SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2018

8:30AM – 8:45 AM
On Site Registration ($50 donation)
Coffee and selection of teas will be available

9 AM – 5:00 PM
Full-Day Conference
MC: Mary Ellen Gabias, President of the Canadian Federation of the Blind

9 AM – 9:15 AM
Invocation: Michelle Creedy;
Introductions and convention arrangements.
Door Prize: Michelle Creedy, our “loud and proud” door prize chairperson.
(Door prizes will be interspersed throughout the convention.)

9:15 AM – 9:35 AM
“Organize: Working together to live the lives we want”- President,Mary Ellen Gabias.

9:35 AM – 9:55 AM
Organizing in Ontario: CFB on the move in the East: Ontario CFB steering committee – Erik Burggraaf, chairperson; Kerry Kijewski, Secretary; Brian Kijewski, treasurer.

9:55 AM – 10:10 AM
Deafblindness: What’s New, What’s Needed, and How the Organized Blind Can Play a Role – Elizabeth Syring.

10:10 AM – 10:30 AM
Been to a Good Movie Lately? The CFB audio description survey – Kerry Kijewski, project leader; Erik Burggraaf, technical manager.

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Living the Life You Want Through Training: Report of the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind – Elizabeth Lalonde, Executive Director, Pacific Training Centre for the Blind, Secretary, Canadian Federation of the Blind; PTCB staff and students;

10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Blind Friendly Cities: the Inclusive Design Imperative –Oriano Belusic, Vice President, Canadian Federation of the Blind; Heather Walkus, Certified Assessor, Accessible Building, Environment and Human Rights Design; Bevan Thistlethwaite, founder, Integrated Biosensors.

11:30 AM – 11:40 AM
A Magazine That Matters – Doris Belusic, Editor, Blind Canadian.

11:40 AM – 11:55 AM
Questions and comments.

12 PM – 1:10 PM
Lunch, included as part of registration.

1:15 PM – 1:40 PM
Guide Dogs: provincial and federal challenges to human rights and a community that’s fighting back!– Graeme McCreath, Treasurer, Canadian Federation of the Blind; Oriano Belusic, Vice President, Canadian Federation of the Blind; Heather Walkus, Coordinator for the National Coalition of Persons using Guide Dogs and Service Dogs.

1:40 PM – 2:05 PM
Changing Attitudes Through Academia: the BeingBlind.org Project and Much More–Laura Yvonne Bulk, OT, MOT, BSW, PhD Candidate, Rehabilitation Sciences.

2:05 – 2:25 PM
Breaking Barriers in Employment: Getting the Job is the First Step – Donna Hudon, member of the Canadian Federation of the Blind Executive, Community Services Worker.

2:25 PM – 2:30 PM
Camp Bowen: Protecting a Covenant and Keeping Faith with the Blind – Members of the board, Camp Bowen Society.

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Advocacy Concepts and Strategies: Knowing Our Human Rights and How to Protect Them – Moussa Magassa, Human Rights Education Advisor, University of Victoria.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Getting the Word Out There in an Organized Way: the Canadian Federation of the Blind and Social Media – Kelby Mullin, Learning and Technology Coordinator, Victoria Disability Resource Centre.

4:00 PM – 4:10 PM
Reports, resolutions, and discussion.

4:15 PM – 5:00 PM
Annual General Meeting; includes election of President, second vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

5:00 PM
Adjournment.