2014 CNIB NATIONAL BRAILLE CONFERENCE
Braille +
2014 CNIB National Braille Conference
BRAILLE +
Education and Transition
Digital Literacy and Accessibility
Advocacy and Government Policies
October 30th and 31st, 2014
Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Toronto
475 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M4Y 1X7
We thank our National Media Partner:
CNIB is pleased to present its National Braille Conference Braille + on October 30th and 31st. The conference will offer workshops for educators, transcribers, consumers and parents. The three themes of the conference are:
Education and Transition: Unified English Braille (UEB); teaching techniques and/or philosophies; being prepared for school; first job experiences; increasing independence, soft and social skills; increasing technical skills; mentorship and peer support
Digital Literacy and Accessibility: braille software and hardware; online privacy and digital footprint; social media for personal and professional uses; smartphones, tablets and apps for everyday activities; new developments in assistive technology and mainstream products; increasing sensory accessibility/ usability in the workplace and the community
Advocacy and Government Policies: braille literacy; vision health; employment; accessibility; technology; transportation; funding for services; built environment; consumer advocacy; multi-stakeholder approaches: working with service providers, employers and governments
To start the conference on Thursday morning, John Rafferty, CNIB’s president and CEO will welcome the attendees. You will delight in the readings of CNIB’s Creative Writing and Braille Accuracy Competition winners - an anticipated tradition at the CNIB conference. The morning keynote will be given by John Moore, Host of “Moore in the Morning” on NEWSTALK 1010.
On Friday morning, our speakers will include Victoria Nolan, a special education teacher and former Paralympian rower on Team Canada. Victoria hopes to cycle her way to the podium in the Parapan American Games in 2015. You will also hear from another Parapan American Games athlete.
During Friday’s lunch, we will hear from Mark Wafer, a leading advocate for people with disabilities in the area of employment. He is also the lead business champion on the Rotary at Work initiative in Rotary District 7070-Central Ontario.
Exhibitors will be presenting their products on both Thursday and Friday; you will have the opportunity to see and learn about all the latest innovations with braille and braille-related technology.
The conference is a time to renew acquaintances and meet new people and we look forward to seeing you on October 30th and 31st.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, October 30
7:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Registration
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.: Continental Breakfast
8:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.: Opening Session
· Welcome & Opening Remarks: John Rafferty, President & CEO, CNIB
· Presentation to the Braille Creative Writing and Accuracy Competition Award Winners
· Keynote Speaker: John Moore, Host, Moore in the Morning, NEWSTALK 1010 - "Learning to See through the Eyes of Those Who Cannot"
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.: Session 1
12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.: Session 2
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Session 3
4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.: Session 4
5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Reception
8:45 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Exhibitors
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, October 31
7:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Registration
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.: Continental Breakfast
8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Opening Session
· Victoria Nolan, Special Education Teacher and Former Paralympian – “Anyone Can Win and Everyone Can Play”
· George Quarcoo, Canadian Record Holder, T12 Category, 200m
9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.: Session 5
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Session 6
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.: Lunch
· Keynote Speaker: Mark Wafer, Champion, “Rotary at Work”, Rotary District 7070, Central Ontario - "The Business Benefits of being an Inclusive Employer"
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.: Session 7
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Closing Session
· Moderator: David Lepofsky, Chair, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance
· Speaker: Andrea Bodnari, Assistive Technology Specialist, Tech Solutions for Visual Independence
8:45 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Exhibitors
THURSDAY: SESSION 1 WORKSHOPS
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
101. eBrailler Cosmo: A Quiet Embosser for the Home, Office or Classroom
Cosmo, once connected to Duxbury is used as a braille keyboardand types information into Duxbury allowing for translation, voice and other benefits from the computer interface. In working with Duxbury, Cosmo is also used as a brailleprinter with high quality braille printing. Cosmo is simple and easy to use as a standalone braille typewriter.
Presenters:
· Sean Liam Kelleher, Electronic Brailler LLC
· Barouch Chai, President & CEO, Microcomputer Science Center Inc.
102. Transitioning from High School to a Post Secondary Institution: The Journey of a Student Who Is Blind
This interactive workshop will discuss the impact of transitioning from high school to post secondary institutions for those who are blind or have low vision. The goal of the workshop is to provide insight into social skills, accommodations, independence, self advocacy and the importance of health and well-being in order to be successful at the post secondary level. By drawing on personal experiences, the presenter will share strategies and recommendations to empower future students and support staff.
Presenter:
· Michelle Woolfrey, BA Candidate, York University
103. 21st Century Braille in the Classroom - REMOVED
Coming from a background of accommodating for students with multiple exceptionalities and an in-depth knowledge of mobile technology to assist independence, see how there has been a movement away from traditional assistive technology (CCTVs, PC Laptops, Embossing Braille, etc.) to a streamlined, on the fly and mobile framework that moved a student from being relatively static to truly independent at the high school level (iPad, Macbook and a Refreshable Braille Display). The presenter will try to explain how for less money you can shift your thinking towards sustainable independence for life after high school without sacrificing braille literacy. The presenter will also explain how we navigated IT policies, procedures and decision making away from the status quo to accommodate this growth mindset.
Presenter:
· Geoff Courneya, Coordinator, Vision Services, Assistive Technology, Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board
104. Discovering Everyday Opportunities in My World: Make and Take
This workshop would be best suited for individuals who work with children or who have small children with vision loss. The presenters will inspire and provide you with the opportunity to create a make and take that will demonstrate how simple it is to create engaging activities at a minimal cost.
Presenters:
· Pam Petrella, Life Skills Instructor, W. Ross Macdonald School
· Michelle Wilson, Heather MacNeil, Tracie MacPhee, Jessica Kuranc,
W. Ross Macdonald School
105. What’s New with ZoomText and Ai Squared?
Ai Squared has added new features and enhancements into their products including complete support for Windows 8, reading features into ZoomText Mac, an OCR product called ZoomText lmageReader and sitecues, a corporate solution for web accessibility! Plus, Ai Squared is adding another product into the family, which will be revealed in this workshop. You’ll have a handle on everything that's new with Ai Squared, the company that has accessibility covered.
Presenters:
· Kimberly Cline, Regional Channel Manager, Ai Squared
106. 50 Newer Braille Products Worth Touching
This workshop will discuss the evolution of braille and how it has been incorporated into various daily living products for individuals with limited or no vision. Fifty interesting products will be discussed and presented during this interactive workshop.
Presenter:
· Dr. Ana M. Juricic, Low Vision Optometrist
107. The Power of Groups: Building Skills for Transition to Community and Social Inclusion
This workshop will provide an overview of group programs offered by CNIB in Toronto, as well as by third-party lead groups. The workshop will focus on examples of creative strategies that have resulted in opportunities for individuals who are blind or partially sighted to continue to build and expand their skills as well as self-confidence.
Presenters:
· Sue Marsh-Woods, Manager, Service & Operations, CNIB
· Suzanne Decary, Manager, Service & Operations, CNIB
· Florence Carter, New Beginnings Peer Group Leader
108. Update on UEB Technical Material
This workshop will cover the update of technical material in UEB. The presenter will discuss the use of indicators, changes in symbols and format and will also cover some problems you might be having. Bring your questions.
Presenter:
· Helen McMillan, Volunteer Mathematics Braille Specialist, CNIB
109. Foreign Language Braille - Accents and All
UEB has responded to braille readers by providing specific symbols for accents in words. This workshop will present these symbols and how to use them. The rules covering when to use contracted and when to use uncontracted braille for foreign material will be covered. There will be guidance on when to use the foreign language braille codes from World Braille Usage (2013). The mechanism for switching from one language code to another will also be explained.
Presenter:
· Phyllis Landon, Volunteer Braille Instructor, CNIB; Chair, UEB Code Maintenance Committee, ICEB
110. The WCAG 2 Roll-out in the Government of Canada: How Did We Do?
In 2011, Donna Jodhan, a Canadian who is blind, prevailed against the Government of Canada (GC) in a landmark judicial decision. The GC had 15 months to convert its millions of web pages to WCAG 2 conformance. Over 4,000 web developers went on WCAG training, hundreds of contractors participated in a mammoth effort to transform the GC web presence into an environment inclusive of people with disabilities. What are the lessons learned for large organizations who want to roll out WCAG in the most efficient, effective and sustainable way possible?
Presenter:
· David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt
111. Journeys of the Mind: Play is where Community Begins
The presenter has played accessible computer games for nearly 30 years and has created and edited the Audyssey email magazine covering games accessible to people who are blind. The presenter considers games to be journeys of the mind. They can teach us valuable lessons about ourselves, our world and each other. Come along for a tour of accessible gaming's history and learn about the current state of the art. We learn best when we're at play.
Presenter:
· Michael Feir, Creator and Former Editor/Community Leader of “Audyssey” Magazine
THURSDAY: SESSION 2 WORKSHOPS
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
201. Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Immediately Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery
The cataract is responsible for 48 per cent of world blindness, which represents 18 million people, according the World Health Organization. To enhance cataract surgical productivity and to reduce associated health care cost, immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS), the cataract surgery that is performed in both eyes simultaneously, can be a plausible solution for patients needing surgery in both the eyes compared to delayed sequential bilateral cataract surgery (DSBCS), the surgery that is performed in each eye on a different day as a completely separate operation. The presenters performed an economic analysis by constructing a decision analytic model from the public third-party (Ministry of Health) payer’s perspective. The study population consisted of adults with bilateral cataract surgery. Cost data consisted of the cost of the surgery. The effectiveness was measured by quality adjusted life years (QALYs).
Presenters:
· Monali Malvankar, Assistant Professor, University of Western Ontario
· Man Mohan Merchea, Professor/Ophthalmologist, Ivey Eye Institute
· Bill Hodge, Professor/Ophthalmologist, Ivey Eye Institute.
202. Best Practices for Post-production and Emerging Forms of Described Video
The mandate of Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) is to make accessible media for all Canadians through three unique broadcast services and a fully accessible website. Along with the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), AMI is leading the creation of best practices in post-production, multilingual, live and embedded described video (DV). AMI also works with its industry partners to assist in the recognition of DV through facilities such as the DV TV Guide located on AMI.ca.
Presenter:
· Robert Pearson, Director, Accessible Digital Media, Accessible Media Inc.
203. Methods of Teaching Braille to the Young and Young-at-heart or Braille Teaching Methods – Hadley Style
The Hadley School for the Blind is known for its long standing commitment to braille literacy; founded over 90 years ago teaching “braille through the mail” to students worldwide. This workshop will provide an overview of three recently designed braille teaching method courses open to professionals and family members; Braille and Your Baby or Toddler, Braille Teaching Methods for Children and Braille Teaching Methods for Adolescents and Adults. Hadley’s programs, services and enrollment process will be discussed.
Presenter:
· Douglas Anzlovar, Dean, Educational Programs and Instruction; Hadley School for the Blind
204. Technology Updates on Refreshable Braille and Digital Tactile Graphic Outputs
The technology revolution has created an instant demand for everything digital. In the race to implement digital tests and textbooks, blind and low vision students face several significant challenges, because there are non-existent affordable technology solutions. National Braille Press (NBP) will discuss its research and partners that are working on current and future solutions to create a digital multi-line braille and graphic array to bridge this gap in technology.
Presenter:
· Brian MacDonald, President, National Braille Press
205. Progress toward Translating ‘Visual’ Graphics into Sound through Data-driven Sonification
This workshop will describe the presenters’ progress toward developing a means to translate ‘non-linguistic’ properties of ‘visual’ graphics into varying sound frequencies (sonification) so as to convey what is lost when visuals are ‘translated’ into text descriptions. The aim of the research is to eventually design an image functionality in accessible PDFs that will allow screen readers to better translate info visualizations in reports, digital media and on the web.
Presenters:
· Peter Coppin, Assistant Professor of Design, OCAD University
· Tom Pokinko, M.Des. Candidate, Inclusive Design, OCAD University
206. Evolution of International Treaties and Human Rights Instruments – Why Should We Care?
This December will mark eight years since the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. What has that meant for persons with disabilities? What have been the repercussions for international and national policy? How has the position of persons with disabilities changed? What is on the horizon and how do we seize the opportunities provided?