Challenge assumptions. Expand perspectives. Inspire innovation.
Fashion and couture has always challenged convention and redefined what’s possible. When barriers limit who can participate, the industry misses out on talent, ideas, and innovation. Toronto Fashion Academy and CNIB are coming together at the 2026 FECC Gala, a celebration of film, fashion and the arts, to challenge assumptions about blindness and disability, celebrate individuality and create space for people who are blind or have low vision to take part in fashion and culture on their own terms.
Challenge Assumptions
Blindness is a spectrum.
There is no one way to experience blindness and no one way to experience fashion. Some people who are blind see light, colour, shapes or movement. Others have very little or no remaining vision. These different experiences may influence how people shop, select outfits, navigate events and engage with fashion, but they do not limit creativity, personal style or participation.
Fashion is personal. So is blindness.
Some people use technology to identify colours and clothing. Some rely on tactile markers or trusted feedback. Others use their remaining vision. Everyone experiences blindness differently and develops their own relationship with fashion, style and self-expression.
Many people assume fashion is primarily a visual experience. But fashion is also about confidence, identity, creativity and belonging. People who are blind or have low vision participate in fashion every day as consumers, creators, models, professionals and trendsetters.
Challenging assumptions begins with recognizing and respecting those differences.
Keep Learning
Expand Perspectives
Style. Confidence. Perspective.
Representation matters. But true inclusion creates space for everyone to participate.
Fashion helps shape how we express ourselves and how we see the world around us. People who are blind or have low vision are consumers, creators, professionals, advocates and trendsetters, bringing valuable perspectives to the industry every day.
Meet the people bringing their experiences, personalities and sense of style to the FECC Gala.
Prasanna Ranganathan
Prasanna Ranganathan (he/him) is a documentary and narrative film/series producer, human rights lawyer, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging (DEIAB) advisor, speaker, writer, and arts correspondent. He leads his own DEIAB consultancy Prasanna Ranganathan Consulting and previously served as the Head of Diversity and Belonging at Shopify and as a human rights lawyer with the Government of Canada, the United Nations, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, and the Independent Street Checks Review.
Advancing accessibility in the film sector, Prasanna has provided accessibility advisory services and learning programming at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Sundance Institute, the British Film Institute, and the Association of Film Commissioners International.
He is a Consulting Producer on the 2021 docuseries Born for Business about entrepreneurs with disabilities (NBC Peacock, Crave) and a seasoned speaker on DEIAB topics, speaking at the Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion and serving as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on inclusive storytelling. Prasanna is the co-author of a South Indian cookbook – alongside his mother – called Made with Prema (with 100% of the profits going to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind).
Proudly claiming his identity as a racialized queer person with a disability (blindness), Prasanna is a founding board member of the Disability Screen Office, which seeks to advance accessibility and create opportunities for disabled creatives in the Canadian screen sector.
Molly Burke
Molly Burke is a speaker, content creator, model, author, and advocate with a combined social media following of over 4.5 million. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at age four, Molly began public speaking at five to raise awareness, eventually turning her passion into a career.
She has spoken alongside changemakers like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, and at events including the United Nations and the World Economic Forum. As the first blind creator to reach one million followers, she is a powerful voice for disability advocacy, diversity, and inclusion.
Molly’s accomplishments include being named to the Allure A-List (2022), receiving an Honorary Clio for Health Award (2023), and being named a Forbes 30 under 30 (2024). Her October 2025 memoir, UNSEEN: How I Lost My Vision But Found My Voice, became an instant bestseller on Amazon and USA Today. Most recently, the American Foundation for the Blind named Molly its 2026 Helen Keller Achievement Award recipient. Her first children's book, Eltie Takes the Lead: A Guide Dogs Tail, will be published in October 2026.
Global companies, brands, and organizations partner with Molly for her unique ability to blend authenticity with vulnerability, wit, and empathy. By bridging societal gaps and amplifying underrepresented voices, she empowers audiences to overcome barriers and create meaningful change.
Samantha Moore
Samantha Moore is a mission-driven events professional. She has a decade’s worth of experience creating meaningful and memorable events. She studied Fashion Merchandising at Seneca Polytechnic before completing a postgraduate certificate in Event Management-Event and Exhibit Design.
Samantha's event portfolio includes networking events and youth employment programs, special events, private cocktail receptions, fundraising galas, and, most recently, weddings. Samantha currently works as an Events Coordinator at the Aga Khan Museum, where she brings her passion for relationship-building, creativity, and meaningful impact to her work.
The words we use can expand perspectives, too.
Inspire Innovation
What if accessibility shaped what comes next?
Innovation can mean developing new technologies, from adaptive devices and accessible digital tools to AI-powered smart glasses that help people access information and navigate their surroundings.
But innovation is not only about technology.
- It can mean designing clothing, events and experiences with accessibility in mind from the beginning.
- It can mean removing barriers to education and employment.
- It can mean creating opportunities for the next generation to build confidence, pursue their ambitions and participate fully in the world around them.
And sometimes, innovation begins with changing an attitude.
Every day, CNIB works with people who are blind or have low vision to create a more accessible future. Through innovative programs, powerful advocacy and partnerships across Canada, we are challenging outdated assumptions and helping build communities where everyone can participate.
The future will not become inclusive on its own. We have to design it that way.
Be part of what comes next
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