From the First-Vice President’s Desk
As we move into November, I’m pleased to share highlights from a powerful month of advocacy, connection, and reflection.
National Conference Recap: “Act Now, Act Together”
On October 9, the CCB hosted its national conference in Toronto under the powerful theme “Act Now, Act Together.” This inspiring event brought together advocates, leaders, and community members from across Canada in a shared mission to advance accessibility, inclusion, and vision health.
It was my honour to serve as Master of Ceremonies, and a privilege to hear from all our remarkable speakers. Their insights and lived experiences reinforced a central truth: when we unite and work together, we can achieve so much more, building a Canada that is truly inclusive for all. Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online. Your presence made this event unforgettable. You can read more about the event later in this newsletter.
Connecting the Dots
It was a pleasure to attend the Connect the Dots forum held by the CNIB in Toronto on Oct 23, 2025. The theme of “One Community, A Future in Focus”, emphasized unity and forward-thinking strategies for accessibility and inclusion. The sessions included inspiring keynote speakers, hands-on demonstrations, and panel discussions exploring emerging tools and strategies in education, technology, and employment. For those who attended in person or via zoom, I hope you enjoyed it as well.
Honouring Remembrance Day
As November 11 approaches, we reflect on the sacrifices of veterans, especially those who returned home with vision impairments and other disabilities. For CCB, Remembrance Day is both a moment of solemn remembrance and a call to action: to honour service by ensuring equitable access for all Canadians. Through advocacy, education, and remembrance, CCB continues to build a more inclusive Canada where the legacy of service is matched by a future of accessibility.
Leslie Yee
1st Vice President, Canadian Council of the Blind
Member Spotlight
We would like to introduce Yvonne Marie Garvey from the CCB Peterborough Chapter in Ontario.
Learning to see differently:
At 37, I was running my own business, driving my car, and juggling life like a semi-functional adult — emphasis on semi. I thought I had everything mostly under control. Then one routine eye appointment led to many more, and the plot twist I never saw coming unfolded.
“You have Retinitis Pigmentosa,” the doctor said gently. “You’re legally blind.”
I blinked. “Wait, what?”
It didn’t make sense. I was still managing clients, meetings, and errands — all the things sighted people do without thinking. I laughed, because what else can you do when your world flips upside down in a single sentence? Shock doesn’t even begin to cover it. At first, I convinced myself everything would be fine.
Meanwhile, alcohol became my coping strategy — my little “vision aid.” It blurred the fear and grief, making the world feel manageable. I told myself I was relaxing, not unravelling. But I was slowly disappearing behind the bottle, one drink at a time.
The truth is, I was an alcoholic long before my RP diagnosis. But when I lost my driver’s license, my drinking escalated. There wasn’t much room for it to get worse, but somehow, it did. My world grew smaller by the day — both literally and figuratively. When my health began to fail and I faced liver failure, I made a desperate choice to live. I got sober.
Getting sober was messy, awkward, and at times, hilarious — usually in hindsight. I learned to navigate both my world and my emotions differently. It took almost two years of sobriety before I had enough clarity and courage to join the CCB Peterborough chapter as both a member and volunteer. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I met people who navigate the world with humour, strength, and grace. They reminded me that blindness isn’t an ending; it’s an invitation to see life differently.
Grateful for a second chance, I wanted to give back. I began offering my company’s communication services to CCB Peterborough — helping with social media, rebuilding the website, and creating a Case for Support. With my background in fundraising and promotions, planning educational and fundraising events with the team has been both rewarding and fun. In return, I’ve gained something far greater — community.
As someone with a degenerative eye disease, the future can be uncertain and, at times, scary. But by connecting with others who truly understand, I know I’ll be okay. I’m kept informed, supported, and inspired by people who continue to live full, joyful lives.
Living with RP as a sober alcoholic has been a rollercoaster. There are moments of peace and moments of grief. Author Andrew Leland describes it perfectly in his memoir The Country of the Blind:
“The progression of retinitis pigmentosa — gradual, narrowing tunnel vision that usually ends in blindness, at an unknown date — is a powerful engine of ambiguity… RP, like life itself, is a process of continual adaptation, of learning to see differently, to feel one’s way forward in the dark.”
That quote stopped me in my tracks because that’s precisely what it feels like — learning to see differently, to feel your way through uncertainty, and to trust that grace will meet you somewhere in the dark.
In addition to being part of the vision loss community, I’m an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous, a yoga instructor, meditation coach, and Reiki practitioner. The skills I honed running my business translate well into these roles, and one thing has become abundantly clear: community is essential.
Connection is the light that guides me.
That journey — through addiction, blindness, and grace — led me to put pen to paper and tell my story. I wrote a memoir, Stumbling Blindly Toward Grace — a raw, unflinching, and darkly funny account of my descent into addiction, heartbreak, and the slow unravelling of my vision — and the unexpected beauty that came after. Writing it was healing, a way to shine light on everything I once tried to hide.
My memoir will be available in both print and audio. To learn more, visit www.ymgcreations.com. Because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you don’t need perfect vision to see beauty, hope, and a second chance right in front of you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!:
The CCB Comox Valley White Cane Chapter recently celebrated the monumental birthday milestone of Florence Robertson, who was born in Montreal on the 22nd of September 1922.
She came to the Comox Valley 13 years ago and has been an active member ever since then as a support person for a good friend losing her vision. Florence now has age related Macular Degeneration but still has some vision and is sharp as a tack. The photo below shows a celebration with a birthday cake and her daughter in attendance at a recent Comox Valley White Cane Chapter luncheon.
Submitted on behalf of the Comox Valley White Cane Chapter, by President Pat Chicquen
AIRA Pricing Plans for CCB Members:
For several years, the CCB has worked out an arrangement with AIRA for special pricing for our members.
Below is updated info for members who would like to subscribe to AIRA for their services:
Aira Metal Plans (USD)
Silver Plans
- Silver 1: 20 minutes – $26 USD (CCB Price: $23.40 USD)
- Silver 2: 35 minutes – $50 USD (CCB Price: $45.00 USD)
- Silver 3: 55 minutes – $84 USD (CCB Price: $75.60 USD)
Gold Plans
- Gold 1: 90 minutes – $132 USD (CCB Price: $118.80 USD)
- Gold 2: 135 minutes – $200 USD (CCB Price: $180.00 USD)
- Gold 3: 245 minutes – $356 USD (CCB Price: $320.40 USD)
Platinum Plans
- Platinum 1: 330 minutes – $528 USD (CCB Price: $475.20 USD)
- Platinum 2: 550 minutes – $760 USD (CCB Price: $684.00 USD)
- Platinum 3: 880 minutes – $1,160 USD (CCB Price: $1,044.00 USD)
Special Offer for CCB Members:
CCB members receive a 10% discount on any Aira Metal plan when they let them know they are a CCB member.
Contact AIRA’s Customer Care team at support@aira.io or by using the below phone number:
US: 1-800-835-1934
GoodMaps Launch at CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa:
Accessible Navigation Has Arrived at CF Rideau Centre!
We’re excited to share some great news for our community in Ottawa!
Thanks to a new pilot program, in partnership between CCB, CNIB, Cadillac Fairview, and GoodMaps, accessible indoor navigation is now available at CF Rideau Centre.
GoodMaps is a free smartphone app that provides accurate, real-time, turn-by-turn directions to help you find stores, services, and points of interest inside the mall. GoodMaps empowers everyone—whether you’re blind, low vision, living with a disability, or simply visiting for the first time—to navigate the mall independently and with confidence.
This is an important step toward creating an inclusive, accessible shopping experience for everyone.
In February, members of Ottawa’s Blind and Low-Vision community, including CCB members, had the opportunity to test the GoodMaps indoor navigation app. And for a full recount of their experience, please refer to the March 2025 Visions newsletter.
CCB Membership Renewal Reminder:
It’s CCB’s Annual Membership renewal season. As a reminder, here are some important dates:
Early Bird Draw: Send in your chapter’s memberships before the deadline for a chance to win back the memberships paid before this date.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the ongoing delays with Canada Post, the Early Bird Draw has been extended. Once a new draw date has been determined, it will be announced to all chapters.
Chapter Rebate: CCB is offering a rebate for your chapter’s membership dues of $5.00 per member plus an additional $1.00 for each member’s unduplicated email address provided. This includes any members that have identified as members of your chapter when paying online before the deadline.
Early Bird Draw Deadline – To Be Announced
Chapter Rebate Deadline – Friday, December 12, 2025
All 2026 Memberships Due – Wednesday, December 31, 2025
These dates refer to the time that the memberships arrive in our office either by mail, or online. https://ccbnational.net/shaggy/membership/
If you renew your membership or become a new member of a chapter online, please contact someone in your chapter to let them know that you have registered/renewed for 2026.
White Cane Week Orders Due – Monday, December 8, 2025
White Cane Week Insurance Requests: If your chapter is holding an event during White Cane Week, please submit your Requests for a Certificate of Insurance as soon as possible. This will help to make sure that the Certificate will be ready in time for your event.
White Cane Week 2026: Sunday, February 1, to Saturday, February 7, 2026.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact our national office at ccb@ccbnational.net or 1-877-304-0968.
World Sight Day: Act Now, Act Together:
On Thursday, October 9th, 2025, we joined people around the globe in celebrating World Sight Day, an awareness day established by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). This year’s theme encouraged us to bring eye care to the heart of decision-making and to recognize that every story counts.
Cut to CCB’s National event, “Act Now, Act Together,” which began as an idea to unite partners, sponsors, and the public to share perspectives and blossomed into an eye-opening learning experience. Where else could we gather such a diverse group of vision health professionals, all in one room, all in one day?
With the National Strategy for Eye Care Act underway, we are at a pivotal moment in Canada’s vision health journey. Collaboration has never been more critical. So, let’s continue to Act Now, Act Together!
We began the day with a warm welcome from Leslie Yee and Jim Tokos, Vice President and President of the CCB. They set the tone perfectly for what would become an inspiring and informative day.
Our first speaker, François Couillard from the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO), delivered a powerful reminder: people living with vision loss must be consulted at every stage of policymaking related to the national strategy. François and his team at the CAO continue to work tirelessly to improve the vision health landscape for all Canadians.
Next, we had the rare opportunity to hear from Dr. Hiba Mannan of Specsavers, who presented highlights from the newly released Canada Eyecare Report 2025, a study conducted by the Angus Reid Group and sponsored by Specsavers. The findings — on Canadians’ attitudes and barriers to eye health — could not have come at a better time. We encourage everyone to read the full report at the following link: https://www.specsavers.ca/eye-health/eyecare-report?srsltid=AfmBOor6ZzqUVlmlheyeP2PSRCEccCOB49mAlQ5UqyH8aAI_j5sVuxQS
Andrew Galster, Executive Director at CNIB Ontario, then spoke passionately about the urgent need to increase eye awareness among youth. Andrew not only shared compelling data but also offered practical strategies to enhance the uptake of eye care among young people today and in the future.
Larissa Moniz from Fighting Blindness Canada followed with an engaging presentation that made complex research and emerging therapies in vision science accessible and inspiring. Her clarity and enthusiasm remind us of the vital importance of research to the future of sight.
We closed our day with Melanie Marsden, who shared deeply personal and professional insights as a blind Indigenous woman and social worker. Melanie’s heartfelt message — that mental health matters — reminded us of the importance of honesty, vulnerability, and connection in shaping our futures.
A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors — AbbVie, Accessible Media Inc., Astellas Pharma, Bausch + Lomb, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, and Specsavers — for making this event possible through your continued support.
Together, we are creating a stronger, more inclusive vision for a healthy landscape that benefits all Canadians.
If you didn’t have the chance to watch the conference, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/_Qax5f1IOkY?si=fPwbH71oJPM4EWxg
IN THE NEWS
YouTuber Molly Burke speaks to the power and pressure of being a blind creator:
The first time I watched Molly Burke’s YouTube video “Blind Jokes Are Funny . . . Sometimes”, I was 12 years old. I was already glued to makeup tutorials and photography videos, but Burke’s work felt different.
Speaking about her vision loss, she was approachable. Honest. Light-hearted.
It was also the first time I heard a content creator talk about having a disability. I was a middle schooler navigating my own relationship with my blindness and her approach was exactly what I needed.
Though vision loss affects more than 1.2 million people in Canada, media representation can still feel minimal. Hearing a blind person talking openly about her experience felt like a revelation.
Today, the Oakville, Ont.-born social media star has a combined following of more than four million across platforms. Splitting her time between Los Angeles and British Columbia, Burke recently announced a memoir.
Unseen, due out later this year. With accolades like the
Forbes 30 under 30 and Allure’s A List and brand deals with companies like Tommy Hilfiger, the book is another accomplishment for one of the most popular voices in disability.
Burke’s path to YouTube started as a fan. After losing the majority of her vision in 2008, she could no longer look into store windows, swatch makeup or flip through magazines with ease. Still wanting to engage in her favourite activities, Burke turned to the internet. Beauty creators and lifestyle videos gave her access to visual facets of the beautiful world she could no longer see.
But none of the beauty influencers she loved were blind. At 20, Burke decided to remedy the lack of representation by speaking for herself.
“If sighted girls could have beauty videos to follow, why couldn’t blind girls?” Burke said during our recent phone interview.
Her early YouTube offerings shared beauty tips and tutorials. But soon she also started to answer questions about things like how low-vision people use technology and what it’s like dating with a disability. The approach was a winning formula. Blind people like me had someone to relate to. People with vision had a fun personality answering questions they might be too scared to ask.
As Burke’s platform grew, so did the pressure of being successful. One individual can’t possibly be a spokesperson for the whole blind community. Comments questioning the authenticity of her vision loss didn’t help. While her career was blossoming, it all began to add up.
“I remember around 2019, I really hit a wall. I’d been doing this for five years and was still the only really big disabled creator. I felt really alone.”
That feeling is something a lot of blind and visually impaired people have experienced. When strangers meet their first blind person in the wild, their reaction is often curiosity. They ask questions about your medical records. How you do things in your day-to-day life. If you can see something – the majority of people with vision loss have remaining visual stimuli – then are you really blind? Having to answer those kinds of questions can feel isolating and invasive – a reminder that you’re different. I can only imagine how that would feel with millions of viewers.
Being an open book came naturally to Burke, but she had to learn how to create boundaries as a disabled woman and as a public figure.
“Being blind is always going to be harder than being sighted,” Burke said. “But what I try my best to do – and what I’ve always tried my best to do when I get upset or angry or sad about something – is to figure out how I can take this and turn it into something good.”
In an effort to use her platform to communicate that blindness is not a monolith, she started her series Blind Leading The Blind, where she makes content with other blind people doing something she can’t.
Over the past few months, her videos have also taken on a new type of honesty. In addition to addressing the curiosities of her sighted viewers, she is asking raw questions of herself and our community. Videos like Who I think I’d be if I was sighted and The Real Reason I Bought My Cartier Love Bracelet. . . (spoiler, it’s kinda sad) are some of Burke’s most intimate conversations to date.
“I genuinely believe that vulnerability is the only way to bridge gaps in society,” Burke said.
The Bracelet video hit particularly close to home. She reflects on how she bought herself the virally expensive Cartier love bracelet, not just as a status symbol, but as an attempt to prove that she belonged in her field amongst non-disabled influencers.
She puts into words more complicated struggles I’ve been dealing with: Being the only disabled person in a room. The paranoia that when things go well, people assume I’m only there because of my disability.
Watching Burke’s makeup videos as a kid gave me permission to love my blurry, incomplete and imperfect visual world. She taught me that my visual perspective,
albeit limited, is valid. But listening to her talk about imposter syndrome and feelings of inadequacy as an adult reminded me both of the importance of representation and why almost a decade later, I’m still such a fan.
By Samantha Hurley, The Globe and Mail
‘What a beautiful view’: Blind B.C. woman sees after doctors implant tooth in her eye:
When Gail Lane went blind 11 years ago, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to see again.
“It was like an overnight thing,” the Victoria, B.C., 75-year-old said.
“It was scary. It was sad. I thought about all the things I couldn’t, suddenly couldn’t see … especially in terms of the people in my life, my family, my friends, the dog, the cats I had.”
In the years that followed, she adjusted to unsighted life: navigating her apartment by touch, using a cane on the street, accessing the web through vocal and audio tools.
She met her current partner Phil, who is also blind, through the CNIB.
Then, three years ago, she was offered a tantalizing opportunity. Her ophthalmologist told her she was a candidate for a rare surgery that could potentially restore her vision.
The concept isn’t for the faint of heart. The procedure — which Lane was one of the first three people in Canada to receive earlier this year — involves embedding one of the patient’s own teeth, modified with a telescopic lens, in their eye.
“At first it was a scary thought, the whole tooth-eye thing, and the length of time that it took to go through all that referral, examinations, tests and all that stuff, was lengthy,” she told Global News.
But the prospect was enticing, and Lane signed up.
Finally, she and two other patients went under the knife at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver, where ophthalmologist Dr. Greg Moloney and his team of oral surgeons prepared for the first portion of the two-part surgery.
They were the first three people in Canada to ever receive the surgery.
“It’s a rare operation, not designed for most patients with blindness, but patients with a special type of blindness affecting both eyes,” Moloney, who had performed the procedure successfully in Australia before moving to Canada, told Global News. “So, for patients with severe corneal scarring at the front of their eye, but a completely healthy internal mechanism of their eye, this is one of the only operations that can sometimes be successful.”
In the first surgery, doctors remove the patient’s K9 tooth and implant it in their own cheek, where it stays for three months accumulating a covering of tissue that allows it to be later implanted in the eye.
Then Lane returned to the operating room where doctors did just that. Since May, Lane has been gradually recovering her sight.
“It wasn’t take off the bandages and oh my god, I can see, it was gradual,” she said.
“The light increased, shadows were bigger, silhouettes of people I could see more clearly — but no detail. And then it started to be things like, I could see a car.”
But after a slow start, Lane said her ability to see began recovering more quickly.
One of the more memorable experiences was a recent visit to Dr. Moloney’s office tower on Broadway. It’s a place she’d visited a number of times, and always heard others remarking about the dramatic scene outside his north-facing windows.
This time, she was able to see what everyone was talking about.
“It was like, what a beautiful view, just to be able to see the blue sky and the water and the boats,” she said.
A more personal experience was when she began to see the features of Phil’s face.
“He still hasn’t seen me, and I had never seen him; when we met we were both blind,” she said. “We all have a picture of people in our heads, and then when you see that picture that’s kind of a, ‘Well, gee, that’s not at all what I thought’ or, yeah I kind of, you know, I had an idea. But that was an eye-opener.”
Lane said she’s now starting to be able to see people’s facial features when the light is good, along with colour and large text.
She’s hopeful that once she’s fitted for prescription glasses she’ll be able to read print too.
Seeing the faces of friends and family she hasn’t seen for years has been emotional, she added.
“And seeing the dog for the first time was a real, just joyful moment because I could see his tail wagging first,” she said.
“I can see him all now, and his eyes and his whole body and how his happy tail wags all the time.”
There are still challenges. Lane said her peripheral vision is the strongest. That can sometimes play tricks on her mind, like when she’s a passenger in a vehicle and it feels like all the cars on the road are rushing right at her.
And she said she’s taking it one day at a time, not getting her hopes up that she’ll be able to drive or golf again — though she’s not ruling out the possibility, and has started thinking about travel.
Now, in the final stages of a three-and-a-half-year journey, she said she’s glad she took the leap, and forever thankful to the medical team who made it a reality.
“I have said it to them, hugely surprised, grateful, emotional, you know, what a gift,” she said.
“It’s exciting … and I look forward to what else I’ll be able to see and do, I look forward to having more independence with my mobility.”
By Simon Little & Kylie Stanton, Global News
IN THE NEWS
CCB’s GTT Tech Tips:
Each month we will be highlighting a tech tip that is intended to make your life a little easier! These may include tips on such things as smart phones, apps and websites.
Pressing the function key FN key and arrow keys will do the following:
FN up arrow, page up
FN, down arrow, page down
FN left arrow, home
FN right arrow, end
You can also add the control key to the above and go to the top or bottom of the page or document.
Just in Time for the Holidays: Target Launches First-of-its-Kind Accessible Self-Checkout, Built with the Blind Community:
Picture this: A father stands beside his daughter at a Target self-checkout. She has low vision, and for the first time, she’s navigating the process on her own. He guides her through each step, offering quiet support as she scans an item. A soft beep sounds, followed by a clear voice reading the total. Her fingers move confidently across the tactile controller, guided by feel and sound rather than sight. The experience feels intuitive and empowering.
Thanks to Target’s new accessible self-checkout, moments like this will soon be possible for more guests across the country. Designed with and for disabled guests and people with disabilities, this solution is the first of its kind in retail. Rolling out to self-checkout stations nationwide beginning this holiday season and continuing through early 2026, it’s part of Target’s ongoing checkout improvements, reflecting our commitment to creating joyful, guest-first experiences that help all families feel seen, supported and welcome.
A shared experience, years in the making
That father and daughter? It was Steve D., a blind user experience (UX) accessibility manager at Target, and his daughter, who also has low vision. Both have spent years navigating stores that weren’t designed for them. Steve helped build this solution. When he finally used it with his daughter, the moment held more meaning than he expected.
“Shopping with my daughter and teaching her how to use the self-checkout, that was powerful. It’s not just tech. It’s joy, independence and change” says Steve.
Hearing Steve say this was the first time he could use self-checkout, that was the moment it all clicked. Inclusion means being able to fully participate.
At the heart of this innovation is a guest-first design that primarily supports people who are blind or have low vision, with additional benefits for guests with motor disabilities. The team partnered closely with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), who provided valuable feedback throughout the development, design and testing process. Input from the blind community directly shaped the technology, which integrates seamlessly with Target’s existing self-checkout system and is intuitive to use independently.
Features include:
- Braille and high-contrast button icons
- A headphone jack with adjustable volume controls
- Physical navigation buttons and a dedicated info key
- A custom tactile controller co-developed by Target and touchscreen technology partner Elo
Guests hear every screen and payment prompt through one seamless audio stream that allows them to check out independently and with confidence.
Every team showed up as a champion for accessibility. It wasn’t just us. That collective passion drove this solution forward.
For nearly two decades, Target teams have prioritized accessibility early in the design process, incorporating inclusive features across many of our products and services. That proactive approach shaped this solution from brainstorming through design, in-store testing and feedback from our guests.
Accessible self-checkout came to life over the past few years through partnerships across UX, tech, product, accessibility and retail technology partner Elo. Insights from people who are blind or have low vision and Target team members nationwide were essential. This breakthrough was made possible by cross-functional teams representing the best of Target — individuals who brought passion, empathy and expertise to every step.
Target is also working with suppliers to encourage others to adopt the technology. Recently, team members showcased the solution at the NFB’s annual convention, giving thousands of attendees the opportunity to try it in person.
“Target’s new accessible self-checkout experience is unique not only because it is a first in the industry, but because it was designed through collaboration with the blind, incorporating our technical expertise and lived experience,” says Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “The rollout of this innovation further establishes Target as an industry leader in accessibility and a true partner of the blind in our quest for equal access to all aspects of modern life.”