Programs & Services

June 13, 2025 Workshop: 2025 Braille Literacy Canada Symposium

Date : Friday, June 13, 2025

Time : 1:00 PM (EST)

Braille Literacy Canada/Littératie braille Canada held its 5th Braille Symposium, Unlocking Access - Ouvrir les portes au succès, which will take place on the afternoon of Friday, June 13, 2025. from 1 – 5 PM EDT (10am-2pm Pacific/11am-3pm Mountain/Saskatchewan, 12pm-4pm Central, 2pm-6pm Atlantic). This event -- recordings of which are available below -- will be of interest to braille readers, educators, transcribers, parents, producers and anyone else with a passion for braille literacy!

We would like to thank our incredible sponsors (including Beyond Print, Canadian Assistive Technology, Crawford Technologies and Humanware) for their support of this event!

Schedule of Events

Each presentation will be approximately 30 minutes long, followed by a 15 minute question-and-answer period, and then a 15 minute intermission.

Presentation Information and Speaker Bios

Using Tactile Images to Make Astronomy More Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired Learners (English)

Photo of Noreen Grice

Speaker: Noreen Grice, Western Connecticut State University, President of the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society
Time: 1 PM Eastern

Join Noreen Grice as she presents on how to make science education accessible. Grice teaches astronomy to college students at Western Connecticut State University and has been serving as President of the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society.

Noreen Grice holds Masters degrees in Astronomy (San Diego State University) and Business Administration (Central Connecticut State University) and is currently a doctoral student in Educational Leadership. She is an astronomy educator with over 40 years of experience working in the museum/planetarium field and through her efforts, has developed a foundation for accessible astronomy.

Through her consulting company, You Can Do Astronomy LLC, she makes astronomy more accessible to students with disabilities and different learning styles and especially for people who are blind or visually impaired. Noreen Grice has authored seven accessible astronomy books and all but one of her books feature tactile images that allow readers to explore celestial objects with their fingertips. Her most recent book is Touch the Solar System, a digital tactile book for the Talking Tactile Tablet (T3), co-authored with astronomer Heidi Hammel. To learn more about Noreen Grice and her work in accessible astronomy, please visit https://www.youcandoastronomy.com>.

Transcript

Dans le sillage de trois personnages emblématiques mis à l’honneur au musée Valentin Haüy - Paris (en français seulement)

Mireille Duhen

Présenté par Mireille Duhen, Bénévole au musée et à la bibliothèque patrimoniale Valentin Haüy Paris

Cet atelier portera sur la création du musée Valentin Haüy, ainsi que sur des moments historiques qui ont jalonné l’instruction des aveugles aux 18e et au 19esiècles. Des artéfacts et des documents exceptionnels conservés au musée seront également présentés.

Mireille Duhen est bénévole au musée et à la bibliothèque patrimoniale Valentin Haüy Paris. Elle est responsable de la conservation de ses collections. Elle assure également les visites guidées qui se font sur réservation et la rotation des livres et objets présentés en vitrine. Un espace réservé à une exposition tactile complète la visite. Pour en savoir plus sur le musée Valentin Haüy, visitez le https://www.avh.asso.fr/nos-solutions/culture-loisirs-sport-et-vacances-adaptees/notre-musee-et-notre-bibliotheque.

Transcript

Marrakesh and the Accessible Books Consortium: The Benefits and Access for Readers (English)

Moderator: Luc Maumet, with panelists from CELA, NNELS and BANQ
Time: 2 PM Eastern

Luc Maumet will be joined by panelists from the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), and Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BANQ) to discuss the Marrakesh Treaty and the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC). Learn more about the benefits and access for readers.

Panelists:

  • Luc Maumet is a librarian and an expert in accessibility and library inclusion with the Accessible Book Consortium. For a number of years, Luc has also served as head of the media library of the Valentin Haüy association specialising in services for visually impaired people.
  • Genevieve Mangerel (BAnQ): Geneviève Mangerel (elle/she/her) is adapted services librarian at Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). She is the annoying voice that pushes for accessibility in her institution. She is also part of the team working on the Service québécois du livre adapté (SQLA).
  • Esther Laforce (SQLA): Esther Laforce is a librarian at Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ).She is responsible for developing the collections of braille books and adapted audiobooks offered by the Service québécois du livre adapté (SQLA), which provides adapted books to Quebec residents with print disabilities.
  • Ioana Gandrabur (CELA)
  • Pikiora Wylie (NNELS)

Transcript

The Braille Challenge - Celebrating the Challenge of Braille (English)

Adam Wilton

Speaker: Adam Wilton, Ph.D., Program Manager of the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI)
Time: 3 PM Eastern

Curious about the Braille Challenge? Join Adam Wilton and his panel as they discuss the what the Braille Challenge achieves, how it began and where it is.

Panelists:

  • Karen Brophey – CNIB - Next Generation, Regional Coordinator Ontario
  • Pamela Tarr – Regina Public School, Regional Coordinator Saskatchewan
  • Lesley Anthony – APSEA, Regional Coordinator Atlantic Provinces

Adam Wilton, PhD, is the Program Manager of the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired (PRCVI) in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has been an educator for 18 years, working mostly as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and Orientation and Mobility Specialist. Adam has numerous connections to the braille world - he is a Director for Braille Literacy Canada, the Coordinator of the BC Regional Braille Challenge, and the past Chair of the Canadian Association of Educational Resource Centres for Alternate Format Materials.

Transcript

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