Category: Repost

Call for Research Participants: help improve how the Federal government communicates through notifications

Call for Research Participants: help improve how the Federal government communicates through notifications

 

Have you received email alerts, status updates or notifications from the federal government and are interested in participating in interviews to help improve that experience? Anne-Marie Mulumba is a researcher for the Canadian Digital Service (CDS), a government department that improves access and use of government services. Her team is improving how the government communicates with you, so your feedback would be super valuable. If you or someone else you know might be interested to provide feedback, they can get in touch with Anne-Marie by emailing her at: anne-Marie.Mulumba@tbs-sct.gc.ca. You can also call her at 343-549-3273. She will get back to you with more details.

 

Survey: Canadian Human Rights Commission, Monitoring the CRPD: Your feedback matters / Surveillance du respect de la CDPH : votre opinion compte

 

Trouble viewing this email? Read it online

(Le français suit l’anglais)

Dear colleagues, friends, and fellow human rights advocates,

We hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy during this time.

In recent months, the COVID-19 crisis has forced all of us to navigate our way through unprecedented circumstances. We now know that the pandemic, and the measures put in place around it, continue to have disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, on people living in vulnerable circumstances, and on many people with disabilities in Canada. In many cases, the pandemic is exposing and amplifying pre-existing inequalities and barriers that have long existed in our society.

This is why it is imperative that human rights not be forgotten or ignored during this challenging time. As our country begins to reset, this is the time to press forward together for human rights and innovate for equality. We must continue to be vigilant, and to stay connected and attentive to the voices of people with disabilities across the country.

One way we hope to do this is by inviting you to help shape how the Canadian Human Rights Commission will monitor the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

As you know, the Commission is an independent body separate from the Government of Canada. As Canada’s human rights watchdog, we have a responsibility to both promote and protect human rights.

As a part of that role, the Commission was recently given a new responsibility to monitor the implementation of the CRPD here in Canada.

In order to do this, we would like to engage with diverse rights holders across Canada to hear your lived experiences and opinions on this important topic.

Your feedback matters. In fact, it will be invaluable to helping Canada better protect the rights of people with disabilities.

We therefore invite you to spend 15-30 minutes completing our online survey. In doing so, you will be able to provide us with your input, as well as learn more about the CRPD and the Commission’s role in monitoring it.

Understanding that many of you are balancing multiple priorities and responsibilities at this time, we will keep the survey open for an extended period of time. We want to ensure that participants have an opportunity to participate in this initiative in a manner that is most appropriate and convenient to you, so that we are able to hear from as many individuals as possible.

If you have any questions or comments specifically about this engagement, or wish to obtain a paper copy of the online survey, please reach out to: survey@chrc2020-ccdp2020.ca.

If you have other questions about this initiative or the Canadian Human Rights Commission itself, please do not hesitate to contact Tabatha Tranquilla, our Director of Policy, Research and International, at tabatha.tranquilla@chrc-ccdp.gc.ca.

We invite you to share this initiative with your networks and/or with anyone you think may be interested.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey. Your input will help protect the rights of people with disabilities across Canada.

Take care, stay safe, and remember — we are all in this together.

Best regards,

Marie-Claude Landry
Chief Commissioner
Canadian Human Rights Commission

**********************************

Collègues, amis et défenseurs des droits de la personne,

Nous espérons que vous et vos proches êtes en sécurité et que vous vous portez bien dans les circonstances.

Depuis quelques mois, la crise de la COVID-19 nous force à trouver des moyens de poursuivre notre vie malgré les circonstances sans précédent. Nous savons que la pandémie et les mesures mises en place pour la combattre ont des répercussions disproportionnées pour les communautés marginalisées, pour les personnes en situation de vulnérabilité et pour de nombreuses personnes handicapées au Canada. Pour beaucoup, la pandémie met en évidence et accentue les inégalités et les obstacles auxquels ces personnes étaient déjà confrontées, et qui sont présents dans la société depuis longtemps.

Les temps difficiles que nous vivons met en lumière l’importance capitale des droits de la personne et le fait qu’il est impératif qu’ils ne soient pas être oubliés ou ignorés. Alors que le Canada redémarre, et que nous devons nous réinventer à plusieurs égards, nous devons saisir l’occasion et poursuivre, ensemble, nos efforts afin de faire avancer les droits de la personne et faire preuve d’innovation et de créativité afin d’atteindre l’égalité. Nous devons demeurer vigilants et rester en contact et attentifs aux voix des personnes handicapées de partout au Canada.

Nous espérons y parvenir notamment en vous invitant à nous aider à concevoir la façon dont la Commission canadienne des droits de la personne surveillera la mise en œuvre et l’application de la Convention des Nations Unies relative aux droits de personnes handicapées (CDPH).

Comme vous le savez, la Commission mène ses activités indépendamment du gouvernement. À titre d’organisme national de surveillance des droits de la personne au Canada, elle est responsable à la fois de promouvoir et de protéger les droits de la personne.

C’est dans ce rôle que la Commission s’est récemment vu confier de nouvelles responsabilités dont celle d’assurer le suivi de la mise en œuvre de la CDPH au Canada.

Pour ce faire, nous tenons à ouvrir la conversation avec vous de partout au Canada qui êtes titulaires de ces droits, et ce, afin de connaître vos expériences et vos opinions sur cet important sujet.

Votre participation est importante. En effet, votre contribution est essentielle pour aider à faire progresser les droits des personnes handicapées au Canada.

Nous vous invitons donc à prendre de 15 à 30 minutes pour remplir notre sondage en ligne. Ce sondage vous permettra de nous fournir vos commentaires et votre point de vue. Il vous permettra également d’en apprendre davantage à propos de la CDPH et du rôle que jouera la Commission dans le suivi de sa mise en œuvre.

Puisque nous comprenons que beaucoup d’entre vous doivent actuellement jongler avec de multiples priorités et de multiples responsabilités, nous allons prolonger la période de sondage. Nous tenons à nous assurer que tous aient l’occasion de participer à cette initiative de la façon qui vous convient le mieux et au moment qui vous est le plus opportun afin de recevoir les réponses d’autant de personnes que possible.

Si vous avez des questions ou des commentaires à propos des responsabilités qui nous ont été attribuées, ou si vous voulez obtenir une copie papier du sondage, veuillez envoyer votre demande à l’adresse suivante : survey@chrc2020-ccdp2020.ca.

Si vous avez des questions à propos de cette initiative ou à propos de la Commission canadienne des droits de la personne, n’hésitez pas à contacter Tabatha Tranquilla, directrice de la Division des politiques, de la recherche et des affaires internationales : tabatha.tranquilla@chrc-ccdp.gc.ca.

Nous vous invitons à partager cette invitation aux personnes de votre réseau et à l’envoyer à toutes autres personnes que ça pourrait intéresser.

Nous vous remercions de prendre le temps de compléter le sondage. Votre participation contribuera à protéger les droits des personnes handicapées partout au Canada.

Portez-vous bien, restez en sécurité et n’oubliez pas — nous vivons cette épreuve ensemble.

Marie-Claude Landry
Présidente
Commission canadienne des droits de la personne

CHRC – CCDP
344 Slater S.1001
Ottawa Ontario K1A1E1
Canada

 

 

Resource: This App Helps Deaf, Blind People Access TV Programming and Emergency Alert

Here’s an interesting piece from CoolBlindTech to serve TV watchers who are deaf-blind.

This App Helps Deaf, Blind People Access TV Programming and Emergency Alert

JUNE 8, 2020 3:31 AM

The DiCapta Foundation, an organization that’s part of the University of Central Florida’s Incubator, created an app to help the blind-deaf community tune into television.

Maria Diaz, a board member for the nonprofit, said she helped start the foundation and created GoCC4All to help the deaf-blind community.

Find the entire article at the below link:

https://coolblindtech.com/this-app-helps-deaf-blind-people-access-tv-programming-and-emergency-alerts/

 

 

Canadians with disabilities to receive one-time payment of up to $600: Global News

Canadians with disabilities to receive one-time payment of up to $600:

Published Friday, June 5, 2020 9:46AM EDT

Last Updated Friday, June 5, 2020 12:09PM EDT

OTTAWA — Canadians with disabilities will be sent a one-time tax-free payment of up to $600, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced, in an effort to help offset the financial pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This new financial aid will go to all who are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, as of June 1.

Canadians who have a valid certificate for the Disability Tax Credit will receive $600. Canadians with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate and who are eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension will receive $300. Canadians who are eligible for both of these programs and are also eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will be receiving $100.

The government says that because of the special one-time payments going to seniors, the amount seniors with disabilities will receive through this stream will be less, but in the end will total the same amount of $600.

“People who are eligible for this special payment will receive it automatically,” the federal government has announced, meaning that eligible recipients of these new one-time payments will not need to apply. However, as announced with the seniors funding on Thursday, it could be weeks before the money lands in the hands of those eligible.

For those who are eligible and under the age of 18, the special payment will be sent to their primary caregiver and in cases of shared custody, each parent will receive $300.

Some Canadians with disabilities have been watching the various announcements for students, seniors, and other targeted demographics and have been left wondering why they appeared to have fallen through the cracks.

For many already living on a low income, they are facing more expenses due to the pandemic, such as increased costs for personal support workers, grocery delivery fees and prescription drug dispensing fees.

The government estimates that 1.2 million Canadians will be eligible for this one-time top-up. Among working-age Canadians with disabilities, more than 1.5 million are unemployed or out of the labour market entirely.

NEW ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMS

In addition to the one-time payments, the federal government is launching two new accessibility-focused programs.

One, focused on national workplace accessibility, will see $15 million go to community organizations to develop programs and expand current training opportunities to help Canadians with disabilities adapt to the realities of COVID-19, including helping set up effective work-from-home arrangements and training for in-demand jobs.

The second is a $1.8 million fund being shared between five projects to develop accessible technology such as accessible payment terminals for individuals with sight loss; arm supports that will allow Canadians with disabilities to use standard technology; systems to allow Canadians with neurological conditions to interact with technology for a longer period of time; and to develop software to expand expression and voice recognition.

Trudeau said that Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough will have more to say about these new plans later in the day.

More to come

 

Workshop: braille screen input for iOS Workshop from Braille Literacy Canada and Get Together with Technology, June 20, 2020

Getting Started with Braille Screen Input on the iPhone: Hands-On Strategies for Success

Presented by Kim Kilpatrick and Leo Bissonnette

 

Braille screen input on iDevices is a powerful and wonderful tool. Participants in this workshop will learn all they need to know to get started with braille screen input on the iPhone. Topics include:

  • Enabling braille screen input
  • Using contracted or uncontracted braille
  • Working with braille screen input
  • Typing feedback
  • Braille input screen gestures
  • Important tips for users

 

A detailed step by step overview will be provided with hands-on demonstrations. Time will be allotted during the final portion of the workshop to answer questions and to provide one-on-one assistance.

 

This workshop is hosted by BLC and Get Together with Technology (GTT). It will be of interest to braille users, teachers and parents.

 

Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2020

Time: 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern (10am Pacific, 11am Mountain/Saskatchewan, 12pm Central, 2pm Atlantic)

Cost: The teleconference is free for BLC members and the cost for non-members is $20.00

 

Please note that if you are part of an organization that is a corporate member of BLC, our teleconferences are free for you as well.

 

To register: Send an email to
info@blc-lbc.ca
by Thursday, June 18th.

 

We hope you can join us to learn more about this tool that brings braille and mainstream technology together!

 

Resource: COVID-19 Keeping us indoors, with unique opportunities supported by BlindSquare and NaviLens

COVID-19 Keeping us indoors, with unique opportunities supported by BlindSquare and NaviLens.

 

May 21st is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, focusing on digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people with disabilities.

Across our globe, the impact of the pandemic is found. Some impacts are led by common sense (avoid exposures, battle all exposures with “be clean” responses), and some by country/local laws restricting travel entirely or by degree.

BlindSquare and NaviLens join to serve on the frontline.

Being stuck indoors.
Has the pandemic created a greater impact for persons who are blind, deafblind, or partially sighted?  Absolutely. These persons now have a heightened need to “be aware” of current locations and planned destinations. They need to know where they are and limit their exposures.

A new opportunity to experience your environment.
BlindSquare and NaviLens, leaders in improving the lives for those who are blind/deafblind or partially sighted, bring you an opportunity to discover abilities and equip yourself in anticipation of a return to a new normal, and to provide you greater independence, comfort, and location awareness with immediate and long term rewards.

BlindSquare is the world’s most widely used accessible GPS iOS app developed for persons who are blind, deafblind or partially sighted. Paired with third-party navigation apps, BlindSquare’s self-voicing app delivers detailed points of interest and intersections for safe, reliable travel. Paired with NaviLens, the app that scans proprietary codes to deliver situational information instantly, this duo offers an unmatched experience for users to navigate independently and more importantly in today’s environment, safely.

While our products have been helpful for our current users, we pondered, why it can’t be great for all during this stress-filled time? We looked for a way to solve this, without cost.

BlindSquare’s reputation, across its 8 years of service, is replete with personal success stories such as those that extoll the value of travel information for making informed choices and the ability to “simulate” future destinations for adventure.  When using simulation, BlindSquare behaves just as if you’re there! And with NaviLens on board  your device, you have access to their award-winning technology to create personal tags that can be used to “label your world” for such things as cupboard content, prescription bottles, fridge contents (including best before dates!), contents of your bar, contents of your freezer, and more. NaviLens is enjoyed by thousands.

So, in co-operation and consultation with many educators and organizations supporting persons who are blind, deafblind, or partially sighted, we have committed to make BlindSquare EVENT (v. 4.9967+) and NaviLens available—free of charge—until November 2020. During this time, free access to BlindSquare EVENT means a full-featured version of BlindSquare for iOS users that is geofenced to the continents of New Zealand, Australia, North America (Canada and the USA), Greenland, Mexico, Spain, Portugal and Japan—well over 25 million square miles! Mid November, BlindSquare EVENT will return to Demonstration mode, NaviLens will continue.

There are no strings attached and no obligations implied by this offering. Our mutual goals are to reduce the impact of the pandemic to you, to provide you with the ability to plan future travel, and to become familiar with the enablement that our solutions provide.

BlindSquare resources

NaviLens resources

Your feedback is welcomed

Please complete this short survey, your insights are important to usCREDITS

In Canada, this initiative is gratefully sponsored by Bell Mobility, additional information and Bell Mobility offers can be found here.

Help us spread the word! Follow us on social media and share your experience with us and with others.

 

 

BlindSquare

NaviLens

The Recent Canadian Council of the Blind Study Reveals the Stark Reality of COVID-19’s Disturbing Impact on Those Canadians Who are Blind, Deaf-Blind or Partially-Sighted

The Recent Canadian Council of the Blind Study Reveals the Stark Reality of COVID-19’s Disturbing Impact on Those Canadians Who are Blind, Deaf-Blind or Partially-Sighted

 

BY KEITH D. GORDON PH.D. AND MICHAEL BAILLARGEON

 

It goes without saying that at this time of crisis for the world, we are all feeling more stress than usual. Now imagine how much more stress you might be feeling if you were facing the dreaded COVID-19 with the additional challenges associated with those living with blindness or vision loss. We, at the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) became aware very early on in the pandemic (late February to early March) that many Canadians who are blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted were being heavily impacted by COVID-19. At the same time it was acutely apparent to the CCB that the many government initiatives and programs being announced in response to pandemic-related challenges were, for the most part, not taking into account what we see as the fundamental needs of not only our community, but all people with disabilities. We perceived the need for all levels of government to provide support and solutions to help those living with disabilities and by extension vision loss, get through these stressful times.

 

We saw it as being necessary to provide the factual support required by governments to act. Working in cooperation with Louise Gillis, CCB National President, we determined that our best course of action would be to survey the vision loss community and report our findings. The survey was designed to specifically identify what impact COVID-19 was having on those living with blindness or vision loss. We wanted to know their current circumstance and daily experiences due to the pandemic, and what their specific concerns and needs were.

 

The survey, conducted electronically during the week of April 7th to April 14th, attained a robust sample of 572 responses with respondents representing all provinces. We promised to let their voices be heard so that they would not be left behind, or forgotten.  Our goal, then and now, was to make sure that the members of the vision loss community would be provided with the support needed, both socially and economically, to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are a call to action and paint a disturbing picture of the experiences Canada’s vision loss community are confronted with, on a daily basis, during this COVID-19 crisis.

Key results of the study showed high levels of stress in the vision loss community. Respondents are very concerned about social distancing – they’re unable to see how far they are from others and are concerned that others don’t realize that they have vision loss and tend to come too close. Respondents feel unsafe when going out.

Those living with vision loss are particularly concerned that the effect of the added stress from the pandemic on their mental health may cause them to become overwhelmed.

 

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada

 

Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall © OSGG-BSGG, 2017

 

This was re-enforced Thursday May 7, during a virtual conversation live streamed on YouTube, between Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada and Dr. Mona Nemer. Canada’s Chief Science Officer, discussing the importance of research and science in the times of global pandemic. When the conversation turned to a discussion on our vulnerable population and people with disabilities, the Governor General remarked as to having received a communication from the Canadian Council of the Blind; “that was alert particularly to the fact that people who are vision impaired are quite anxious in the time of the pandemic and that it was affecting them in many different ways.”

Survey respondents are stressed about their inability to access a doctor or health care practitioner and to meet their financial obligations, and about their ability to maintain their present standard of living. They’re further stressed due to their already-fragile economic status.

Respondents also expressed concern about having transportation and finding someone to accompany them should they have to go to the doctor or hospital.

Shopping is a concern as plexiglass shields make it difficult to negotiate payment and those with seeing disabilities are uncomfortable interacting with staff. About half of the respondents indicated that they had a personal care worker entering their home, about half of whom weren’t wearing proper personal protective equipment.

Respondents are concerned that when the COVID-19 pandemic is over, they’ll discover that their job no longer exists. Many who were asked to work from home have discovered that they don’t have the proper accessible devices and technology necessary to do their jobs from home, and that their employers have refused to provide or fund them.

The survey succeeded at identifying the challenges confronting those living with vision loss during the COVID-19 crisis. As Respondent 211 commented, “What’s affecting my mental health is this prolonged and extreme isolation. As a blind person, I already live a fairly limited life when referring to freedom of movement and independence and now even that small wedge of my active life has been completely eradicated.”

It’s clear that the vision loss community is being heavily impacted by the pandemic. It’s further evident that there’s a need for immediate action from all levels of government to provide support and solutions to help those living with vision loss get through these stressful times. The CCB’s resulting report includes detailed recommendations for all levels of government to consider.

In open-ended questions we discovered that there were a number of respondents who were concerned about their ability to see their eye doctor and that they might lose vision as a result. They also expressed a concern about not having an accompanying person with them when they went for their eye appointment and concern over maintaining social distancing in the doctor’s waiting room. The following are typical responses we received:

Respondent No.444: “I’m worried how long the pandemic and restrictions will last, and the impact on my appointments with doctor and optometrist.”

Respondent No. 441: “I am not able to get my monthly shots in my eyes, vision is going down.”

 

Respondent No. 547: “Can’t see my eye doctor. I need a new prescription and would like glasses instead of contacts.”

Respondent No. 465: “…my fear is having to do things like my eye appointment by myself when I am used to having my daughter with me to guide me and point out hazards in my way.”

Respondent No. 462: “Concerned about maintaining social distance in eye doctor’s waiting room.”

 

The Survey Report on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadians Who Are Blind, Deaf-Blind, and Partially-Sighted is fully accessible and available on the link above and on the CCB website at http://www.ccbnational.net.

 

Editor’s Note: Both Keith D. Gordon, Senior Research Officer and Michael Baillargeon, Senior Advisor Government Affairs and Special Projects are colleagues at the Canadian Council of the Blind, advocating on a daily basis, for Canadians who are living with blindness or vision loss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Announcement: BRF Version of the March 2020 Braille Literacy Canada Newsletter

Dear Braille Literacy Canada members,

 

Thanks to a partnership with CELA, it has been possible for quite some time now for members to request a hard copy version of the Braille Literacy Canada newsletter through the CELA library. As a result of a government directive, the production of DAISY CDs and physical braille through CELA are now on hold in an effort to combat Covid-19. Access to digital books, magazines and newspapers will continue. For more info please visit the CELA website:

https://celalibrary.ca/covid-19

 

For those who have access to a braille display, from this link you will be able to download a BRF copy of the March 2020 newsletter sent to members yesterday. We hope that this will be helpful to those who prefer reading each issue in braille. I would like to thank our Past President, Jen Goulden, for working so quickly on the braille transcription. We would also like to thank CELA for their continued partnership!

 

Happy reading!

Natalie Martiniello

President, Braille Literacy Canada

president@blc-lbc.ca

 

 

Re-Post: Audible just made hundreds of audiobooks completely free – Radio Times

Free audiobooks include novels narrated by Thandie Newton and Dan Stevens

 

Dear GTT Followers, I have clarified what is available and how to access it with this post revision.

 

Audible.com free books.

 

Here is further clarification for my post on Friday regarding the free Audible.com books.  They seem to be mostly for kids while school is in recess, however this is the process for accessing some classics as well as kids books.  They appear to be for streaming only and don’t seem to provide any download links.

 

  1. Go to, Audible just made hundreds of audiobooks completely free
  2. On the page that shows up find the link, audible.com and press Enter.
  3. Navigate to the Start Listening Button and press the Space Bar.
  4. From this page you may search for books, or navigate through the categories and lists available. They are available in a few other languages as well as English.  It seems the reading speed can be adjusted once you begin playing a book, and the Navigation Quick Keys screen reader users are accustomed to will work when accessing this from a PC.  Pressing the letter P will take you to the Play/Pause button, the letter E will bring focus to the Search Edit Field and so on.  Links lists with Insert F7 is another good way to navigate to the books you want.  I couldn’t sort out how to minimize the Player once it is activated, however all other controls can be found below the Audio Player, or with Nav Quick Keys.

 

 

— Read on www.radiotimes.com/news/radio/2020-03-20/audible-just-made-hundreds-of-titles-completely-free-to-help-during-coronavirus-crisis/

 

Thx, Albert

 

Press Release: Talking labels makes prescriptions easier to access for the visually impaired at pharmacies across Empire’s family of brands, February 12, 2020

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2020

 

Talking labels makes prescriptions easier to access for the visually impaired at pharmacies across Empire’s family of brands

 

Lawtons Drugs, Sobeys, Safeway, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, IGA (western Canada) and FreshCo pharmacies partner with En-Vision America to boost medication safety for low vision, blind and print-impaired pharmacy patients through ScripTalk; an innovative and accessible audible prescription label service

 

Stellarton, NS – Empire and its family of brands, continue to lead the grocery retail sector in providing inclusive customer experiences as the first national pharmacy network in Canada to offer ScripTalk audible prescription labels at all its in-store and stand-alone pharmacy locations, including Lawtons Drugs, Sobeys, Safeway, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, IGA (western Canada) and FreshCo.

 

A first-of-its kind at the national level by a Canadian pharmacy network, this rollout offers Canadians reliable access to simple, innovative technology to improve independent management of prescription medication.

 

ScripTalk audible prescription labels enable blind, low vision or print-impaired pharmacy patients to hear important prescription label information free of charge using En-Vision America’s Pharmacy Freedom Program.

 

With ScripTalk, pharmacists are able to code prescription labels with RFID or Radio Frequency Identification technology. Patients can then use a small, hand-held, base prescription reader called the ScripTalk Station Reader, available free of charge, to hear important prescription information and instructions read aloud (i.e. an audible label).  Patients can also access talking prescription labels by using En-Vision America’s mobile phone application that is compatible with the coded prescription labels.

 

“We’re proud to offer ScripTalk at all of our pharmacies across the country. ScripTalk is an easy-to-use yet innovative technology that is breaking barriers for those who are blind, have experienced vision loss, or are otherwise not able to read vital prescription information,” said Vivek Sood, Executive Vice President, Related Business, Sobeys Inc. “With this technology, we’re empowering our patients to independently manage their medications safely at our pharmacies, in their homes, or wherever they may be.”

 

“We at the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) are very pleased to be working with Empire and its family of brands to make prescriptions and important medical information more accessible for those of us who are unable to read or have difficulty reading medication labels. ScripTalk provides independence for people with print disabilities. The ScriptTalk audible prescription labels and readers are helping to overcome major issues that our community has struggled with for years. We’re thrilled to see this innovative new technology being offered across all of Empire’s banner pharmacies in Canada, including Safeway, FreshCo, and more,” Said Louise Gillis, CCB National President.

 

CCB’s Louise Gillis went on to say, “With Sobeys’ new talking labels, individuals with sight loss are now able to manage their medications more safely and independently.  The CCB estimates that there are 1.5 million Canadians living with vision loss, ranging from partial sight to total blindness. This population is seriously underserved with limited accessible pharmacy provided options for prescription labels. This puts them at risk for misinformation when accessing the pharmaceutical information on the attached labels.”

 

All Empire banner pharmacy locations across Canada, including Lawtons Drug Stores, and in-store pharmacies located in Sobeys, Safeway, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, IGA (western Canada) and FreshCo banners have implemented the ScripTalk service.

 

About Empire

Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A) is a Canadian company headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire’s key businesses are food retailing, through wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys Inc., and related real estate. With approximately $25.6 billion in annualized sales and $13.8 billion in assets, Empire and its subsidiaries, franchisees and affiliates employ approximately 123,000 people.

Sobeys National Pharmacy

Sobeys National Pharmacy has more than 420 pharmacies across Canada, including Sobeys, Safeway, Thrifty Foods, FreshCo and Lawtons Drugs pharmacies; each with a dedicated team to help you manage your medication and health care needs. From advice on what to take for a cough or cold to helping you manage a new prescription medication, our teams are committed to providing convenient and personalized services for your family’s health and wellbeing.

 

About En-Vision America

En-Vision America, a Palmetto, Fla.-based company, provides high-tech products aimed at solving problems for individuals with disabilities. The company has spearheaded many innovations relating to labeling including voice-enabled products like i.d. mate, the talking bar code reader, and ScriptAbility, which includes talking prescription labels, Braille, large print, dual language and Controlled Substance Safety Labels (CSSLs). Originally founded by Philip C. and David B. Raistrick in 1996, the cornerstone of the company is based on one single premise: To provide those with disabilities equal access and greater independence through technology. Today, more than 20,000 individuals are using ScripTalk. For additional information, visit www.envisionamerica.com.

 

CCB Backgrounder:

 

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

 

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

 

For further information, please contact:

Violet MacLeod

External Communications and Corporate Affairs

Sobeys, Inc.

Violet.MacLeod@Sobeys.com

782-440-2208

Guest Post: Community Advocacy Training, National Dog Guide Coalition and ARCH CRPD-OP

Hi Everyone

We are doing this last push to invite you all to sign up for this exciting free on-line training through ARCH Disability Law Centre. The course is 4 hours one Saturday a month for four months starting last Sat in March. The National Coalition is one of the partners in developing the training with ARCH. The purpose is to develop advocacy skills and a strong knowledge about how implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities can and will impact you locally. Its also about developing relationships and building a network of people to work with. There are video links below this email that will explain more.  
 
What does that mean to you in your day to day and why is it important for you to consider taking this course?

1) Our Human Rights in Canada are based on us, the individual. Not a charity, not a business, not an agency, just us, the individual, we have standing in Human Rights law. 
2) As a result, everything that is being decided on our behalf by Governments Local, Provincial and Federal, including funding to organizations that provide services on our behalf, fundraise on our behalf and sit at the decision making tables, impact us the individual, every day. 
3) Nothing about us, without us, gets lost in translation when those that are invited to sit at the decision making tables are not us. They usually have no constituency in which to get advice and direction from and make sweeping decisions about us without us.    
3) How involved do we want to be in making decisions that impact ourselves and each other on a daily basis? What knowledge do we need and how do we get it?  Why spend 16 hours of my life over 4 months to take this course? 
4) One example of why this is important, is when a simple process of developing training methods and standards for PTS Dogs for Veterans, was highjacked. 
5) From early 2015 to April of 2017, two years of secret meetings and development by many unelected, non representative groups of people with no connection to us, developed standards that if adopted by the Federal Government, would have taken away our individual rights to choose and decide where we go to get our dogs and create a mandatory National Registry.    
6) This National Registry of us under a certification model included people we don’t know inspecting our homes, going through our financials and taking our dogs away from us to test them. Then they would decide if they would certify our dogs and they would be allowed to work with us in Canada. Thinking back it is as ridiculous sounding as it was almost three years ago. But it happened and the Federal Government funded it. This was the misplaced thinking of people at the decision table secretly deciding what was best for us. .
7) That is when our Coalition began. We said no and through all of your hard fought advocacy, shut it all down by March 2018. 
8) Unfortunately the almost half a million dollars that was spent, failed to produce any training methods and standards for PTS dogs for Veterans. That is what happens when people sit at tables without being responsible back to the people whom decisions impact and move their own agenda’s.    
9) This is brewing to start up again, standards accreditation and certification Federally. The same people who started working on that standards fiasco mess since 2009 and almost pulled it off in 2017, are still committed to having it happen and we are constantly responding to their push to do it all over again.
10) why take this training? Because we need more of us to have the knowledge, capacity and skills to continue to protect our hard earned rights and push back when decisions are being made that are eroding them. The more understanding each of us have, we can catch the game way ahead of 2 years of development and stop it before it starts. That is why many of us worked with ARCH to develop this training and to continue with more.    

As people who have already gone through round one of the standards debacle, I encourage you all to consider learning and preparing for no doubt another round that is coming our way in the next year, not to mention the provincial issues we are already dealing with. Understanding the legal protections of our Rights in the Convention will allow us, individually and together to articulate why these types of ideas are backwards thinking and do not promote a rights based one. We need to be able to argue from a position of strength and knowledge and we all deserve to have that knowledge. 

Thanks everyone. The videos and further information are next with the information in French following.

Yvonne Peters 
Heather Walkus,
National Coalition of People who use Guide and Service Dogs in Canada 
email: info@hooh.ca 
Phone: 250-499-0780     

Hands Off Our Harnesses, Hands Off Our Hounds   H.O.O.H

From: ARCH Staff 1 <archsta1@lao.on.ca>

Hi Heather!
I hope you are doing well.
 
As promised, I’m writing to let you know that we have the course dates confirmed.
 
OP Lab for OP Champions
·        March 28, 12-4 PM (EST)
·        April 25, 12-4 PM (EST)
·        May 30, 12-4 PM (EST)
·        June 27, 12-4 PM (EST)
 
OP Lab for Legal Experts
·        April 21, 2-4 PM (EST)
·        May 19, 2-4 PM (EST)
·        June 16, 2-4 PM (EST)
 
Joint Meeting for OP Champions and OP Legal Experts
·        September 15, 1-2 PM (EST)
 
We will be accepting applications until Friday, February 14, 2020, at 5:00 PM (EST). The information has been updated in our website:www.archdisabilitylaw.ca/initiatives/advancing-the-un-crpd/op-lab
 
Please share this as widely as possible, and as always let me know if you have any questions.
 
Thank you and have a great day,
 
Mariana Versiani
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
OP Lab Project Coordinator
 
416-482-8255, extension 2221
 
http://www.archdisabilitylaw.ca
 
Facebook @ARCHDisabilityLawCentre
Twitter @ARCHDisability
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
 

As a reminder, here’s the promotional information for the project:
 
1.   All information about ARCH’s initiative on the CRPD, and the OP Lab: https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/initiatives/advancing-the-un-crpd/op-lab/
 
2.   People who want to participate in the OP Lab will need to submit anapplication here: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5281955/OP-LAB-Application-Form
 
3.   See attached a one-pager about the OP Lab, in English and in French.
 
4.   Primer video about the CRPD, the Optional Protocol and the OP Lab: www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwozUKpvREOrGGzpMHTXCw
 
5.   Factsheet about the CRPD and the Optional Protocol:https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/resource/factsheet-the-crpd-and-the-optional-protocol/
 
6.   ARCH Alert article about the OP Lab: https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/resources/arch-alerts/
 
All of these were shared through ARCH’s social media:
·        Facebook@ARCHdisabilityLawCentre
·        Twitter @archdisabilitylaw
·        OP LAB activities, including networking, will be encouraged on social media through #OPlab.
 
Here are the links in French:
·        Website/application form:https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/fr/la-mise-en-oeuvre-de-la-cdph-des-nations-unies/op-lab-apprendre-partager-agir/
·        Youtube video primer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQSU5WwWZdU&t=12s
·        Factsheet:https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/fr/resource/fiche-dinformation-la-cdph-et-le-protocole-facultatif/
·        ARCH Alert article:https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/arch_alert/arch-alert-volume-20-issue-4/#lancement-op-lab
 
Thank you again,
 
Mariana Versiani
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
OP Lab Project Coordinator
 
416-482-8255, extension 2221
 
http://www.archdisabilitylaw.ca
 
Facebook @ARCHDisabilityLawCentre
Twitter @ARCHDisability
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
 
Demain nous lancerons l’OP Lab: apprendre, partager, agir!, dans le cadre des célébrations de la Journée internationale des personnes handicapées.
 
Aidez-nous à promouvoir ce projet dans vos réseaux et médias sociaux!
 
Le lancement comprendra :
·        un courriel que nous enverrons demain avec des informations sur l’OP Lab
·        une vidéo sur la CDPH, le Protocole facultatif et l’OP Lab dans la chaîne YouTube d’ARCH :www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwozUKpvREOrGGzpMHTXCw
·        un article sur l’OP Lab dans l’ARCH Alerte du 3 décembre : https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/resources/arch-alerts/
·        une Fiche d’information sur la CDPH et le Protocole facultatif :https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/fr/resource/fiche-dinformation-la-cdph-et-le-protocole-facultatif/
 
Ceux-ci seront tous partagés demain via les médias sociaux d’ARCH :
·        Facebook @ARCHdisabilityLawCentre
·        Twitter @archdisabilitylaw
 
Toutes les activités d’OP Lab, notamment le réseautage, seront encouragées sur les médias sociaux à travers#OPlab.
 
Les personnes souhaitant participer à l’OP LAB doivent s’inscrire et nous souhaitons encourager autant de personnes que possible à s’inscrire. Vous trouverez le lien vers le formulaire d’inscription sur le site Web d’ARCH: www.archdisabilitylaw.ca/fr  
 
Cordialement,
 
 
Mariana Versiani
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
 
<image001.png>
1. ARCH Disability Law Centre
http://www.archdisabilitylaw.ca
 
55 University Avenue, 15th floor
Toronto, ON, M5J 2H7
 
Tel:   416-482-8255 or 1-866-482-2724 (extension 2221)
TTY: 416-482-1254 or 1-866-482-2728
Fax:  416-482-2981 or 1-866-881-2723
 
Facebook @ARCHDisabilityLawCentre
Twitter @ARCHDisability
 
ARCH’s office is physically accessible.  ARCH is a scent-free environment. We try our best to keep our office and events free of scents and fragrances.  These may cause health problems for staff and visitors. We ask for your cooperation by not wearing perfumes, aftershave, lotions or any other scented products when visiting us.
 
The information contained in this email may be legally privileged and confidential.  If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying or distribution of this material is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this email in error, please immediately destroy this message and kindly notify our office. 
 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
 

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Re-Post: How do *YOU* Read? NNELS Survey and Focus Groups of Book Reading Habits, Needs and Preferences of Print Disabled Canadians

Follow these links to the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) survey if you wish to have your reading preferences known.

 

How do *YOU* Read?

Survey

NNELS is conducting a survey of the book-reading habits, needs and preferences of people with print disabilities in Canada.

 

Focus Groups

As part of the “How do *YOU* read?” study, NNELS will be conducting six Focus Groups across Canada and online.

 

 

CCB Toronto Visionaries: 2020 White Cane Week Experience Expo! Saturday, February 8, 2020

Come Celebrate the 2020 WCW Experience Expo!

The CCB Toronto Visionaries Chapter, Canadian Council of the Blind, welcomes you to our 5th great year!  On Saturday February 8, 2020, we’ll be hosting Canada’s only exposition and consumer show for those living with vision loss!

 

This year, the 2020 Experience Expo takes as its theme the ability for all of us to see clearly, to see the potential of people with sight loss as equal to the potential of other Canadians, and to show that, when it comes to having a clear view of their own potential, those who live with sight loss have a vision that is 20/20!

 

Once again, we’ll be returning to the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, 750 Spadina Avenue, right at the south-west corner of Bloor & Spadina in Toronto and just steps from the Spadina subway station.

 

In a single space with over 6000 square feet of room for more than 50 exhibitors, we’ll be bringing together community groups, agencies, product and service providers serving the vision loss community here in Toronto.

 

The Expo is open from 10am to 4pm, and will be followed by the Visionaries Forum, a panel discussion focused on independence through gainful employment from 4pm to 6pm, and a ‘Community Social’ dinner from 6pm to 8pm, featuring music, food, and a cash bar!

  • Free guest wi-fi provided by BELL Canada

 

Every visitor to the Expo is eligible to enter a ballot for our Grand Prize Draw, a trip for two from Toronto to Ottawa with two nights’ accommodation at the Best Western Downtown Suites Hotel.

 

Cost:

Admission to the Expo, the Visionaries Forum, and the Community Social is absolutely free!  If you’d like to attend the Forum or join us for the Dinner/Social, please RSVP to info@ccbtorontovisionaries.ca or call the Voice Mail Line at 416-760-2163.  Please note: seating at the Forum is limited, so please reserve your place as soon as possible.

 

Visit our website at http://www.ccbtorontovisionaries.ca/WCW.php for more information.

 

So bring your ‘Experience’ to the Expo!  And celebrate with us on February 8th!

 

Ian White,

President, CCB Toronto Visionaries Chapter,

Canadian Council of the Blind

www.ccbtorontovisionaries.ca

Presenting Sponsors: Accessible Media Inc, BELL Canada, and VIA Rail.

Additional sponsorship provided by: Bausch + Lomb, Bayer, Labtician Thea, Novartis, and Best Western

 

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Guest Post: Call for Blind, Deaf-blind and Low Vision Ottawa Research Participants: Help make tax benefits accessible

Hi GTT Program Blog Ottawa participants.  I forward this as a potential opportunity for those Ottawa residents who might be interested in participating face to face.

 

French to follow

En français à suivre

 

My name is Hillary Lorimer, I am a researcher working for the Canadian Digital Service. We are a government organization that designs and develops online government services. We are currently working with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on a new service that will help low-income Canadians access the tax benefits they are entitled to.

 

We want to make this service as accessible as possible. We are looking for people who are blind or low-vision who would be interested in trying an early version of this service and providing feedback on their experience.

 

We are scheduling research sessions starting early to mid-February. The sessions will take approximately one hour and we are offering 50 dollars as compensation for 1 hour of your time.

 

You do not need to have low income to participate and the research session will have no impact on your personal tax return.

 

If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please get in touch by calling Hillary Lorimer at 613-402-3085. You can also send an email to Hillary.Lorimer@tbs-sct.gc.ca . We get back to you with more details about the research.

 

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Hillary Lorimer

Researcher

Canadian Digital Service

Government of Canada

Hillary.Lorimer@tbs-sct.gc.ca

613-402-3085

https://digital.canada.ca

 

Privacy Notice

Giving the Canadian Digital Service (CDS) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) your contact information is completely voluntary.

If you respond to this opportunity, your email address, phone number, language preference, and name will be collected by CDS and CRA. This personal information will only be used to contact you about the study.

This personal information will not be used for any “administrative purposes”. This means that it will not be used to make any decisions that affect your access to Government of Canada services.

CDS is a program within the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) of Canada.

The collection and use of your personal information by TBS is authorized by the Financial Administration Act.

The collection and use of your personal information by CRA is authorized by the Income Tax Act.

Collection and use of your personal information for correspondence is in accordance with the federal Privacy Act. Under the Privacy Act, individuals have the right of protection, access to and correction or notation of their personal information.

Any personal information that may be collected is described in the Standard Personal Information Bank entitled Outreach Activities, PSU 938

If you have any comments or concerns about what you read here, or about your privacy rights, you may contact:

TBS Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator.

Email: ATIP.AIPRP@tbs-sct.gc.ca

Telephone: 1-866-312-1511

You have the right to complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about the handling of your personal information.

Email: info@priv.gc.ca

Telephone: 1-800-282-1376

 

Opportunité de participer à la recherche : Aidez à rendre les avantages fiscaux accessibles

 

Bonjour,

 

Je m’appelle Hillary Lorimer. Je suis chercheure et je travaille pour le Service Numérique Canadien. C’est une organisation gouvernementale qui simplifie et rend plus accessible les services publics. Nous travaillons avec l’agence du revenu du Canada (ARC) sur un nouveau service qui permettra aux Canadiens qui ont un faible revenu d’accéder aux avantages fiscaux auxquels ils ont droit, plus facilement.

Nous voulons rendre ce nouveau service le plus accessible possible. Nous cherchons donc des gens qui ont 18 ans et plus et qui s’identifient comme étant aveugles ou malvoyant pour nous donner leur avis sur la version numérique du service en utilisant des appareils d’assistance, incluant les lecteurs d’écran.

Nous planifions organiser ces séances du début jusqu’à la mi-février. La séance durera une heure et nous vous donnerons 50 dollars pour cette heure de votre temps.

 

Si vous utilisez des appareils d’assistance, que vous êtes intéressé ou que vous voulez simplement en apprendre plus, appeler 343.548.9468 . Vous pouvez aussi envoyer un courriel à clementine.hahn@tbs-sct.gc.ca Nous vous donnerons plus de détails par la suite.

 

Merci beaucoup et il nous fera plaisir d’entrer en contact avec vous!

 

Hillary Lorimer

Chercheuse

Service numérique canadien

https://numerique.canada.ca

Gouvernement du Canada

Hillary.Lorimer@tbs-sct.gc.ca

613-402-3085

 

 

Énoncé de confidentialité

Le fait de fournir vos coordonnées à l’équipe de recherche est entièrement volontaire.

En répondant à cette opportunité, vous comprenez que votre adresse électronique, votre numéro de téléphone, votre langue de préférence et votre nom seront recueillis par le SNC. Ces renseignements personnels ne seront utilisés que pour communiquer avec vous au sujet de l’étude.

Ces renseignements personnels ne seront pas utilisés à des « fins administratives ». Cela veut dire que vos renseignements ne serviront pas à prendre des décisions qui ont une incidence sur votre accès aux services du gouvernement du Canada.

Le SNC est un programme au sein du Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor (SCT) du Canada.

La collecte et l’utilisation de vos renseignements personnels par le SCT sont autorisées en vertu de la Loi sur la gestion des finances publiques

La collecte et l’utilisation de vos renseignements personnels par l’ARC sont autorisées par la Loi de l’impôt sur le revenu

La collecte et l’utilisation de vos renseignements personnels aux fins de correspondance sont conformes à la Loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels du gouvernement fédéral. En vertu de la Loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels, vous avez droit à la protection, à l’accès et à la correction ou à la mention de vos renseignements personnels.

Toute information personnelle qui pourra être recueillie est décrite dans les Fichiers de renseignements personnels ordinaires qui figurent sous Activités de sensibilisation.

Si vous avez des commentaires ou des préoccupations concernant le présent énoncé ou vos droits en matière de protection de vos renseignements personnels, vous pouvez contacter :

Le coordonnateur de l’accès à l’information et de la protection des renseignements personnels du SCT
Courriel : ATIP.AIPRP@tbs-sct.gc.ca
Téléphone : 1 866 312-1511

Vous avez également la possibilité de déposer une plainte auprès du Commissariat à la protection de la vie privée du Canada quant à la façon dont vos renseignements personnels sont traités.

Courriel :info@priv.gc.ca

Téléphone : 1 800 282-1376.

 

Exploring the use of smartphones and tablets among people with visual impairments: Are mainstream devices replacing the use of traditional visual aids?: Assistive Technology: Vol 0, No 0, by Natalina Martiniello

Dear GTT Blog readers.  I urge you all to check out this well done report by Natalina Martiniello and how it impacts the community of blind, partially sighted and deaf-blind people.  You will find the website to be well marked with Heading navigation, so click the below link with confidence.

 

ABSTRACT

 

Smartphones and tablets incorporate built-in accessibility features, but little is known about their impact within the visually impaired population. This

study explored the use of smartphones and tablets, the degree to which they replace traditional visual aids, and factors influencing these decisions. Data

were collected through an anonymous online survey targeted toward visually impaired participants above the age of 18, whom had been using a smartphone

or tablet for at least three months. Among participants (n = 466), 87.4% felt that mainstream devices are replacing traditional solutions. This is especially

true for object identification, navigation, requesting sighted help, listening to audiobooks, reading eBooks and optical character recognition. In these

cases, at least two-thirds of respondents indicated that mainstream devices were replacing traditional tools most or all of the time. Users across all

ages with higher self-reported proficiency were more likely to select a mainstream device over a traditional solution. Our results suggest that mainstream

devices are frequently used amongst visually impaired adults in place of or in combination with traditional assistive aids for specific tasks; however,

traditional devices are still preferable for certain tasks, including those requiring extensive typing or editing. This provides important context to designers

and rehabilitation personnel in understanding the factors influencing device usage.

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10400435.2019.1682084#.Xcr3YgJRFKU.linkedin

 

Thx, Albert

 

Sent from my iPhone

Repost: January 2020 is Accessibility Month at SBBC – Small Business BC

For the month of January Small Business BC, Community Futures and Public Services Procurement Canada are offering a number of seminars free of charge to persons with disabilities. Seminars are in-person or via webinar. Just need to follow the link at the end of the below announcement to begin the free registration process. Please feel free to share with anyone you think might be interested.

 

Announcement:

We have partnered with Small Business BC (SBBC) and Community Futures – Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) to make January 2020 Accessibility Month at SBBC.  All of the seminars and webinars in January will feature:

  • Free AIRA Access coverage of the building, so that blind and visually-impaired business people can navigate the venue.
  • Live ASL interpretation;
  • Presentation materials revised to improve readability for those with vision or cognitive impairments
  • Dedicated wheelchair accessible space in the room.
  • Free access to any presentation for anyone who identifies as having a disability (paid for by Community Futures).
  • A “tip sheet” to help presenters make their presentations more accessible. Once it is reviewed by PSPC HQ, we will share with all of the January presenters.

 

PSPC recognizes that there are likely to be lessons learned over the course of the month before we can truly offer barrier-free service. To the extent possible, we will incorporate those lessons during the month rather than waiting until the end.

Attendees can participate in person at SBBC’s Waterfront Station offices or online by registering at Small Business BC: https://smallbusinessbc.ca/article/january-is-accessibility-month-at-sbbc/

 

World Blind Union Employment Survey, Deadline January 31, 2020

Hi GTT Blog Readers.  Please consider completing this WBU employment survey.  I’m providing a brief excerpt from their website followed by the link where you can learn more, and where you can actually access the survey itself.

 

Survey Deadline: January 31. 2020

 

Quoted text:

WBU has developed a short survey to identify employment patterns of people who are blind or partially sighted and of working-age throughout the world.

 

The WBU Employment Committee is undertaking this project to understand the levels of employment for individuals with sight loss. This research will provide up-to-date data on employment for people who are blind or have low vision (partial sight). Current employment information is old (more than 10 years old in most countries) and much of the information that is available is not specific to people who are blind or have low vision (partial sight). The information available also doesn’t provide details about the nature and type of employment or about barriers to employment that people with vision impairment face.

The purpose of this survey is to understand how WBU can best advocate for individuals who are blind or have partial sight. The survey designed for the WBU membership can be completed in 20-25 minutes and it is available in English, French, and Spanish.

End of quoted text.

 

http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/news/Pages/World-Blind-Union-Employment-Survey.aspx

 

Thx, Albert

 

 

 

CCB National Newsletter, Visions, November 2019

VISIONS

Canadian Council of the Blind Newsletter

November 2019

“A lack of sight is not a lack of vision”

 

To access all the good news in this month’s newsletter follow this link.

 

http://ccbnational.net/shaggy/2019/11/15/visions-november-2019/

 

CCB Backgrounder:

 

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

 

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

 

 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net