Hi Aaron and thanks for considering me for the podcast. I am totally blind since birth, due do premature retinopathy. I was born in 1956 at Reddy Memorial Hospital here in Montreal. I lived on the south shore in the city of St. Lambert for most of my schooling years and was a student at the Montreal association School for the blind which became Philip E. Layton school. I attended public high school after that and then went on to Acadia University in Wolfville NS. For two years and then took a broadcasting course in Halifax and eventually landed a job at CIGO in port Hawkesbury NS where I worked for two years and eventually got laid off in the true tradition of The maritime Provinces and then went out west to Edmonton Alberta where I eventually preformed various clerical functions such as switchboard, job order advisor for employers placing ads in the national Jobbank and other functions for both the Feds and then The province of Alberta. I retired and came back to Montreal, the place of my birth due to my late X wife’s physical abuse, her incontinence and my health and wellbeing; I had friends here from my time at the MAB in the 60’s and two brothers here as well. I’m am involved with the users committee for the Lethbiridge, Layton Mackay rehab centre (the former MAB) The Quebec Federation for The Blind and other advocacy groups, and I’m also an advocate for Braille usage, for the blind and other disabilities. My partner Sandy uses a motorized chair to get around (she is sighted) we use Transport adapté but public STM transport where possible and where the Metro stations are accessible to her. I am a first time applicant for a guide dog and am applying to five different schools, one in Quebec. I want to specifically talk about my life as a blind person where I have always considered myself that blindness was, and still is an inconvenience but not an obstacle. I want to talk about men abused by their significant others because no help is available and we are considered by society to be worse’s. I want to talk about the best part of my career working in radio and reflect on my work as a government employee and how I was treated. You have my email, I am also on facebook as marc Baillargeon-Molloy (sandy’s last name although we’re not legally married) I use I message email and WhatsApp primarily and am not a big fan of FB or messenger. I prefer afternoons or evenings and can be available for you any time but I do have a commitment for a Shakespeare in The Park Event Thursday night. Looking forward to hearing from you and to participating on your podcast. It’s thanks to my wonderful friend Kayla Puderer who encouraged me to do this and who first contacted you on my behalf. She is so amazing and i truly love her dearly. Take care and talk soon; you can call me if you like. Al the best! Marc Baillargeon Montreal (Borough of NDG), QC Canada Sent from my iPhone 16 Pro Max https://www.facebook.com/share... https://www.patreon.com/aarons... Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aaron-s-opinion--5920599/support .
