Shows / Reflections
Reflections
Listen in on how we make sense of the world, through conversation and the lens of lived experience, weaving our questions with your stories.
Episodes
- Reflections
Canada the Macabre
A haunted restaurant. A mummified toe. A porter who’s been dead for decades, but still helps guests with their luggage. Welcome to the creepy side of Canadian…
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To Archive or Not: The Importance of Keeping Our Media
Kelly MacDonald learns from the pros about the power of preserving our past. Reflections Senior Producer Matt Agnew is in his element as he shares his passion…
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Spook-tacular Season: Treating Accessibly this Halloween
This episode features un-aired clips and interviews from last year's coverage of the Toronto Treat Accessibly's Halloween Village. Joeita Gupta is inviting you…
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Multi-Sensory Art: A Vehicle for Social Change
Multisensory art has a way of rewriting the narrative on important issues in diverse ways. Grant Hardy spoke with three artists in the community to find out…
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Big Picture Panel: Patchwork Quilt
Supports may be out there, but how do people with disabilities go about finding their way to those supports? Reflections Reporters Joeita Gupta and Kelly…
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Follow the Turtle: Creating Disabled Indigenous Futures
Understanding, and eventually undoing the erasure of the experience of Indigenous Peoples with disabilities is an attempt to unlearn our very way of thinking…
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The Good Side: When the Internet is Used to Connect
It’s hard to ignore the darker sides of social media, but sometimes something comes across our algorithms that reminds us of the positives of connecting…
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Whose Holiday Is It: Tracing Roots of Thanksgiving Traditions
Thanksgiving in Canada has a checkered history, so Joeita Gupta set out on a mission to learn more about it. She spoke with Peter Stevens, a Professor of…
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Kid’s TV in Canada: What Were we Watching?
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…
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Getting to Know Blind Runners
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…
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Joy is a Tandem Bicycle
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…
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Have a Happy Period: The Menstrual Leave Debate
Workplaces across North America have been implementing period positive policies in their offices and cultures for several years now. One policy that sparks a…
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Behind the Gavel: The World of Auctioneering
Outside of broadcasting aspirations, Kelly MacDonald considered auctioneering as a career. The fast talking entertainment intrigued him then, but today he set…
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Are We Reading Less?
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…
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After Goodbye: The Healing Leash
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…
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Reflecting on Transition: Starting Retirement
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…
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Beyond the Diagnosis: Living with ALS
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…
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CanAssist: Engineering and Adapting for Empowerment
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…
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Heating Up: Debating Toronto's Maximum Temperature Bylaw
Rising Temperatures in the summers are becoming a challenge for everybody, and are uniquely complicated for people living in high rise apartments and condos…
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Big Picture Panel: Ingredients for Independence
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…
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Talking Accessible Theatre: Learning Our Role
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…
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Traveling Blind: Planning and Carrying Out an Accessible Vacation
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…
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The Weather Today: Examining Canada’s Forecast
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…
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Reflecting on Transition: Starting University
Joeita Gupta speaks to university students, professors, and advocates about their experiences transitioning to post-secondary education. Ava Henderson, a blind…
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Alley Art: The Hidden Gems in our Neighbourhoods
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…
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Anxiety: The History and the Human Experience
Anxiety feels like one of the defining experiences of modern life. Whether it's money, relationships, work, health or simply walking into a crowded…
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Reflecting on Transition: Changing Careers
Joeita Gupta speaks to professionals with disabilities about their experiences transitioning into new and uncharted territory as they changed careers. Michelle…
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Rethinking Navigation for the Blind: Robotic Guide Dogs
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…
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Crafting with Community: Where Access Meets Art
Whether it's a hobby, professional work, or the pleasure of creating with your hands, arts and crafts groups bring people together to share and admire your own…
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The Food Truck Life: Delivering Comfort to Gourmet
Kelly MacDonald has always wondered what goes on behind the food truck window after receiving his order, and he went on a mission to find out if the secrets…
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Accessible Housing: A Different Definition From Person to Person
We all believe we know what is important to each of us, especially when it comes to our housing needs. Is it affordable housing? Is it support systems that…
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Looking into Canada‘s National Eyecare Strategy
How do we educate people about eye health? How do we prevent vision loss, and how can we better support Canadians already living with it? These are all…
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The Access Go Mobile App: All Aboard
Daily commutes can be quite stressful, and that stress is heightened for blind and low-vision commuters when transportation is inaccessible and wayfinding is…
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Braille Mountain Initiative: Back Country Experiences Made Accessible
Whether you're a seasoned mountain climber or rarely venture out of the city, you're bound to be excited by the uniqueness of Braille Mountain Initiative, an…
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Getting a Guide Dog: The Process Behind the Partnerships
When Siobhan Kilburn started to lose her sight, she assumed she would rely on a white cane to help her navigate her surroundings. That was until she attended…
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Accessibility at the 2026 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa
The anticipation for the 2026 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships to begin is at a fever pitch, but what about the long journey to create an inclusive…
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Overdue or Overreach: Encryption and Security in Canada
The Canadian Governments' Lawful Access Bill, Bill C-22, proposed to create a pathway for law enforcement to investigate individuals using technology for…
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Late Diagnosed Autism in Women: Playing a Game with No Rulebook
Getting an autism diagnosis can be incredibly challenging, especially for women later in life. Before she had the labels to understand her experiences, Vanessa…
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On Blind Gardening: Rooting for a Struggling Black Thumb
After moving into her new home, Joeita Gupta was ready to tackle a new project: gardening! But as a self-proclaimed “black thumb,” Joeita turned to the experts…
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The Accessible Canada Act: Where Are We At?
The Accessible Canada Act has been described as landmark legislation with a single, ambitious goal: a barrier-free Canada by January 1, 2040. It takes a…
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Take to the Air: Canada’s Snowbirds
Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Maryse Carmichael said “Flying over the parliament buildings was an experience of a lifetime.” She would know, being the first…
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Move for Sight 2026: Where Science Meets Sights
On June 6, 2026, Fighting Blindness Canada hosted their annual Move for Sight fundraiser, with in-person events taking place across the country. Joeita Gupta…
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Navigating the Canadian Military with a Service Animal: Please Guide Me
Dawn LeFevre and Andrew Gough know a bit about discrimination, especially directed at their service animals. Despite them both being in law enforcement…
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The Everyone Everywhere Boat: Adaptive Sports on the Water
A new accessible fishing boat project is making a splash in the disability community! Grant Hardy has the story. Launched in 2025 as part of the Rick Hansen…
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The Most Isolating Disability: Understanding Deafblindness
June is National Deafblindness Awareness month, and Joeita Gupta is sharing some conversations she recently had with people from the community to understand…
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How Losing a Parent Young Reshapes Your Relationship with Life and Death
How does losing your parent at a young, formative age affect the rest of your life? Beth Deer lost her father during the COVID-19 pandemic, and invited family…
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ATS Innovation Hub: Building a Space for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities
It's rare as a wheelchair user in Toronto that Vanessa Leu gets to be in a space where accessibility is truly put at the forefront. The Access to Success (ATS)…
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The Waiting Game: Why We Can't Stand Waiting Around
Do you have a handle on how to wait for things without getting irritated? Nisreen Abdel-Majid spun her vent sessions on "hate having to wait" into an episode…
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Safe on the Water: Exploring Inclusive, Accessible Water Activities
A significant portion of water safety messaging focuses on motorized boats, but how about the swimmers, paddlers, and beachgoers? As we kick off the summer…
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Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Change-makers at Work
It's never been more critical to integrate accessible design into our apps and websites. Join us as we examine the hopes and challenges of an AI-fueled digital…
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Untangling the Weave: Why Sewing Has Made a Remarkable Comeback
When Joeita Gupta found out that Reflections Producer Grace Scoffield inherited a sewing machine and was taking up the hobby, she started to wonder if sewing…
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Fireworks: Interpreting the Visuals
Collin van Uchelen, a Community Psychologist, Conceptual Artist, and Pyro Technician, speaks to Kelly MacDonald about his love for fireworks and his efforts to…
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The Rosetta Stone of Accessibility: Featuring the GovAI Grand Challenge
There are so many creative uses for AI that go far beyond chatbots. The Government of Canada's G7 GovAI Grand Challenge invited students and professionals…
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Disability Representation in Children’s Literature: An Exploration
After Joeita Gupta’s nephew was born, she started to think about what kinds of books to add to his first personal library. She's interested in books that show…
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AI Up Close and Personal: At Home
Are our fears around AI justified? Kelly MacDonald continues to figure out the answers to this question with a focus on AI's place in our personal lives…
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Being a Good Mom: On Disability and Motherhood
When we think about Mother’s Day, we may be thinking about flowers, brunch, and mimosas. Or maybe we’re missing our mom, or contemplating being a mom. Mother’s…
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Stand-Up Comedy: Bringing Us Together Through Laughter
Grant Hardy digs into the art of stand-up comedy! He's joined by comics Megan Milton, Ryan Lachance, and Darwin Barcellano as they take us on a journey through…
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AI Up Close and Personal: At Work
Are the fears with AI being integrated into our jobs justified? Kelly MacDonald finds out. Registered Psychologist Dr. Christine Korol explains how we should…
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Making Old New Again: On Vinyl’s Remarkable Comeback
When Joeita Gupta received a record player from her mother-in-law as an anniversary present, she had no idea that it would blossom into a lifelong hobby of…
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What Are We Really Eating: Unpacking Ultra-Processed Foods
Nisreen Abdel-Majid explores the thoughts and intentions behind the everyday food choices we make, and the consequences behind those choices. She unpacks the…