The Paralympic Podium
With the winter Paralympics set to open in a matter of days, we anxiously await news and coverage of our Canadian athletes who, despite challenges, have proven themselves as the best in the world amidst fellow elite competitors.
With an admitted vested interest, I am particularly keen to follow the progress of Para-Nordic skier, Margarita Gorbounova, who was the 2008/09 recipient of the T-Base Sponsorship of a blind or partially sighted athlete, and is competing in her...
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Posted on: 09 Mar 2010
Clear (and Accessible) Terms
We are now one week into the implementation of the Credit Card Act, which addresses new credit card disclosure practices. In essence, these introduced regulations ensure the clear communication of interest rates, annual fees, and penalty charges to customers. Finance Minister Flaherty is to be commended for his decision to mandate that organizations more effectively communicate such important financial terms.
Many Canadian banks and credit card...
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Posted on: 03 Mar 2010
Back from Safari!
After recently returning home from a simply unforgettable, one month trip to Tanzania, I am reminded, once again, that in no way do challenges have to limit our opportunities in life.
Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, unsettled terrain and unconventional transportation that I knew I was to encounter on this rare excursion, I did not let it stop me from participating, alongside my sighted travel partners, in all activities.
Boarding land rovers and twin engine pipers to reach our destinations...
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Posted on: 28 Jan 2010
Spreading Some Holiday Cheer
There is one final piece of "Christmas" business for T-Base to complete before officially declaring the holiday season over... I would like to congratulate Alena Roberts on being drawn as December's "Letters to Santa" promotion winner! Alena's completed and submitted quiz was drawn among countless other entries, winning her the T-Base holiday package which consisted of a music CD, featuring blind Paralympian and musician Jason Dunkerley, T-Base scented candle, and best of all, an...
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Posted on: 08 Jan 2010
Happy Birthday Louis Braille!
Today, January 4th, marks the 201st birthday of Louis Braille, the man who developed the tactile reading system that affords millions of blind and partially sighted individuals independent and private access to information. Because of its universal use and popularity, January 4th has also been designated, and recognized, as World Braille Day.
Braille remains a commonly requested format for leisure products such as books, letters and cards, but demand continues to increase for...
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Posted on: 04 Jan 2010
Have You Met Your January 1st Requirements?
With tomorrow set to mark the first day of 2010, the January 1st date is particularly meaningful for service providers operating in the province of Ontario. The Customer Service standard is the first of five to be implemented under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and there are certain requirements that providers must comply with by tomorrow's deadline.
Based on the questions I have received personally, and the...
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Posted on: 31 Dec 2009
Usability Day Winner
We received an overwhelming response to last month's World Usability Day contest, and along with being encouraged by the hundreds of submitted quizzes from both organizations and consumers, we were highly impressed with the amount of knowledge surrounding such varied aspects of usability.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ray Reyes of Clovis, California on being drawn as our contest winner, and subsequently earning himself an accessible,...
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Posted on: 15 Dec 2009
Musical Holiday Treat
The sense of sound has a profound impact on how we interact on a daily basis. As a gift to all my readers, I wanted to share a special treat that was created this time last year with the 2008/2009 T-Base sponsored athlete, Jason Dunkerley. Along with being an accomplished competitive blind runner with three Paralympic medals, Jason is also a gifted musician and guitarist. We had the opportunity to record a collection of songs performed by Jason, ...
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Posted on: 01 Dec 2009
We're Forever Students After All
It was both a privilege and honour to be asked, and to deliver, the keynote address to the students of W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind in Brantford, Ontario earlier this month. Because the theme of the days events was "Ways to Work", I shared with the students my personal experiences as a blind entrepreneur, from the challenges and obstacles, to the many opportunities and successes that have resulted. More specifically, I offered some practical advice for those students nearing a...
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Posted on: 18 Nov 2009
Test Your "Usability" Knowledge
In honour of World Usability Day, recognized this year on the 12th of November, I am inviting you, for the entire month, to test your knowledge around usability, and how it pertains to blind and partially sighted consumers. Organizations' awareness and participation around World Usability Day events have increased considerably, thus further supporting its purpose... to promote, explore, and ensure the usability of everyday products/services (hint, hint). In keeping with the "...
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Posted on: 02 Nov 2009
