Vision Health Month Conference 2025

2025 Vision Health Month Conference
Together We Thrive!

Celebrate inclusion, innovation, and the people driving progress in vision health

Ottawa Conference Centre
200 Coventry Rd,
Ottawa ON K1K 4S3

Tuesday, May 27, 2025
10:00 am – 2:00 pm (EDT)
Eastern Daylight Time.

The 2025 Vision Health Month Conference features a powerful mix of personal stories, expert insights, and national perspectives
all centered around this year’s theme: Together We Thrive – Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.

You will hear from speakers with lived experience, academic researchers, and key leaders in the vision loss community as they explore:

• The importance of social inclusion and community support

• How technology and holistic care are improving lives

• Legislative updates on Bill C-284 and the national eye care strategy

• A collaborative panel on strengthening social supports for people with vision loss

Vision Health Month is a time to raise awareness about eye health, but this year, we’re also looking at what it truly means to be healthy. Health isn’t just a diagnosis or a treatment plan. It’s also the care we give and receive from each other.

This year’s conference explores how social inclusion, peer support, and community connection shape our well-being, especially when navigating vision loss. Together, these supports are just as vital as clinical care in helping us live fully, with confidence and dignity.

There’s still time to register. We’d love for you to be part of this vital conversation.

Speakers:

Wayne Antle

Past Director in the Appeals Branch of the Canada Revenue Agency
Past President of the Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC)
Member of the Ottawa-Gatineau, Advocacy & Outreach and Investment Committees of the AEBC, the City of Ottawa’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, and the CCB Ottawa Blind Curling Chapter
Participant/contributor to CCB’s Get Together With Technology Program (GTT)

Adjusting to Vision Loss Through Social Connection
In the context of his own experience, Wayne will speak on the adjustment process when facing significant vision loss and the importance of making and fostering social connections.

Luna Bengio

Consultant, Senior Accessibility Expert and Strategic Advisor at Shared Services Canada (SSC)

Without labour, nothing happens – Reflections from a blindness perspective
Luna will speak about personal and professional experiences of effort, sometimes successful, and other times less so. She will reflect on how far we have come thanks to legislation and technology, and how much further we still need to go in terms of attitudes.

Hannah Brown (they/them)

Accessibility Advocate

Connected Care: The Power of Holistic Support and Community Connection
Hannah will discuss how well-being is more than just physical health – it’s a dynamic blend of mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. In this talk, we’ll explore what it means to take a holistic approach to care and how interconnected aspects of our lives influence each other. 
Through real-world examples from roles such as job coaching and peer support facilitation, this talk highlights how intentional, inclusive support can transform lives. We’ll also look at the vital role of community and social supports, showing how connection and belonging are essential forms of self-care that strengthen resilience and promote healing.

Rebecca Jackson

Development Officer at Statistics Canada
Former Get Together with Technology (GTT) leader

Mentorship, Technology, and the Importance of Community
Rebecca will introduce her eye condition and her experience attending a mainstream school. At CCB, Rebecca was a summer student and a participant in the Get Together With Technology (GTT) program. Rebecca’s story describes her work at CCB and the valuable mentorship she received regarding blindness. She will share practical tips on interacting with people who are blind or have low vision, and offer advice for those new to vision loss on community engagement. Rebecca will conclude by highlighting the significance of technology, emphasizing how it helps her live independently and succeed in her work.

Sam Berns

Chief Executive Officer, Markido Inc.

François Couillard

CEO of the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO)
Member of the Canadian Council of the Blind

An Update on the National Eye Care Strategy (NECS)
Updates on NECS, otherwise known as Bill C-284.

Panel

Building Bridges: Strengthening Social Supports for People with Vision Loss

Moderator:
Leslie Yee

Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) Vice President & MC

Panelists:
Louise Gillis

Representing the CCB
Past President, Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Jade Ondrik

Representing the CNIB
Specialist, CNIB Guide Dogs & Media Officer, IBSA – Goalball

Richard Marsolais

Representing VLRC
Former Vision Loss Rehabilitation Specialist, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (VLRC)
Board President, Achilles Ottawa Run Club
Former National Tandem Cycling Champion

Cristina Lopes ,RSSW

Representing BALANCE
Program Coordinator & Community Engagement Specialist, BALANCE for Blind Adults

Panel description:
This panel brings together leaders from key organizations serving the blind and low vision community across Canada. Each panellist will provide an overview of their organization and its programs to promote social inclusion, peer connection, and community-based support.
The discussion will highlight current approaches to meeting the diverse social needs of people with vision loss. It will be followed by a moderated Q&A exploring how to strengthen services, improve access, and collaborate more effectively. Together, we’ll identify practical next steps to build more inclusive and connected communities.

THIS CCB CONFERENCE WAS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY