Newsletter - June 2021

In This Issue

1. President's Message (Natalie Martiniello, BLC President)
2. Another Canadian Winner at the Braille Challenge!
3. A Note From Your ICEB Representative: New shortforms and more! (Jen Goulden, BLC Past-President and ICEB Representative)
4. BLC Committees
5. Get to know the BLC board
6. Eight little reminders for using Zoom as a participant (the Montreal Low Vision Self-Help Group)

President's Message

By Natalie Martiniello, BLC President

Dear BLC members and friends,

Here's to what I hope is the start of a summer full of sunshine and plenty of R&R for all! As is typical for this time of year, it has been a busy one for BLC. This past June, we held our Annual General Meeting and our very first virtual braille symposium. It was a thrilling two days of networking and catching up with friends from coast to coast.

Let me begin by thanking all of you for your continued support of BLC. We all come to BLC for different reasons. Some of us are involved in the production of braille. Some are teachers of young students, while others are teachers of adults. Some are parents or family members of braille readers, and many of us are braille users ourselves.

The reasons are different but the connection points are the same: We are all here because we are passionate about literacy. Braille simply happens to be the vehicle through which that literacy flourishes, and many of us can describe examples of how that literacy would not have been possible without braille.

Here's to us, and here is to the ever reliable, eligant simplicity of the braille code. With these six ingenious dots, blind people around the world have been able to access information of all forms. Through this simple six-dot configuration, we have a tactile reading and writing system that can be used in over 133 languages and across endless subject areas, from literary to scientific texts and music notation. With the continued evolution of technology, the availability of braille will only increase. As I look ahead, my sentiments about both braille and BLC are the same: I cannot wait to see where we go from here!

Thanks to your support, our membership numbers are higher than ever before. BLC is proud to share that we now have 156 individual members, which include 42 lifetime members and 7 corporate members. We encourage all of you to learn more about BLC committees and initiatives, and to reach out if you have questions or want to get involved. We're always looking for volunteers to share their expertise and ideas. Write to info@blc-lbc.ca.

Braille Symposium

On June 4th, 2021, BLC held the first virtual braille symposium. The theme for this inaugural year was: From braille literacy to empowerment. In total, we had 113 registrants at this event -- Incredible!

I would like to thank all volunteers, fellow board members, speakers and participants for their contributions. I would especially like to acknowledge and thank our sponsors: Humanware, Aille Design and Crawford Technologies for their support and for donating some pretty amazing door prizes! Prizes included:

• 2 copies of the print-braille book This is How I Know by Brittany Luby (we are very excited that this accessible book is sold through a mainstream publisher!);
• inclusive fashionable braille-beaded designs using Swarovski crystals from Aille Design; and
• a Brailliant BI14 braille display from Humanware (retail value $1,695)

Congratulations to all the winners!

We were incredibly fortunate to hear from international leaders in the field of braille. We are in the process of editing written transcripts which will be shared along with all recordings for all those who registered.

Dr. Cay Holbrook spoke to us about the joy of literacy, but also touched on braille as a medium that provides vital access to information. Access to information is more than just about leisure reading, it also impacts our privacy, our safety, and our ability to know about our history and the news that happens around us, becoming more reflective, aware and informed about the world in which we live. Rather than viewing braille literacy as something that only begins after certain prerequisite skills have been taught ("prebraille"), this talk also highlighted the importance of having early and equitable access to literacy experiences and opportunities to encounter braille in the environment -- just as everyone else does through print.

Dr. Frances Mary D'Andrea next gave an informative talk on the braille literacy rate and highlighted the need for us to be cautious about readily accepting statistics we read online. For decades, the prevailing belief is that 10% of blind people read braille. However, there are questions we must bare in mind when we read these numbers: Who was surveyed? What definition of "blind" and "literacy" were used? Do these numbers take into account people who use braille for functional tasks (like reading labels)? Do they take into account adult users? Do they consider the many people who do not request physical braille materials, but instead read braille electronically? Many studies are "convenience samples" that only survey those who voluntarily participate. This is necessarily biased and carries inherent limitations. Unfortunately, this statistic is sometimes used as a means to justify that braille is not relevant or important. Yet, whether 1,000 or 10,000 people read braille, many of us would agree that the individual value and benefit of braille for each of us remains the same: it is unquantifiable. While it is important for us to collect accurate data about braille literacy statistics, it is equally important for us to educate others on how to contextualize and accurately use these numbers when advocating for greater access to braille information and services.

Next, Mike Hudson gave a fascinating presentation on the museum of the American Printing House for the Blind. A treasure trove of artifacts, we learned about the evolution of braille devices over the decades, and the many important figures who have played a critical role in our history. This presentation also illustrated that braille is not merely a code - it is so deeply woven into our history. Braille is so closely tied to so many of the advances we have witnessed. I left this presentation with a deep sense of pride for our community.

Finally, Peter Tucic brought his invaluable expertise on braille technology to highlight the power of technology to increase access to braille in subjects that have traditionally been viewed as inherently "visual". In recent years, there has been a growing interest in equity and inclusion within STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math). For those of us who are blind, braille is a key that opens the door to these exciting fields. It is critical that those of us who work in the field of STEAM, or who teach students with an interest in these fields, understand and advocate for the toolbox of solutions that increase access to this content. Peter showed us how students can both read and create STEAM content by blending the power of braille and digital access. When we increase access to STEAM, we diversify the voices, ideas and innovations in STEAM. That benefits everyone.

The day ended with a fun rendition of braille trivia. Congratulations to all the teams! Thanks to Tami Grenon and all team-leaders for making this such a fun way to end off the day.

AGM

A full package of information related to our AGM was sent to all members. This included the President's Report which provides a comprehensive overview of BLC initiatives from the past year. If you need another copy, please write to info@blc-lbc.ca.

2021-2022 Board of Directors

I would like to welcome the incoming board, including our newest director, Dr. Adam Wilton, Program Manager of the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired in British Columbia, to the team. Our 2021 board is as follows:

• Natalie Martiniello, President
• Daphne Hitchcock, Vice-President
• Anthony Tibbs, Treasurer
• Kim Kilpatrick (CCB), Secretary
• Jen Goulden, Past President
• Tami Grenon, Director
• Jen Jesso, Director
• Cathy Ausman (W. Ross), Director
• Dwila Nixon, Director
• Glenda M. Parsons (APSEA), Director
• Melanie Romer-Noel (CNIB), Director
• Ashley Shaw, Director
• Adam Wilton, Director

We would also like to thank Laurie Mourre and Jessica Blouin who had to step down from the board last year, but who continue to support BLC from afar.

Braille Zoomers Kit Funding Secured

At the AGM, we also announced that BLC has recently been awarded $4,918 from Employment and Social Development Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program. This funding will allow us to move forward with the purchasing and distribution of braille starter kits for our braille Zoomer program. If you are on the list, hang tight! We'll be moving forward with this over the summer and you will be hearing from us soon!

Edie Mourre Scholarship Winners

During the AGM, we also announced the winners of our Edie Mourre Scholarship: Allison Green from Ontario and Lisa Marwick from Saskatchewan. Congratulations to both recipients.

We encourage applicants who were not selected to consider reapplying in future years.

This scholarship program provides funding for those who are pursuing certification as braille transcribers or proofreaders, and opens each year in January. For more information, please see: https://www.brailleliteracycanada.ca/en/programs/ediemourre.

2021 President's Award: Phyllis Landon

Last but certainly not least, the 2021 President's Award was granted to Phyllis Landon. A press release to share this news will be circulated in the coming days. Many of you know that Phyllis has been instrumental to both BLC and ICEB for many years. Her dedication (and limitless knowledge of the braille code) is so valued. Phyllis, thank you so much for all that you do. We are so grateful to have you as part of the Braille Literacy Canada team and the Canadian braille community.

Transcriber's Week Recap

After the AGM, our social media committee held a public campaign to honour braille proofreaders, transcribers and producers.

On Twitter and on Facebook, we shared reflections from professionals, anecdotes from readers who have benefited from their expertise, and information about Canadian braille producers and how to pursue these careers. Thank you to all those who participated in this event!

Have a happy summer!

With that, BLC will be slowing down over the summer months. We are still here and preparing for another productive and exciting year ahead, but our Zoomer sessions and virtual workshops will pause.

You are very welcome to reach out to us any time by writing to info@blc-lbc.ca and stay tuned for announcements about our fall initiatives!

Yours truly,
Natalie Martiniello, Ph.D., CVRT
President, Braille Literacy Canada

Another Canadian Winner at the Braille Challenge!

An eight-year-old student from Hopedale, Labrador, won his age category at this international competition hosted by the Braille Institute in California.

For more information read the CBC article at the following link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/jonathan-nochasak-braille-challenge-winner-1.6032474.

A Note From Your ICEB Representative: New shortforms and more!

By Jen Goulden, BLC Past-President and ICEB Representative

Some of the text in this article has been taken from the report I gave during BLC's Annual General Meeting held at the beginning of June.

The ICEB Code Maintenance Committee (CMC) continues its work in ensuring that the code is as comprehensive as possible. The CMC consists of a voting representative from each ICEB member country. I have the privilege of serving as the Canadian representative, and the Chair is Kathy Riessen of Australia, who took over from Phyllis Landon when she stepped down last year. Phyllis, once again we can't thank you enough for all the time, thought and energy you put into this committee throughout your ten years as Chair!

The following update was recently posted on the UEB section of the ICEB web site. The ICEB Executive and Code Maintenance Committee have approved four words to be added to the Rules of Unified English Braille 2013, Appendix 1: Shortforms List:

• Under "after" the words aftermentioned and aftertheater
• Under "before" the word beforementioned
• Under "must" the word mustardy.

For more information on ICEB please visit http://www.iceb.org.

BLC Committees

Are you interested in getting more involved with BLC? Besides the board of directors, we have several committees that carry out the work we do. Here is a brief overview of each committee's area of responsibility. Note that some committees require in-depth knowledge or experience in specific areas. If you would like more information please email us at info@blc-lbc.ca.

The web committee

• Maintains our web site and updates content with current events, resources and other items of interest.
• Works with other committees to update content as appropriate.

The social media committee

• Posts braille-related items on Facebook and Twitter.
• Plans and implements relevant social media campaigns to promote braille and BLC.

The membership committee

• Manages membership data and ensures that email reminders are sent to those members who have not renewed their membership.
• Proposes options for increasing membership.

The communications committee

• Prepares and distributes our bi-monthly newsletter.
• Proposes options for increasing communication with BLC members and the general public.

The braille formats committee

• Determines guidelines and other documentation that should be reviewed by BLC specifically for use in Canada.
• Responds to questions related to braille formatting.
• Members of this committee must have a thorough knowledge of braille and must be familiar with issues specific to formatting.

The Teaching and Learning committee

• Conducts research related to braille instruction of children and adults.
• Seeks funding sources to support this research.
• Develops and facilitates workshops related to braille instruction.
• Committee members should be employed as an educator of visually impaired students or be studying in the field.

The nominations committee

• Seeks candidates to fill vacant positions on the Board of Directors.
• Presents the slate of nominations to BLC members at the Annual General Meeting.

The Braille Promotion committee

• Proposes and implements activities to promote braille in Canada. (The brailler bounce initiative is a project of this committee.)
• Plans workshops on various braille-related issues.

The French Braille Standards committee

• Proposes and implements research and/or other projects pertaining to French braille in Canada.

The bylaws committee

• Drafts text for changes to BLC bylaws as appropriate.
• Previous experience with bylaw revisions is an asset.

Get to know the BLC board

Braille Literacy Canada is governed and the day-to-day operations overseen by a volunteer board of directors representing consumers and other braille users, transcribers, producers, educators, and our founding organizations (CNIB, CCB, and INLB).

In this edition of the newsletter we are profiling two more of the current board members. Watch this space in future editions to learn more about other members of the board!

Dwila Nixon, Director

Who are you?

I am Dwila Nixon, Director for BLC from Regina, Saskatchewan. I've been a TSVI since 2008.

When did you start learning braille? Tell us your favourite braille-related memory.

I learned braille during the summer of 2008 when I began my MEd in SPED/Visual Impairment at UBC. I thought it was so cool that I bought postcards for all of my family and friends, brailled on them, and mailed them out from my dorm.

Is there anything about your braille background you'd like to share?

I am a braille sleuth with my buddy from Virginia when we travel together. We call out all sorts of "bad braille" that we spot in the cities that we visit. We've found braille displayed as holes rather than bumps, braille that was partly in French and partly in English, braille that was embossed backwards on signage in a hotel (literally flipped to read right to left), braille that was placed above a doorway, and braille that was part-way up a stairwell. I could go on and on!

Tell us a bit about what you do for BLC and what you like about it?

My involvement in BLC is really important as I represent my province. I feel like I am here to learn from some very amazing people! I participate in the Teaching Learning Committee, the Social Committee, and I am the Board Liaison for the Braille Promotions Committee. I respond to educational queries from around the country. I love to participate in our teleconferences. Students in the school division where I work have benefitted from the Brailler Bounce Program.

Tell us about one gem (e.g. a page or resource) on the BLC website you want members to know about.

I like the Braille Resources for Educators page as there are many links to great information located there!

What do you want parents, classroom teachers or the general public to understand about braille?

I want EVERYONE to understand that braille is literacy. Just as sighted individuals use print to read and write, braille is the equivalent for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Braille is a human right that cannot be replaced by listening and/or speaking alone.

What are your thoughts about BLC as you look back on the past 30 years?

I am very excited about the adoption of the Unified English Braille Code (UEB) as it has aligned braille code in English speaking countries, and it has made computer translation much smoother.

What are your thoughts on braille and BLC as you look ahead to the next 30 years?

I think that BLC's advocacy for braille is incredibly important. And, aside from educators and parents, it must come from skilled and articulate users of braille. I feel that sharing their thoughts, emotions, and wisdom about braille gives depth and validity to how the sighted community receives this information.

Ashley Shaw, Director

Who are you?

Ashley Shaw, director, Ontario. Braille user, blindness and visual impairment researcher.

When did you start learning braille? Tell us your favourite braille related memory.

I started learning braille at age 4. My mother brailled the words for items around our house and labeled them so I would get accustomed to encountering letters and words, much as sighted children get accustomed to reading print signage and labels.

Is there anything about your braille background you'd like to share?

In 2010 I co-presented at the CNIB's National Braille Conference on braile and technology, and the crucial role of braille for students in STEM, music, and foreign languages.

Tell us a bit about what you do for BLC?

I serve on the BLC grants committee, and I love helping to craft proposals for funding that supports our awesome programming. I also coordinate the Brailler Bounce initiative, and I love seeing braillers find new homes with users who have been eagerly waiting to get their hands on a working Perkins brailler.

Tell us about one gem (e.g. a page or resource) on the BLC website you want members to know about.

The transcribers and producers page is a great place to start for anyone providing support to braille users across a variety of subject areas.

What do you want parents, classroom teachers or the general public to understand about braille?

Learning braille isn't just about meeting the learner's needs right now, it's about opening a whole range of possibilities for the future. For parents and education professionals, imagine all the things your child or student may want to do one day. They may want to learn to program a computer, design a web site, compose music, study statistics or science or geography. Braille is their gateway to all this and so much more.

What are your thoughts about BLC as you look back on the past 30 years?

I love all the ways that BLC has supported and brought together braille producers, educators and users. We're all pieces of the same great braile puzzle, and BLC has provided countless opportunities for us to understand, appreciate and learn from one another's experiences and work over the past 30 years.

What are your thoughts on braille and BLC as you look ahead to the next 30 years?

Like many others, I'm excited to find out where all the intersections between braille and technology will take us. Braille Literacy Canada is about the freedom to access information, and I'm eager for us to combine braille, sound, and other sensory information to convey visual data in non-visual ways.

Eight little reminders for using Zoom as a participant

By the Montreal Low Vision Self-Help Group

1. Arrive on time;
2. Stay muted unless intending to speak;
3. Do not announce yourself when entering a meeting already in progress;
4. Be sure you're in a quiet area with minimal external sound around you;
5. If using the computer, use a headset when possible;
6. Do not unmute while on speaker unless there's no other option;
7. Do not raise and lower your hand multiple times;
8. Keep responses concise to allow for more participation.