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Accessible News #6 — December 1998
Should you be using these old newsletters, please bear in mind that the web addresses were correct when the newsletter was created but that they may not be accurate now. We do not plan to change the back issues of the newsletters.
Contents:
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Minister Checks Out New Reading System at Ottawa Public Library
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Canadian Assistive Technology Activities Get International Coverage
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One Voice, HRDC Launch Employment Project for Older Workers with Disabilities
CANADIA Holds its First AGM
The Assistive Devices Industry Association of Canada (CanADIA) celebrated its first anniversary by holding its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ottawa, September 10. To accommodate those members who were unable to travel to the nation's capital for the meeting, a teleconference link was also available.
CanADIA's vision and objectives are to increase the visibility of Canadian developers and manufacturers of assistive devices both at home and abroad. It does this by continually marketing its members in a wide variety of venues, keeping members apprised of opportunities for trade, partnership and growth, changing national and international regulations and trends and by informing the policy makers and the public of the issues relating to the assistive device industry and its clientele.
The Association held two membership drives in its first year of operation; one in January, which resulted in the sign-up of 19 members and a second drive in June yielded another ten. By the time of the first AGM, the membership included seventeen full members, ten associate members and two educational members.
A Provisional Board of Directors had been established for CanADIA. For year two, elections were required. The rules for the election were outlined by Provisional Secretary, Chuck Letourneau (www.starlingweb.com) and a completion date of October 31 was proposed and accepted by the membership. One position on the Provisional Board, that of Chairman of the Board, was not carried over to the new elected Board structure. The Board has now been elected and it consists of: Brian McCarthy (President), Gilles Pépin (Vice-President), Rick Sinclair (Treasurer), Chuck Letourneau (Secretary), Jacques Côté and Paul Mitten (Directors-at-Large).
CanADIA had its own booth at the 1998 CSUN Conference in Los Angeles. The Association has reserved booth space for the 1999 conference. The CanADIA Web site, developed and maintained on a volunteer basis by Chuck Letourneau, proved to be one of the most important means of communications with both the Association's membership and the public. The site has been revised and updated on a number of occasions, especially to reflect new members as join. News items related to or of interest to CanADIA members have been posted as the Webmaster becomes aware of them.
CanADIA's future direction was a primary topic of discussion during the AGM. Commenting on this, President Brian McCarthy noted, "we need to identify what we want to accomplish and start doing it with our 29 members." The importance of working with Industry Canada's Assistive Devices Industry Office (ADIO) to get into pilot projects to allow assistive device developers and manufacturers to fully participate in industry initiatives in Canada and elsewhere was underscored by several members. CanADIA, it was stressed, needs to communicate its mandate to government and the private sector and to aggressively market itself through its members.
Neil Squire Exec Inducted Into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame
Dr. Gary Birch, the Executive Director of the Neil Squire Foundation, was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Toronto, November 17. The Hall of Fame was established to recognize the achievements of Canadians who have triumphed over their disabilities and to those who have helped people with disabilities reach their goals. Dr. Birch, who is quadriplegic, fits both of these descriptions.
With a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Dr. Birch and his team at the Neil Squire Foundation have engaged in ground-breaking work in the development of new computer-based technologies and robotic systems for people with severe mobility disabilities. The induction into the Hall of Fame recognizes Dr Birch's continuing work in robotics, EEG and signal processing and human machine interface systems. Dr. Birch is the second inductee from the Foundation. In 1994, Bill Cameron, who began the Foundation, was posthumously honoured.
Dr. Birch credits his achievements to the Neil Squire Foundation, a non-profit organization that is driven by the hopes, wants, needs and dreams of people with disabilities. Through direct interaction with persons who have significant physical disabilities, the Foundation teams research, develop and deliver appropriate services and technology to achieve social, educational, political, technological and financial equality for participants.
Dr. Birch is a member of the Minister of Industry's Advisory Committee on Assistive Devices.
Broadcasters Honour Outstanding Captioner
Beverley Ostafichuk, received a special award during a luncheon at the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) Annual Convention, November 3. The award was given in recognition of Mrs. Ostafichuk's outstanding commitment to the broadcasting industry, especially with regard to closed captioning.
"Your ability to balance the interest of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Canada with the business needs of Canadian television broadcasters has been remarkable", Michael McCabe, the President and CEO of the CAB said in a letter to Mrs. Ostafichuk, informing her of the award. "Your unflagging energy and resolution are an inspiration to us all."
Beverley Ostafichuk has indeed been instrumental in the introduction of technology that makes it possible for Canada to become the first country in the world to achieve a fully-captioned programming day. The VoiceWriter (TM) captioning system developed by her R&D company, Haylea Systems (formerly LOBCO) is a non-linear, disk based captioning system that offers voice recognition command and transcription options. It speeds up the process of off- line captioning and allows the operator to easily grab, drop and place captions. It is also compatible with a wide range of word processors enabling the user to import text and scripts from almost any other system, quickly and accurately.
Mrs. Ostafichuk is a member of the Minister of Industry's Advisory Committee on Assistive Devices.
CNIB Wins SAP/STEVIE Wonder Vision Award
Role Model Organization of the Year was the award given to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) at an awards ceremony in New York, August 12. The occasion was the presentation of the first-ever SAP/Stevie Wonder Vision Award, an international competition that was announced at the 1998 CSUN Conference. The SAP/Stevie Wonder Vision Awards were instituted to recognize excellence in development of products and the provision of services to blind and partially sighted people.
The Awards received 200 applications from 12 countries and the CNIB was the only Canadian organization to make the list of finalists in its category, beating out 68 competitors. "We are delighted to be honoured in this way", said Jim Sanders, the CNIB's Vice-President of Client Services and Technology. "We said in our submission that technology is the great equalizer. This award carries with it a message of hope for blind and visually impaired persons everywhere." The award included a cash award of $226,500 Canadian.
Canadian finalists in the two other awards categories were the Centre for Sight Enhancement, University of Waterloo and Syntha-Voice Computers, Inc., both in the Product of the Year category and Compusult Limited was a finalist in the Vision Pioneer of the Year group.
Minister Checks Out New Reading System at Ottawa Public Library
Blind, visually-impaired and other print-disabled have a new information source available to them at the St.Laurent Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. It's the OMNI3000 Reading System, a machine that converts written text to speech so that users can hear the printed word. The system was launched by the Industry Minister, the Honourable John Manley, on October 20. The OMNI3000 was bought with funds from the YOUR LIBRARY NOW! campaign, as part of the effort to make the branch more user-friendly for patrons with disabilities.
After trying out the new system, an impressed Minister Manley also presented the branch with three brailled editions of Canadian children's books, including "Franklin's Halloween", in plenty of time for trick-or-treaters. The books had been given to the Minister by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind as a token of thanks for his efforts in ensuring that the access rights of blind Canadians were protected in the most recent amendments to the Copyright Act. They will be added to the growing alternate format literary collection held by the Ottawa Public Library system.
Canadian Assistive Technology Activities Get International Coverage
An overview of the Canadian assistive technology scene has been published in the August 1998 issue of Technology and Disability, the international refereed research journal published by Elsevier Science. The article, which was written by Deb. Finn of the ADIO, appears in an issue of the journal which covered various aspects of assistive technology, including legislative work, research and development centres, resources available and initiatives underway in North America.
Ottawa, Provinces Release In Unison Document
Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for Social Services met in Toronto October 27 to talk about issues in the social services sector. Of particular importance to the discussions were initiatives for children and for people with disabilities. Co-chaired by the Honourable Pierre S. Pettigrew, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) and the Honourable Janet Ecker, Ontario's Minister of Community and Social Services, the meeting saw the release of "In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues". This document is intended as a policy framework to guide future government action on disability- related issues.
Two years in the making, "In Unison" was developed by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, a process that included consultation with members of the disability community.
""In Unison" breaks new ground for governments in this country", Mr. Pettigrew stated, adding that "for the first time, we have a common vision on disability issues. This document will be the focus of our ongoing work promoting greater equality and inclusion for Canadians with disabilities." The vision Minister Pettigrew referred to in his comments relies on objectives and policy directions founded on three inter-related building blocks: disability supports, employment and income.
To complement "In Unison", a federal/provincial/territorial Internet connection called Disability Links (socialunion.gc.ca) will be established to provide job accommodation information to job-seekers and employers alike. Access to Disability Links will be barrier-free and user-friendly, providing users with a single point of entry to federal, provincial and territorial programs and services aimed at facilitating the integration of workers with disabilities into the workforce.
With the exception of Quebec, which opted to maintain control over the development, planning and management of its own social policies, all other provincial and territorial governments joined with Ottawa in agreeing on a unified vision and long-term policy directions for disability-related social services.
Update: Automated Bank Machine Access Standards
Work continues on the development of national accessibility standards for Automated Bank Machines (ABMs). At the August 20-21 meeting of the Canadian Standards Association's ABM Sub-committee, it was agreed that for the time being, wheelchair access to bank machines would be limited to front-on access. Side access, i.e., the ability to use the machine while sitting next to it, rather than in front of the ABM had been under consideration as well; however, no workable solutions were agreed upon and the matter has been temporarily put on hold. It is still expected that the new ABM standard will be completed on schedule, in April 1999.
S&T News From Europe
The following information is provided so that Canadian organizations can plan for their involvement with the EU R&D programmes. Canada has an agreement with the EU that allows companies to participate in EU programmes. For more information on particpation in EU activities, contact Mary Frances Laughton of the ADIO.
This information is taken from a newsletter received from William Coderre, S and T Counsellor, Mission of Canada to the European Union.
The Fifth RTD Framework Programme — which will introduce a new era for EU research — now looks certain to be adopted before the end of 1998. This will allow the Commission to finalise its preparations for the implementation of the Programme and European researchers can expect to see the first calls for proposals launched in February or March 1999. The overall budget of EUR 14,960 million agreed for the Programme represents a clear increase in real terms over the budget of the Fourth Framework Programme, seen as essential by many to avoid sending a negative signal to European researchers.
At least 10% of the budget for the specific programmes under the first activity will be devoted to SMEs. At Parliament's request, the Commission will conduct a mid-term review of the Programme, and may put forward proposals for modification. The Key Action on the "ageing population" will now also include research on disabilities.
Further information on the adoption and implementation of the Fifth Framework Programme may be found on the CORDIS Fifth Framework Focus service, at: http://www.cordis.lu/fifth/ .
Interact '99 Call For Papers
The Call for Papers is out for the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) seventh Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. The conference takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland from August 30 to September 3, 1999. This is a major international conference which will showcase the newest and most advanced interactive computer systems and technology.
For a list of conference topics and instructions on how to register for the conference or to submit a proposal for a paper, check out the conference Web site at www.bcs.org.uk/hci/i99 . Please note that the deadline for submission of proposals for papers, tutorials and doctorial consortium submissions is January 25. You should also be aware that the official written and spoken language of the conference is English; however, proposals for tutorials to be conducted in other languages will also be considered.
If you would like to know about IFIP and Canada's participation in it, contact Mary Frances Laughton, who is the Canadian representative to IFIP and a member of the conference organizing committee.
One Voice, HRDC Launch Employment Project for Older Workers with Disabilities
A 15-month project called OPPORTUNITIES 45+ has been launched by One Voice, The Canadian Seniors Network and HRDC. The project is aimed at creating an environment where older workers who have disabilities can find and maintain meaningful employment and to promote jobs and job growth for this sector of the workforce.
This is a largely unexplored subject area, since unemployment, re-employment and under-employment issues tend to focus on workers under the age of 45. The needs of jobless older workers who have disabilities have therefore not been addressed. But the number of Canadian workers between 45 and 65 years old is expected to increase from 6 million to over 8 million in the next decade and the unemployment rate for this group of workers continues to rise dramatically. That's why One Voice and HRDC agreed that initiatives be to be undertaken to improve and enhance workforce access and participation, particularly for workers with disabilities in the 45+ age group.
One Voice and HRDC will employ two overarching strategies to meet their goal of expanded and long-lasting employment for older workers with disabilities: a public awareness campaign and the forging of links with employers, community- based employment agencies, labour organizations and associations and the prospective workers themselves. A practical research project will be initiated that will develop demographic and labour market profiles of older workers with disabilities across Canada, and to a limited degree within the major urban centres.
One Voice will issue press releases, articles for inclusion in various publications and they will publish information about improving workplace accessibility for older workers with disabilities. Public speaking engagements, seminars and other meetings will be used to spread the word and the Internet will also be used to both collect and disseminate information. There are plans to develop a project Web site, with links and information that will be pertinent to employers, employment agencies, labour organizations and associations and to older workers who have disabilities. Furthermore, a Web-based Best Practices Network may be set up to collect and share information, should it be determined that such a network is feasible.
For further information on OPPORTUNITIES 45+ or to learn how you can help older workers with disabilities to find meaningful employment, contact Tony Palmer, Project Manager, at the One Voice offices, tel: 613-238-7624, fax: 613- 235-4497 or e-mail: onevoice.lavoix@sympatico.ca .
News from Our Partners
Take a Look At COMPUSULT's Speech Newsletter
In the spring of 1998, Compusult Limited launched its own newsletter, "Specialists in Speech Technology: Working Solutions for the Visually and Reading Impaired". The newsletter contains updates on Compusult's products for visually and reading impaired people and a list of other useful Web sites. You can find the Compusult newsletter on the Web at www.hear-it.com/newsletters/newsletters.html .
French Canadian INTELLIKEYS Launched
by Claire Zeijdel, BridgesBridges and IntelliTools have announced the launch of the French Canadian version of IntelliKeys.
With the help of Industry Canada and Hôpital Marie Enfant, Bridges and IntelliKeys introduced the French Canadian version of this versatile keyboard December 15 and 16. IntelliKeys is a programmable keyboard for the Macintosh or IBM compatible computer. It is the perfect solution for individuals who have difficulty using the standard keyboard.
IntelliKeys comes with six standard overlays offering different keyboard arrangements to facilitate physical and cognitive access to the computer. This new version includes standard overlays with accented characters, a French manual and the French operating system within the keyboard.
For more information about this new product, please call
Bridges at
1-800-353-1107.
Ability Online
by Cindy Baker, AT&T Canada
Ability OnLine allows chronically ill and disabled young people to develop new friendships, exchange information and share hope and encouragement with other patients and their families, peers and role models in a unique e-mail environment. AT&T Canada is proud to be Ability OnLine;s national partner. By providing fast Internet access to the service, yearly funding and volunteer support from its employees, AT&T Canada is helping Ability OnLine spread its wings from coast to coast.
Our Web Site
Our Web site can be found at strategis.ic.gc.ca/adio . At this site are all our old newsletters as well as different listings and links to other sites of interest. Should you be using these old newsletters, please bear in mind that the web addresses were correct when the newsletter was created but that they may not be accurate now. We do not plan to change the back issues of the newsletters.
Communications from ADIO
If you would prefer to receive our newsletter on disk or by e-mail, please contact us at the address below.
Where to Find Us
For more information, to discuss a project idea or to get on our mailing list, please contact:
Mary Frances Laughton or Deb Finn
Assistive Devices Industry Office
Industry Canada
P.O. Box 11490 Station H
Ottawa, Ontario
K2H 8S2
Phone: 613-990-4316 or 613-990-4297
Fax: 613-998-5923
Internet-mail: laughton@crc.ca or finn.deb@ic.gc.ca
Date last modified: December, 1998
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