Graham Isador is losing his vision due to a degenerative eye disease. But because there are no visual identifiers for the condition, people don’t think he’s losing his sight …they just think he’s an asshole.

Short Sighted is an opportunity to explore Graham’s personal experiences with a degenerative eye disease, this five-episode podcast attempts to explain vision loss using sound. It is a blend of experimental music and comedic storytelling.

Earlier this year, Graham connected with me about the stage version of Short Sighted. He listed three (3) reasons to see the show including his launching a scholarship for blind/low-vision folks looking to get into journalism through the organization called BALANCE.

A couple of weeks back, I had the opportunity to speak with Graham about this version of the show. This podcast gives Graham an opportunity to continue exploring the medical condition he is living with – Keratoconus, which may result in blurry vision, double vision, nearsightedness, irregular astigmatism, and light sensitivity.

The podcast is a five-part series from CBC’s Personally series. Each episode is told by Graham and fellow low-vision guests. Graham’s goal for this version of the show is to put us – the listeners – into the everyday experience of a blind or low vision person for an intimate look at accessibility and its personal impacts.

In Graham’s words, the show is an “expansion from the stage show.” This podcast allows him to share even more stories. The podcast gives him a means to explore “what does low vision sound like without relying on visuals” – as those seen on a stage show.

As preparation for speaking with Graham, I had early access to listen to the full series of episodes, which are about 15-20 minutes in length. In each one, Graham and guest embark on a journey of sorts. I particularly enjoyed the soundscapes as well as the stories featured in each episode. A memorable episode is the one with Ryan Knighton, an avid traveller who enjoys writing about travelling from the perspective of someone who is blind. This is one of my favourite episodes.

Graham and I briefly talked about the episode featuring Samantha Hurley, a photographer who is also blind. Graham has always found her work very vibrant and her story quite inspirational. For anyone who knows Graham, you know photography is also a hobby that he used to enjoy very much. He would take photos of friends and fellow artists throughout Toronto. Eventually, his blurred vision affected his ability to take photographs and he decided to put down his camera. It was through meeting and working with Samantha, as part of a mentorship program, that Graham has learned to “get out of my own head” and think about possibly doing photography again.

During our conversation, Graham also mentioned he hopes the show will be a way “to immerse people [audiences] in the spaces that we are talking about.” In this sense, I think the podcast version of Short Sighted succeeds. I suggest you dim the lights, put on your headphones, close your eyes, and listen to each episode. Through the storytelling and soundscapes, you will be taken on a journey with Graham and each of his guests.

Short Sighted is created and hosted by Graham Isador. Editing and sound design by Christopher Ross-Ewart. Music and additional sound design by Ron Kelly. For CBC Podcasts, the producer is Leah-Simone Bowen. The sound designer is Julia Whittman.

Short Sighted is available on all the podcast platforms. New episodes are released weekly on Tuesdays.

Accessibility Note: The transcript for each episode is available through the CBC website.