Traveling Blind by Train During a Pandemic Donna Jodhan Details Her Journey Traveling Blind To and From Quebec City Using Via Rail Canada

I was never afraid to travel at this time and at the end of it all; I am delighted to report that my trip from Toronto to Québec City was one where I enjoyed an adventure free from any sort of pandemic concerns and most of all! My needs and requirements as a vision impairedContinue reading Traveling Blind by Train During a Pandemic Donna Jodhan Details Her Journey Traveling Blind To and From Quebec City Using Via Rail Canada

Living in Exciting Times By John Panarese, ACSP, ACiT, Director, MacForTheBlind.com

We are living in exciting times as blind and low vision people with the vast amounts and options of assistive technology we have at our disposal. The proliferation of this technology just within the last ten years alone has simply been amazing. As a technology trainer who has been focusing specifically on the array ofContinue reading Living in Exciting Times By John Panarese, ACSP, ACiT, Director, MacForTheBlind.com

Teaching the Sighted To See Accessibility

By Aaron Di Blasi, Project Management Professional, Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Firstly I’d like to thank Donna for inviting me to write this article for BFC. I am both honored and grateful for the opportunity and as such I would like to offer a bit of background first in order to lay a foundation forContinue reading Teaching the Sighted To See Accessibility

The Accessible Canada Act Represents a Shift in Mindset – From Reactive, to Proactive

By Ian Fine, Executive Director of the Canadian Human Rights Commission The past few years have seen many changes at the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). Under the leadership of our Chief Commissioner, Marie-Claude Landry, we have focused on putting people first by bringing changes to how we work and how we serve Canadians, withContinue reading The Accessible Canada Act Represents a Shift in Mindset – From Reactive, to Proactive

No Barriers to Understanding Contributed by Debra Walker

It seems like only yesterday and not so many years ago that I met who would later become one of my best friends. It was our first time at “big” school, at the tender age of 11. I knew no one from my elementary school but GiGi became one of my closest. I remember herContinue reading No Barriers to Understanding Contributed by Debra Walker

My Role As a Professor with a Visual Impairment: A Retrospective on My Career By: Leo A. Bissonnette, Ph.D.

In response to a request for an article for the BFC-CSB article submissions page I am providing what is a retrospective on my 35 years at Concordia University in Montreal. I write it from the point in time where I have been retired now for seven years and have had time to look back andContinue reading My Role As a Professor with a Visual Impairment: A Retrospective on My Career By: Leo A. Bissonnette, Ph.D.

A Personal Perspective By Andrew Johnson, Consultant & Notary Public

Introduction I (Donna Jodhan) first met Andrew Johnson in the early 1990s when I asked him to become my personal lawyer, and over the years he has become more than just my personal lawyer. Today, Andrew is my mentor and sounding board! I recently asked him to share his perspectives on the role of BlindContinue reading A Personal Perspective By Andrew Johnson, Consultant & Notary Public

Sharing My Hopes for the Accessible Canada Act Contributed by Penny Leclair

Since this new act relates to federal jurisdiction, my hopes for the difference it should bring to my life, as a senior who is deafblind. I often must travel with a guide or with my guide dog. For purchasing a ticket I must do this via phone, and under-go lengthy processing time. This is notContinue reading Sharing My Hopes for the Accessible Canada Act Contributed by Penny Leclair

Promoting Lifelong Learning Skills for a Barrier-free Canada

I came to Canada in September 2005. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) had just been passed. I was a student; a woman of colour; and in a wheelchair with a fractured knee. Toronto welcomed me and I felt included. Fourteen years later, the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) was passed on June 21,Continue reading Promoting Lifelong Learning Skills for a Barrier-free Canada

The Experiences of Blind Canadians in the Federal Public Service

The Experiences of Blind Canadians in the Federal Public Service Kimberly Dhaliwal, MADR Candidate School of Public Administration University of Victoria March 2017 Project Client: Eric Diotte, Senior Research Analyst Canadian Human Rights Commission Supervisor: Thea Vakil, Associate Professor and Associate Director School of Public Administration, University of Victoria Executive Summary Income inequality and unemploymentContinue reading The Experiences of Blind Canadians in the Federal Public Service