Summertime is the time for Camps, and Camp Hornby (which we featured in our last episode) isn’t the only camp that Blind Beginnings ran over the summer. On October 16, 2022, Blind Beginnings is hosting a Fashion Show featuring blind or partially sighted youth models and in preparation, we held a Fashion Camp that was designed to bring the models participating in this special event together to meet, bond, and learn about modelling and fashion. In this episode we reunite Fashion Campers Nika, Acacia, Nolan, and Aly to talk about their experiences at the camp, what their favourite parts were, and what made them choose to become involved in the Limitless Beauty Fashion Show. 

It’s another very special episode this week as we celebrate one of the most popular and long standing Blind Beginnings programs, Camp Hornby! For the first time in almost three years Blind Beginnings hosted this overnight camp for youth who are blind and partially sighted and their families, running from July 17 - 21 2022 at the Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre. Shawn is joined by podcast producer Rob Mineault to talk about Camp Hornby, from its origins and the many different activities held to the impact that it has on the families that attend, complete with clips that we recorded from this year’s Camp! 

What’s it like trying to learn another language when you are blind or partially sighted? This week Shawn and co-hosts Randi, Jinnie, and Clement discuss their own experiences learning other languages and talk about some of the common challenges and hurdles within school systems  when it comes to accessing language learning materials and resources as well as the benefits and opportunities that learning other languages can bring. 

With the summer holidays in full swing and many people traveling again, the podcast is going international this week! Shawn and co-host Alethea talk with guests Aly and Nicholas, both of whom spent parts of their lives growing up in Mexico and Bermuda, respectively. They discuss some of the key differences between Canada and other countries in terms of services and resources available, mobility, transit and accessibility options, and even some of the cultural differences on how disability is viewed. 

It’s an out-of-this-world episode this week as Shawn and co-hosts Jill, Jugaad, and Nolan welcome Dan Oates, coordinator of Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS) to the show to discuss this long running program which provides youth who are blind or partially sighted all over the world with the opportunity to attend a week long camp at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. They discuss the origins of the program, what kind of activities take place at the camp, and the various sources of funding and scholarships available.

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!