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
Vibe-Coding: How the Blind Community is Making Video Games Accessible
Jacob Shymanski loves to play video games, and when he lost his sight, he felt that one of his favourite hobbies had been taken away from him. Native…
- Reflections
Where Did the Village Go?
Parenting, whether solo or with a partner, can become a very isolating experience for a multitude of reasons. Beth Deer found herself reminiscing on afternoons…
- Reflections
Veterans and Everyday Heroes: How Service Dogs Help Uniformed Heroes Reclaim Their Lives
How do service animals support people with invisible disabilities? Kelly MacDonald follows the work of non-profit organization Veterans and Everyday Heroes…
- Reflections
Exploring Accessible Education: The Case of the Province of Ontario - Part 2
Students are being forgotten about in classrooms, schools are sending kids with disabilities home, and school board Trustees are being removed and replaced…
- Reflections
Accessible Language Learning: Languages at Work
Grant Hardy continues his multilingual journey with a look at languages on the job. Youssef Mohammad returns to discuss his career as a Medical Interpreter at…
- Reflections
Exploring Accessible Education: The Case of the Province of Ontario - Part 1
Students are being forgotten about in classrooms, schools are sending kids with disabilities home, and school board Trustees are being removed and replaced…
- Reflections
Where Did the Circus Go: Describing the Changing Spectacle
How do you feel about the circus? Is it a magical, nostalgic memory where the audience cheers and the children jump with excitement? Or is it something you…
- Reflections
The Tipping Point: Why We Feel Pressured to Tip Everywhere
Tipping, it’s something many of us do without thinking. But what’s really behind this cultural norm? Nisreen Abdel-Majid explores the psychological pressures…
- Reflections
The Strength of the Ballot: Why Accessible Voting Matters
Is inaccessible voting a direct violation of people’s rights? Is accessible voting the key to ensuring more citizens are engaged in their municipal…
- Reflections
Accessible Language Learning: From Grammar to Culture
Whether you’re a student, professional, or you just love languages, come along on this multilingual journey. Grant Hardy hears from hobbyists and pros alike as…
- Reflections
Connecting Communities: The Broadening of Connect4Life
There are many ways to find your community. Sometimes, you find community through shared interest or proximity, like school or your neighbourhood gym. Other…
- Reflections
Access in Families: When Accessibility Becomes About Belonging
We talk a lot about accessibility in public spaces, but some of the hardest conversations don’t happen there. They happen in private, with family and friends…
- Reflections
Reclaiming Adventure: Lynn Jensen's Travel Story
Nisreen Abdel-Majid dives into Lynn Jensen’s journey of losing her sight and finding her way back to the world through travel. After sudden vision loss at 27…
- Reflections
From Three Voices: Why Disabled Black History Matters
How does our history of segregation and discrimination towards minority communities impact the way social justice movements and disability rights organizations…
- Reflections
Beyond Pictures: Describing Videos with AI
How does AI continue to help blind people interpret the visual world? Grant Hardy learns about a new accessibility tool called ViddyScribe. He talks to…
- Reflections
Fencing for All: Sparring at Tim's Fencing Academy
Kelly MacDonald highlights Tim's Fencing Academy in Toronto, a space and program that started building safety, recreation, and community since the moment it…
- Reflections
White Lies: Pulling Apart the Social Glue of our Little Deceits
From sparing someone’s feelings to smoothing over awkward social moments, most of us tell white lies more often than we confess to. Are these little lies…
- Reflections
Reflecting on the Death of People with Disabilities: Disability Day of Mourning Around the World
Every year on March 1st, we observe Disability Day of Mourning to memorialize and honour victims of filicide around the world. Zoe Gross began Disability Day…
- Reflections
Welcoming Everybody: How to Make Indoor Spaces Work Better for Customers with Disabilities
Why don't indoor spaces always work as well as they should, and what can be done to make them work better? Grant Hardy consults with a group of experts and…
- Reflections
The Story of Public Broadcasting in the United States: Brought to you by Maine Public, With a Disclaimer
In the United States, public broadcasting is anchored by NPR, PBS and other household names, which are currently fighting significant battles to stay alive…
- Reflections
Learning New Kitchen Skills: Tips for the Blind Home Cook
For some, cooking is about survival and nourishment. For others, it’s an adventure, challenge, hobby, and a source of joy. Either way, getting started in the…
- Reflections
When Fear Crosses the Border: Deportation Protests and the Illusion of Safety in Canada
Nisreen Abdel-Majid understands that fear doesn’t stop at a border, it travels through headlines, protests, and deeply personal moments. It did for her and her…
- Reflections
Visual Eating: When This Food Looks Like [Expletive Deleted]
Can blind and low vision people be visual eaters too? Kelly MacDonald explores how our senses come into play in building our appetites. Food enthusiast Bill…
- Reflections
Finding a New Voice
What happens when the life you built around your talent suddenly falls apart in front of thousands of people? In this AMI-original, writer and performer Julia…
- Reflections
The Road to Independence: My Guide Dog Journey
We know technology wins a lot of the time, but no tech can connect to humans the way our four-legged working friends do, as they steadily lead us along in…
- Reflections
A Hot Concern: Lithium ion battery fires
Since I was a child, I’ve had a fear of fires that has fostered a healthy respect for fire safety. Lithium-ion batteries have created a dose of awareness…
- Reflections
A Reality Check: trying to get by on disability assistance
Grant Hardy helps us take a closer look at the reality of life on disability assistance, following a recent report in the mainstream media about turmoil at…
- Reflections
What's Love Got to Do With It: Exploring Inter-abled Relationships
What is an inter-abled relationship? Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Feature Reporter Joeita Gupta wanted to learn more about inter-abled relationships, the…
- Reflections
Are Malls Dying: Re-imagining the Town Square
Are people still hanging out at malls? We shop online and socialize differently, so how are malls being affected? Nisreen Abdel-Majid finds out if malls are on…
- Reflections
Savings Made Accessible: Learning How to Stretch your dollar
Many of us are shopping on a budget, so let's learn how to shop even smarter. From coupon clipping to unexpected discount discoveries and dumpster diving…
- Reflections
Digging Out: How Toronto Managed a Historic Snowfall
On January 25th, 2026 the Greater Toronto Area received almost 60 centimetres of snow in a storm that many people have dubbed historic. While most of us may…
- Reflections
Untapped Talent Summit: Breaking down barriers to make employment more inclusive
The CCRW’s second annual Untapped Talent Summit takes place online February 10, 2026. It provides resources for job seekers and employers on inclusive…
- Reflections
Overdue or Overreach: Regulating Social Media in Canada
Countries are racing to regulate big tech and keep kids safe from the harms of social media, but the fight isn’t over. Grant Hardy examines how far countries…
- Reflections
When Rest Feels Like Failure: Slowing Down Without Shame
We know we’re tired. We talk about burnout constantly. And yet, when we finally slow down, rest can feel uncomfortable. Nisreen Abdel-Majid explores why rest…
- Reflections
Food and Wellbeing: Redefining Our Relationship with the Kitchen
Joeita Gupta finds some helpful tips to navigate a complicated relationship with food from culinary expert Mary Mammoliti, Master Chef winner and restaurant…
- Reflections
Sustainable Living: Take Our Time and Do It Right
It takes a bit of thought and a bit of change, but not as much effort as we believe, to create and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. Kelly MacDonald brings us…
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Is this seat taken? Navigating Priority Seating on Public Transit
Generally speaking, there's an honour system when it comes to using public transit, but when it comes to priority seating on buses, trains, and planes, it can…
- Reflections
Return to Work: Discussing Office Mandates and Accommodations
Returning to the office due to new mandates? The adjustment isn’t being taken well by all, and there are some serious accessibility issues to address. Joeita…
- Reflections
Canada's First UNESCO City of Music: Celebrating the Arts of London, Ontario
London, Ontario was designated as Canada's first UNESCO City of Music in 2021, recognizing its vibrant music scene and commitment to cultural development, and…
- Reflections
Conquering Kilimanjaro: Eleven Blind Hikers Take On Africa’s Highest Mountain
Last fall, a group of eleven blind hikers traveled to Tanzania to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro. Grant Hardy speaks with climbers Peter Quaiattini, David Brown, and…
- Reflections
My First Accessible Breakthrough: Embracing the Small Moments
What’s the first moment when life after vision loss starts to feel possible again? Nisreen Abdel-Majid explores the small, powerful breakthroughs that reshape…
- Reflections
The Disability Memoir: Stories That Make a Difference
The memoir genre is booming, disability memoirs specifically. But what makes these books so entertaining, informative, powerful, or groundbreaking? Is it…
- Reflections
The Smart Home: Benefit or Barrier?
Grant Hardy is joined by tech experts Shaun Preece, Andy Baryer, and John Biehler to compare and contrast the benefits of the smart home with the perils of…
- Reflections
Are Older Workers More Costly: Let's Dispell the Myths
Are older employees in the workforce wrongfully keeping work away from young people who are fresh out of school? Is AI taking over older workers' jobs first?…
- Reflections
BO and Beyond: The Shared Responsibilities of Personal Hygiene
From crowded buses and train stations to classrooms, gyms, and healthcare settings, we’re constantly negotiating hygiene in shared spaces. Nisreen Abdel-Majid…
- Reflections
Is There a Blind Culture? Exploring the Tensions of Community, Blind Pride, and Identity
What are some of the common touchstones in the blind community? Do they create a shared sense of culture? Joeita Gupta was curious and decided to invite some…
- Reflections
Unwrapping Christmas: The Gift That Stayed With You
To put a bow on 2025, Kelly MacDonald gathered stories about the unwrapped gifts that have stayed with us, in memory and impact. ESPN and Sportsnet's Dan…
- Reflections
The Amplify Course: Voice Work Made Accessible for Neurodivergent Youth
Grant Hardy introduces us to the Mayday Club’s Amplify: Sound, Voice, and Radio course that took place this fall, in partnership with Disability Alliance BC…
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Already an Artist: Embracing the Spotlight
For many artists, legitimacy is imagined as a single moment, when someone finally says, “you’re in.” This episode follows emerging indie pop artist Laura Ulmer…
- Reflections
Is Free Postage for the Blind in Jeopardy: Explaining the Proposed Amendments Within Bill C-15
This past week proposed amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act surfaced, and free postage for literature for the blind could be removed. Joeita Gupta…
- Reflections
Kidfluencing: Creators Beware
You can become a celebrity overnight and make money online, at a price, of course. And what’s that price when you’re a minor? Let’s find out the realities of…
- Reflections
Making Spirits Bright: How to Host an Accessible Holiday Party
Holidays are the perfect time to gather with friends, family, coworkers, and your community. But how do hosts ensure that whether they’re in a grand banquet…
- Reflections
Multi-Sensory Art: Reimagining What's Possible
Grant Hardy explores how artists are going beyond the visual, reimagining how we experience art in diverse and multisensory forms. Violinist Leslie Ting's…
- Reflections
Fighting and Focus: The Martial Arts Mindset
Can martial arts traditions help people with disabilities take on the world more confidently? Let's continue to explore this question, while we learn about…
- Reflections
Chronic Pain: How can we support people who live with it? - Part 2
In Part 2 of this series, Grant Hardy digs a bit deeper into what is being done to treat chronic pain, and asks how people living with chronic pain can…
- Reflections
Towards a World With Zero Barriers: Recognizing 2026 Zero Project Awardees
The Zero Project works alongside the UN community to spotlight and scale innovations that advance the goals of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with…
- Reflections
The Launch of Vision Health Canada: A new venture to keep our eyes on
At Vision Health Canada (VHC), their work is unified under the guiding theme: One Voice. Clear Focus. Collective Action. They aim to collaborate with…
- Reflections
Chronic Pain: How can we support people who live with it? - Part 1
Grant Hardy hears from individuals living with chronic pain about their experiences, struggles, and how they are working to move forward. Couple Kara Stanley…
- Reflections
Fighting and Focus: Self-Defence in the Real World
We know the fears and anxieties that come with navigating the streets on our own, being out late in unfamiliar areas, or moving through public transit systems…
- Reflections
YouDescribe: Do I hear what you see?
In 2025, video content offers vital access to information, but making videos accessible to blind and low-vision audiences is still a work in progress. Let's…