I’m excited to be joining an upcoming Wireless Wednesday session on April 8th with the CNIB to talk all things AI and accessibility. We’ll dig into what’s actually changing right now for blind and low vision users — from real-world AI tools to the apps worth your time — followed by a live Q&A where you can ask anything.

These sessions are open, relaxed, and always full of great conversation with the community.

It all happens as part of CNIB’s Wireless Wednesday (1–3pm PT, national Zoom event)

Register / details: https://www.cnib.ca/en/event/wireless-wednesday

Would love to see some familiar names in there! #blind #BlindTech #AssistiveTechnology #CNIB

I'm pissed off and disappointed.

I just received a #telemarketing phone call on behalf of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, #soliciting #donations.

It sounded pretty human-ish -- I believe it was using actual recorded sentences of a human being - but they were edited/glued-together in a slightly unnatural way. I believe it was an #IVR system.

So in the middle of one of its speeches, I interrupted with "You're actually a #recorded announcement, aren't you?"

And it replied with some meaningless interjection followed by "No, I'm a real live #agent". And it wasn't. It definitely wasn't. I tested it further and it immediately failed, giving nonsensical replies and then suddenly switching to a "thank you for completing..." (which I hadn't) announcement and disconnecting.

Legitimate #charities shouldn't be employing telemarketing #robots which lie and claim to be #humans. Full stop.

#Shame on the CNIB.

#CNIB #CanadianNationalInstituteForTheBlind

Bruce Horak, the virtuoso legally blind actor, is leading a new Historical Canada Canadian Heritage Minute about the establishment of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).

These short heritage dramatizations have been an institution since the 1980s and a couple of new ones continue to be added to the collection each year.

Horak best known onscreen for his main cast role as the Aenar Chief Engineer Hemmer in season one of Star Trek - Strange New Worlds. In addition to acting, Horak is a visual artist whose work shows his perspective from his limited ~10% vision in one eye.

CBC feature with short interview with Horak.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/edwin-baker-cnib-heritage-minute-calgary-canada-1.7407047

Here’s the Edwin A. Baker Heritage Minute with described video.

https://youtu.be/_SV-U2cL5fk?si=paNyF6_vqAA7kOS_

@zora
#StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #SNW #StarTrekSNW #Aenar #Representation #Blind #LowVision #Canada #HeritageMinute #CNIB #Disability #BruceHorak #HistoricaCanada #Calgary

My Dad just got a phone call from #CNIB that went as follows:

CNIB: Hello Sir. did you complete the survey we sent out?
Him: No... What survey is that?
CNIB: "Oh, we sent it out late last week.
Him: "Well, you do know that Canada Post has been on strike since then..."
*long pause*
"CNIB: "Oh. Yeah, I forgot about that..."
I hope we were the first person they called today. LOL #Here'sYourSign