AEBC: WHO WE ARE

The Conference will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2026 | Noon - 3:00 p.m. EST Expanding Our Circle Who is missing from the conversation? Whose experiences are we not hearing? And what could change if we reached beyond the people, organizations and ideas we already know? Expanding Our Circle is about making the disability community broader, stronger and more connected. It is an invitation to hear different perspectives, build new relationships and create meaningful space

AUDIO VERSION By Richard Marion Hi there! My name is Baja. I am a bleached yellow dog with beautiful brown eyes. I love spending my time baking in the sun, running after my toys and sometimes chasing my tail. Wait a minute. Did I hear someone preparing dinner? Probably not. It is still two hours away. But a girl can hope, can’t she? You know that saying in the old song, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” well that is me. I love enjoying my time. Oh, I think I see something bein

AUDIO VERSION By Catherine Dumé On September 22, 2026, Toronto Elections held a local media press conference at its office in North York. The City Clerk, John Elvidge, was present. Both he and the Deputy Clerk of Toronto Elections, Tobias Novogrodsky, offered speeches about the upcoming mayoral election in October. They also promoted the launch of their new initiative “Kids Vote Weekend,” which is happening on October 10 and 11, to encourage kids under 18 to learn more about

AUDIO VERSION By Marcia Yale, AEBC National President With content borrowed from Lee Pigeau, Louise Frazer, John Rae, Judy Prociuk, and Dar Wournell This has been a year of milestones. We were granted another year of ESDC funding, extending our project to March 31, 2027. We received the final gift from John Rae’s estate—more than twice what we had been expecting. And, finally, we received funding for a three-year project which could result in our community receiving the com

AUDIO VERSION By Chantal Oakes Too often, we hear stories about people who are blind being denied access to restaurants or other public places because they are accompanied by a guide dog. While it is important to speak out when discrimination occurs, it is equally important to recognize businesses that get it right. On July 25, 2026, the AEBC BC Affiliate held a social outing at King Taps in North Vancouver. Twenty-eight people attended, including ten guide dog teams. From

AUDIO VERSION By Betty Nobel The first experience I had working in partnership with a guide dog was back in 1975. My son was five months old. What was I doing leaving him in my mother’s care and going to California to get a guide dog. Was I crazy? Why would I even consider taking such a step? The truth is that I wasn’t going out as much with the baby because while I was willing to go out on my own, I felt a strong responsibility to keep my baby safe. I was a fairly skilled ca