Grateful
In Celebration of CFB’s 25th Anniversary!
1999 – 2024

A central theme in CFB and NFB is that we are all mentors and mentees, learning from each other. And who better to learn from and be inspired by than by those who live blindness daily, who walk in those shoes. It’s a comfort to learn how to do things from other blind people, as they have the lived experience and are experts in their field – and one gets the feeling that “if they can, then I can, too.”

The Beginning

Federationism began in Canada in 1992 when Dr. Paul and Mary Ellen Gabias arrived in Canada to live, and with them they brought the knowledge and experience of a new and better way for blindness to be viewed and treated, by both the general public and the blind themselves. This new way to think and be, came from their time involved with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in the United States. The Federation’s “can do” positive attitude and its philosophy stood out. It was something most average blind Canadians had never heard of in our country’s traditional, older-style charity model. The Gabiases knew this would be of great benefit to Canada’s blind, just as it has been since 1940 for the 50,000-member-strong movement of blind people south of our border.

Federation Philosophy

We are an organization of blind people speaking for ourselves.
We believe blindness is a characteristic and not a handicap; that blindness is not what defines us or holds us back.

We believe with proper training and opportunity blind people can compete on terms of equality with sighted peers. Blind people can do almost anything sighted people do, sometimes we just use alternative techniques.
We believe the real problem of blindness is not the lack of eyesight. It is inequality in society, low expectations, an old charity model, and the lack of positive information about blindness and the abilities and achievements of blind people.

We believe it is respectable to be blind and that the white cane is an empowering tool for independence and a symbol of freedom and pride.
Canadian Federation of the Blind (CFB)

CFB was incorporated in June 1999 and our fledgling organization began. Over the past 25 years, CFB has been active and influential in mentoring, education and in advocacy. You just need to read through some of the issues of our magazine, The Blind Canadian, print copies or on our website (www.cfb.ca) to see much of what we’ve been up to – from hosting CFB conventions, to funding attendees to the all-important, learning grounds of the large, annual US NFB conventions; from advocating for bus annunciation systems, to fighting guide dog/taxi discrimination cases; from advocating for equitable public library service, to advocating, involving a court case, against recent, widespread implementation of discriminatory, dangerous floating island bus stops due to bike lanes installation design. We even brought advocate Sarah Gayton to Victoria all the way from the UK NFB to help with the bus stop/bike lanes issue. And CFB, together with the Lions Club, has run the iPhone Project for the Blind, providing over 50 new iPhones to blind recipients in the Greater Victoria / Vancouver areas.

We’ve informed blind Canadians about the “long” white cane, and provided knowledge about the existence of intensive NFB blindness skills training centres in the US (Louisiana Center for the Blind, Colorado Center for the Blind, and BLIND Inc. in Minnesota), and we’ve advocated for the same here in Canada, since there is a lack of adequate, government-funded blindness skills training. We held a Rally for Change and Choice years ago, where many blind British Columbians marched at the BC Legislature, asking the government to fund blindness skills training. CFB assisted in funding Gina, a blind Victoria woman, to attend the Louisiana Center for the Blind – you can read about her nine-month training journey in her article “Free as a Butterfly” (The Blind Canadian, Volume 13). Elizabeth Lalonde was inspired to start her own NFB-style rehab training centre in Victoria, the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind, after her nine-month training at the Louisiana Centre for the Blind (her training generously gifted by the NFB). She documented her training in her blog, then in an article, “My Journey at the Louisiana Center for the Blind” (The Blind Canadian, Volume 5).

We’ve been hosting a listserv, a website, running meetings and holding annual AGMs where our all-blind executive board are elected. We’ve held many fundraising events, like our concerts, dinners, and fun trivia nights, and we’ve held socials, like our annual December holiday dinners. Our flagship magazine, The Blind Canadian, has been in publication since 2002. It is one of the best resources in Canada on blindness. (To learn more about our magazine, check out the article, “The Blind Canadian Magazine Celebrates 20th Anniversary!” in Volume 22; and take a look at The Blind Canadian page on CFB’s website.) And we’ve written and sent out a ton of advocacy letters over our 25 years. Plus, so much more!

CFB Presidents

Oriano Belusic,1999 (CFB inception) to 2003
Elizabeth Lalonde, 2003 – May 2012
Mary Ellen Gabias, May 2012 – September 2021
Douglas Lawlor, September 2021 – present.

CFB Conventions

We have held eleven successful CFB conventions, including
• ‘Believe’ in 2005
• ‘Moving Forward’ in 2007
• ‘The Blind Leading the Blind’ in 2008
• ‘Louis Braille: From Literacy to Liberty’ in 2009
• ‘The Journey’ in 2012
• ‘Breaking the Mold’ in 2014
• ‘Vote of Confidence’ in 2017
• ‘Organize’ in 2018
• ‘Employment-Empowerment’ in 2019
• ‘Choices and Goals’ in 2021 (virtual)
• ‘Positive Outlook’ in 2022 (virtual)

Some of What I’ve Gained Over Our 25 Years

Besides the camaraderie of meeting and knowing CFB members and many blind Canadians and Americans, I have gained so much in my association with CFB. Almost everything I know regarding blindness, I know because of my involvement with CFB and NFB. Being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) in my early 20s, it took many years of gradual vision decline until I needed to start depending on a white cane and using some alternative blindness methods of getting things done.

I feel so fortunate to have been in the company of many very capable, independent and successful blind people, role models, who I’ve learned a lot from. Having met blind professors, blind teachers, blind lawyers, blind authors, blind business people, blind entrepreneurs, blind physiotherapists, blind musicians, blind leaders, blind students, blind parents, and so on. This all showed me that there need not be limitations to what’s possible, and helped to give me confidence.

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) annual, national conventions of which I’ve attended three (New Orleans, Atlanta, Dallas) opened my mind big time, as it has done every Canadian I know who’s attended one. This is where one needs to go to experience blindness at its best and to feel the normalcy of being in a majority for a change. The knowledge and inspiration gained at these week-long conventions is life-changing. Imagine being in a hotel convention room with 3,000 other blind attendees! White canes and guide dogs everywhere! These conventions are organized and run by the blind for the blind – and what great events they are – from the speeches, to the Independence Market, the Exhibit Hall, to the dinner banquet – it really is the best learning grounds for the blind – and attendees come from around the world to be there.

Our CFB conventions, on a smaller scale, have been very informative and inspirational too, and fun, and we’ve had attendees from right across Canada and the US. All organized and run by CFB members. We’ve been fortunate to have had the company of NFB leaders at our conventions, like Dr. Marc Maurer, NFB’s then-national president, as well as Carla McQuillan, Oregon state president, who joined us at three of our conventions. We’ve had the late Mike Freeman, then-Washington state president. Also, virtually during the pandemic, we’ve enjoyed both the late Scott LaBarre, then-president of Colorado, and Marci Carpenter, current Washington state president. We even had NFB’s Braille Monitor magazine editor, Gary Wunder, attend our convention on Bowen Island. Good work, good company, good memories!

Thank goodness for white canes! I mean the long white canes used in the Federation – those that go from your chin or nose to your toes! Not the old-style up-to-your-chest shorties that aren’t as practical. It is through the CFB and NFB that I gradually became comfortable using and being seen with a white cane. Through mentors like Elizabeth, I learned the proper way to use the white cane – swing it left as you step right, swing it right as you step left, so you are always checking ahead with it. And it was Elizabeth who told me that you can feel driveway slopes with it – which, believe it or not, was news to me when I was new to using a white cane! I have always remembered her saying that at one of our conventions. Of course, over many years now of walking with my white cane, it is now a part of me and I am more aware of the information it gives me about my surroundings. I’ve learned to listen well to what my cane tells me. Thanks to CFB and NFB, I have learned to feel more independent, confident, comfortable and proud in using my cane, seeing it not as a symbol of disability, but of my ability to be mobile. It is the reason I can travel around and not promptly land on my nose, knees or butt somewhere I don’t want to be!

It is through CFB that I have gained the knowledge, experience and confidence to have functioned as Secretary – learning to take minutes and how meetings are run – and, that I have a voice. CFB is also where I’ve gained my early skills as editor of our magazine, The Blind Canadian. I am grateful to Mary Ellen who gave me my first experience in writing an article for the Federation’s previous magazine, and I’m grateful to Elizabeth who started up CFB’s current magazine and eventually passed along the opportunity for me to take on the role as editor, which I’ve done for some 15 years now. This has even proved helpful in boosting my own writing career.

I have been very encouraged by learning about the US NFB blindness skills training centres and have enjoyed hearing and reading about Gina’s, Elizabeth’s and also Danielle’s nine-month journeys through Louisiana Center. I have thought for years that I’d also like to gain better blindness skills and maybe one day would go.

Looking back over my 25 years in CFB, I’ve gained a lot, and I’ve given back too, as we Federationists do, and had good fun in the process.

Thanks Go Out!

Thank you to everyone, including our kind and generous sighted allies, who, over the past 25 years have supported the aspirations of CFB in bringing Federationism and its benefits alive in Canada, all for our betterment as blind Canadians.

Here’s to the next 25 years!

Writing Contest Winning Entries:
Celebrating CFB’s 25 Years

by Doris Belusic, editor

I’d like to announce the winners of The Blind Canadian magazine’s writing contest held this fall to celebrate CFB’s 25th anniversary. These three articles were submitted to the contest, each one very informative, unique and inspirational. All three are winners of $100 each. Thank you to Nancy Gill who wrote “CFB Rocked My World!”, to Blaine Deutscher who wrote “It’s Respectable to be Blind: The Lived Experience of the NFB”, and to Oriano Belusic who wrote “Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Let’s Go Travelling!”. Articles like these show why CFB is valuable and they make the magazine what it is. Congratulations!

You can read these three winning articles next, below. Please enjoy.

CFB Rocked My World!

I’m blind from Usher’s Syndrome, a rare condition that combines serious hearing loss with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a condition resulting in tunnel vision and eventual total blindness. I’ve never been able to read print easily, and hearing in a classroom or other noisy place without a hearing aid has always been a challenge. When I was a young girl, hearing aids were big and bulky, and extremely noticeable. They didn’t look at all fashionable; wearing them made me stand out as different and disabled. I hated that! I was too young to understand my situation, so I opted to hide my vision and hearing impairments, even though doing that meant I lost out on a lot of learning. I was bright enough to fake my way through to some degree, so I got what I wanted at the time. I slipped quietly through the cracks.

I finished at school and became a hairdresser, something I did for nearly forty years. When the chemicals involved in hairdressing started causing me health problems, I got a job as a cashier in a grocery store. My memory was very good. I was able to do the job, though I couldn’t easily read the cash register screen. I did it by memorizing all the item codes in the store. My coworkers knew I had vision problems, but nobody knew how little I could see until the company sent a mystery shopper through my till with a magazine under his arm. I didn’t see it; he got by me without paying. If not for my involvement as a union steward and the specialized knowledge offered by CFB, that experience would have been even more traumatic than it was. But more about that later.

I found CFB purely by accident. One Monday I was home from work and turned on the TV community show at noon. The guest was a woman named Elizabeth Lalonde from the Canadian Federation of the Blind. She was talking about hope, accomplishment, and the need for blind people to come together and solve problems. She said something that rocked my world! Blind people could truly be in charge of our own lives!

That was certainly news to me! Practically every other message I was receiving confirmed my conviction that I was a victim of circumstances. I had a part time job which I loved, but my deteriorating eyesight made it increasingly difficult to do. I was the mother of a nearly-adult daughter and a young son. I loved them dearly, but believed I had no choice but to turn my child into my human guide. Everywhere I turned, limitation and lack of opportunity stared me in the face. Something in my soul hated that message! I wanted more, but couldn’t imagine how to be hopeful.

The show host invited people to call in and talk with Elizabeth. I did and was greeted with warmth and encouragement. That was the beginning of a friendship that has only grown stronger over the years. Elizabeth invited me to attend the convention of CFB in Victoria. I have family there, so decided to go.

What a shock! The hotel was small and cozy. Dozens of blind people were walking confidently around the building as if getting around was the most normal thing in the world. Some were reading Braille; I’d heard of it, but the code was a mystery to me, and the thought that I could learn to read using my hands seemed a little like science fiction. But, more than anything else, I bloomed in the encouragement I got from other attendees. They told me, in word and deed, “I’ve gone through difficulties as a blind person, too, and probably will again. I worked through my doubts and believe you can, too.”

Then Elizabeth, who was CFB president, along with the executive found the money to help me and another recently blind man to attend the convention of the National Federation of the Blind (the U.S. sister organization to CFB) in Dallas, Texas. I was more than a bit nervous, but travel has always been my happy spot. I took the plunge, boarded the plane, and arrived In Dallas for the most exciting shock of my life!

I took my son, Nathan, with me. I thought he’d enjoy the trip, but I also believed I couldn’t manage without him to guide me. What a shock when Elizabeth told me he would go to child care while I attended the convention sessions.

The first day I cried. Nathan guided me to child care where I signed him in. Suddenly I was on my own! I was so frightened that I sat in the corner of the room for three hours until I could pick Nathan up and he could guide us to get lunch. Elizabeth found out and gently but firmly guided me to a new way of thinking. She encouraged me to walk with her. She encouraged me to walk by myself. She encouraged me to reach out, take my courage in my own hands, and try.

I found there were a lot of people, blind and sighted, who would support me. It was scary, but I learned that Nathan could be a kid in child care and I could manage without him as a constant guide. I would be lying if I told you it was easy; letting go of that security was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done! It can still be very scary to be on my own. Because I don’t hear well, there are times when going it alone makes no sense. But often these days, I think of stepping out independently as an adventure rather than a trauma.

My white cane is my friend, now! In fact, I’ve named it Tequila. Before I got involved with CFB, the thought of carrying a cane and using it caused deep shame and embarrassment. One snowy day, I was struck by a car, partly because I attempted to use sight which I didn’t have to cross a street. It was a hit and run. Instead of passersby thinking that I was a blind person, they wrongly assumed that I was drunk and didn’t offer help! Even after that incident, I tried to reject the cane. Finally, a CFB friend tried a little tough love. She said she wouldn’t walk anywhere with me unless I was using my cane. I resented her at first, but have come to recognize her wisdom. Sometimes the most loving thing to do doesn’t seem nice, but having a cane has probably saved my life more than once, so “nice” isn’t always true kindness.

I’ve been to four NFB conventions, two in Dallas, one in Orlando, Florida, and one in Las Vegas. My memories of what happened at each convention blur together. At my first convention, I attended a meeting of blind parents. I thought I would sit quietly and listen, but somebody encouraged me to tell my story. I found myself sharing my most frightening experience ever! My son’s father was trying to use my blindness to gain full custody; I talked about how frightened and alone I felt. When I finished, the whole room erupted; I got a standing ovation. Now I’m far less frightened of public speaking.

I remember winning $2,500 in Dallas in 2010. (Never pass up an offer to buy a raffle ticket!) I remember getting caught in a huge downpour while walking with a blind man to a restaurant in Orlando. I remember how happy I was when Nathan was fifteen and made friends with the sons of another CFB member and spent the week hanging out with them in Orlando. I was really happy for him, but not having him around to take me where I wanted to go forced me to be more independent than I thought I could be. It was scary, but I did it! I remember bringing friends with me to experience the NFB convention in Las Vegas. I remember how much I enjoyed listening to the guest speakers, and going around talking to people. And, I remember listening to NFB’s then-president, Dr. Marc Maurer, when he attended one of CFB’s conventions in Victoria. I want to go back to convention again; each time I do, I get a little braver and try a little more.

After I’d been involved with CFB for several years, the mystery shopper came through my till and it became clear I couldn’t continue as a cashier. CFB worked with me and the union to try to find other work I could do in the store. The company, union, and CFB all worked with me in good faith. My coworkers were supportive and would have been delighted if a new career path could have been found. But slipping through the cracks and denying my deafness and blindness had a steep price. Because I’d used my memory to get by and hadn’t developed strong academic and blindness skills, transitioning wasn’t possible. I retired on disability.

At first, being unemployed reinforced feelings that I was no longer useful. Was I ever wrong! My blind friends needed me.

Probably my greatest joy in CFB is being able to give back. I’ve made speeches about my convention experiences and about experiencing tourism as a blind person. The whole CFB convention cheered when I described climbing to the top of a mountain in Africa. (No, it wasn’t Everest!) For me, though, the experience of taking a trail to the top was symbolic of my new thinking about being blind. I loved passing around items I gathered while on my travels; letting my CFB friends touch my souvenirs was a great way to share my memories.

In 2009, CFB held a convention commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. I still remember being handed half an egg carton. The six places for the eggs were in the same shape as the six dots in a Braille cell. Suddenly the mystery of Braille was a little less mysterious. Now I use the same tool to show my two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter what Braille is all about. She’s fascinated

My granddaughter isn’t the only family member who has learned because of CFB. My son still keeps in touch with friends he made at the NFB convention and he always encourages blind people he meets. My sister is blind from the same condition. How satisfying to be the one who introduced her to this movement. Her story is hers to tell; I will only say that she has travelled the road from deep despair to a full and satisfying life and is now happily married with a blind man.

I’ve helped plan CFB conventions like the one that started me on this journey. In fact, I’ve come up with at least two convention themes!
Within CFB I’m known as the “Door Prize Lady,” or the “Queen of Door Prizes.” I love telling community stores and restaurants about what we do and receiving their support. Giving door prizes to pleased CFB members at the convention is even more fun! I’ve done this job for many years and hope to continue for many more.

With the strong encouragement of CFB, I organized a community service evening for blind people in my city of Burnaby, BC. Nearly seventy people attended and learned about blindness resources, as well as enjoying an evening of networking that has expanded into a thriving network of friendships.

Now I’m working with Elizabeth and the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind, hosting a community event called “Let’s Support Each Other” every two weeks. Guest speakers talk about issues or technology valuable to blind people. We share experiences, encourage one another, and build strong bonds of friendship. I love this work and am deeply grateful that I stayed home and turned on the TV to hear Elizabeth that Monday in 2006.

As NFB’s president, Mark Riccobono, says about living the life we want – this is exactly what I want to do!

It’s Respectable to be Blind:
The Lived Experience of the NFB

I first heard of the National Federation of the Blind in July 2007 when I attended a guide dog school where it was mentioned that a few of the staff members were attending NFB conventions. Until this time, I had not heard of any organization in the United States that either served blind people, or were “of” blind people. I don’t recall if they gave us some publications or how I found out about the NFB, but what I heard excited me. I’ve always been one to gravitate towards blind people that didn’t look at themselves with pity, but with their head held high, who navigated the world with confidence.

When I met more people in the States through various online platforms, I started to hear of this organization called the NFB, where braille was accepted, blind people were in charge, and long white canes promoted independence. I liked what I saw, as to my knowledge Canada had no such organization.

Growing up, I knew the CNIB had a blind president/CEO, but in 2009 when CNIB changed their Constitutional requirement that the CEO be blind, the organization started to change direction. Prior to 2009, as a teen, I remember going to CNIB camp and braille was everywhere. Independence was taught through cooking, cleaning our own gender washrooms, and campers were encouraged to use their white canes (even if you knew where you were going). Nowadays, kids have day camps and braille isn’t being taught. I used to work at CNIB and I remember an office building fun activity day where we had to have braille races using a slate and stylus. I remember one of the staff that works with children didn’t know how to use it, as not all the kids know braille.

The argument is out there that technology will replace braille with audio. I do understand if there is a reason that you can’t read braille due to neuropathy, but I feel that if you can learn, you should. You may not read a novel, but simple things like labeling spices or reading playing cards to play popular games is useful.

Now that CNIB no longer has a blind CEO, the trickle down effect is happening, where people in executive roles are also sighted, and last I heard, only 50% of the board is made of blind people while the rest are made up of doctors, ophthalmologists and others.

When I heard that the NFB has a rule, that to be on their executive board you have to be blind, it excited me. I found online speeches given by NFB presidents at past convention banquets and thought “how do blind people run an organization?”

Having gone to several events through CNIB and other organizations that have a similar mandate, there still is an emphasis on having sighted people do jobs that “blind people can’t”. I was one of those kids that argued all the time that blind people can do more than what they were allowing us to do. I remember being a bowler and arguing that, as a totally blind person, I shouldn’t have to have a sighted person accompany me on the bus for a provincial tournament.

Seeing what NFB was doing, and learning later on about their structured discovery training centres, made me want to learn and be involved with the NFB. I reached out to them to enquire if there were ways for Canadians to get involved and that’s how I found out about the Canadian Federation of the Blind. Having found the CFB, I took it upon myself to learn more about this organization, to really believe in the philosophy of blindness from the Federation perspective, and I dreamed of attending an NFB convention one day. How cool it would be to see blind people navigating a large hotel, where in the past I’ve had sighted volunteers assisting me to a chair, getting my coffee, and so on.

I finally had the opportunity in July 2024 to attend the NFB convention in Orlando, Florida.

Everyone I spoke with has mentioned the empowerment one feels when you walk in the convention hotel doors and hear the white canes tapping, people making their way to whichever event/activity they “choose”. When my wife and I walked into the hotel, no one came and met us to ask where we wanted to go; we had to ask questions and find our way to the front desk to check-in (my wife is sighted but not great about asking where things are and prefers me to get us where we need to go in unfamiliar areas).

When I found out that I was one of the CFB members able to receive funding to attend this year’s NFB convention, I was excited. I heard about how you have to get yourself to the hotel, instead of having volunteers pick you up. (I understand why CNIB does it if you’re going to the Lake Joseph Centre, as there isn’t transit to get you there from the Toronto airport, but even then I’m sure if I had to, I could figure out a way to get there.) Anyway, I was excited to be able to get myself to the hotel.

The minute we got off the plane, I knew I could manage. I asked questions as to where to go and listened for where people were heading to pick up their luggage. We managed to get our luggage and asked airport staff where to go to get a taxi to get us to the hotel. We managed to find the hotel and, well, that empowerment you feel when you walk through the front doors is so true!

I remember my first event after we were checked in. I walked into the room and found an empty chair. It felt so nice not to have someone running up to me and grabbing me or just saying “I’m a volunteer, can I help you find something?” I liked how I had the ability to ask and if I didn’t ask, I didn’t receive help, something I enjoyed a lot. There were other things that stood out for me that I plan to incorporate into events with CFB and even for sighted people.

I remember the first time I walked into the exhibit hall and was handed a braille map with a braille list of all the exhibitors. I thought, “this is cool, I know where they are and who is all here, but how am I going to find them?” Well, walking around I soon realized that they had braille on the tables and the names of the vendors were also on the tables. It felt so nice to explore the NFB Independence Market too, and before touching all the items I could check the little braille cards that mentioned what the items were and their prices. The items had tickets attached to a ring holding the braille index card that described the item, which made me feel even more independent. I later found out that they keep this method at the Independence Market at the NFB headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. This was something they don’t do at CNIB.

I remember when I first checked in for convention registration and was handed a little brailled card. I read the card and it said “scan to play, a colour, then scan QR code”. I made mention to them, that it was the little things like putting that in braille that made such a difference to me to be able to have the autonomy to independently use it. Again, something you don’t see at CNIB. Instead, they would have had sighted volunteers tell you what to do or offer to help you scan the QR code.

I remember the first time I walked into general session and wondered how a blind person would find the sitting area for one’s own State. I didn’t realize, again, the little things, like putting braille on things. What they did is put the State name in braille and large print on each State-designated flagpole. This way, blind people were able to go and independently navigate a large hotel convention room, find the seating area for their States (or International section) themselves – and if you were running late, you could just ask someone which State section they were sitting in and they would tell you. Then you could make up your mind where you needed to go next.

I remember visiting the NFB convention presidential suite and, again, saw blind people living the lives they want, by greeting guests who walked into the suite. Again, if I were doing an event at CNIB, they would have had sighted volunteers come up to you and offer to get you a coffee. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked into the presidential suite and asked someone if they had coffee there. I was told where to go get it. I walked towards where the kitchen area was and what I found really surprised me – braille metal tags with what was in the pots. So again, you could serve yourself decaf coffee if you desired or hot water for hot chocolate, etc. Again, it was the little things that made such a huge difference for me. It was so nice to see blind people being independent, and even me as a first timer, helping other blind people figure out where things were.

I’ve listened to the NFB conventions online in the past and felt empowered, but going to the convention is another story! I can’t wait to attend next year and learn even more. In fact, I’m on the list to attend one of NFB’s training centres, Colorado Center for the Blind, because I want to really believe in the positive philosophy of blindness – and, as I mentioned to people, I know how to travel around my neighbourhood but want to be able to feel confident in traveling areas I don’t know or have never been.

I want to not do something because I’m blind, but because I choose to. I saw a lot of this when attending the NFB convention. It was amazing to see their tagline “Live the Life You Want” and their philosophy lived out over the six days we were there.

My wife got to see blind people being independent and not having to be taken places, just verbally given directions. My wife got to see how I mentioned to her that I never want blindness to be a reason why I don’t do something, and she saw this all during the week. From the blind people working the registration booths to the people being “talking signs”, her eyes were opened to what we can do. The only blind people she’s met before, besides me, were ones that needed a sighted person, or it was expected that she would do different things because she’s sighted.

This was an experience of a lifetime. I can’t wait to attend next year’s convention and I want to thank the CFB executive for allowing me to have this opportunity. Now let’s go build the Federation in Canada!

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Let’s Go Travelling!

Later in life, I came to understand their motivation and drive for independence, no matter how easy or challenging their task was. There’s something very satisfying about accomplishing things on your own. It is true that when you attempt to do something challenging and you are successful at it, it boosts your confidence.

I may not endeavour to go out into the wild outbacks on my own, but feel greatly rewarded when I travel somewhere independently. Simply put, the path of least resistance is not always the most rewarding way to go. Banking or shopping for groceries, or for medication at the pharmacy, or to get someone’s birthday gift, it’s all a little more rewarding when, if need be, you are able to accomplish these tasks on your own. It helps to reinforce your ability to function as a regular individual in society.

As I became more involved in activities with the Canadian Federation of the Blind (CFB) and the U.S. National Federation of the Blind (NFB), I learned that this theme of independence and ability to function on one’s own, like most others do in society, was encouraged and stressed. Over the past 25 years as a CFB member, I have learned, gained and given back. Being around successful blind role models in the Federation has expanded my ways of thinking, my knowledge, my abilities, and has supported me to be a stronger advocate – all increasing my sense of independence and self confidence. What more can you ask for from an organization of blind people there to support each other?

For the past five years as I transitioned from my last building project to retirement, I have really enjoyed travelling two or three times a year to my birth country of Croatia. For those of you wondering where in the world Croatia is, it is in central Europe, bordered by a bunch of Balkan countries and near Hungary, Austria, Greece and is a short boat ride across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Zagreb, the capital city where I like to go, is in central Croatia. In this article, I will focus on the times I’ve undertaken this travelling venture on my own.

Compared to most sighted people, travelling for a blind person can be a daunting and scary endeavor, given all the potential travel industry service challenges and often our own lack of self confidence. Let’s face it, the world isn’t designed to make getting around easy for a fully blind person such as myself. Visual signage, large open spaces, lack of useful environmental sounds and cues are some of the barriers we face. But travel is possible and extremely rewarding if we learn a few tips and use some alternative techniques.

The mechanics of travelling is common knowledge to some, but not to all who may wish to challenge themselves. There are some small mechanical things you can do to make it all work out, so that travel is much easier and even fun.

Before You Leave: Plan, Prepare!

Blind travellers need to prepare a bit more than the average sighted traveller, so anticipate what you will likely encounter during travel and what you will need once you are at your destination.

When you are booking your airline ticket, you can, at the same time, request a “meet and assist” person who will then meet and assist you through the airport(s) on your outbound and return days of travel.

Also, when booking your ticket, make sure the airline(s) have your email address and/or your mobile phone number, so you can be notified of any departure gate changes, which do happen and are nothing to worry about as long as you are made aware of them.

Prior to travelling, plan and make a check list of all the things you will want or need to bring with you, especially those items you cannot do without. And note down the things you’ll need to do before you travel. If travelling abroad, this would include verifying the expiry date of your passport, obtaining medical insurance, and picking up foreign cash. If you will be away for a period of time, it may be wise to pay your home bills in advance. Also, ask someone to pick up your mail while you will be away, or you can pay the post office to hold or redirect your mail.

Prioritize items you’ll put in your carry-on bag. It’s important to put items into your carry-on that you cannot do without, in case your suitcase should go missing for a few days. For example, I wouldn’t want to do without my medication, spare white cane, mobile phone and my bone conduction Bluetooth headset, so I make sure these are all in my carry-on bag. It’s not likely, but it does happen that luggage goes missing for several days.

Know that you must keep any devices with batteries with yourself or in your carry-on bag. Electronic items without batteries may go in your check-in suitcase. Remember that no containers of liquid, aerosol or gel greater then 100 ml (3.4 ounces) can be with you or in your carry-on, so make sure those items go into your suitcase.

Read your ticket to familiarize yourself with the travel information on it, like maximum suitcase weight, your departure gate number, and the recommended airport arrival time for check-in prior to departure.

Learn as much as possible ahead of time when booking your airline ticket about your departure, transfer and final destination airport terminals. Such information could be necessary. For example, will you need to go from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 at a transfer airport? If so, will you need to pick up your suitcase to clear it through customs, then re-check the suitcase to your final destination airport?

Now, something important to know, should things not go smoothly and you need a little vital assistance at the airport (ferry or train) terminal. Keep a note of phone numbers of their 24-hour security or disability assistance customer care. For peace of mind, these phone numbers may be helpful to have with you in case you need some assistance that you did not predict, or in the event your requested meet and assist team gets clients confused or some detail is missed. (I’ve included these phone numbers for major Canadian airports at the end of this article.)

Before ever leaving for my destination of Zagreb, Croatia, I basically build a mental picture or map of where the nearest bakery, coffee shop, restaurants, grocery store, tram stops, newsstand, etc, are located to the place I’ll be staying. To do this, I use a GPS app called BlindSquare and simulate my destination location to pre-explore the local neighbourhood. I find that the more I know about a place and how to get to things beforehand, reduces my anxiety level and strengthens my confidence.

At the Airport Check-in Desk: Where the Magic Begins!

Ask your driver/taxi driver to help you to the check-in counter for your airline or at least to the customer information desk. The larger airports, like Vancouver and Toronto, have airport staff that are also available to meet you at the taxi drop-off stand and get you to the check-in desk.

If you missed requesting “meet and assist” when you booked your airline ticket, you can still do this now at the check-in desk.

If you have arranged for the meet and assist service, someone will meet you at the check-in desk and guide you through the airport, security, and to your departure gate area.

In my experience, from the check-in counter, a meet and assist person guides me through the security area, is able to show me the washroom, assists me to grab some food on the way to the departure gate and even helps me in purchasing items at the duty free shops before dropping me off at the departure gate.

I always prefer to walk during this process, but should an electric cart (sort-of like a golf cart) be offered, I welcome it, as it makes the long stretches of corridors shorter. In some cases, the meet and assist staff insist in wheeling you in a wheelchair as per their training. Frequently, I can talk them out of wheeling me around, but I must admit that once when going through the Istanbul airport, I had to give in. This was due to a serious language barrier, and my understanding was that the meet and assist service was only available to individuals that needed a wheelchair. So be it, as I had to get to my departure gate there.

I prefer to be taken directly to my departure gate once through the security check, as I can sit there peacefully and wait to board the flight. Many large airports though, have waiting areas for disabled travellers (before being taken to the departure gate), where they like to have people wait until shortly before boarding. This may be preferable if one needs to wait for over two or three hours due to the gate area being closed.

Do not hesitate to make use of airport porters for hire. They can be extremely helpful where one needs to transfer from terminal to terminal. I find that it is well worth spending the $25 or $30 to get their friendly help and have them deal with my luggage. Also, the larger airports like Vancouver have airport staff that are available to help one transfer between terminals.

Listen for announcements of gate changes and/or check your mobile phone for such information. The meet and assist staff will usually check for this information before guiding you to your departure gate. But, if you know that the gate has been changed and no one shows up to assist you to the new departure gate, and you know your airplane pre-boarding time – just stand up and start walking towards the desk at the departure gate you are at or the nearest adjacent departure gate. You can usually hear where a desk is by the activity around it. After you take a few steps, help will show up. My experience is that as soon as a person starts to move with a white cane or a guide dog, staff appear out of nowhere to help.

Once boarding the plane begins, the meet and assist person or airline personnel will be there to pre-board you along with the other persons with disabilities, children and often, the first class passengers.

Onboard the Airplane: Up, Up and Away!

Before you even get a chance to settle in your seat, an airline agent will offer to inform you regarding the emergency equipment, escape exits, nearest washrooms and even your call button. They want to be useful, so appear interested even if you have flown frequently and don’t really need the information once again. I often tell them to tap me on the shoulder when attempting to communicate with me, as it isn’t always easy to tell when the service agent is trying to talk to me. God forbid I miss a chance to have a free drink!

Prior to landing, in order to assist you, the service agent will likely ask you to stay seated until the rest of the passengers have left the airplane. Frequently, one doesn’t feel like waiting, but the system is designed to work this way when you are using the meet and assist service, so I don’t fight it. Simply put, the airports I use are massive and it is much easier to go from point A to point B and then point C with the help of a sighted guide. My journeys take about 24 hours from departure to arrival (door to door), so making my travel as easy as possible works for me, especially given the tired state I get in.

When the meet and assist person meets me at the plane, he or she will guide me through the airport and help retrieve my luggage. Finally, I ask the person to show me to the taxi stand where I’ll get a taxi to go to my hotel or wherever I plan to stay.

At Your Destination: Relax and Enjoy Yourself!

I find several apps designed for the blind very useful on my iPhone. Apps such as Seeing AI, BlindSquare, Soundscape and Blind Compass give me more independence.

In crowded outdoor, large open areas, like a main square or huge outdoor market, it is very difficult to maintain a straight walking line without my Blind Compass app. With this app, I can maintain my desired direction to where I want to go, like one of the numerous restaurants, shops or to the bank machine.

In the event I lose track of where I am while riding the tram or bus, due to daydreaming or the automated next-stop announcement system is not working, it is necessary to open my BlindSquare app to hear the nearest addresses and other known landmarks, so I know when to get off.

I prefer shopping for groceries at smaller “mom and pop” stores rather than large box stores. It is much easier to find a friendly, helpful salesperson in a smaller shop, and if you go there several times, they get to know you.

I must say that Zagreb is a very friendly, functional, accessible city. On the block where I stay, things are so easy to get to. Just on my side of the block, there are two bakeries, two restaurants, a coffee shop, a chocolate shop, a dollar store, a grocery store, a newsstand, a bank machine, and good tram service. In the fall there is even an outdoor stand selling roasted chestnuts and corn on the cob.

As I said earlier, before ever getting to Zagreb, I basically build a mental picture or map of the area where I’d be staying. I find that the more I know about the place and how to get around, this reduces my anxiety level and strengthens my confidence. Of course, these days, apps such as AIRA and Be My Eyes can be very useful for real-time sighted assistance. I’m looking forward to trying these apps with my new RayBan Meta glasses.

I hope this information will be of help and inspire more would-be travellers to get out into our wondrous world. There’s more to travelling than what you can see. For me, it’s meeting up with my many blind friends, some I’ve known since I was a young kid at the Zagreb school for the blind; it’s enjoying the great local food; it’s the challenge of getting around by foot and trams to get my groceries, stop in somewhere on a whim for a beer and/or coffee and/or a pastry. I go for an almost-daily walk on a forest trail, and once in a while I hike with the local blind hiking club. With practice, I have learned to become quite independent. And practice is always our key to success. The more we do something, the better we get at it, and the more our confidence grows.

So start planning, preparing – and let’s go travelling!

Major Canadian Airport Phone Numbers for 24-hour Security or Disability Assistance Customer Care:

Vancouver 604-207-7077
Calgary 403-735-1234
Victoria 250-953-7511
Edmonton 780-890-8382
Toronto 416-247-7678
Montreal 514-420-5030
Winipeg 204-987-9798
Regina 306-761-7555
Halifax 902-873-4422 902-873-2091
Saskatoon 306-934-7275
Ottawa 613-248-2025

I’m blind, but I still wanted to experience my beloved Ireland through my other senses

Special to The Star (Toronto Star)
Updated Nov. 8, 2024

As I step out of the airport in Dublin, I discern that the air feels heavier than it does back home in Canada. It’s more humid yet still temperate. What I breathe in and what I hear — the cries of the gulls of Dublin Bay — signal to me, I’m back.

These senses are more vivid for me than my sight: I was born with a rare genetic condition (Leber congenital amaurosis), which meant I saw the world through an extremely narrow tunnel of limited vision. I could see colours until around the time I discovered The Cranberries, when I was just 11. Despite degenerating sight in my adulthood, I was determined to visit and fully experience Ireland, my desire inspired by my love of that band.

When I first visited Dublin, in 2011, I looked out the window of the bus while entering the city centre. Ireland’s capital came into view, but it was dim and colourless. I had been dealing with that for years. Still, I was grateful.

From the bus window, I watched the treeline, and then the lines on the highway. Later, as we toured ancient monastic sites, I noticed the distinctive circle-on-cross shape of Celtic crosses. On the dappled grass at the grave of poet William Butler Yeats, I observed sunlight filtering through. These were small glimpses of what most people can see, but they meant everything to me.
Twelve years after that first trip, I returned to travel through my beloved Ireland again. I have friends there, both old and new, and went with one who runs women’s-only tours.Again, I found myself staring out from a bus window, my brain doing a double take. But now, I was seeing a blur compared to what once was. The bright light of a daytime drive was an assault on my open eyes. Just looking hurt me, an exercise in exhaustion and futility. I’ve had a lifetime to get used to blindness, but the change is still painful.

This wasn’t the Ireland of my memories. In 2023, there was no point in trying to experience the country as I had before. Nearing tears, feeling frequently queasy from the work that my brain was striving to do, I realized it was no longer fruitful to try to take in this place visually.

We live in a sight-centric world. Fear of the dark is common. The fear of going blind is right up there with that of a cancer diagnosis. The latter is life-threatening, while the former is life-changing, yet highly misunderstood.

But humans have more than our sight. This was a dream vacation. I decided I would not miss out — I would try “seeing” Ireland another way. I would draw upon what I could smell, hear, taste, touch.

As I stood on a beach in County Kerry, I was prompted to try the seaweed, and as the salty flavour spread across my taste buds, it didn’t matter that I couldn’t see it. When I met a baby goat, I concentrated on feeling the creature’s curious tongue on my hand. Another time, as I felt my way along a wall with my hands, I came across some stinging nettles, but the irritation was a small price to pay for exploring the world through touch.

Although unable to see the spectacular vastness of the Cliffs of Moher, I could hear the puffins chattering away and listen intently to the sea, the tide roaring in and rushing out. I thought fondly back on my past views of this horizon, now a sweet memory, as I focused on living in the moment with all my remaining senses.

At a roadside stand, I listened to a fiddler playing a tune, and I moved in time with the music. I have long loved the instrument and even tried to learn in my 30s. Now, my white cane, normally used for detecting objects and environmental changes, became my dancing companion. A cane is often seen as pitiable, but I was proud to have it with me, helping me back to this land that felt like coming home.

https://www.thestar.com/life/travel/i-m-blind-but-i-still-wanted-to-experience-my-beloved-ireland-through-my-other/article_84ee3c60-983e-11ef-9c6e-ef822316d85c.html

I Am Blind
(Beech Street Books / Saunders Books, 2024)
Children’s Nonfiction Book, by Doris Belusic

“Life without sight can still be good and full. It’s an important message to share with young readers in our lives – our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, students… I Am Blind will engage and inform kids.”

I Am Blind is a grades 3 – 6 children’s non-fiction book on blindness,

This book is part of an I Am series (Beech Street Books) in which Canadians share their unique lived experiences in visually engaging books, perfect for primary/elementary grade readers.

ISBN Hardcover 9781774564707 $32.95
Softcover 9781774565063 $16.95
Digital format also available.

Munro’s Books (in store or online, shipped worldwide)
1108 Government Street, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 1Y2
(250) 382-2464, toll free (888) 243-2464
https://www.munrobooks.com/item/08ixgDXLFauIvPgIebcaCw
Email: service@munrobooks.com
And digitally through:

Apple Books
https://applebks.com/shop/show/68431