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When Guy Carriere packed his bags for Guide Dog AdvoCamp at CNIB Lake Joe, he had no idea that his hero, Paul Rosen, would be there.

"I recently decided I wanted to try and play blind hockey," says Guy. "In that process, I was reading a lot about Paul Rosen and his life and what he's accomplished," says Guy.

In March 2019, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced it will be restricting the use of cellphones and other personal mobile devices in classrooms. Last week, the Ministry made a follow-up announcement that the cellphone ban in Ontario classrooms will be coming into effect on November 4, 2019.

The Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons is inviting applications from Canadians with disabilities to be considered for appointment to Corporate Boards.

The Information and Communications Standard is one of five standards that form the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Every five years, a Standards Development Committee examines the wording of the standard and provides recommendations to the government on changes that need to be made.

The Information and Communications Standards Development Committee, made up of people with disabilities, community organizations and industry experts have recently published their recommendations on the Government of Ontario's website.

CNIB Deafblind Community Services is one of Ontario’s leading providers of specialized support and emergency services for people who are Deafblind. Funded by the Government of Ontario, DBCS intervenor services and literacy programs enable people who are Deafblind to maximize their independence and engagement with the world around them.

To celebrate National Deafblind Awareness Month, the CNIB Foundation Ontario West hosted a Deafblind awareness session at the CNIB London Community Hub. Participants had an opportunity to learn more about Deafblindness with Kristeen Elliott, a Deafblind community member and DBCS Ambassador, and Christine, an Intervenor.

Over the summer, Larissa Proctor, Program Lead, Advocacy and Accessible Community Engagement, hosted a series of guide dog handler presentations throughout communities in Ontario West. Attendees learned about what it’s like to live and work with a guide dog, as well as what the application, matching and training process with CNIB Guide Dogs is like. We checked in with Larissa to learn more about what inspired her to develop the "Tales of a Guide Dog Handler" presentations.

The ABCs of iOS Manual gives parents and educators the information they need to successfully, independently, and purposefully interact with an iPad using VoiceOver.

The manual incorporates accessible apps with progressive educational content to help prepare children to be successful in mainstream classrooms. It specifically addresses age-appropriate VoiceOver skills for children, ages 3-8, who are or may become braille readers, dual media, or auditory readers. 

Through the Know Your Rights Project, the CNIB Foundation has developed plain language legal information and resources (fact sheets, videos, training, etc.) to empower Ontarians who are blind, partially sighted or Deafblind to better understand their rights, navigate the Ontario legal system, and self-advocate to challenge discrimination.

We spoke with Jason Mitschele, Member, Steering Committee and Member, CNIB Foundation Ontario & Quebec Board, and Avery Au, Project Lead, about their experiences.

Canadian travelers with sight loss have new legal rights when their air travel plans go awry. With the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, which became law on July 15, 2019, Canadian airlines are required to adhere to new accessibility regulations.

These regulations apply to airlines, terminal operators, rail, ferries, interprovincial buses, Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).

Welcome to the September edition of Equalize. In this issue, we learn how Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, will impact Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, and how Canadians can test the accessibility tools that will be provided by Elections Canada during the federal election. We talk tips for accessible airline travel, chat with the Know Your Rights team, and highlight a professional development program for advocates. We also learn about an iOS manual for children with sight loss, guide dog handler workshops and Deafblind etiquette. Plus, we shine a spotlight on Guy Carriere, an advocate in Northern Ontario