How Was School Today: Part 5 of the History of Education for Canadians who are Blind, Deafblind and Partially Sighted

"Today, the Triple Vision team wraps up its five-part series on education by exploring how a fully-integrated education system has worked for three blind and partially sighted individuals in British Columbia. Fourteen years ago, Shawn Marsolais started Blind Beginnings, a non-profit organization committed to supporting blind children and youth through their personal and educational journeys. A driving force for Shawn’s desire to start the organization was as a result of her own lack of inclusion in the B.C. education system. Hanna and Peter talk to Shawn, as well as two of her Blind Beginnings participants Jinnie and Nika, about how Blind Beginnings helped support these students through school and now on to university. The episode caps off an exciting series where many individuals have shared their stories about how socialization, whether it be in an integrated or specialised school setting, is a critical success factor in any student’s success. “I think a big part of what I’m trying to do is realizing how much internalized ableism that I grew up feeling, and still tackle myself as a person in my 40s, it's really hard. When I think, for example, of how long it took me to feel comfortable using a white cane because of the shame I felt using it. When you are growing up in an environment where you’re the only person with a disability most of the time, it's natural that you’re going to have a lot of self-esteem issues and feel less than. So, when you are surrounded by people who are like you, you get to just focus on who you are, not this 'blind' part that you are constantly trying to over-compensate for.” "