CCB National Newsletter October 2011

CCB National Newsletter

October 2011

From the President’s Desk

++This first year of serving as your National President has been a time of transition. I will continue to move forward in a positive way to help make the lives of Canadians with vision loss better with the support of our board and office staff.

Now that fall is here we are all back to work in our chapters, divisions and at the national level. It is a time to work at increasing membership, whether it is a new chapter with new ideas or an individual looking to find support in our organization. Our membership committee is comprised of the following: Lori Fry, Heather Hannett, Jim Tokos, and Linda Sobey (I will be at meetings from time to time as well). Should anyone have any questions regarding membership please contact any of the above persons listed.

In September, we held a successful teleconference Board Meeting, which helped to save costs of travel. (The VP for your Division will keep you informed.) October will see a change in the location of our National office. The lease is up on our current location with a major increase in rent to renew, therefore, it was essential to locate new premises. The new office is not far away from our present one, is on a bus route and is centrally located at 20 James Street, Suite 100 in Ottawa. The phone number remains the same.

We continue to work on several advocacy issues such as library, point of sale devices, and the vision care we deserve plus others. Many people across the country will be involved in working with CNIB on other advocacy issues. We continue to have representation on such committees as World Blind Union, CTA, CCB/CNIB Collaboration, Braille Authority, and Marine Atlantic Accessibility Advisory Committee.

As we get back into the fall routine it is time to prepare for The Canadian Council of the Blind Curling Championship in Ottawa and other local activities of White Cane Week 2012. It takes a lot of time, fundraising and preparing for awareness activities. Keep up the good work and thanks to all of our volunteers for their wonderful work. I wish you well in your up-coming events.

You may contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Louise Gillis

National President

Announcements

++Results of the 2010 National

Mail-O-Gram Bowling Tournaments:

Congratulations to all the winners!

Lewis Miller Wood

1st Place Regina +222

Kurt Langford

Trevor Torrens

Edith Sudom

Rosemarie Hubich

Pat Schendel

2nd Place Regina +196 3rd place Regina + 181

Douglas Blue Russ Coubrough

Gertrude Smith Judy Koenig

Jerome Kuntz Wes Pliska

Ivy Meston Darlene Barrett

Len Triffo Barry Lyons

Maycourt

1st place Regina +252 2nd place Hamilton +144

Jan Parsons Elaine Revel

Michelle Busch Judy Maybury

Linda Ratzlaff Karen Traver

Darlene Barett Erin Hall

Donna Pliska Sharon Ruttan

3rd place Calgary +124

Angie Henderson

Darleen Cosman

Tammy Galas-Gray

Odette Lavoie

Heather Hannett

Female Open Singles

1st place Kamloops - Anne Curtis +92

2nd place Regina - Darlene Barrett +59

3rd place Regina - Donna Pliska +59

Male Open Singles

1st place Regina - Marv Anfinson +146

2nd place Moose Jaw - Kelly Sapergia +81

3rd place Moose Jaw - Allan Sauer +74

Female Totally Blind Singles

1st place Kamloops - Linda Hall +51

2nd place Saint John - Estelle Middleton +28

Male Totally Blind Singles

1st Place Moose Jaw - Kelly Sapergia +70

2nd Place Moose Jaw- David Lawrence +57

3rd Place Regina- Jerome Kuntz +28

*Please note that the packages for the National Mail-o-Gram Cribbage and Bowling tournaments will be sent to people upon request. We are attempting to run this tournament via email to save time, paper and postage.

Please send in your request before December 31, 2011, to Bill Rizzo, Chairperson, National Tournaments.

For further information Bill can be reached by

Phone: (613) 549-6196

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mail:

Bill Rizzo

601-670 Sir John A MacDonald blvd.

Kingston, ON K7M 1A3.

Thank you for your patience and perseverance this year. It was difficult learning an entirely new program; however, I finally, with considerable help from close friends, overcame great odds.

Hopefully next year all the bugs will have been worked out of the system. Your awards will soon be on their way—Bill Rizzo, Chairperson, National Tournaments

++BC Curling: Under Lori Fry, National Board Member for BC, work is underway to helping interested visually impaired residents in the Comox Valley form a Blind Curling Team. These are still early days yet, with much talk going on between the local Curling Club and Lori. If curling is your interest, and you live in or close to the Comox Valley, do contact Lori by e-mail at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

++Polymer Bank Note Series Accessibility Suite: Vision loss can happen to anyone at any point in life. For those who begin to lose their vision, it can be a life-changing event. Fortunately, 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable and treatable.

October is Eye Health Month, a national public awareness campaign that highlights the importance of eye health and regular eye exams. It sheds light on the fact that well over 800,000 Canadians live with significant vision loss that cannot be corrected using ordinary lenses. With our aging population, we’ll see this number double in the coming years.

With this in mind, the Bank of Canada is committed to providing the blind and partially sighted with barrier-free access to bank notes and to continuously improve their quality.

The new Polymer series of bank notes—starting with the $100 note this November—takes into account those living with vision loss. The series will carry the same suite of accessibility features as the last cotton-paper series, but with some enhancements.

The first improvement you’ll see is a longer-lasting tactile feature.

Thanks to the improved durability that comes from using a polymer material, the raised dots that assist in identifying a note’s value will be more resistant to wear and better hold their shape.

Also worth noting is the new position of the tactile feature on the Polymer series—in the top left corner of the front (or portrait side) of the note.

Tactile feature recap:

This feature is made up of six-dot symbols (two columns of three) separated by a smooth surface. Their number and position vary according to the denomination:

• $5: one six-dot symbol

• $10: two six-dot symbols

• $20: three six-dot symbols

• $50: four six-dot symbols

• $100: two symbols separated by a smooth surface that is wider than that on the $10 note

Another enhancement on the Polymer series is the bank note reader codes that will now work on both short edges of the notes. It’s also worth noting that the bank note reader will remain the same, and will work on both the new notes and the older series notes.

What will be familiar to you are the large high-contrast numbers that appear on both sides of each note. On the front of the note, a dark number appears on a pale background; on the back, a white number appears on a dark background. The distinct colours used for each denomination will also be consistent with those used on previous series.

For more information call the Bank of Canada toll-free at 1 888 513-8212 and follow the prompts to hear an overview of the features for the blind and partially sighted.

To order a bank note reader, contact CNIB at 1-866 659-1843.

++E.A. Baker Chapter, NL Honours Long-time Member

The Miracle Woman:

Betty Hilda Osmond was born in Lethbridge Bonavista Bay on March 14, 1948. She had five brothers and one sister and her childhood was a happy one.

After finishing school, Betty worked in a restaurant and other retail outlets in the area. It was during this time that she met and married William Clench. On September 26, 1971, she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy and named him Kenneth. He is the sunshine of her life.

Five years later, everything changed for the happy family. While traveling on the highway on the Labor Day Weekend, they were involved in a head on collision in which her husband was killed. Kenneth was not injured but Betty remained in hospital for several months and was now totally blind.

Betty spent time convalescing at home and as time passed, she began to learn Braille from the CNIB Rehabilitation Team who came to her home on a regular basis. Betty moved into St. John’s and attended Adult Education Classes to help with her communication skills. Following this, she attended Memorial University of Newfoundland for one year.

In the early 80’s, Betty received The C. A. Pippy Award for overcoming many obstacles despite her disability. A few years later, she went to Florida on a vacation with her family. She traveled with her new friend Bill Royle and her son Kenneth.

In 2003, Betty became a member of The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). She wasn’t there very long before she started taking a leading role on the executive of the local CCB chapter in St. John’s. She was president for two years and then continued to act as 1st and 2nd vice in addition to the duties of Advocacy/Public Awareness and Transportation. She has also been serving as 1st Vice-President on our CCB division board.

For the past few years, Betty has been doing an excellent job representing the CCB on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for the Disabled.

Betty was always interested in baking and crafts. Her vision loss didn’t stop her from continuing with these hobbies. She would make things for the CCB annual Craft & Bake sale. A big favorite with her family and friends was her Blueberry Cheesecake.

In June of this year, Betty had an accident in her home where she received head injuries and now has permanent brain damage. She now resides at St. Patrick’s Mercy Home. She still loves to chat and she enjoys a visit from her family and friends.

Submitted by Elizabeth Mayo, special friend and

National Board Member for Newfoundland

++9th NATIONAL GUIDE & ASSISTANCE DOG CONFERENCE

The biennial National Guide & Assistance Dog Conference provides a forum for discussion on all aspects of guide & assistance dog use from breeding through to retirement. It is an opportunity for interested parties to learn and to exchange ideas.

WHEN? October 13, 14 & 15, 2011

WHERE?

Hilton Vancouver Metrotown

6083 McKay Avenue

Burnaby, BC V5H 2W7

Tel: (604) 438-1200Fax: (604) 639-3737

Toll free: 1-800-HILTONS

Website: www.hilton.com

WHO?

Presented by PAWS International Resource Center. The conference is organized by a dedicated volunteer committee. The generous sponsorship of local businesses and service clubs enables us to keep registration fees to a minimum, as well as have an exciting collection of door prizes. This conference is of interest to guide & assistance dog users, those considering a guide or assistance dog, guide & assistance dog school representatives, puppy raisers, vision teachers, mobility instructors and anyone with a general interest in this field.

For further information visit our website at: www.pawsinternational.com

Or contact Wendy Galt at 604-464-9133 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or Rosamund van Leeuwen at 604-922-9339 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In the News

++Ontario Votes 2011: Elections Ontario adds new ways to vote

Elections Ontario is hoping improved accessibility at polling stations and a special ballot that gives voters almost an entire month to vote will encourage greater participation in the upcoming Ontario election.

Once the writ was issued, election returns offices in each riding were open for people to vote through a special ballot.

The special ballot, which can also be requested in the mail to allow people to vote from home, was put in place to give more options for people unable to vote on Election Day or on the advance voting days.

"It's putting the power in the hands of the electorate to choose the time that is most convenient and the methodology that is most appropriate for them to exercise their right to vote," said Greg Essensa, Ontario's Chief Electoral Officer.

Essensa said he hopes the voter turnout will rise from the last election, when only 52 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot.

This year's election will also be the first provincial election where visually impaired and disabled people can vote in private with the help of computer technologies.

On October 6 all voting locations will:

-have magnifiers, Braille ballot templates and other assist tools for people with visual impairments.

-provide pens and pads and the ability to book a sign language interpreter paid by Elections Ontario for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

-have paddles, tactile buttons and "sip and puff" wands to allow quadriplegics and others with mobility issues to vote using those devices.

-People with mobility issues will also be able to contact their returning officer to transfer to a more convenient voting location in their electoral district.

Ottawa resident Richard Marsolais, who is blind, uses a guide dog and has had a friend bring him to

the ballot box and mark his ballot for him. He said the polling station in his condo building was so small that when he indicated to his friend how he wanted his ballot marked everyone could hear how he was voting.

"It's a basic human right for all Canadians to have access to a secure and private vote," said Marsolais.

"It's going to be awesome to have that independence so I don't have to go and find somebody and try to be discreet and whisper my answer. I think it's going to be exciting," he said.

Steve Gorman, who has been a quadriplegic since a hockey injury more than 30 years ago, said he used a similar system in last fall's municipal election in Ottawa, and said there were some design and technical glitches. But he's excited by the possibilities for the provincial election.

"I think it's great for people with disabilities," said Gorman. "It really gives them the independence and the privacy to do it on their own, whereas previously we haven't had that opportunity."

Essensa said it is costing about $3 million for the assistive technologies and to staff offices for longer voting periods.

CBC News, September 6, 2011

++Health Canada approves Lucentis to treat vision loss resulting from diabetic macular edema (DME):

First approved treatment of its class for the most-feared complication of diabetes and a leading cause of vision loss in working-aged adults

Dorval, Quebec – September 14, 2011 – Health Canada has approved Lucentis as a treatment for vision loss resulting from diabetic macular edema (DME), one of the major causes of adult vision loss and an important complication of the growing epidemic of diabetes.

For diabetics, the possibility of losing their eyesight is the most feared complication of their diabetes. Visual impairment due to DME reduces patients’ quality of life by compromising various activities such as ability to work, read and drive. DME is a consequence of diabetic retinopathy which usually progresses slowly with worsening symptoms and impact on vision.

An estimated 2.5 million Canadians have diabetes. And like its parent disease, the sight-robbing condition DME does not discriminate against age. In fact, of the more than 70,000 Canadians whose vision is currently affected by DME, a significant number are of working age, with a recent study enrolling patients as young as 30.4

Laser therapy, the current standard of care, has provided stabilization of vision in many patients, but generally does not improve vision. Lucentis is the first approved therapy to improve vision for patients with visual impairment due to DME.

“Lucentis provides us for the first time a real opportunity to improve vision in persons with DME,” said Dr. Peter Kertes, a vitreo-retinal surgeon and Ophthalmologist-in-chief of the John and Liz Tory Eye Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto. He was also an investigator in the studies that were reviewed by Health Canada for the approval of Lucentis for this condition. “In one study, after 12 months a significantly greater proportion of patients treated with Lucentis had vision in the treated eye at or above the international legal minimum for driving. This is a major achievement that has a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.”

One of the Canadian patients in the international trials studying Lucentis in DME was Kash Joshi of Toronto. Diagnosed with diabetes in 1994, several years ago he started having troubles with blurry vision, which continued even after cataract surgery, at which point he enrolled in the Lucentis study. “I noticed an improvement after the first injection, and it’s kept on getting better,” he said. “I had given up reading, except for short times with a magnifying glass. Now my eyesight is almost 20/20 and I read and do everything else without a problem. The difference is like night and day.”

“The approval of Lucentis to treat vision loss from DME is an important step forward in alleviating the burden of adult vision loss in Canada,” said Sharon Colle, President and CEO of The Foundation Fighting Blindness, based in Toronto. “As an organization dedicated to research and finding a cure for retinal diseases, it’s encouraging to see this very positive development.

We hope persons with DME will quickly get access to Lucentis through provincial drug plans.”

Lucentis was specifically developed as a treatment for visual impairment due to its effect on a protein that plays a critical role in the leakage of blood vessels in the retina of diabetic patients. Macular edema is a swelling of the macula from leaking of fluid from blood vessels, resulting in blurred vision. In the clinical trial RESTORE, Lucentis has been shown to significantly improve vision compared to laser therapy, the current standard of care.

About diabetic macular edema:

DME is a common complication of diabetic retinopathy, which is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the retina and is the leading cause of vision loss in working-aged adults in the developed world. In people with diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels can lead to problems with the blood circulatory system. These problems can result in symptoms in various areas of the body, such as extremities, but also including the small blood vessels in the retina of the eye. These vessels then leak, which causes swelling (edema) of the macula, the centre of the retina responsible for sharp and straight ahead vision. Therefore, DME can lead to significant visual impairment.

The first symptoms of DME are most often “floaters” or spots in the line of vision, then blurry vision. DME usually progresses slowly with worsening symptoms and is a lifelong condition. DME with visual impairment affects 2.6% of diabetics in Canada.

++Google has made its Docs,sites and Calendar services friendlier to the blind by enhancingtheir accessibility features:

Search giant Google has made its Docs, sites and Calendar services friendlier to the blind by enhancing their accessibility features.

Google Accessibility technical lead T.V. Raman said the enhancements include improved keyboard shortcuts and support for screen readers.

"While our work isn't done, we've now significantly improved keyboard shortcuts and support for screen readers in several Google applications, including Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Calendar," Raman said in a blog post.

Google has scheduled a "webinar" (web seminar) on the updated accessibility features on September 21, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

On the other hand, Raman said the features should particularly come in handy for blind students who use Google Apps to take quizzes, write essays and talk to classmates.

"Yet blind students (like blind people of all ages) face a unique set of challenges on the web. Members of the blind community rely on screen readers to tell them verbally what appears on the screen. They also use keyboard shortcuts to do things that would otherwise be accomplished with a mouse, such as opening a file or highlighting text," Raman said.

Raman also said the updates are the result of working with advocacy organizations for the blind to improve Google's products with more accessibility enhancements.

"In the weeks and months ahead, we'll continue to improve our products for blind users. We believe that people who depend on assistive technologies deserve as rich and as productive an experience on the web as sighted users, and we're working to help that become a reality," Raman said.

Happy Halloween!