Industry Canada
ic.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Accessible News #20 — Summer 2004
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:
- CSUN Wrap-Up
- New Company Formed for Low Vision
Market
- Commercialization at the NRC
- Government of Canada Invests $4.7 Million in
VisuAide Project
- News Bits
- Our Web Site
- Communications from ADIO
- Where To Find Us
CSUN Wrap-Up
2004's Technology & Disability conference (CSUN) in the Los Angeles Airport area drew nearly 4,000 participants over its four-day run. Once again, there was a very visible contingent of Canadians exhibiting, presenting and attending the show. Not only Canadians were sporting the Canadian flag because almost everyone comes by our booth looking for their flag pin.
George Kerscher, co-chair with Mary Frances Laughton of the WAI Steering Council, won the Trace Center's Catalyst Award. George has been a stalwart in the field of access to information for many years. He in fact coined the term "print-disabled".
Visitors to the Industry Canada booth were steady throughout the conference and interest in Canadian assistive technology, products, systems and services was high. There were 12 companies or organizations from Canada on the showfloor and over 35 Canadian speakers. This year, 23 companies took us up on our offer to display their company information in Booth 336, the Industry Canada booth. Lots of folks were looking for Tactile Vision who had been on the floor in years past but decided to take a break this year. Almost all the literature that we had was picked up over the course of the show and people were constant in their positive remarks about Canadian products and services. In addition to this literature, we demoed our Accessible Procurement Toolkit (www.apt.gc.ca), AT-Links (www.at-links.gc.ca) and Lawrence Euteneier demoed Web-4-All.
One Canadian company whose product literature was on display in our booth, Curo Interactive, made extensive use of our very visible location as a rendez-vous point for meetings with prospective partners and clients. Indeed, by simply having a place for parties to meet, this company was able to arrange several important meetings in Ottawa after CSUN. (That large Canadian flag and our distinctive red and white draperies in a sea of blue booths make us easy to spot in the exhibit hall and we are always happy to have our industry representatives make use of our location in support of their business networking activities.)
We also gave a representative from VoicePrint the opportunity to spend time in our booth and assess whether CSUN would be a good trade show venue for them to exhibit in future years. As it turned out, this person was able to determine that CSUN would not be a good venue for her organization to concentrate its promotional activities, but she did find it a valuable conference to attend and establish contacts with other Canadian businesses.
Madentec launched three new products in its Discover line: Discover: Switch USB for Windows, Discover: Template Maker and Discover: Setup Library Volumes 1 and 2. We are also pleased to report that Madentec's Tracker has been integrated in several of Prentke Romich's communication aids, including the Vanguard II and II Plus, Pathfinder Plus, Vantage Plus and SpringBoard Plus.
Visuaide celebrated its 15th anniversary by winning yet another head-to-head DAISY format talking book reader competition and by throwing a well-attended party on the Friday night. Their booth was very busy with visitors eager to check out the latest in the company's Victor talking book readers, including the very sleek and portable Victor Vibe, as well as Visuaide's ever-growing line of Trekker navigational aids.
Compusult was demoing its Jouse 2, another Industry Canada spinoff product.
Afforda-Speech was demoing for the first time.
Matias once again was leading the pack in one-hand keyboards and the mounting systems from Daedalus wowed the crowd.
Braille Jymico ran out of its Formula One information.
At the keynote breakfast on Wednesday morning, each table in the ballroom at the Hilton Hotel had brochures from Hewlett Packard, which trumpeted Visuaide's Trekker GPS system which can be used on the HP iPAQ Pocket PC. The keynote speaker this year was Vint Cerf, one of the inventors of the Internet Protocol. He gave a fascinating speech with lots of reference to assistive technologies. He has first-hand experience as his wife is deaf.
Tash announced their acquisition of the manufacturing and marketing rights to the Imperium line of licensed products, completing the line of Environmental Control Units offered by Tash.
The large print scientific calculator that Industry Canada helped to fund some years ago was once again on display. This time, it was in the Ontario Rehabilitation Technology Consortium's booth being distributed by a new Canadian company, Sight Enhancement Systems.
Clearly, Canadian companies are developing products and systems that international industrial partners recognize as must-haves to integrate with their own technology! "More information and the proceedings of CSUN can be found at: (www.csun.edu/cod)"
Contents.New Company Formed for Low Vision Market
Sight Enhancement Systems has been established in Waterloo, Ontario to design and manufacture products that will assist individuals with low vision. Working closely with researchers and low vision clinicians at the University of Waterloo, Centre for Sight Enhancement, and the Ontario Rehabilitation Technology Consortium (ORTC) this new company has commenced an aggressive product development program.
Sight Enhancement Systems promotes a rapid product development process where the talents of specialized design engineering and manufacturing teams are focused to achieve early product realization and fast time-to-market. The company recently completed the development of a new visibility-enhanced scientific calculator for people with low vision called the "Sci-Pod". Other innovative, digital imaging products are under development.
On June 1 2004 the company will be moving into new premises so that the design, manufacturing and distribution of its new products can be co-located in a single facility. The address for the new company is Sight Enhancement Systems, Unit 17, 60 Bathurst Drive, Waterloo, Ontario N2V 2A9 tel: 519 883-8400 fax: 519 883-8405. Further information about the company can be found at: "Sight Enhancement Systems (www.sightenhancement.com)" where new product information will be announced as it becomes available, or by email: Dave Beavers, President of Sight Enhancement Systems at: dbevers@sightenhancement.com .
Contents.Commercialization at the NRC
The National Research Council (NRC: www.nrc-cnrc.ca) has restructured its corporate operations to establish a separate NRC Commercialization Branch. This unit will integrate the Corporate Services Business Relations Office and TIS Horizontal Commercialization Initiatives with new resources, with a mandate to provide strategic support to an enhanced NRC commercialization effort. This is a first step in the implementation of an initiative intended to strengthen NRC's position with respect to the Government priorities set out in the recent Federal Budget and the 2004 Speech from the Throne.
Susan Moggridge, the NRC Director General of Development has accepted the new position of DG, Commercialization and the challenge of moving NRC forward on this front. Ms. Moggridge has extensive executive-level experience in technology-based industry including positions with firms recognized as Canada's most successful in research commercialization. She will be based in M-58 but working closely with all of the institutes and, particularly, with NRC-IRAP which will be critical to the success of this venture.
The new NRC Commercialization Branch will provide a focus for corporate support to the institutes and IRAP in this respect and will spearhead the NRC's corporate level drive to support the Government's agenda and to lever new resources into collaborative initiatives that capitalize on NRC's strengths. To this end, the new branch will explore strategic options with partners and develop pilot projects to demonstrate NRC's enhanced capabilities for commercialization and position the NRC strategy for future policy consideration.
Contents.Government of Canada Invests $4.7 Million in VisuAide Project
On April 7, the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced a $4.7-million Government of Canada investment in VisuAide to support the development of assistive technologies for persons with visual disabilities. The Government of Canada investment, being funded through Technology Partnerships Canada ($3.9 million) and Canada Economic Development ($800 000), is part of a $13.1-million project being undertaken by VisuAide.
There are currently 610,950 Canadians identified as visually impaired. As the population ages this number increases, with one in nine persons over the age of 65 entering this category. The purpose of this project is to develop, adapt and interface conventional new technologies with existing visually impaired technology tools. Technology is continually creating new opportunities to assist people with disabilities to participate more fully in their environment. Extending Canada's e-inclusive information society ensures that people from all demographics are given equal access.
"The goal of the Government of Canada is to ensure that the benefits of technology touch every Canadian," said Minister Robillard. "As a world leader in the knowledge-based economy, we strive toward the creation of an e-inclusive information society."
Accessing information and navigating in the world are the most difficult problems for the visually impaired. Under the proposed research and development project, VisuAide will develop new, affordable technology platforms to assist blind or visually impaired persons access print, electronic or directional resources. These developments will give rise to increased personal independence to venture down unknown streets, to navigate all levels of complexities of print or electronic material, and to enable note taking of data-intensive applications.
"Our company is committed to developing new technologies to enhance daily life and increase independence for the visually impaired," said Gilles Pepin, President of VisuAide. "Through Government of Canada support, we optimize our capability of offering high-quality innovative products."
"Digital technology is opening the doors of equal access for all, and giving the blind and visually impaired the necessary tools to be active contributors in a sighted world," said Jim Sanders, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. "Enhanced access to computers, communications and the environment fosters personal growth and productivity, while making e-inclusion a reality."
Technology Partnerships Canada is a special operating agency of Industry Canada, with a mandate to provide funding support for strategic research and development, and demonstration projects that will produce economic, social and environmental benefits for Canadians.
Since 1996, TPC's activity has been rooted in helping Canadian companies perform research and development projects that take new technologies closer to the marketplace. These projects have the potential to improve the efficiency of production processes in traditional sectors as well as support innovation in emerging technologies, enabling Canadian companies to become world class.
Canadian industries take the lead in bringing innovation forward to the marketplace. TPC acts as a catalyst, investing strategically to accelerate the successful development of key technologies that will benefit Canadians in their everyday lives.
Contents.
News Bits
- The Canadian Braille Authority (CBA) voted unanimously to
form a Unified English Braille Implementation Committee at its
annual board meeting on April 4, 2004. The board stated that
"Given that the International Council on English Braille
acknowledges the Unified English Braille Code as an international
standard for English braille and has referred it for
consideration and possible adoption to national standards-setting
bodies, the CBA will take a leadership role in the adoption of
UEBC as the standard for English braille in Canada by identifying
a process for implementation in collaboration with relevant
national and provincial organizations, departments of education,
and consumers." The names of the members of the CBA
Implementation Committee will be posted on the Canadian Braille
Authority (www.canadianbrailleauthority.com)
website as soon as they have been finalized.
- Automobility Manufacturing Corp. of Regina Saskatchewan is
celebrating the 15th anniversary of their 901 automotive hand
control system for people with disabilities. Automobility hand
controls are sold world wide and used by all of the better car
rental companies in the world. Automobility has also introduced
their new pedal extenders used to get short statured drivers
safely back from the air bag. For more information, email Automobility
Manufacturing Corp. at:
sales@handcontrolscorp.com
- Beverley Milligan, President of responseTV Inc., moderated a
panel that discussed and debated "Tangible Business Partnerships
between Broadcasters and the Telecommunication and Broadcast
Distribution Industries" at the National Association of
Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas, April 18. The panel
included Wendell Bailey, a widely recognized expert on
telecommunications, cable television, and broadband technology
and infrastructure; Gary Arlen, Arlen Communications Inc., a
research and consulting firm specializing in broadband media,
telecommunications and entertainment; C. Lincoln Hoewing,
Assistant Vice President, Internet and Technology Issues, for
Verizon, the largest telecommunications provider in the USA; and
Glenn Reitmeier, Vice President of Technology at NBC and involved
in the creation and launch of NBC's new high-definition cable
channel, Bravo-HD+. Ms Milligan's company, responseTV, is a
Market Research specialty television channel that collects data
using interactive middleware as its primary data collection tool.
Licensed by the CRTC, responseTV is one example of how
partnerships can address the changing business environment for
the media industry.
- Liberty Motor Company is the first mobility equipment
manufacturer in Canada to achieve "Authorized Converter Pool
Account" status with Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. Ford Motor
Company recognizes the growing need for accessible
transportation, and is taking initiatives to ensure that those
needs are met through attention to safety, price and reliability.
By enhancing its relationship with Liberty, Ford is taking a
leading role in bringing mobility solutions to Canadians with
disabilities. Liberty Motor Company is Canada's leading
manufacturer of wheelchair accessible minivans. Based just
minutes from Ford's Windstar/Freestar assembly plant in Oakville,
Ontario the Liberty modified wheelchair accessible Ford Windstar
and Freestar are truly Canadian solutions for the transportation
needs of Canadians with disabilities.
- The Canadian Standards Association has sent out its draft
standard B651.2, Barrier-Free Design for Self-Service Interactive
Devices for public comment. The public review phase ends in July.
To obtain a copy of the draft, contact Ian Brodie by phone at
416-747-2670 or email Ian
Brodie at the CSA: ian.brodie@csa.ca .
- The Canadian National Institute for the Blind Library has
been named the 2004 recipient of the American Library
Association's (ALA) Francis Joseph Campbell Award. The citation
and medal is presented to a library or person who has made an
outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service
for the blind and people with physical disabilities. In the
announcement of the award, which will be presented on June 27 at
the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, award committee
Chair Ruth Nussbaum said that the CNIB Library "has set a new
international standard for excellence in advancing library
services and resources to their clients who are blind, visually
impaired, and print-disabled".
- Progress is being made toward the creation of a Canada-Europe
S&T Cooperation Office in Ottawa. The proposed Office will
work to raise awareness and facilitate opportunities for
increased transatlantic R&D collaboration and to strengthen
the Canadian connection to the European Research Area. A Canadian
stakeholder consortium consisting of various granting councils
and other national science organizations has pledged funding for
the office and a proposal will be submitted to obtain Framework 6
(FP6) funding from the European Union to support office
activities. This competitive call is only open to non-EU
countries with S&T Cooperation Agreements with the European
Union. Project funding, which could be as much as 300,000 Euros
over three years, could be in place at the end of 2004 and the
office could be up and running in 2005. For more information on the
Canada-Europe S&T Cooperation Office, email:
paola.de-rose@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
- This year's Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Hard of
Hearing Association Foundation was made accessible through the
use of the Communication Access Realtime Translation system that
was developed by Accurate Realtime Reporting Inc. Charles Laszlo
reported that the seven people who attended in person and the 15
who participated over the Web were successful in concluding their
business. "This is definitely not a one-way system showing the
captioning," Charles told us, "but it also allows for
Web-participants to make comments. We were told that the system
is being expanded and will soon be able to accommodate additional
types of communications methods." Further information and details
on Communication Access
Realtime Translation can be found at:
(www.accuraterealtime.com).
- The Disability and Information Technologies Research Alliance
is a group of 15 researchers and 17 partner organizations
examining how information and communications technologies can
increase the quality of life and the inclusion of Canadians with
disabilities. The research is focusing on accessibility and
technology in four environments: workplaces, e-learning in
colleges and universities, on-line consultations, and retail and
public services (e.g. automated banking machines). Deborah
Stienstra, Director of the University of Manitoba's new
Interdisciplinary Master's Program in Disability Studies, is the
Principal Investigator. The other researchers come from many
disciplines, including community rehabilitation, psychology,
engineering, rehabilitation medicine, and adaptive technology.
Partner organizations include consumer-based disability advocacy
organizations, businesses, developers of mainstream and assistive
technologies, universities, colleges, governments, and research
institutes. This three-year project continues until September
2006, and is funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research
Council of Canada (SSHRC) through its Initiative on the New
Economy program. For further information, contact: Gary Annable,
Community Co-Director, Disability and Information Technologies
Research Alliance (Dis-IT), Council of Canadians with
Disabilities, 926 — 294 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 0B9
or email Gary Annable
(Dis-IT) at: ine@ccdonline.ca , tel:
204-947-0303 ext. 230 TTY: 204-943-4757 fax: 204-942-4625.
- Janet Hopkins, a Kamloops, BC-based writer, educator and
assistive technology practitioner, has written a book called
"Assistive Technology: An Introductory Guide for K-12 Library
Media Specialists". The book, published by US firm, Linworth
Publishing (www.linworth.com), offers
valuable information on accessibility and assistive technologies
for educators including K-12, public and postsecondary
librarians. It covers such topics as Inclusion and accessibility;
school reform, legislation and funding; operating system and
browser accessibility; add-on assistive technology hardware and
software for special needs; open source and proprietary software;
captioning technologies; portable and assistive devices; Internet
resources, conferences, and professional development. Expert
contributors from the United States and Australia are featured in
sidebar and chapter content throughout the book. The book (ISBN
number: 1-58683-138-0) is available from the publisher or through
online booksellers such as Amazon. Janet Hopkins can be reached
at: Assistive Tech Educational Consulting, 2265 MacIntyre Pl.,
Kamloops, BC V1S 1H7 tel: 250-828-1444 fax: 250-828-1452 email: Janet Hopkins -
AT_Consulting at:
AT_Consulting@Canada.com . Web: Assistive Tech
Educational Consulting
(http://ca.geocities.com/janethopkinsbc) .
- Canada's only national audio information service, VoicePrint
Canada , received three first place and two honourable mentions
at the International Association of Audio Information Services'
(IAAIS) Awards Banquet in May. VoicePrint Canada won awards in
three program categories: Interview and/or Call in Show,
Narrative Reading and News Digest. Marjorie Nicolaou, the News
Digest volunteer reader, said, "It's such a pleasure to read at
VoicePrint Canada. Receiving an award like this reinforces what I
know we do so well." Canada also received an honourable mention
in the On Location and Public Awareness categories. VoicePrint
Canada can be accessed on the S.A.P. of CBC Newsworld; Star
Choice, ExpressVu, Look TV and Skycable audio channels and on the
Web at VoicePrint
Canada (www.voiceprintcanada.com) .
- The next issue of the Bone and Joint Decade (BJD) newsletter
will deal with Trauma. It is to be released around the beginning
of June and will be posted to Bone and Joint Decade (BJD)
(www.bjdcanada.org). Submissions are also being
requested for the Paediatrics issue. The deadline for submissions
(maximum: 650 words and bilingual submissions would be
appreciated) is June 1. To request hard copies of the BJD
newsletter or to submit an article, email: Hazel Wood, Project
Coordinator, Eastern Canada, Bone and Joint Decade at:
hwood@rehabresults.com .
Our Web Site
Our Web site can be found at (www.at-links.gc.ca/as/zx20000E.asp) . 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 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
Tel: 613-990-4316 or 613-990-4297
fax: 613-998-5923
TTY: 613-998-3288
Internet: adio@crc.ca
Return to the ADIO home page
