Joanne Smith
Journalist, producer and broadcaster Joanne Smith is best known to Canadians for hosting the television program Moving On, as well as her work on CBC Newsworld and Canada Now, and her on-air coverage of the past three Paralympic Games for CBC-TV. But to many other people and organizations she is also highly regarded as a valued mentor and volunteer.
Paralyzed as a result of a car accident when she was 19, Smith developed an active interest in media and disability issues during her 18 months in rehabilitation. Once out of rehab, she returned to school, and after graduating from Toronto's York University in 1996, she completed a diploma in Radio and Television production at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology.
As a student, Smith gained a feel for the workings of the media and being in the public eye by appearing in leading magazines and doing guest spots on several television programs. She also put her personal experience to good use by working part time in the Toronto Board of Education's Disability Awareness Program, aimed at helping elementary and secondary school students gain a fuller understanding of the lives and experiences of people with a disability.
After graduating from Seneca, Smith's broadcasting and production career began in earnest when she took a position as Editorial Assistant at Global Television. Soon after she assumed hosting duties for the CBC program, The Disability Network.
By 1998, The Disability Network had evolved to become the Gemini Award winning Moving On, which has forged a unique place among North American television programs. The Moving On magazine format focuses on people with a disability who are developing their own ways to live more independently and enjoy life to the fullest. On the program, Smith brings to light the vast diversity among people with a disability and never portrays them as either victims or superheroes.
As busy as her career keeps her, Smith has devoted a great deal of her personal time to volunteering on behalf of other people with a disability. She has been a Peer Mentor with the Lyndhurst Hospital and The Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) for many years, and has conducted Peer Support workshops in developing countries through a partnership between the CPA and the Canadian International Development Agency. She is also active with the Canadian Spinal Research Organization and the Ontario March of Dimes, and serves as popular co-host of the annual Easter Seals Telethon.
Like her "Moving On" guests, Joanne Smith may not be a superhero but she sets an exceptional example and has been an influential and articulate voice in dispelling misconceptions about people with a disability.
