Press Release
The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians/l’Alliance pour l’Égalité des Personnes Aveugles du Canada is pleased to announce the four winners of the 2019 AEBC/T-Base Communications Scholarship Program. The official announcement was made at the 2019 Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Ottawa, Ontario on April 26, 2019.
The T-Base Communications Scholarships, valued at $1,000 each, were awarded to Jocelyn Rogers and Sarah Hynes. “Having access to accessible formats is essential for academic success as learning styles and format needs vary by student,” said Bruce Moszcelt, T-Base’s Co-CEO. “Every year through this scholarship program, we enjoy helping ensure students who are blind or have low vision pursue an accessible education in their field of choice. On behalf of T-Base, we’d like to congratulate both Jocelyn Rogers and Sarah Hynes and wish them both continued success in their academic careers.”
Jocelyn Rogers lives in Edmonton and is attending Yorkville University, enrolled in a Master’s program in counselling psychology. She has faced adversity with courage and is determined to be successful regardless of the obstacles she encounters along the way. She has been an adult volunteer with Girl Guides of Canada for over 30 years, and she believes she is the only blind Guide leader in the country. Jocelyn would like to counsel youth in schools, her “dream job” being a school psychologist.
Sarah Hynes is currently finishing high school in the small rural town of Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador. She will be attending Memorial University full time in the fall. Her goal is to get a degree in computer science. Speaking about the career she dreams of, she says “I would like to aid in the development and furtherment of assistive technology. … The current technology is lacking and I feel that I have a particular insight into what would work well and be beneficial to other people who are blind or have visual impairments.” The AEBC Scholarships, valued at $1,000 each, were awarded to Kaitlin Havens and Brandon Snow. These two awards were made possible by a donation from an anonymous donor who wanted to assist blind, deafblind and partially-sighted students continue their education and reach their career goals.
Kaitlin Havens is a high school student from Calgary who will be attending Carlton University in Ottawa. She will be a full time student pursuing a B.A. in English with a double major in History and communications, and a minor in disability studies. Her goal is to become a History professor. Reflecting on her life so far and the future she dreams of, she says: “yes I can say confidently, that although I haven’t had the easiest past couple years, I am going into the future, into the great unknown that is post-secondary and in turn adulthood, proud of myself and what I have been through.”
Brandon Snow is from Lewisporte, a small rural community in Newfoundland and Labrador. He has been accepted to Memorial University's school of medicine where he will be a full time student in the fall. His goal is to be a family physician or a pediatrician. When asked about living with disabilities, Brandon says "One of the most important lessons my undergraduate degree taught me is that fear and apprehension can allow you to recognize the challenges you have ahead. However, it is important to not allow fear to get in the way of accomplishing your dreams.”
“I am happy to say that, each year, it is harder to choose only a few winners, as there are more and more bright sparks out there working hard to obtain relevant and valuable education,” said Marcia Yale, AEBC’s Student and Education Council Committee Chair, who is based in Huntsville. “Blind Canadians are among those least employed, and therefore the most in need of a strong educational foundation. We want to encourage blind, deafblind and partially sighted students to complete their education in order to increase their opportunities for employment after graduation.”
About The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians is a national charitable organization, founded in 1992, that is dedicated to promoting the increased inclusion of blind, deafblind and partially sighted Canadians in all aspects of social life, from employment to participation in elections. Our members, comprised of blind, deafblind, and partially sighted consumers and supporters from across the country, participate in working groups and committees, engage with local, city-based chapters, and engage in public awareness and education activities on a daily basis.
About T-Base Communications
At T-Base, we help large organizations provide their blind and low vision students or customers a range of alternative forms of communication. We convert educational materials, documents or statements into various alternative formats, such as braille, large print, audio, e-text and accessible PDF. In the education space, our processes are designed so that we’re able to receive and transcribe large volumes of data, which allows us to deliver educational materials in alternate formats on behalf of North America’s educational institutions in a timely fashion. http://www.tbase.com
Media contacts
T-Base Communications
Lucy Morrissey
Marketing Manager
800-563-0668 ext. 1257
lmorrissey@tbase.com
http://www.tbase.com
Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
Marcia Yale Chairperson of the Student and Education Council Committee 1-800-561-4774 yale@blindcanadians.ca http://www.blindcanadians.ca