By Grant Hardy

Christina Martin is a singer/songwriter from Nova Scotia whom I Interviewed for a piece on AMI This Week. She’s a talented artist who has made the choice to embrace the accessibility community to connect with audiences across the country and around the world.

When she released her new single and corresponding music video, “Stay with Me,” Christina decided to commission a described music video for the blind and partially sighted community. This is relatively uncommon but is an important way of engaging with the music scene. Often, as in this case, the content of the music video is not obvious from the lyrics of the song. Being able to discuss the latest music video with the community around you, instead of feeling left out, is really important. So, I’m thrilled Christina set up a team of people to help make this happen.

The song is catchy, and the described music video was presented at a fun accessible online event with a Q&A. But unlike a lot of described works, the video didn’t just disappear into the void after the fact. You can watch it on YouTube anytime. Since both described and non-described versions are available, you have the freedom to get acquainted with the meaning behind the lyrics, then listen to the non-described version to focus on the song once you know what’s going down.

For the behind-the-scenes coverage you’ll want to watch our feature on AMI This Week, where we chat with Christina and her team to find out why accessibility is important, what their process was like, and how they collaborated on this project.

Watching the described music video was an interesting experience that I haven’t had before. I realize just how much visual bandwidth is present, even in a music video, because of how much description they attempt to squeeze in. And most importantly, I got some insight I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. I don’t have to feel left out about the conversation surrounding the single.

I was impressed by the enthusiasm of Christina and her team as well as how they embraced accessibility and inclusion without fear. It’s easy to hold yourself back, afraid of others’ critiques. But they were open and honest about wanting to try to make Christina’s artistry accessible, and that it’s a process rather than a destination. Hats off to the team at “Stay with Me” for giving me the first ever described music video I’ve been able to watch.

Watch Grant’s segment with Christina on AMI This Week, Monday, December 6, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. Want to read more from Grant? Search his name!
 

By Alex Smyth

On AMI This Week, we love to meet members from the community and share their stories. Whether they are new faces or veterans of the channel, the teams and audiences seem to enjoy it when we can dive deeper and learn more about some of the recurring members of our team. 

That is certainly the case with Travis Murao. He’s been a part of Canada’s Wheelchair Rugby team since 2008 and has racked up a collection of medals from the Paralympics, World Championships and Para-Pan Am Games. While his resumé is already impressive, he continued to add to it during the pandemic. 

Co-hosting the AMI-tv sports-talk show, Beyond the Field, with Greg Westlake, Travis became a new member of the AMI family, bringing his energy and tenacity from the court to the screen. Having worked on the show myself, it was great to meet and work with Travis, watching as he got more comfortable with each interview. 

He must have enjoyed his time as well, as he has signed on to be a contributor for ATW. Bringing his sports background and experience as a wheelchair user, his insight into some of the stories we cover is greatly welcomed. 

We felt that it was only right for the AMI audience to get to know Travis a bit more, so when you catch him on an episode, you know more about his story than his sports highlights! In sharing his story with us, we learn a lot about Travis growing up and the triumphs and struggles he has dealt with along the way.

Travis speaks about his introduction into sport at a young age, and how after his accident it was almost serendipity that led to him discovering wheelchair rugby. Though he has racked up medals playing the game he loves, he talks about how it was not a quick transition for him, and how he had to get better each day to be able to compete on the level that he wanted to get to. There were struggles during that time, and Travis didn’t shy away from talking about it. 

Travis speaks openly about his struggles with addiction and drug abuse, and how that low point helped him focus his efforts on a strong path to recovery. I commend him for being so willing to share that struggle because though many people have dealt with addiction; few are brave enough to publicly share their story. He says that his message for others who are struggling is to take it one step at a time, and you’ll find yourself in a better place. 

Today, Travis is a guy who lights up a room with his smile and infectious laugh. He brings the enthusiasm that makes him great on the court to the stories he covers with us. It’s easy to be a fan of Travis Murao; and we all are but after hearing his story and enjoying his appearances on ATW, I know you will be too. 

Learn more about Travis on AMI This Week, Monday, November 29, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. 

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By Alex Smyth

Fashion and Disability. I’ve written about it before and how the industry, while improving, still has a long way to go before it is an inclusive space for persons with disabilities. Things are changing, but a larger focus is needed on the issue. 

I’ve also written about Izzy Camilleri before, and how her transition from high-fashion mainstay to adaptive clothing pioneer is something to be celebrated. Well, she is now a part of a new AMI original series called Fashion Dis. 

Hosted by Ardra Shephard, Fashion Dis takes participants from the disability community and helps them overcome fashion challenges that they have had in their lives. Ardra learns about the participants and joins them on their fashion journey. But Ardra isn’t alone. Joining her is a team of fashion experts to help at every stage of the process. 

Izzy is the expert voice on the fashion side of the show, and joining her are experts in make-up, hair and fashion design. Participants work with each expert throughout the episode, and it is all capped off with a professional photo shoot. This is where things get interesting, and the show separates itself from other fashion-focused shows. As participants go through the process, they learn about fashion, hair, make-up, and more. There is also a chance to educate the participants and viewers about adaptive tools and clothes that can help them live a more independent life.

Learning about these adaptive tools and clothes, like automatic make-up brushes and easy-slip shoes not only help in the context of the show but can make a difference for people in daily living. That is really cool. You also know that everyone working on Fashion Dis has a real passion for this project. When I spoke with the creative team, it was clear that they had a vision and wanted it executed as well as it could be. 

Part of that vision included the expert panel being comprised of people with experience and knowledge of the disability community. Having that understanding allows for a more authentic experience for participants and viewers, knowing that these people truly do care. This is also highlighted with the structure of the show. Instead of a grand reveal to people at the end of the episode, participants go through a professional photo shoot and the reveal is a photo of themselves, to themselves. That’s giving the attention and focus back to the individual, and it’s something that is rather rare in these types of shows.

Another thing about Fashion Dis that I find really refreshing is the fact we will not always learn or focus on the participant’s disability or cause of disability. All too often, when a story includes someone with a disability, the story becomes transfixed on the nature of the disability, the origins of the disability, and the tragedy of the disability. What about the person? They are often secondary in the story. With Fashion Dis, they flip the script and give the person the platform to speak, share their story, and if they want to, discuss their disability. But the important thing is it’s their choice. 

If you are interested in fashion or learning about fashion from a perspective that is inclusive to the disability community, then Fashion Dis is the perfect show for you. It’s set to premiere on AMI-tv in the new year, so be sure to stay tuned to find out the premiere date. I know I’ll be watching, will you?

Get a sneak peek at Fashion Dis by tuning in to AMI This Week on Monday, November 22, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv.

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By Beth Deer

Mindfully Inclusive is a story that really warms my heart. 

Meranda Doll is working tirelessly to create fun, educational children’s kits that teach inclusivity. Meranda’s son, Vincent, is a wheelchair user and she took it upon herself to start Mindfully Inclusive and sell kits that contain colouring books, yoga cards, reading books and other fun and exciting things. 

Meranda wanted children and adults to understand disabilities, so they can start seeing disability as “normal,” and not something to be afraid of. It was also important to Meranda that Vincent started seeing himself represented in media around him, which is why one of the pages in the colouring book literally is Vincent. 

Covering this story made me think of my own disability and what my childhood was like. After learning about Vincent’s story, I felt very lucky to have parents who also advocated for me when I was young and wanted to enable me to do whatever I wanted to. 

Watch the Mindfully Exclusive segment on AMI This Week on Monday, November 15, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv.

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By Alex Smyth

For most people, the focus on Olympic and Paralympic sport starts and stops with the competitions every two years (with Winter and Summer games rotating during their four-year cycles). While the attention paid during those global events is great, when those games are over, people often stop following the sports and athletes who gave it all they had. 

This is an issue that sports bodies and national sport organizations have been trying to change for a long time, sometimes utilizing some really creative approaches to solve the problem. The Canadian Paralympic Committee (or CPC for short), has unleashed their imagination and hope to inspire people to build a more inclusive world. How, might you ask? By designing a para-sport-focused line of figures that are compatible with LEGO sets!

Providing new designs on the iconic toy allows people to include characters with limb differences, wheelchairs, white canes and more. Providing the open-source designs for free, the CPC hopes this Para Expansion Pack not only reminds people that our para-athletes are still training and working hard to compete but also helps those with disabilities see themselves when playing with LEGO. 

As someone who still has a huge tub of LEGO in my basement, I love this idea. LEGO was always about letting your imagination run free and creating the world as you wanted. Sure, there were plenty of designed sets and instructions you could follow but building a house, spaceship, or whatever else your imagination could drum up, your way always felt more satisfying. Throwing into the mix the adaptive pieces and interchangeability of these designs allows people young and old to integrate disability and accessibility into their play. 

The best part about this set is that the CPC did not set out to make this into something that would generate money. This is about starting a conversation, highlighting disability, and promoting inclusion. By providing the open-source plans and instructions for 3D printing the pieces really send that message home. 

LEGO is a company that believes in the power of play and have produced sets that showcase accessibility in the past (Braille LEGO sets), so I hope that they see what the CPC has done with its Para Expansion Pack and looks for ways that they can further build inclusion and support for people with disabilities with their products. At the end of the day, everyone deserves a chance to play, and play with toys that represent and reflect themselves. 

Learn more about these packs by tuning in to AMI This Week next Monday, November 8, at 8 p.m. Eastern on AMI-tv. 

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