Galleries

Betty Nobel recalls what it meant to start her Braille education in grade one, using braille versions of standard books for beginning readers.

Betty Nobel describes the many ways she uses braille in her daily life.

Betty Nobel explains her passion for reading with braille, and why she believes that listening is not always a substitute.

Betty Nobel explains why she sees a bright future for Braille because of, not despite, advances in technology, and the development of lower-cost devices such as the Orbit Braille display.

There is a myth about braille that Betty Nobel wants to clear up.

Given his lifestyle as a white collar worker, and his St. Dunstan’s training, E. A. Baker describes to his biographer how he accomplished some of his needs for being properly attired.

Fran Cutler was the author of “The Right to Know,” a CNIB report that helped pave the way for the National Broadcast Reading Service. She talks about the project to meet the informational needs of people living with vision loss

Jim Sanders remembers his childhood training for reading with vision loss

Jim Sanders recalls using reel to reel recordings, and human readers during his high school years, as well as some of the alarming challenges of reel to reel playback

The day Jim Sander’s first talking book arrived remains etched in his memory.

Jim Sanders vividly recalls the day the CNIB representative, Mr. Gilby, arrived with the new talking book machine that replaced vinyl records in the mid-1960s

The next step in leveling the reading playing field came with portability. Jim Sanders talks about what it meant to be able to carry a battery-operated cassette player. .

Commercial audio books on CD can be frustrating for blind readers. Jim Sanders explains the importance of DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System), and how digital technology has revolutionized his reading life.

Kim Kilpatrick describes how today’s reading technology has provided her with the independence she used to yearn for

Technology trainer Kim Kilpatrick talks about the role the smart phone plays in her daily life.

Kim Kilpatrick describes some of the ways the electronic form of braille makes it more useful and practical, and what the future may hold for braille technology

Kim talks about what she finds rewarding and challenging about her role as a technology trainer.

D. Orput, Readaphone Corporation to E.A. Baker, CNIB
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Sherman Swift to Sir Frederick Fraser
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W.O. Carson, Librarian and Secretary, London Public Library to Sherman Swift, Librarian CFLB
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Sir Frederick Fraser to Sherman Swift
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Sherman Swift to the Hon Walter Scott, Premier, Saskatchewan
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Mr. Goodheart makes a donation to the Canadian Free Library for the Blind
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Excerpts from an article from the Women’s section of the Star Weekly, Oct. 16, 1915, titled “Blind Librarian Wants to Help Our Blinded Soldiers.” It’s written by a columnist called “La Cerise.”
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While working in 1959 as a chemistry teacher and the head of the science department at Don Mills Junior High School in Toronto, Saxton was asked by a colleague to donate two hours a week to CNIB, reading to people with vision loss. Despite having no experience in this area, Saxton agreed immediately Peter celebrated his 50th year of volunteering with CNIB in April 2008. He has spent the lion’s share of those years as a narrator for CNIB Library’s audio book service, but says that for the first seven years he did no recording at all. For his first volunteer assignment he learned two hand manual communication to assist Mae Brown with her studies. She went on to become the first deaf blind Canadian to graduate from university. Peter volunteered twice a week in the Audio Publishing program where his research skills were put to great use narrating a broad range of non-fiction topics, including many in First Languages.

When E.A. Baker returned to Canada after his rehabilitation at St. Dunstan's he brought with him a belief in the importance of good grooming and attention to personal appearances. He recognized that his future work life would be in offices, not farms or factories, and he felt he need to equip himself for that reality. His comments reflect social conditions for blind Canadians at the time.

Edwin Baker describes the moment in the trenches when he was injured and the immediate aftermath.

Excerpts from the radio script of Kate Aitken, from September, 1954
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Marion Robinson describes her time as CFLB Librarian following her husband's death
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Excerpts from Marion Robinson’s speech, on the occasion of the unveiling of a plaque to the memory of Edgar Bertram Freel Robinson at Markham, on Dec. 12, 1956, commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the founding of the Canadian Free Library for the Blind.

In 1994, inventor Ray Kurzweil received CNIB’s Winston Gordon Award, recognizing his achievements in significant technological advances benefitting people with vision loss. In this excerpt from his speech he talks about the digital revolution just beginning to unfold.