AIRA Vaccine Promo
Introducing the COVID Vaccine promo
As COVID-19 vaccination efforts expand, it has become clear that many websites and processes to register, set appointments, and navigate spaces for the vaccine are not fully accessible to those in the blind and low-vision community. While it is the responsibility of government and healthcare entities to comply with the law and ensure that their platforms and processes are accessible, and while the community will continue its advocacy efforts, we cannot wait to get the vaccine. Therefore, we are introducing the COVID promo to assist the Explorer community in obtaining these crucial vaccines. For up to 30 minutes per day, Explorers may use Aira free for vaccine-related tasks.
To help our advocacy efforts, we would ask that you use the hashtag #CovidBLV in any and all social media postings and share some of the gaps and barriers you encountered.
Our goal is to ensure that entities understand their obligation to make their websites and processes as accessible as possible. As they work to do so, we can assist people in the following ways regarding their COVID vaccinations.
● Researching if Explorer qualifies and determining places to register and receive vaccinations.
● Assisting with registering for and scheduling vaccination appointments using TeamViewer on the computer or TeamViewer Quick Support on the smartphone.
● Navigating locations where vaccines are provided, such as healthcare centers, public health facilities, mass vaccination locations, and drive-up sites.
● Assisting in scheduling second vaccination appointments.
● Taking post-vaccination selfies.
This promo does not cover:
● Non-vaccine-related COVID research
●Transportation to and from the vaccination site
● Registering others outside of the immediate family for vaccinationsCOVID testing
In order to provide this promotion, we will be limiting our Job Seeker promo to one 30-minute call per day through May, 2021.
If you have any questions, please contact our Customer Care Team at 1.800.835.1934 or via email at support@aira.io.
The staff and agents here at Aira wish you and yours the best of health.
Your Help Is Urgently Required!
Your help is required to ensure that CELA (The Centre for Equitable
Library Access) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library
Service) can continue to offer the choices and services you depend
on.
Without warning or consultation, the Federal Government announced
in its 2020 Fall Economic Statement, that it would withdraw the
current 4 million dollars which supports accessible reading materials
and programs, ending all support by 2024-2025. This 4 million dollars
in funding is split between CELA (3 million annually) and NNELS (1
million annually) to provide material to those across Canada with print
disabilities.
This decision to cut funding will have a devastating impact on CELA’s
and NNELS’s ability to produce new books for their collection and
distribute materials including audio CDs and physical Braille to their
users. The initial decrease in funding in 2021-2022, will result in an
immediate reduction in the services and further compound the effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is having a disproportionate impact
on those with disabilities across Canada.
CELA and NNELS, are actively engaging with the Federal Minister of
Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, the
Honourable Carla Qualtrough, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, and key opposition
Members of Parliament in an effort to have funding restored.
The Canadian Council of the Blind, is asking you to add your voice in
support of CELA and NNELS and write to both Ministers and to your
local Member of Parliament to ask that the funding for accessible
reading materials be fully restored.
More resources, including sample letters, can be found on both
CELA’s and NNELS’s websites, links below.
https://cnib.cmail20.com/t/i-l-mdiduky-uuhildhhh-j/
http://nnels.ca/advocate-nnels-services
Please use the following hashtags in any social media posts so that
we can all find them and track the campaign: #CdnPoli
RestoreAccessibleBookFunding
Respecting the fact of how important accessible reading materials are
to you, unfortunately, we all have a limited amount of time to convince
the Federal Government that full funding needs to be restored.
Please help by raising your voice, writing letters, and sharing the
impact of these devastating cuts.
The CCB (Canadian Council of the Blind) is proud to lend its
unconditional and total support to this extremely worthwhile and
important cause on behalf of its membership and all blind, deafblind
and partially sighted Canadians.
Louise Gillis
National President
Canadian Council of the
VISIONS – March Edition
White Cane Week Events Recordings
Please find below a series of recordings from our White Cane Week Events.
Toronto Star Supplent
Please read the full insert here.
White Cane Magazine 2021
Help Celebrate White Cane Week 2021: A Special Invitation
*All times Eastern Standard Time
Expo Forum Saturday February 13th at 2:00 p.m.
Topic: Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program
Moderator: Dr. Keith Gordon (Senior Research Officer of the Canadian Council of the Blind); Panel: Ian White (President of the CCB Toronto Visionaries), Mike Potvin (Editor of White Cane Magazine), Samantha Moore (CCB Coordinator of Public Relations and Youth Programs), and Minette Samaroo (President of the Toronto Chapter of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians)
Watch the event on YouTube:
CCB’s Toronto Visionaries Vision 2021 Expo Forum Discussion on Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program
ViewFBC’s View Point February 17 at 10:30 AM
Topic: Uncovering the Role of Vitamin D in AMD
Wednesday, February 17th at 10:30 a.m.
In this live session, we will be joined by FBC-funded researcher and ophthalmologist Dr. Jacob Rullo, who will speak about his research into the connection between vitamin D and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE
For the first half hour of the webinar, we will be joined by Stephen Ricci from CNIB Smart life. Ricci will showcase some of the latest and greatest accessible devices and technological aids for people living with vision loss.
Watch the event on YouTube:
View Point: Uncovering the Role of Vitamin D in AMD
Vision Summit 2021, Wednesday February 17th at 2:00 p.m.
Topic: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Moderator: Dr. Keith Gordon (Senior Research Officer of the Canadian Council of the Blind); Panel: Louise Gillis (National President the Canadian Council of the Blind), Michelle McQuigge (Assistant News Editor at the Canadian Press), and Dr. Orla Galvin (Director of Research Policy at Retina International)
Watch the event on YouTube:
CCB’s Vision 2021 Summit Discussion on The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
White Cane Week Vision Gala 2021 Thursday February 18th at 2:00 p.m.
White Cane Week’s Annual Award Event-Enjoy CCB’s Annual Dinner Gala without the dinner. Highlighting annual awards and special speakers.
Host: Michael Baillargeon (Special Advisor to the Canadian Council of the Blind); Speakers and special guests: Louise Gillis (National President Canadian Council of the Blind), White Cane Person of the Year Award Recipient, President’s Award Recipient, David Errington (President and CEO at AMI), Peter Burke (VP of Marketing and Communications at AMI), musicians Lucas Haneman and Megan Laurence, Doug Earle (President and CEO at Fighting Blindness Canada), Dr. Keith Gordon (Senior Research Officer of the Canadian Council of the Blind), Ric Watson (Executive Chef and Director of Food Services at The Ottawa Mission), and more
Watch the event on YouTube:
CCB’s 2021 Gala
VISIONS – February 2021
White Cane Week 2021 – BC Yukon Division Virtual Events
BC-Yukon Division
White Cane Week (WCW)
February 7 to 13, 2021
Please Join us
This year the CCB BC-Yukon Division is planning four virtual WCW events via a Zoom Webinar with special event host Fraser Hiltz
Webinar 1: Sunday February 7th at 1:00 PM PST
Topic: History of CCB & WCW
Presenter: Amy Amantea
Webinar 2: Tuesday February 9th at 10:00 AM PST
Topic: Evolution of Assistive Technology
Presenter: Albert Ruel
Webinar 3: Thursday February 11th at 7:00 PM PST
Topic: World Blind Union (WBU)
Presenter: Charles Mossop
Webinar 4: Saturday February 13th at 11:00 AM PST
Topic: Life Experience, A Success Story
Presenter: Betty Nobel
How to Connect with Us
Please click this link to join us:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86809309057
(you will be asked to enter your email and name; and once connected, you will be automatically muted during the presentation)
Or join by using one-tap mobile:
Canada: +17789072071,,86809309057# or +12042727920,,86809309057#
Or join by telephone: (use the nearest area code)
Webinar ID: 868 0930 9057
(when phoning you will be required to punch in the webinar ID)
Canada: +1 778 907 2071 or +1 204 272 7920 or +1 438 809 7799 or +1 587 328 1099 or +1 647 374 4685 or +1 647 558 0588
US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833
For more information email ccbbc-yukondivision@telus.net or call 604-795-3885 or 1-800-874-4666