on smartphones.

He became a Balance client back in 1999, when he required orientation and mobility training around the city of Toronto. Wanting to give back to the community and to the organization that was there for him when he needed help, he has enjoyed his time volunteering as a member on our board of directors so much, he’s come back twice! In his downtime, Martin enjoys running, hiking, tandem cycling and other outdoor activities.

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This month on Living Blind, Naomi Hazlett is joined by Minette Samaroo, to share her journey. From Guyana to Canada, from incapacity to capability. From exclusion and isolation, to social inclusion and empowerment.

We often hear about how “Blind people are a minority within the population,” but within that broad spectrum of blindness there is an even smaller minority of folks who are born with, or develop later in life, both hearing loss and vision loss; otherwise known as deafblindness. We have not talked about living with deafblindness on our show before; until now!

Joining us this month is Barbara Davis, a devoted advocate, mother, and Grandmother. Barbara was born with Usher Syndrome, a condition in which a person has both partial or profound hearing loss in addition to progressive vision loss, due to the eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Barbara got her start in advocacy work in 2000, as Deafblind intervenor Services were losing funding and faced being dropped as a service offered under CNIB. She founded the Emergency Intervenor services program in 2013, and is currently working with the National Association of Deafblind America on a week-long deafblind conference to take place in 2030 in Atlanta Georgia, in honour of Helen Keller's 150th birthday.

Every spring, she can be found crocheting squares for the Yarnbombing for Deafblind Awareness month.

When she is not devoting her time to volunteer work, she is busy spoiling her grandchildren in her home in Burlington Ontario, and exploring the outdoors with her husband.

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The holiday season is upon us once again, and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to do an episode all about theatre and the performing arts. After all, there is nothing like a good movie, play, or television program to compliment the cold, snowy winter. And so, this month, Naomi Hazlett is joined by stage and film actresses extraordinaire, Alex Bulmer and Shayla brown, to talk all about navigating the vast world of performing arts when you have low or no vision.

Named one of the most influential disabled artists by UK’s Power Magazine, Alex Bulmer has over thirty professional years’ experience across theatre, film, radio and education. She is fuelled by a curiosity of the improbable, dedicated to collaborative practice, and deeply informed by her experience of becoming blind. She is activated by obstacles, well exposed to the absurd, and embraces the disciplines of generosity, listening, and uncertainty within her artistic and personal life. Alex is co-founder of The Fire and Rescue Team, former artistic director of Common Boots Theatre, and was recently lead curator of CoMotionFestival 2022 with Harbourfront Centre. She is an award winning actor, playwright and a BAFTA nominated screenwriter.

Shayla Brown is an actress who has appeared in various film, television, and theatre productions. She is known for her supporting role in Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, as well as appearing in The Apple TV original series, See. She is also an up-and-coming performer in the Canadian Theatre seen, starring in the world premiere of George F. Walker’s orphans for the Czar in Toronto. When asked about working with Shayla, Sarah Polley, an academy award nominee and the director of Women Talking, said “she brought this wisdom, vulnerability and strength. She was also deeply attuned to the dynamics in the room, which is so important on set. She’s incredibly generous, and she’s a couple of steps ahead of most actors. A lot of actors will bring up the problems they’re facing, Shayla also offers solutions, and that’s incredibly helpful as a director.”

Together they talk to Naomi about how they got started in the performing arts, the similarities and differences between live theatre and film and television, and tell stories about experiences working with directors and set designers in order to ensure they had accommodations on set, even mining them for creative gain.

Finally, they provide some advice to those getting started in the performing arts, and share their recommendations for the media and performing arts industry going forward, particularly in the realm of casting blind and low vision actors across all types of roles, and creating inclusive environments where everyone can excel. As Alex herself puts it, “You are not playing blind, but rather you are playing a character who is blind.”

November is a transitional month, no matter where you live. The temperature of the air changes, as does the terrain under foot. This affects how you travel, and if you have low or no vision you are already travelling with a mobility aid, whether it be a cane or guide dog. Everyone chooses between the two at some point in their lives, and in this November episode of Living Blind we are tackling the age-old question, To Dog, or not to dog?

Are you a hard core gamer? Or, are you someone who is curious about video games, but don’t know if there is an outlet for you? Well, accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired has become a huge priority amongst developers and enthusiasts in the gaming industry. And in light of the annual “Everyone Games” accessible gaming extravaganza being just around the corner, we are kicking off the third season of this podcast with an episode about this very topic, as Our host Naomi Hazlett is joined by Knights of the Braille Co-founder, Richard Bennett. Knights of the Braille is an inclusive online gaming community of enthusiasts dedicated to providing a variety of accessible options for tabletop roleplay games (TTRPG’s, and video games.

Having grown up in South Georgia where Dungeons and Dragons was perceived as being evil and dangerous, Richard tells us about his humble beginnings in the world of RPG’s, and the early days of making games accessible. This eventually lead up to him joining the team over at Knights of the Braille in 2019. He elaborates on how the Community organizes games for its members, provides a brief rundown of the current lineup of games being hosted on their discord server, and gives us a preview of what’s coming up in this year’s Everyone Games, taking place on Friday September 30 through Saturday October 1.

Join Naomi and Richard as they break down some of the lingo used in gaming, reminisce about a few of their fondest memories during gaming sessions, and have some fun doing a little role-play on the spot, with character voices thrown in for good measure.

Summer is finally here! And in honour of the weather heating up and the world continuing to open up, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit one of our early shows all about exploring the Great Outdoors, with the ever-adventurous Lawrence Gunther. Lawrence Gunther is North America’s only blind conservationist and professional angler, outdoor writer, podcaster, blogger, film maker and TV host. Having lost his vision at age eight, Lawrence applies his outdoor experience, masters in environmental studies, local knowledge and ability to envisage nature with unique and insightful results.

Our Podcast host Naomi Hazlett speaks with Lawrence about bird watching, fishing, sailing, boating, cooking and barbecuing, and much more. Lawrence gives advice on how to navigate the outdoors using all five senses, along with the role that technology can serve and some of the tech items he finds useful. He also talks about exploring the outdoors with guide dogs, and how his dependency on a dog has increased over the years with his vision continuing to deteriorate.

All too often, people who are blind or visually impaired are told that they cannot do this or that. As a result, one must develop self advocacy skills and be proactive in finding alternate ways of accomplishing their goals. This month, Naomi Hazlett is joined by educator, Opera singer and fashion model Blair Spry, for an illuminating conversation about his journey through life as a performing artist and school teacher with low vision.

As a singer, Blair has performed with the National Youth Choir of Canada, as well as with the Nota Bene Baroque Players. He has also starred in leading roles in Opera Laurier's productions of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress", and Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi”.
As a teacher, he has worked with students from grades 1 through 12 within the Waterloo and Grand Erie District School Boards in Ontario. Now living in Brantford Ontario, he currently serves as an educator and Student Support Counsellor at the W. Ross Macdonald School for the blind, helping a new generation of blind and low vision children realize their full potential and establish their independence, just as so many have done for him throughout his life.

In addition, he runs a week-long summer music camp for blind and low vision children between the ages of 9 and 21, that has been in operation since 2007. It has even operated as a virtual camp during the COVID19 Pandemic, with recreational games and activities, campers receiving free private music lessons, writing choir songs together on Facebook, and putting on live concerts over zoom.

Join Blair and Naomi for a candid conversation about vision loss and education: learning environments in integrated schools compared with those of specialty schools for the blind, the terminology used to describe professionals who work with people with vision loss, debunking myths and stereotypes surrounding the blindness community, and much more. They also talk a little Mozart, because why not?

For this episode, and in light of Vision Health month, Naomi Hazlett sits down with BALANCE’s own Dr. Keith Gordon for a conversation all about Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Often described as the ocular equivalent of Phantom Limb, Charles Bonnet Syndrome is a condition where by people with vision loss experience visual hallucinations. Nearly one in five people with vision loss have CBS, and while it was discovered 250 years ago, it remains largely unheard of, undiagnosed, or diagnosed incorrectly. In fact, up until he began doing research on the condition with the Canadian National institute for the blind, DR. Gordon had not heard of this condition after 30 years in the ophthalmic industry. And, until she began working with clients and staff at Balance For Blind Adults, Naomi had not heard of it either.

In this interview, DR. Gordon tells stories about the research he has conducted up to this point, including some of the things people have reported seeing and how they feel about them, how many ophthalmologists, retina specialists, independent living instructors and other practitioners inform their patients of Charles Bonnet, and the reluctance and fear that people have about talking of their experiences with their hallucinations. He also elaborates on the neurological research that has been conducted up to this point, stressing that more investigation must be done at the level of the brain in order to gain more understanding about the condition and potentially find a cure.

The two of them offer advice to both the general public and medical community on how to deal with CBS appropriately, and while there is currently no cure or treatment, DR. Gordon offers practical solutions for those with CBS on how to cope with these visual hallucinations when they occur.

Dr. Keith Gordon is Chair of the Board of Directors at Balance for Blind Adults, and is currently the Senior Research Officer of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). His primary research interests lie in the area of ophthalmic epidemiology. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto."

Find out more about Charles Bonnet Syndrome through the following resources:

In the third and final installment of our 3–part series “Meet me at the Intersection of…”, we have guest host Ramya Amuthan, and her guest Timeshia Edwards.

Timeshia is almost totally blind, and is Moose Cree First Nations. She currently works at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind as a coordinator in the Come To Work Program, serving Ontario west and north. She joins Ramya to discuss many aspects of her life as a blind and indigenous person in Canada, including education, culture and role models. Growing up the eldest of six children in the foster system in small town Northern Ontario, and being the only one with sight loss, she then moved to Brantford Ontario in the sixth grade to live with her adopted family, and spend the second half of her public schooling at the W. Ross Macdonald provincial school for blind, low vision and deafblind students. She talks to Ramya about going through the public school system as a blind person in a remote northern region, and the creative solutions and accommodations her supportive staff developed to account for the isolation and scarcity of resources. Understanding who you are, where you come from, and passing on the traditions of your culture has always been important to Timeshia. Even so, she talks frankly about how this knowledge is not always readily passed onto indigenous youth, due to the intergenerational traumas experienced by their ancestors.

With a background in recreational therapy and a passion for working with youth, Timeshia now works as a counselor at the W. Ross Macdonald school, along with the come to work program at CNIB. It is her life-long mission to serve as a mentor and role model for youth with low and no vision, providing them with the services, skillsets and opportunities they need; just as so many have done for her throughout her life.

In part 2 of our 3–part series “Meet me at the Intersection of…”, we have guest host Ramya Amuthan, and her guest Ben Akuoko.

Ben is a 33-year-old black man who lives with Retinitis Pigmentosa. He is currently working at the CNIB (GTA) as a Program Lead for Advocacy and Accessibility. He was diagnosed with the eye condition at the age of 2 years old. Ben and Ramya discuss Ben’s experience growing up with RP, how he’s grown as a listener, and the steps he takes to take care of himself. He also delves into the intersections of culture, race and disability from his own experience of them; and some of the limitations and problems that organizations and institutions run into when they focus too much on one aspect of someone's identity.

In part 1 of our 3–part series “Meet me at the Intersection of…”, we have guest host Ramya Amuthan, and her guest Windy Ho-Li. As an Asian immigrant to Toronto from Hong-Kong, Windy has a unique perspective on her lived experience with sight loss. Windy discusses several different aspects of her identity, and how these aspects have intersected to the point that their intersections are an integral part of her life.

Windy talks frankly about the impact of sight loss on her independence, about how her Christian faith has been a source of solace and encouragement, and about how her volunteer work in the Cantonese speaking community has included the convening of a support group for members with sight loss, for whom the language barrier has made access to English-based services and supports, a challenge. She also speaks openly about what it means to live with the uncertainty of sight loss, dealing with surgeries, the role of quiet time when faced with challenges, and what brings her life joy and satisfaction.

Michelle McQuigge joins Naomi to discuss her career as a journalist for the Canadian Press. They talk about the power of inclusion and mentorship, the need to prove yourself to able-bodied people, and how the pandemic has made journalism more accessible for Michelle as a blind person. Tune in to this hot-off-the-press podcast to learn more!

Join student turned BALANCE occupational therapist Eve as she sits down with David Lepofsky, Canadian lawyer, educator, and disability advocate. Blind for much of his life, David discusses the advancements that have been made in assistive technology for the low-vision community, his distinguished law career, and impressive advocacy work.

Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a post-show conversation with Eve and Naomi.

Some helpful resources, mentioned in the episode:

John Rae and Melissa Smith join Naomi in discussing everything art! John is a well-known advocate in the GTA for blind and low vision folks, and has lived experience of accessing, or not accessing, art as a partially-sighted person. Melissa is currently the Assistant Curator of Access and Learning at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and tells us about what art galleries do well and what could be better when it comes to accessibility.

Take a listen and learn about tactile translation, guided tours, universal design, and how to get the most out of galleries, museums, and other places where art lives and happens.

Naomi sat down with Lisa Derencinovic, a social worker and counsellor with sight loss who lives and works in Toronto, Canada. Lisa has her own business, Counseling with Lisa, and provides counselling services, both group and individual, on contract with BALANCE for Blind Adults. 

Naomi learns from Lisa about the intersection between blindness and mental health, ableism, and the counselling process.  Lisa also provides strategies for physical, mental and emotional self-care that can help to take care of one’s mental health. A key take-away is that seeking and receiving help for mental health is as important as doing so for your physical health and is not a sign of weakness, but of strength.

“The only person who knows my experience is me and if I don’t speak up about this, no one will ever know and they will go through their life full of assumptions.”

Step behind the scenes as we sit down with Bruce Horak, painter, musician, and actor. He walks us through his process as a visually impaired artist, and what he’s been working on since 2011.

This month we chat with Lawrence, host of the podcast “Outdoors with Lawrence Gunther.” He and Naomi chat about sailing, fishing, and cooking on a grill outdoors, among other things.

Naomi talks with Bill about safely travelling around your neighborhood, with tips and tricks from an Orientation and Mobility instructor. Later, Neisha talks about international travel and how she navigates airports. Links to resources mentioned below.