NEWS FROM NATIONAL
As I write this, snowbanks are receding from impressive heights in my driveway. More snow is in the forecast, we can certainly bring a little warmth into our community with all the exciting updates and opportunities we have in store!
Our annual membership renewal drive is underway! Staying connected is more important than ever, and your continued membership helps us push forward with our advocacy, programs, and services. If you haven’t renewed yet, now’s the perfect time—let’s keep this momentum going!
As the next step in our sustainability plan, we’re thrilled to launch our Make-It-Monthly campaign. By becoming a monthly donor, you provide stable and reliable support to AEBC’s work all year round. It’s an easy and impactful way to contribute—watch for more details on how to get involved!
We’re evolving! To streamline our work and ensure our energy is focused where it’s most needed, some of our chapters are transitioning into committees. This change will help us be more agile and effective, and we’ll share more information in the coming weeks about how you can join, support or even create these geographically focused committees. If you have wanted to get involved at a local level, and you know others who also want to do it, why not consider forming a committee—it’s less formal than a Chapter, but better than just a few friends getting together, because you will have AEBC behind you in everything you do!
Our new self-advocacy training program is almost ready to roll out! Whether you’re navigating healthcare, education, employment, or community services, this training will empower you with the skills and confidence to advocate for yourself effectively.
And finally, we know technology can make a huge difference in everyday life, so we’re bringing back Tech Training Tuesdays! These sessions will cover a variety of topics—from basic tech skills to advanced tools—all with accessibility in mind. Stay tuned for our schedule and how to sign up.
As always, thank you for being part of AEBC. Your involvement, support, and passion make everything we do possible. If you have any questions or want to get involved in our initiatives, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Stay warm, and let’s make this season a productive and positive one!
Marcia Yale
National President
CHAPTER/AFFILIATE HAPPENINGS
BC AFFILIATE NEWS
On Saturday February 22, the BC Affiliate held their Fifth Annual Trivia Event raising funds to provide scholarships for post-secondary students furthering their studies in British Columbia. We are pleased to report this was a very successful afternoon/evening, with over 60 participants in attendance. A bonus round of music was added this year to provide a variety of questions and from all accounts, round three was the highlight of this event. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser including the Vancouver Renfrew Lions Club who continue to sponsor our efforts by providing financial assistance to blind, partially sighted and deafblind post-secondary students. Thank you also to everyone who helped to plan and run the event.
This year, the BC Affiliate will award two scholarships. One in memory of Tom Teranishi; a long-time member of AEBC and the Renfrew Lions Club and the second in honor of Betty Nobel; also a member of AEBC who has dedicated more than 30 years of her career to the education of adults as a teacher at the Vancouver Community College. In 1981, Betty founded the visually impaired program at VCC to teach adults basic computer skills, English and braille. She remains passionate about making sure blind persons receive the education and training they require in order to find work or to become more comfortable with their vision loss. We honour Betty for all her achievements in the field of education and for her ongoing devotion to help students who are blind, partially sighted and deafblind wishing to pursue post-secondary studies.
This event is successful but most of all, it is loads of fun. From participants who play trivia, volunteers who lead the teams, to the Zoom host and trivia master, everyone’s contribution is invaluable and for this we are extremely grateful. Don’t miss your chance to join a team next year, it is a good feeling knowing you participated in raising funds to help further someone’s education.
See you at the next event, Chantal Oakes, President, BC Affiliate
OTTAWA CHAPTER
Things have been pretty quiet in the Ottawa-Gatineau chapter, but one exciting development is that our members have voted and agreed to restructure the Ottawa Chapter to become a Committee. Stay tuned as this exciting change rolls out!
FROM THE AEBC BLOG
Whose Jurisdiction is it Then?
Exploring the topic of jurisdiction, we dive into the debate surrounding floating bus stops and their impact on blind pedestrians. How do we ensure everyone's safety in urban environments? Read it here: https://wix.to/0hwJ53Y
A Member’s Travel Adventure to the Azores
One of our new members recently embarked on an unforgettable travel adventure to the Azores! Thank you Neven--we look forward to more articles! Read more about his experiences here: https://wix.to/MbD0Bfd
A Brief History of Braille
As part of our celebration of Braille Literacy Month in January, we shared an article on the profound impact of Braille on the lives of blind individuals! A tool of empowerment, Braille is often called the Gutenberg press for the visually impaired. Join us as we explore its transformative history. Read more: https://wix.to/oLWo3YG
Watch our February Tech Training Tuesday Replays
Each Tuesday in February, we held a training session to help members discover efficient ways to navigate documents by headings, links, and other elements they may contain using various types of assistive technology. If you missed out, you can watch the replays here:
ADVOCACY NEWS
Advocacy is at the core of our alliance, and we are excited about what we have done in the last month or two. If you have been disappointed with a barrier-free air journey recently, help is on the way. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a part of the United Nations, has begun work on standards and procedures to ensure that people with disabilities experience a barrier-free, door-to-door-to-door experience across most of the world. The Canadian partner is the Canadian Transportation Agency, and at the last meeting, our representatives were asked to comment on the beginning of a draft standard and procedure to get this process started. Our submission focussed on frequent issues we face, and we hope to be front and centre as this initiative proceeds. About 20 members attended an update on all the advocacy issues that have been handled in the last several months and were given a chance to ask questions and get answers with the advocacy chair, Dean Steacy, and Hilton Schwartz. We hope to have this opportunity on a regular basis. In the meantime, if you have advocacy questions or concerns, send an email to Advocacy@blindcanadians.ca.
Elections are everywhere, and the advocacy committee put together a list of questions to be posed to the Liberal leadership candidates, and the Ontario provincial election parties. At the same time, questions were prepared for the federal election, to get ready for when it is called. Of course, we are careful to be non-partisan so that questions are phrased in a way that is not biased one way or the other.
Statistics Canada asked for our opinion on their survey of disability, getting ready for the next census. We had several suggestions and volunteered to be on their advisory panel, to ensure that the next survey is the most effective it can be.
We are preparing to have a training session on self-advocacy using our new self-advocacy guide, which has been updated from the previous "stand up, speak up " document from several years ago.
Lastly, our chairperson of several years, Dean Steacy, is stepping away from the chairmanship and the advocacy committee for personal reasons. Louise Johnson was co-chair, and is now the chair of the committee.
Anyone who is interested in advocacy, no matter at what level of skill, is encouraged to join our meetings. We can always use new members. Everyone chooses their own level of participation, those who would like to listen, to those who want to fiercely debate every point.
WHAT WE ARE READING
UPCOMING AEBC EVENTS
EVENTS CALENDAR
Check out our EVENTS CALENDAR for posted dates and links to information about events.
CHAPTER/AFFILIATE CHATS
National Public Chats: Join us every Friday at 4PM Pacific, 5PM Mountain, 7PM Eastern
BC Affiliate Public Chats: Join us Thursday Nights at 8 PM Pacific
Halifax Mid-Week Meltdown: Join us on the second Wednesday of every month at 8 PM Atlantic. The Halifax Meltdowns are open to anyone--both members and friends of AEBC. If you are not a member, please email us at halifaxchapter@blindcanadians.ca so we can send you information about the meltdowns.
TRAINING VIDEO REPLAYS
Missed one of our training or other events? There’s a good chance that you will find a video replay on our YouTube channel. Check it out and be sure to Subscribe to our channel and Like our videos!
AEBC NATIONAL BOARD MEETING DATES 2025
Board meetings for 2025 will be held on the 4th Monday of every month with the exception of August. All meetings begin at 4 PM Pacific 7 PM Eastern. Members are welcome to attend all meetings--alternating attendance as observers and member mashup at the end of a meeting as follows:
March 24, 2025 – (budget) - members as observers
April 28, 2025 - mashup
May 26, 2025 - members as observers
June 23, 2025 - mashup
July 28, 2025 – members as observers
August 2025 - no meeting
September 20, 2025 – Annual General Meeting
The Benefits of Membership with AEBC!
Did you know that we have a lively members-only email discussion group? That members receive our weekly Monday Morsels e-newsletter that is chock full of resources and news geared specifically for our members? And that membership is only $10 a year!? Consider being a part of our AEBC family by joining today! Visit our website for membership information HERE.
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ALLIANCE FOR EQUALITY OF BLIND CANADIANS
The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) is a national charitable organization committed to empowering blind, partially sighted, and deafblind Canadians to lead a life filled with opportunity, inclusivity, and equality. We advocate, support, and strive to make the world a better place for everyone, regardless of their visual acuity. Together, we can create a brighter and more accessible future for all.
Visit our website at www.blindcanadians.ca and follow us on social media
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We aim to bring you timely and informative news from the organization. We appreciate your feedback on our newsletter or submissions for consideration. Contact us at EMAIL Newsletter.
If you are interested in becoming more involved in our advocacy work or joining any of our working committees, please reach out to EMAIL ADVOCACY.
If you’re not already a member and would like to join, Visit our website for more information HERE.
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Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
PO Box 20262 RPO Town Centre
Kelowna, BC V1Y 9H21-800-561-4774
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