BALANCE for Blind Adults

Welcome to “Living Blind” (formerly Life In BALANCE), the official podcast of BALANCE for Blind Adults. This podcast explores the perspectives and lived experiences of people with sight loss, and delves into barriers, challenges, and real-life strategies for living life to the fullest. Each interview provides insights to inspire and inform the question: what is it like to live without sight in a sighted world?

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Season 3

Act Naturally with Alex Bulmer and Shayla Brown. Episode 4.
To Dog or Not to Dog? with Samantha Moore and Anita Laurnitus. Episode 3.
Facilitating Independence with Everyday Activities: A Conversation About Occupational Therapy with Eve Pervin. Episode 2.
Nothing to Lose-Everything to Game With Richard Bennett. Episode 1.

Season 2

Season 1

Meet the Living Blind Podcast Team!

Naomi Hazlett, Host

Selfie of Naomi. She is smiling and has shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes and is wearing a blue sweater.

Naomi Hazlett, BSc., MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.) Is a registered occupational therapist first introduced to the blind and partially sighted community in 2018 at BALANCE for Blind Adults. She received both a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Cognitive Science in 2013 and a Masters in Occupational Therapy in 2017 from the University of Toronto. She is part of a number or organizations and projects related to empowering people and communities through meaningful activity, including therapeutic gaming, writing, and teaching. This is the first podcast Naomi is a host of, and she is thrilled to be sharing the mic with the BALANCE community!

Jeffrey Rainey – Producer

Selfie of Jeffrey. He has dark blonde hair, and is standing against a wall smiling at the camera while wearing a camo shirt.

Jeff is a savvy producer, and one of the many voices behind the Living Blind podcast! He enjoys scouting for guests, recording and editing interviews, and keeping an eye on what listeners have to say about the show. Previously, he has worked as the editor on the Because Braille podcast from CNIB, has volunteered as an audio operator and mentor with Rogers TV, and had the pleasure of working as a co-op student in audio and marketing with Accessible Media Inc. When not working, Jeff can be heard cheering loudly for a number of Toronto Sports Teams, playing live music late into the night, and sharing a laugh or two with friends and family. Not to mention he is a huge fan of dad jokes.

Deborah Gold, Executive Producer

Deborah has dark brown shoulder length hair, glasses, and is wearing a dark flowery shirt. She's in her office smiling at the camera.

For the past 6 years, Deborah has been Executive Director of BALANCE for Blind Adults. Before joining BALANCE, she worked for 16 years at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in progressively advanced roles, most recently as their National Director of Research and Program Development. Deborah’s B.A. in Drama stands her in good stead as the Executive Producer of the podcast. In her spare time, she listens to many different types of podcasts while taking long walks, baking her weekly sourdough loaf, or riding her bike-indoors or out. Deborah says: “The Living Blind Podcast is an example of how a very small organization with a strong commitment to its mission and a brilliant team, can share knowledge with those living all over the world, who would most benefit.”

Living Blind is Live on Major Podcast Players!

Access and download our latest content from players like Spotify, Anchor, Apple Podcast and Google Podcast. Click below for direct links.

Podcasts