{"id":7290,"date":"2025-05-29T18:29:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T18:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/?p=7290"},"modified":"2025-06-20T19:50:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T19:50:35","slug":"vision-health-month-conference-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/vision-health-month-conference-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision Health Month Conference 2025","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"786\" src=\"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-logo-1024x786.png\" alt=\"Canadian Council of the Blind and Le Conseil Canadien des Aveugles logos above the text: &quot;VISION HEALTH CONFERENCE 2025 \u2013 Together We Thrive!&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-7295\" style=\"width:634px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-logo-1024x786.png 1024w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-logo-300x230.png 300w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-logo-768x590.png 768w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-logo-1536x1179.png 1536w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2025-logo-2048x1573.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:30px;line-height:1.2\"><strong>2025 Vision Health Month Conference<\/strong><br><em>Together We Thrive!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><em>Celebrate inclusion, innovation, and the people driving progress in vision health<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><strong>Ottawa Conference Centre<br>200 Coventry Rd,<br>Ottawa ON K1K 4S3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><strong><em>Tuesday, May 27, 2025<br>10:00 am&nbsp;\u2013 2:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;(EDT)<br>Eastern Daylight Time.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-63068d99 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-ast-global-color-1-background-color has-background has-large-font-size has-text-align-center has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/BLQQWRSrKM0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Watch The Event Recording<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The 2025 Vision Health Month Conference features a powerful mix of personal stories, expert insights, and national perspectives<br>all centered around this year\u2019s theme: Together We Thrive \u2013 Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">You will hear from speakers with lived experience, academic researchers, and key leaders in the vision loss community as they explore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The importance of social inclusion and community support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">How technology and holistic care are improving lives<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Legislative updates on Bill C-284 and the national eye care strategy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-medium-font-size\">A collaborative panel on strengthening social supports for people with vision loss<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Vision Health Month is a time to raise awareness about eye health, but this year, we\u2019re also looking at what it truly means to be healthy. Health isn\u2019t just a diagnosis or a treatment plan. It\u2019s also the care we give and receive from each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">There\u2019s still time to register. We\u2019d love for you to be part of this vital conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-50\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-ast-global-color-1-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/docs\/2025-VHM-Conf-Prog.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Click Here to Access the conference Agenda<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Speakers:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Wayne Antle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Past Director in the Appeals Branch of the Canada Revenue Agency<br>Past President of the Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC)<br>Member of the Ottawa-Gatineau, Advocacy &amp; Outreach and Investment Committees of the AEBC, the City of Ottawa&#8217;s Accessibility Advisory Committee, and the CCB Ottawa Blind Curling Chapter<br>Participant\/contributor to CCB&#8217;s Get Together With Technology Program (GTT)<br><strong><em><br>Adjusting to Vision Loss Through Social Connection<\/em><\/strong><br>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Luna Bengio<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Consultant, Senior Accessibility Expert and Strategic Advisor at Shared Services Canada (SSC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>Without labour, nothing happens \u2013 Reflections from a blindness perspective<\/strong><\/em><br>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Hannah Brown<\/strong> (they\/them)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Accessibility Advocate<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>Connected Care: The Power of Holistic Support and Community Connection<\/strong><\/em><br>Hannah will discuss how well-being is more than just physical health &#8211; it\u2019s a dynamic blend of mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. In this talk, we\u2019ll explore what it means to take a holistic approach to care and how interconnected aspects of our lives influence each other.&nbsp;<br>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\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Rebecca Jackson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Development Officer at Statistics Canada<br>Former Get Together with Technology (GTT) leader<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>Mentorship, Technology, and the Importance of Community<\/strong><\/em><br>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&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Sam Berns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Chief Executive Officer, Markido Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Fran\u00e7ois Couillard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">CEO of the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO)<br>Member of the Canadian Council of the Blind<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em><strong>An Update on the National Eye Care Strategy (NECS)<\/strong><\/em><br>Updates on NECS, otherwise known as Bill C-284.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6938a3d7a9f666666b5c270c5ff9553b\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:25px\"><strong>Panel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>Building Bridges: Strengthening Social Supports for People with Vision Loss<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong><u>Moderator:<\/u><\/strong><br><strong>Leslie Yee<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) Vice President &amp; MC<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong><u>Panelists:<\/u><\/strong><br><strong>Louise Gillis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong><em>Representing the CCB<\/em><\/strong><br>Past President, Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Jade Ondrik<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong><em>Representing the CNIB<br><\/em><\/strong>Specialist, CNIB Guide Dogs &amp; Media Officer, IBSA \u2013 Goalball<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Richard Marsolais<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong><em>Representing VLRC<br><\/em><\/strong>Former Vision Loss Rehabilitation Specialist, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (VLRC)<br>Board President, Achilles Ottawa Run Club<br>Former National Tandem Cycling Champion<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);font-size:24px\"><strong>Cristina Lopes <\/strong>,RSSW<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong><em>Representing BALANCE<br><\/em><\/strong>Program Coordinator &amp; Community Engagement Specialist, BALANCE for Blind Adults<br><em><strong><br>Panel description:<\/strong><\/em><br>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.<br>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&amp;A exploring how to strengthen services, improve access, and collaborate more effectively. Together, we\u2019ll identify practical next steps to build more inclusive and connected communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-vivid-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-150e1e76d30f1d6c8f03da6932da5de2\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><br><strong><strong>THIS CCB CONFERENCE WAS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"284\" src=\"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sponsors_Website_20252400px-1024x284.png\" alt=\"Canadian Council of the Blind Sponsors' Logos [Abbvie, AMI, Astellas, Bausch+Lomb, Bayer, Johnson &amp; Johnson, Roche, Specsavers]\" class=\"wp-image-7289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sponsors_Website_20252400px-1024x284.png 1024w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sponsors_Website_20252400px-300x83.png 300w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sponsors_Website_20252400px-768x213.png 768w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sponsors_Website_20252400px-1536x427.png 1536w, https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sponsors_Website_20252400px-2048x569.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2025 Vision Health Month ConferenceTogether We Thrive! Celebrate inclusion, innovation, and the people driving progress in vision health Ottawa Conference Centre200 Coventry Rd,Ottawa ON K1K 4S3 Tuesday, May 27, 202510:00 am&nbsp;\u2013 2:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;(EDT)Eastern Daylight Time. The 2025 Vision Health Month Conference features a powerful mix of personal stories, expert insights, and national perspectivesall centered around this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":3,"featured_media":7295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conference","category-event"],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7290"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7384,"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7290\/revisions\/7384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccbnational.net\/shaggy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}