About The Podcast
How do you feel when you're discriminated against because of your sight loss? Join us for a 9-part journey where Jacob Charendoff hosts informative conversations with people who have encountered discrimination and reaches out to lawyers and experts for their input. Know your rights and learn more about the legislation, resources and laws in Ontario that can help you challenge discrimination.
About The Host
Jacob Charendoff is an entrepreneur with a passion for innovation. In addition to his professional work, Jacob is an advocate for the blind and low vision community with a mission to turn adversity into opportunity.
Disclaimer
Content covered in the Know Your Rights podcast series is provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. CNIB does not make guarantees about the comprehensiveness or accuracy of the content. CNIB and the podcast participants assume no responsibility for how you use the information provided. If you require legal advice about a specific issue, contact a lawyer or community legal clinic.
The Know your Rights podcast is a co-production with CNIB. Reach out by emailing: knowyourrights@cnib.ca.
Know Your Rights Podcast – Playlist
Episodes
Episode 1: Healthcare
In Episode 1, Jacob meets with Psychotherapist, Malini Ondrovcik and Health Law Lawyer, Lisa Feldstein to discuss legal rights relating to healthcare and common barriers people with sight loss face when accessing healthcare services.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 1 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 1:
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Healthcare Handbook.
Episode 2: Self-Advocacy & Essential Legal Information
In Episode 2, Jacob discusses human rights laws, self-advocacy, and strategies to obtain accommodations with Federal Crown Attorney, Jason Mitschele and Articling Student and Author, Avesta Alani.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 2 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 2:
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Self-Advocacy & Essential Legal Information Handbook.
Episode 3: Employment
In Episode 3, Paul Ng and Employment Lawyer, Jonquille Pak join Jacob to examine legal rights relating to employment in Ontario and common barriers people with sight loss face when applying for jobs and requesting workplace accommodations.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 3 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 3:
- Ontario Human Rights Commission
- Canadian Human Rights Commission
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- CBC News: Bus Driver who Successfully Challenged Discriminatory Licensing Standards
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Employment Handbook.
Episode 4: Transportation
In Episode 4, Jacob meets with Michael McNeely, Kai Crites, and Human Rights Lawyer Lila Refaie to look at legal rights and common barriers people with sight loss face when accessing transportation services.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 4 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 4:
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
- Canadian Transportation Agency
- Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
- CBC News: Uber discriminates against deaf people, human rights complaint alleges
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Transportation Handbook.
Episode 5: Housing
In Episode 5, Jacob delves into the barriers people with sight loss often face when accessing rental housing and their legal rights with guests; Dr. Nicole Yantzi, Professor at Laurentian University; Margaret French, Independent Community Researcher, Alyssa Brierly, Executive Director and General Counsel for the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 5 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 5:
- Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation
- EYE-AHA Toolkit (coming soon!)
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Ontario Human Rights Code
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- National Housing Strategy Act
- Accessible Canada Act
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Housing Handbook.
Episode 6: Built Environment
In Episode 6, Jacob meets with Accessibility Consultant, Debbie Gillespie and Human Rights Lawyer, Dianne Wintermute to discuss the barriers and hazards people with sight loss often encounter within the built environment. Listen to learn more about accessible design and accessibility standards, digital inclusion, accommodations available, and your legal rights when it comes to accessing the built environment.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 6 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 6:
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Human Rights Legal Support Centre
- Pro Bono Ontario
- Ontario Government – Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Division
- Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
- Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
- CNIB Technology Programs
- CNIB Frontier Accessibility
- Be My Eyes
- Aira
- Canadian Council of the Blind – Get Together with Technology Programs
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- Microsoft Narrator
- NVDA
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Built Environment Handbook.
Episode 7: Government & Consumer Services
In Episode 7, Audrey Southorn, Ryan Hooey, and Government Affairs and Commercial Litigation Lawyer Kaisha Thompson, join Jacob to examine legal rights relating to government and consumer services in Ontario and common barriers people who are blind or partially sighted face when accessing services.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 7 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 7:
- Pro Bono Ontario Hotline
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Accessibility issues with Ontario Health Card renewal process
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Government & Consumer Services Handbook.
Episode 8: Guide Dogs
In Episode 8, Jacob meets with guide dog handlers, Patti Ellis, Guy Carriere, and Federal Crown Attorney, Jason Mitschele, to discuss the rights of guide dog handlers and some of the strategies that can be used to challenge discrimination.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 8 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 8:
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Blind Persons’ Rights Act
- Guide Dog Users of Canada
- Ontario Human Rights Code
- CBC News: Blind student says Laurentian University suggested he ‘leave the guide dog at home’
- CityNews Toronto: Tow truck driver charged after allegedly refusing to transport elderly couple with guide dog
For more information, visit www.cnibguidedogs.ca and read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Legal Information Handbooks.
Episode 9: Education
In the podcast series finale, Jacob meets with college student, advocate and influencer, Alicia Chenier, and human rights and employment lawyer, Hina Ghaus, to discuss legal rights related to post-secondary education and advocacy strategies.
Subscribe and listen to Episode 9 on: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Overcast / Soundcloud / YouTube
Links to external resources referenced in Episode 9:
- ARCH Disability Law Centre
- Ontario Human Rights Code
- Follow Alicia Chenier on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!
For more information, read the CNIB Ontario Know Your Rights Education Handbook.
Each podcast episode contains 30 minutes of Law Society of Ontario Accredited EDI Professionalism content. This program in its entirety contains 4 hours and 30 minutes of EDI Professionalism Content.