Reflections

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 have been hunkered down in our homes for the storm, what was going on in the City of Toronto? 

Joeita Gupta speaks to representatives from organizations across the city, and residents to gather their stories and capture a snapshot of Toronto life during a major snowstorm.  

Harold Hosein is a meteorologist with 50 years of experience in his field, and will shed some light on how meteorologists prepare the public for...

The CCRW’s second annual Untapped Talent Summit takes place online February 10, 2026. It provides resources for job seekers and employers on inclusive employment. The theme, Disability in Action: Navigating the School-to-Work Transition, is particularly welcome this year with an uncertain job market and some of the lowest rates of employment for youth with disabilities that we’ve seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant Hardy learns more about the work that CCRW does, and their upcoming Summit.

Vanessa Sinclair, Director of Research and Evaluation at CCRW, explains the organization's work and gives us a sneak-peak of what...

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 have been hunkered down in our homes for the storm, what was going on in the City of Toronto? 

Joeita Gupta speaks to representatives from organizations across the city, and residents to gather their stories and capture a snapshot of Toronto life during a major snowstorm. 

Harold Hosein is a meteorologist with 50 years of experience in his field, and will shed some light on how meteorologists prepare the public fo...

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 like Australia are willing to go to legislate in hopes of a safer internet.

Lifestyle and Tech Expert Andy Baryer provides his perspective on Australia’s new social media laws, and whether there’s an appetite to bring them to Canada.

It’s unclear if Australia’s tough new legislation would survive in Canada, or even if it should. Danielle McLaughlin is the Retired Director of Education...

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 so often feels like failure, and how we can take small steps towards embracing rest and reassessing our needs. Susi Niazi is a senior corporate executive navigating leadership responsibilities and a nonstop pace at work. She's also a mother of two figuring out how to balance work and life, by adding bits of restful moments into her day. We hear from Katrina Onstad, author of The Weekend Effect, who highlights the history of the 5-d...

Joeita Gupta finds some helpful tips to navigate a complicated relationship with food from culinary expert Mary Mammoliti, Master Chef winner and restaurant owner Christine Ha, and Dietician Gena Hamshaw. 

Learn to be gracious with yourself, approach your diet with moderation in mind, and find ways that work for your season of life to make those weeknight dinners less stressful.

To find support for an eating disorder, reach out to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre’s helpline at: 1-866-622-4220 or visit their website: nedic.ca

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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 along as he learns how our small choices impact how we care for our Earth. Laura Newton, Founder of The Kind Matter Company, is an expert on sustainable living, and shares how we can move to clean purchases and clean products, without it having to break the bank. Laura explains what it actually means to buy clean and organic. Spoiler alert: it goes way beyond the packaging label and ingredient...

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 get grey. Nisreen Abdel-Majid explores this topic.

Suzanne Holder is the Customer Experience Manager at MiWay, Mississauga, Ontario's major transport system. She shares how riders with invisible disabilities can identify themselves through the Sunflower program, which extends to Metrolinx-operated transit as well.

Sonia Gangopadhyay, Director at the Centre of Expertise for Accessible Transportation with the Canadian Transportation Agency, explains the One Person, One Fare policy, legislated for travelers...

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 Gupta is answering all our burning questions around which employers are insisting workers come back to the office and why. What role is the Canadian government playing in all of this? And how are people with disabilities being affected? 

Opeyemi Akanbi is an Assistant Professor at the School of Professional Communication at Toronto Metropolitan University, who will lend us her expertise to understand why employers want their employees back in the...

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 Kelly MacDonald was thrilled to commemorate.

Mario Circelli, Founder and Chair of The London Music Hall of Fame, introduces us to this special music community, and helps us explore what the UNESCO title means for London's growth. We hear about fostering collaboration, increasing music opportunities, and supporting local art initiatives with passionate world-class concert pianist Clark Bryan, Darin Addison of the Home County Folk Festival, and Dario Novoa, Founder of Simple Reflections for Artists.<...

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 Tammy Adams about the triumphs, challenges, and highlights of their hiking journeys.

The trip was made possible by Nana Safaris. It’s a mainstream tour and travel company based in Arusha – Tanzania that incorporates accessibility into its tours. Director Idrisa Abel shares how they facilitated the journey and explains why inclusivity is built right into the heart of the company.

Whether checking off a personal goal or advocating for the blind...

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 independence, the moments that may look ordinary from the outside but carry deep emotional weight for the people experiencing them.

Through firsthand stories, Ariana Noughira shares what it meant to regain confidence with her guide dog by her side. Becki Zerr reflects on how losing her vision forced her to reimagine parenting, identity, and daily life. And Leanne Baarda, an Independent Living Skills Specialist with Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada, offers insight in...

The memoir genre is booming, disability memoirs specifically. But what makes these books so entertaining, informative, powerful, or groundbreaking? Is it pressure from publishers? Or is it the translation of a person's lived experience into a digestible, easy-to-read format?

Andreae Callanan is a writer and researcher who studies neurodiversity and the disability memoir. Andreae provides her perspective on what disability memoirs can bring to the literary industry. 

Dorothy Ellen Palmer is an author of the memoir “Falling for Myself” and she shares why she wrote her memoir, and the compromises and sacrifices she had to make...

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 of the smartest people she knows to share their input on whether a blind culture exists.

Joined by Andrew Leland, Barbara Pierce, Marcia Yale, and Michelle McQuigge, Joeita will explore the shared traits among the blind community, the stigma surrounding people living with disability, and whether a shared feeling of culture is directly responsible for feeling more blind pride.

About AMI

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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 planned obsolescence and tech troubleshooting. Let's figure out if the smart home is really worth it.

Andy Baryer from Handy Andy Media shares what he’s most excited about in his smart home for 2025, as well as his thoughts on futureproofing. Double Tap Host Sean Preece provides his own thoughts and experiences from an accessibility perspective. AMI Friend and Tech Contributor John Biehler reflects on some of the impact th...

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? Are aging employees too expensive to keep around? Let's get to the bottom of these questions. Kelly MacDonald speaks with Lisa Taylor, Founder and CEO of Challenge Factory, a Canadian research and advisory firm focused on the future of work, dedicated to career services for older workers. She, along with Project Coordinator Jennifer St.Denis and Research Associate Emily Carew, gives us the decades of research-backed answers to our questions and teaches us...

From crowded buses and train stations to classrooms, gyms, and healthcare settings, we’re constantly negotiating hygiene in shared spaces. Nisreen Abdel-Majid explores how to approach the tricky conversations of hygiene, addressing environment, expectation, and access. Kindergarten teacher Melinda Morbi shares how hygiene is introduced early in classrooms and how those messages can follow us into adulthood. Cardio and kickboxing instructor Noura Sadek reflects on fitness spaces where sweat is expected, and how fitness culture shapes ideas of cleanliness and confidence. Ada Juristovski, co-founder and CEO of Nala Care, compares health choices like antiperspirants versus deodorants, while registered nurse Leslie De...

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 of the smartest people she knows to share their input on whether a blind culture exists.

Joined by Andrew Leland, Barbara Pierce, Marcia Yale, and Michelle McQuigge, Joeita will explore the shared traits among the blind community, the stigma surrounding people living with disability, and whether a shared feeling of culture is directly responsible for feeling more blind pride. 

About AMI

AMI is a me...

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 Shulman nudges us about the gifts of advice and the giving of time. Artist Lucas Haneman remembers how just one gift lead to a lifetime of blessings. Angela Bonfanti, President and CEO of CNIB, shares how her childhood attempts to run away from home began teaching her some of the best lessons on advocacy. An array of guests remind us how thoughtful moments of kindness can have ever-lasting effects on those who receive them...

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. The sixteen-week course provided neurodivergent youth with hands-on experience in the fields of voice acting and radio hosting, including the opportunity to create an original radio series.

Nicole Provost, the Founder of Mayday Club, shares what Mayday Club is: a grassroots initiative to empower neurodivergent youth by providing employment, leadership and travel opportunities. She also tells us about the Amplify Course and its impact on participants.

Students Joey Lim an...

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 as she confronts the music industry gate keeping, able-ism, and internalized self-doubt that kept her hovering on the fringes, despite her ever-growing talent and repertoire. Alongside music publicist Eric Alper, we ask who really gets to decide when an artist is “real,” and what changes when you stop waiting for permission from an industry that rarely expects artists with disabilities to succeed. About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians ...

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 heard the alarming news and noticed how deeply it was affecting people in her close circles. Joeita is inviting you to listen to this episode of Reflections to find out why these amendments are so concerning, how you can use your voice to support the cause, and the lasting impacts a change like this could have.  

Jeffrey Rainey of Braille Literacy Canada will share his severe concern for the future literacy of b...

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 becoming a kid influencer.

When you’re not yet legally an adult, being a star can bring danger. The Ivey Business School at Western University conducted a study on “kidfluencing,” and we learn what they discovered with Lead Research Professor Daniel Clark, covering rights, consent, exploitation, and the gray areas and pitfalls of parenting kid influencers.

Gabby Mendonca shares how freedom of expression can be compr...

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 hall or trying to squeeze a few more chairs around their own dinner table, they’re creating an accessible space for everybody? 

From washrooms to festive attire, holiday lights to food allergies, join Joeita Gupta to find out how you or your organization can host an accessible gathering at any time in the year.

Rosemarie Rosetti provides accessibility consultations through her business Rosetti Enterprises LLC. and has tips for m...

Grant Hardy explores how artists are going beyond the visual, reimagining how we experience art in diverse and multisensory forms.

Violinist Leslie Ting's show, What Brings You In, in partnership with Theatre Passe-Muraille, is centred around the nonvisual experience for the audience, inviting people to participate in unique, auditory ways.

Nonvisual, social practice artist Carmen Papalia shares details on his multisensory art projects, such as the Weather Warlock, which transforms the weather into soothing soundscapes; and describes his accessible navigation experience using a marching band.

We also hear from Gagan Saran, a blind In...

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 martial arts mindsets and philosophies.

Chris James is the Lead Instructor of the self defence workshops ran periodically at Balance for Blind Adults in Toronto. He, along with Kathleen Wilson and Mags Storey, share how they approach teaching blind and low vision participants self-defence techniques.

We hear from Clement Chou, who introduces us to Aikido, a martial arts practice that he took on as a blind person, after some experimenting and...

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 re-train their brains to lessen the impact of pain on their lives.

Kara Stanley and Simon Paradis, authors of the book The Pain Project, are back to recount the tactics they’ve used to distract Simon’s brain in real-time when he's experiencing pain flare ups.

Dr. Andrea Furlan returns to highlight some of the techniques she is using with her patients who live with chronic pain...

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 Disabilities. On December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, it releases a list of award solutions toward its goal: a world with zero barriers.  The full list is at zeroproject.org

AMI-audio Manager Andy Frank spotlights three of these award recipients on this episode.

Kevin Kelly, tells us about the Wayfinding Centre in Dublin, which empowers people and possibility through experience, mobility & transportation.

David Betts was r...

At Vision Health Canada (VHC), their work is unified under the guiding theme: One Voice. Clear Focus. Collective Action. They aim to collaborate with government, industry, clinicians, researchers, and community partners to establish a unified national approach to vision health. In this roundtable discussion, Kelly MacDonald introduces us to Jim Sanders, Director at VHC; Ian White, Chair of the VHC Board; and Michael Baillargeon, CEO and President of VHC About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platfo...

Grant Hardy hears from individuals living with chronic pain about their experiences, struggles, and how they are working to move forward.

Couple Kara Stanley and Simon Paradis published their book, “The Pain Project,” that documents their journey of Simon’s chronic pain after a traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Simon’s band is called “Them Ordinary Things”. We speak about “The Pain Project” as well as the hopes and struggles of this couple’s journey and how Simon uses music to get through his pain.

Ardra Shephard is a long-time friend of AMI and host of the “Tripp...

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. Let’s talk honestly about those realities, and figure out safety, strategy, and self-defence. Samira Lavei and Lindsay McCaw run the Unbreakable Women’s Self-Defence series in Toronto; they share practical self-defence tips and emphasize the importance of coming together as a community for safety in numbers. Can martial arts traditions help people with disabilities take on the world more confidently? Johnny Tai, founder of Night Strike Self-Defence in Richmond, BC, shares how he a...

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 figure out where exactly we are in the grand scheme of things. Kelly MacDonald introduces us to Joshua Miele’s project YouDescribe, a free, crowdsourced platform that allows people to add audio description tracks to YouTube videos. We hear from the community bringing this initiative to life, including Ilmi Yoon, Teaching Professor and Director of Computing Programs at Northeastern University; Lana Do, Research Assistant; Dr. Shasta Marie Ihorn, Associate Professor of Psychology at San Francisco State Un...

Food bank visits in the City of Toronto have increased by 340% since 2019, and across Canada food bank visits are rising. Why is this happening? How can we help?

Feature Reporter Joeita Gupta set out to find an answer for us. While it may not be as straightforward as we would like, there are still things we can do to support our fellow Canadians during a time when putting food on our tables is getting increasingly more difficult, and impossible for some.

Rose Butler, Interim Vice President of Research and Advocacy at the Daily Bread Food...

This episode features the conclusion to our special archive cut of AMI's documentary Alzheimer's: The Tsunami to Come as it originally aired in 2016. About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI...

Few of us think of ourselves as caregivers, until the day we suddenly need to step up for a loved one. Sooner or later we will all either need a caregiver or become one. Are you ready for it? When that moment comes, families carry the burden long before a healthcare system that’s already stretched thin can catch up. Following our recent "Caregivers: A Very Personal Journey" episode, this special archive cut revisits AMI-audio’s 2016 documentary Alzheimer’s: The Tsunami to Come. It reminds us that while Canada eventually adopted the national dementia strategy caregivers were calling for, the everyd...

Grant Hardy continues the exploration on how STEM learning can be made more accessible for persons with disabilities. In this episode, we highlight how individuals with disabilities bring unique perspectives to enhance scientific work and discovery.

Dr. Kyle Keane, Senior Lecturer in Assistive Technologies at the University of Bristol, uses sonification to make visual elements and scientific data accessible; we find out how.

John Hutchinson, Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics at The Royal Veterinary College, used his epilepsy diagnosis as a way to adapt his teachings and advocate for others with disabilities in STEM fields; he...

Talking about death isn’t a comfortable topic, but it can be comforting to plan it out ahead of time. Hear us out. Planning ahead not only ensures your wishes are respected, it also opens the door to meaningful discussions about legacy giving and the impact we want to leave behind. Kelly MacDonald spends this half-hour asking his guests to weigh in on this delicate conversation with clarity and care. We hear from Braydin Frizell, Development Manager with the Canadian Council for the Blind; Meghan Maack, Fundraising Executive at the Perley Health Foundation; David DaCamara, Financial Planner at R&D In...

For some of us, chatting about the weather or weekend plans comes easily, and for others it’s a source of stress and self-doubt. Why does something as ordinary as small talk spark such big feelings?

Nisreen Abdel-Majid gets to the bottom of small talk psychology.

Arslan Abakarov is a software developer at AMI who grew up in Russia where small talk is never the norm. Elysia Yardley lets us in on her perspectives on communication and connection, as someone who works in Human Resources at AMI, along with her tips navigating chit-chat at work. Di...

The Alberta Sports & Recreation Association for the Blind supports Albertans who are blind or visually impaired to live physically active lives and participate in competitive sports programs. From Edmonton, Jim Krysko, AMI Content Development Specialist guides us on a delightful walk down memory lane. With the help of past Presidents Laura Layton, Jim Leask, Lorna Snow, and current President Chris Abdalla, we enjoy the history, laughs, and stories of this unique organization. Let’s celebrate five decades of momentum meets commitment, that has built and fostered this incredible force of ASRAB. About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, in...

Joeita Gupta was feeling lonely and embarked on a quest to find out how she can make friends and maintain these relationships at this stage of her life. To find some answers, Joeita is hosting a roundtable conversation with members of the Toronto Visionaries chapter of the Canadian Council for the Blind (CCB) and an expert in this field. Together with these voices, Joeita will discover new ways to make friends, important lessons in vulnerability, and she’ll gather some opinions on whether making friends outside of the blind and low vision community can be more challenging. 

Joe...