Notebook
Dinner in the Dark does the trick
From left, back row: Volunteers Cole Munro and Jacob Karpfen. front row volunteer Annie Krespil; Lucio D’Intino, and volunteer Gina Mills at Dinner in the Dark during White Cane Week at the Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre on February 8.
On February 8, the Quebec Federation of the Blind (QFB), with funding provided by Habilitas Foundation, treated 73 Layton-Lethbridge-Mackay Rehabilitation Centre (LLMRC) staff to “Dinner in the Dark,” catered by Pasta Casareccia. This event was in celebration of White Cane Week, which took place February 5 to 10 and aims to raise public awareness of the challenges faced by Canadians living with vision loss.
“For people to really understand the challenges of living with vision loss, they need to live it firsthand. I thought that a few hours of being blindfolded and in the dark would probably do the trick,” said Lucio D’Intino, president, QFB and organizer of the event.
Volunteers escorted blindfolded guests to communal tables in the darkened Layton Hall at the LLMRC and served the meal. Visually impaired ambassadors sat with guests throughout the dinner, imparting tips and tricks that they use daily to navigate meals and socialize in the absence of sight.
“My goal for this event was not only to sensitize staff to how it feels to live with vision loss, but also for them to see how services can be modified or added to better serve our clients,” said D’Intino.
On a follow up survey conducted by Habilitas Foundation, one guest explained that: “Despite working with people who present with a visual impairment, experiencing this made me even more aware of challenges, and so many ‘simple’' things that I wouldn't think about, like knowing if the question is directed to me, if people are listening, knowing how my plate is organized and the lack of explanation from the waiter.”
Celebrating inclusion, community and the power of art
Megan Zelikovic, left, and Sarah Aspler exhibit their artwork at this year’s multigenerational art exhibition “From Strength to Strength” at the Gelber Conference Centre on February 21.
For the third year in a row, Ometz, L’Annexe: the Ometz Centre for Young Adults and the Cummings Centre collaborated on a multigenerational art exhibition “From Strength to Strength” in honour of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month.
Over 300 guests attended the February 21 vernissage at the Gelber Conference Centre, which featured beautiful works by over 65 artists aged five to 85, who identify as living with a disability, mental illness or neurological difference, as well as those who do not. Artists from Moishe House and Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA also exhibited their work, as well as four professional artists from the Ukraine, who are newcomer clients at Ometz. Works on display covered a multitude of media, from paintings to stop-motion animation, digital art, textiles, poetry, photography and more.
Listen to Mark Bergman's in-depth interview with artists Sarah Aspler and Benny Wark, and manager of L'Annexe Lanya McClintock on the Inspirations News podcast (https://inspirationsnews.com/inspirations/podcasts)
Photo: Megan Zelkovic, left, and Sarah Aspler exhibit their artwork at this year's multigenerational art exhibition "From Strength to Strength" at the Gelber Conference Centre on February 21.
An impactful Pink Shirt Day chat
Michael Dean Rafferty, back row, fifth from left, with students and staff after a Q&A session on February 26 at the Mackay Centre and Philip E. Layton schools.
On February 26, Michael Dean Rafferty, founder of I N-O! Inc. with the Kera brand and Kera Cares visited the Mackay Centre and Philip E. Layton schools of the English Montreal School Board to share his story about growing up with vision loss, bullying, and how sport – in his case, downhill skiing – changed his life. During a Q&A session with host of Inspirations News podcast Mark Bergman, Rafferty encouraged students to find their gift, whether it’s in the arts, sports or culture, and to not be afraid to express themselves. He created Kera Cares as a way of giving back and plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from profits back to those with keratoconus, and other community organizations.
Photo: Michael Dean Rafferty, back row, fifth from left, with students and staff after a Q&A session on February 26 at the Mackay Centre and Philip E. Layton schools.
Summit’s Catwalk for camp
Jamie Hope Denis, left, wearing a dress donated by an anonymous donor, and Ludovic Black-Thompson, wearing a suit from Signor Terry, have fun modeling at Catwalk for camp at The Challenger in Saint-Laurent on February 13. Photo: Liam Boucher
Over 50 Summit School students took to the stage on February 13 to star in a fashion show fundraiser, produced by Summit School’s senior principal Bena Finkelberg, educational consultant Adina Superstein and social worker Tara Saxe. The student models walked and danced down the catwalk to the loud cheers of family, friends and staff, who packed the hall at The Challenger in Saint-Laurent from corner to corner. The show was brilliantly MCed by students Alessia Iglio, Ralph Odones and Zachary Kruse. The evening raised $14,000 to support Summit’s summer camp.
