Reflections

00:27:59

Kid’s TV in Canada: What Were we Watching?

Reflections ·

2026/10/07

Canadian Cultural Historian Ed Conroy takes Kelly MacDonald back in time to the late 20th century to ponder about what kids at the time were watching on TV. They go over communication style, disability representation, quality of writing, and how the creators aimed to connect to the audience.Alyson Court, a very busy teenage actor at the time, runs down the highlights of her career, and lets us in on her days starring on The Big Comfy Couch as Loonette the Clown.Jordan Christopher Morris, co-writer

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00:27:00

Getting to Know Blind Runners

Reflections ·

2026/10/06

Running can be a fun way to participate in the community, improve your health and fitness, or push yourself beyond your perceived limitations. Grant Hardy speaks to two partially sighted runners, Richard Harlow and Julie Colangelo, and learns how their running journeys evolved. Richard's sighted guide Richie Jackson also gives his perspective on prepping for a marathon and completing it accessibly.This is a deep dive on running: a fast-paced sport and a look at how it can be made accessible.About

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00:25:02

Joy is a Tandem Bicycle

Reflections ·

2026/10/01

Jennie Bovard has been a lifelong cyclist and now spends part of her time putting butts on tandem bikes as a program coordinator with Blind Sports Nova Scotia. She gets a lot of joy from tandem cycling, and finds out who else feels the same.Ange Purcell is brand new to tandem biking. She shares what drew her to the sport, why group rides have quickly become a summer highlight, and how tandem cycling compares with riding a standard bike for someone with low vision.Jamie Penton has volunteered as a

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00:29:00

Have a Happy Period: The Menstrual Leave Debate

Reflections ·

2026/09/29

Workplaces across North America have been implementing period positive policies in their offices and cultures for several years now. One policy that sparks a strong debate is menstrual leave, and Joeita Gupta learned how organizations handle issues of period equity in their workplaces.We hear from Sophie Zivku, Impact Manager at DIVA, about how their menstrual leave policy was implemented to destigmatize periods and create a holistic workplace for their employees.Meaghan Furlano is a qualitative

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00:25:01

Behind the Gavel: The World of Auctioneering

Reflections ·

2026/09/24

Outside of broadcasting aspirations, Kelly MacDonald considered auctioneering as a career. The fast talking entertainment intrigued him then, but today he set out to explore the world of auctions a bit further.Lenn Metcalfe, Founder and Former President of Metcalfe Auctions, reminisces with Kelly about his over seven decades working in auctions.Dennis Kidd of Kidd Family Auctions takes us through the handling of a live auction and breaks down how an auctioneer develops his chant.The new-world way of

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00:27:00

Are We Reading Less?

Reflections ·

2026/09/23

Joeita Gupta had always considered herself an avid reader, but lately, Netflix and doom scrolling had taken up a lot of her time. So, she turned to her friends for inspiration to get out of this reading slump.Paul Daniel, former AMI Producer and avid reader, shares where he gets his book recommendations and how he tracks what he's reading throughout the year.Jacob Shymanski, host of AMI’s Audiobook Café, weighs in on the debate about whether audiobooks “count” as reading. And he shares how he turned

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00:24:30

After Goodbye: The Healing Leash

Reflections ·

2026/09/17

Kelly MacDonald learns about “The Healing Leash: Honouring Guide Dog Loss,” a CNIB program offering space for people like Guy Carriere, a former guide dog handler, to talk openly about that experience with others who understand it first-hand.Denise Chamberlin, the group’s Facilitator, navigates participants through the four-week Healing Leash series, intended to meet participants exactly where they are in the journey.And Vera Orsini speaks to the planning prosses that brought this first time CNIB

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00:28:00

Reflecting on Transition: Starting Retirement

Reflections ·

2026/09/16

Joeita Gupta has already explored what it’s like to go through two of life’s biggest stages: heading off to university and changing your career. Now, she wants to find out what the next stage of life might be like and how she can best prepare for it.Last year, Joeita’s mother retired after a 40-year career, and it left her with lots of questions. When do you know when you’re ready for retirement? How do you financially prepare? Does having a disability change the retirement experience in any

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00:27:57

Beyond the Diagnosis: Living with ALS

Reflections ·

2026/09/10

What are the realities of living with ALS? When James Smith was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, he was relieved to finally have an answer for his pain and symptoms. However, the progression of the disease was just beginning. James (@adaptwithjames) shares his life with his over 40,000 Instagram followers, and joined Beth Deer to talk about how he and his family are handling his diagnosis and progression of the condition.What is it like to care for someone with ALS? Ana Clara Butcher’s husband Johnny was

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00:23:58

CanAssist: Engineering and Adapting for Empowerment

Reflections ·

2026/09/09

New approaches to assistive technology are replacing the medical model for disability with an inclusive one that acknowledges one size doesn’t fit all. An organization leading the way is CanAssist, engineering cutting-edge assistive technology and tackling accessibility across the board.Grant Hardy speaks with Griffin Long, a former engineering student at the University of Victoria, who completed his co-op placement with CanAssist, and explains how he created the foot pedal guitar strummer.Paul

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00:28:00

Heating Up: Debating Toronto's Maximum Temperature Bylaw

Reflections ·

2026/09/08

Rising Temperatures in the summers are becoming a challenge for everybody, and are uniquely complicated for people living in high rise apartments and condos within the busy City of Toronto. Joeita Gupta learns more.Jordan Gray is the Executive Director for the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights and is among a growing number of advocates asking Toronto to create a Maximum Temperature Bylaw that ensures dwellings do not exceed temperatures higher than 26 degrees Celsius.Chris Stigas is a Rick Hansen

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00:27:00

Big Picture Panel: Ingredients for Independence

Reflections ·

2026/09/03

What does it mean to be independent? The goal of independence, and the way to get there, varies. Reflections Reporters Grant Hardy and Kelly MacDonald discuss the scope of this theme as they revisit four past Reflections episodes:The Access Go Mobile App, released July 16, 2026, exploring how access to coding has levelled the playing field for the blind and low vision community. The Everyone Everywhere Boat, released June 16, 2026, identifying the role community plays in individuals finding

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00:26:00

Talking Accessible Theatre: Learning Our Role

Reflections ·

2026/09/01

Anything is possible when creative minds take self-expression and a bit of theatre magic to put on a show. It's representation at its finest, and Kelly MacDonald finds out how its done.Kevin Jesuino, Artistic Director of Theatre Terrific, highlights the work the Canadian organization has been doing for inclusive theatre. Lisa B Lewis is the Founder and Executive Director of Omnium Circus, an inclusive, accessible circus that aims to entertain and represent. She and Artistic Director Noe Espana,

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00:23:59

Traveling Blind: Planning and Carrying Out an...

Reflections ·

2026/08/26

Grant Hardy hears from three travelers from the blind and low vision community about the joys and challenges of international travel. No matter the plan or destination, these narratives offer valuable insight into accessible travel from a blindness perspective.Richard Marion authored a series for The Blind Canadian about how he planned a trip to Edinborough, Paris, and London with his partner. He chats about how he used AI products like ChatGPT to plan an accessible itinerary, and what the

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00:28:00

The Weather Today: Examining Canada’s Forecast

Reflections ·

2026/08/25

David Phillips, Climatologist Emeritus with Environment Canada, who has given Canadians the weather word for over fifty years, seemed to be retired for only a day at most! He shares stories and memories of his experiences with Kelly MacDonald.Chris Murphy, On-air Meteorologist with The Weather Network, shares secrets on how weather personalities navigate giving us the forecast while using the right type of communication skills. Plus, we learn about the important work being done at the Canadian

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00:27:59

Reflecting on Transition: Starting University

Reflections ·

2026/08/20

Joeita Gupta speaks to university students, professors, and advocates about their experiences transitioning to post-secondary education.Ava Henderson, a blind student studying in British Columbia, shares what her post-secondary experience has been like so far and has ideas on what universities can do to give students with or without disabilities the optimal post-secondary support. What services are available for students with disabilities entering post-secondary education? Frank Smith is the

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00:28:00

Alley Art: The Hidden Gems in our Neighbourhoods

Reflections ·

2026/08/18

Kelly MacDonald grew up believing graffiti on the walls was the sign of a broken neighborhood. Today, our attitudes about painting on bricks have changed.Denise Love, a tour guide for Museum London, takes us on our own tour to check out the local alley art in London, Ontario. Alejandro Zuluaga and Melanie Schambach are two artists who spearheaded a multi-media creation in a well-known underpass. They talk about artistic collaboration. And sharing the realities of independently working on a

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00:27:00

Anxiety: The History and the Human Experience

Reflections ·

2026/08/13

Anxiety feels like one of the defining experiences of modern life. Whether it's money, relationships, work, health or simply walking into a crowded supermarket, millions of people know exactly what it feels like to be anxious. Has anxiety always existed? Or is it something that's become more common in recent years? Beth Deer explores the history, psychology, and science behind anxiety, and whether modern life has fundamentally changed the way our brains respond to fear.She's joined by historian

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00:28:00

Reflecting on Transition: Changing Careers

Reflections ·

2026/08/11

Joeita Gupta speaks to professionals with disabilities about their experiences transitioning into new and uncharted territory as they changed careers.Michelle McQuigge was an esteemed journalist with The Canadian Press for over a decade when she decided to tackle a new career: becoming the CEO of Balance for Blind Adults. Through Michelle’s journey, we learn what it takes to switch careers, what can influence your decision to switch jobs, and how to handle disclosure of a disability with a new

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00:27:30

Rethinking Navigation for the Blind: Robotic Guide Dogs

Reflections ·

2026/08/06

If you're blind or partially sighted, the white cane or guide dog remain the undisputed pillars to independent travel. That being said, cutting edge research at major universities aims to shake up the orientation and mobility landscape with new, high-tech travel tools. The research is still ongoing, but the discussion is fascinating, so Grant Hardy went exploring.Shiqi Zhang, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Binghamton University, shares his research into robotic guide dogs and how their

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