This week we took to the streets of Toronto to ask a variety of people to describe something beautiful for me. The idea is to “see” the world through other people’s eyes.

There were some incredibly beautiful answers – and not always the ones that you would expect.

First, we went down to the Harbourfront and we we’re able to speak to a wide range of tourists.

A little girl from the Bahamas said the CN Tower is the most beautiful thing she has seen because it is so tall.She was so little and soft spoken I could understand why the tower would put her in awe.

A woman from Mexico described an incredibly beautiful experience she had in China where people from all over the globe were there helping children. She wasn’t describing the colours or the lighting but the fact that she was witnessing such unity and good will.

A man in downtown Toronto gave a similar answer – he said true beauty is witnessing someone helping another person.

As we began to gather more of these answers it was exciting to me that the majority of answers didn’t have to do with seeing objects, true beauty has to do with experiencing an event – the emotion you feel, the feeling you get from the experience – what you see is only one component of true beauty.

While it is true that you obviously miss out on some incredible experiences when you have lost sight, the truly memorable and meaningful beautiful things are not experienced with the eyes.

We will be posting the videos of people’s responses soon…Stay tuned!

Privacy Preference Center

Privacy Preferences

What I Bring
  • Inclusive Leadership & DEI – practical strategies to build equity and accessibility into culture and operations.
  • Resilience & High Performance – lessons from elite sport to help teams adapt, focus, and excel under pressure.
  • Strategy & Change – proven success leading national initiatives, digital transformation, and organizational growth
  • Accessibility & Design Thinking – advisory support to create environments and services where everyone can succeed. I partner with corporations, nonprofits, and teams who want more than inspiration—organizations ready to embed resilience, inclusion, and performance into how they work every day.

Keynote Title and Description

Have you ever felt nervous or unsure about your environment? Have you ever felt like things were happening around you that you had no control over? How often do you feel like you are missing important information to make a sound decision? Uncertainty, insecurity and lack of control are all at the root of fear. They are also a direct result of change, And they are part of life every single day for someone who is blind. With organizations facing more intense change than ever before, It’s no wonder that job dissatisfaction, disengagement and burn out are on the rise. Together we will redefine what is possible when facing the unknown

Biography

Victoria Nolan is a world champion rower, author, tv personality and advocate for people living with blindness and other disabilities. Vicky went blind when her daughter was born and has since faced the world in the dark. She chooses hope over fear, and embraces uncertainty as a challenge to overcome. Vicky is determined to push limits: she has won 8 medals for Team Canada and competed in four Olympic games. Now pursuing her MBA at Queens University, she also serves as national manager for one of Canada’s largest non -profit organizations. Victoria's story is one of resilience, tough choices and inspiring others to overcome life’s challenges.