AEBC Blog

AUDIO VERSION By Richard Marion In June, my husband and I went on our vacation to the UK and France. During that trip, we saw many castles and other sights. One of the highlights for me was having a chance to visit Highclere Castle which is the set of the popular television show, Downton Abbey. This would be the time to hear the familiar music of the show as the opening scene shows the estate and the show’s cast members. While we did experience the view of the castle that m

AUDIO VERSION By Neven Humphrey In Canada, there are now travel agencies specifically for blind or partially-sighted people. That wasn’t the case about 20 years ago, when I was doing research for a book on biographies of contemporary blind or visually-impaired role models. (I found two at the time, both in the UK, and both run by blind people, of which I did biographies.) For myself, I don’t travel using agencies, for the blind or not, since I usually have a list of specific

AUDIO VERSION By Richard Marion A Dream Vacation Begins Traveling the world as a blind person is both rewarding and challenging. This year, my husband and I embarked on one of our dream vacations. While the trip itself was amazing, planning it had the potential to turn into a nightmare. Over the next while, I will be sharing articles about our vacation highlights, accessibility issues we encountered, and my personal recommendations for anyone planning an independent multi-c

AUDIO VERSION By Linda Bartram Prior to travelling to Greece and Great Britain this May, I endeavoured to arrange some descriptive tactile tours, including ones in Athens, on the urging of an AEBC member with connections to Greece. I asked ChatGPT to tell me about such tours in Athens and Edinburgh and found several were listed and all appeared to require pre-arrangement. A few weeks in advance, I attempted to make contact with the tour operators in Athens but did not recei

AUDIO VERSION By Penny Leclair A cochlear implant is a surgically placed electronic device that bypasses damaged parts of the inner ear to provide a sense of sound to profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing individuals. Depending on your hearing condition, they can be single or bilateral devices attached on the side of your head. Unlike hearing aids, which simply amplify sounds, implants convert sound into electrical signals and transmit them directly to the brain. Reci

AUDIO VERSION By Linda Bartram Walking around Athens, I was surprised to discover guidance tactile walking surface indicators (TWSI) everywhere we went. Even the sidewalks on small side streets (many of which were not in very good condition) had tactile grooves to guide my way. One of the challenges of going sighted guide is you just don’t have enough hands. With these tactile grooves, I could walk independently, using my white cane in one hand and towing my suitcase with

AUDIO VERSION By Penny Leclair The Senate of Canada proclaimed June as National Deaf Blind Awareness Month (NDBAM) in 2015, chosen because Helen Keller was born and died in June. The Canadian Survey on Disability estimates there are over 600,000 Canadians living with this disability and there is a wide spectrum of situations that cause these individuals to be classified as Deafblind. A person is considered Deafblind when their combined sight and hearing impairment results

AUDIO VERSION By Linda Bartram Despite all the accommodations that have been put in place by the air travel sector, flying can still present challenges for people who are blind. A recent trip I took to Europe involved three Air Canada flights accompanied by two different sighted companions and one Aegean Airlines flight, which I took on my own. In all cases I informed the airline in advance that I am blind, and this was indicated on my e-ticket. The assistance (or lack of i

AUDIO VERSION By Linda Bartram I recently returned from a month-long trip to Greece and Great Britain. Originally, I had planned a 15-day trip to Greece with my sister in May and a trip to Britain with an elderly friend in the Fall. The latter was moved up to this spring, so the two trips were combined into one month-long journey in May. I usually do thorough research before travelling but the revised and extensive itinerary made this very time-consuming. In hindsight, mor

AUDIO VERSION By Richard Marion Uber has been a great option overall for people who need low-cost door-to-door transportation and do not drive. However, for people with disabilities using guide or service dogs, it has presented many accessibility challenges and barriers. Last year, Uber implemented a feature on their app so that a person could notify a driver that they are travelling with a guide or service dog. However, the driver only receives this notification as they a

AUDIO VERSION For many blind and low vision travellers, museums and historic sites can offer much more than traditional visual displays. Around the world, more cultural attractions are creating accessible experiences that include touch, audio description, and interactive exploration. Recently, AEBC members shared some memorable travel experiences in London and beyond that showed how meaningful accessibility can be. Discovering Accessibility at Historic Sites One member descri

AUDIO VERSION The journey to getting a guide dog is a lengthy process, one that takes time, patience, and careful evaluation. Louise, beginning the process for her sixth guide dog, began with an application. From there, evaluators assess everything from the applicant’s mobility skills to their environment and lifestyle. Applicants complete a “white cane walk” to demonstrate they can travel safely and solve problems independently — crossing streets and navigating obstacles wit

AUDIO VERSION There’s something special about the bond between a guide dog and the person they support. It’s built on trust, consistency, and a deep understanding that grows over time. For many people who are blind or deafblind, a guide dog is more than mobility support—it’s a steady companion that helps make daily life safer and more independent. That connection is at the heart of Life With Jefferson, co-authored by AEBC member Penny LeClair. Penny’s story offers a close loo

AUDIO VERSION By Peg Mercer What began as a simple birthday dinner turned into a quiet but meaningful example of what accessibility can look like when it is done right. On a recent day in March, a group of eleven friends gathered in Vancouver to celebrate our friend Lynne. Alongside us were four guide dogs—calm, well-trained partners who are essential to their handlers’ independence. The restaurant we chose was the White Spot on West Broadway in Vancouver. We were seated on a

Fraud is on the rise across Canada, and scammers often target people they believe may have fewer ways to double-check information quickly. For people who are blind, Deafblind, or partially sighted, that can mean extra caution is needed when dealing with phone calls, emails, text messages, or even someone at your door. The good news is that a few simple habits can prevent most scams before they start. Common Scams to Watch For Scammers use many different tricks, but most fall

AUDIO VERSION by Suleman Arshad Learning French in Quebec is not just a choice; for immigrants, it is often a necessity. The province strongly promotes French as the common public language, and integration into society, employment, and even social life depends heavily on French proficiency. While this goal is understandable and important, the system does not work equally for everyone especially for people who are blind. My name is Suleman. I moved to Canada in 2022, and I hav

By Diana Brent I was musing on Random Acts of Kindness Week which is this week from February 14 to 20. Something I think should happen all the time. It made me think about a hobby of mine that I love and an initiative I'd like to share. I discovered this intriguing project about ten years ago from a lady in my snowbird park who stopped by and saw my busy fingers at work crocheting on my sunny patio. She, and many others, have been spreading the word among knitters and crochet

This article is a companion article to our video presentation on wills and legacy giving. WATCH THE VIDEO SESSION HERE This session was designed as an introduction to wills and legacy giving, with the goal of making estate planning feel less intimidating and more practical. It was not intended as a sales pitch, but as a first step toward understanding why planning matters and how people can approach it at their own pace. The focus was on clarity, peace of mind, and reducing

AUDIO VERSION By Linda Bartram In an age of GPS apps, AI-powered navigation tools, and electronic travel aids that can identify objects or announce street names, the white cane might seem almost old-fashioned. Yet it remains profoundly relevant. The white cane provides immediate, reliable, and independent feedback about the world underfoot—curbs, stairs, drop-offs, uneven pavement. All without batteries, software updates, or data connections. High-tech tools can enhance ori

AUDIO VERSION By Peter Quaiattini During my recent holiday travel between Calgary and Toronto on Air Canada, I had an experience I didn’t expect. As a totally blind traveller, I discovered that the in-flight, seat-back entertainment system was accessible. That alone made this trip stand out. How did I learn about this? Before the flight, I stumbled across a note in the Air Canada app on my smartphone. It mentioned upcoming features tied to my trip, with a brief reference to “