WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-CA 00:00:11.411 --> 00:00:16.783 [Anselmo]: Hello! This is DeafDots, 28 May 2022. 00:00:16.783 --> 00:00:21.855 Bringing alerts & news reports at intervals for all Deaf Canadians. 00:00:21.855 --> 00:00:26.626 Don't forget to subscribe, like, and follow DeafDots 00:00:26.626 --> 00:00:29.929 to get new video updates! 00:00:41.274 --> 00:00:47.414 [Anselmo]: This past year, the Government of Canada has 00:00:47.414 --> 00:00:54.654 been making significant progress implementing the Accessible Canada Act 00:00:54.654 --> 00:01:00.794 to advance accessibility and the inclusion of persons with disabilities. 00:01:00.794 --> 00:01:06.341 DeafDots will be doing a series of spread out reports on disability issues 00:01:06.341 --> 00:01:10.916 and disability rights within Canada. 00:01:10.916 --> 00:01:17.526 On April 4, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the appointment of 00:01:17.526 --> 00:01:27.148 Canada's first Chief Accessibility Officer, Stephanie Cadieux. 00:01:27.148 --> 00:01:34.761 She has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Liberal 00:01:34.761 --> 00:01:37.497 caucus since 2009. 00:01:37.497 --> 00:01:44.270 She resigned from her seat after 13 years of service to become 00:01:44.270 --> 00:01:48.541 Canada's First Chief Accessibility Officer. 00:01:48.541 --> 00:01:59.919 She is the first woman with a disability to serve in the legislature 00:01:59.919 --> 00:02:08.194 and in cabinet; she has been living with a spinal cord injury from 00:02:08.194 --> 00:02:14.901 an automobile accident when she was 18. 00:02:14.901 --> 00:02:19.672 We asked her how she got involved with the Canadian Government. 00:02:20.773 --> 00:02:24.244 The Accessible Canada Act that was passed in 2019 created 00:02:24.244 --> 00:02:27.680 the Accessibility Standards Canada organization, 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:31.151 the Accessibility Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission, 00:02:31.151 --> 00:02:34.621 and the Office of the Chief Accessibility officer 00:02:34.621 --> 00:02:38.091 as a person with a disability I was excited about 00:02:38.091 --> 00:02:40.746 the potential of the act to remove barriers for 00:02:40.746 --> 00:02:45.031 people with disabilities across our country and so when the competition for 00:02:45.031 --> 00:02:48.000 the role was initiated I did apply. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:53.505 I am now thrilled to have been appointed as Canada's first chief accessibility officer. 00:02:54.107 --> 00:02:57.110 [Anselmo]: What accomplishments or contributions have you made for 00:02:57.110 --> 00:03:02.048 the disabled community? 00:03:02.682 --> 00:03:06.486 I've spent most of my life advocating for people with disabilities 00:03:06.486 --> 00:03:09.088 in one way or another. 00:03:09.088 --> 00:03:14.060 I was a staff member with spinal cord injury where I led the peer program development. 00:03:14.060 --> 00:03:17.864 I was a board member of disability alliance. 00:03:17.864 --> 00:03:23.611 I was a president of real wheels theater and I spent the past 13 years 00:03:23.611 --> 00:03:25.202 as an MLA 00:03:25.202 --> 00:03:29.242 and a Cabinet Minister in British Columbia in those roles 00:03:29.242 --> 00:03:31.730 I did a lot of different things. 00:03:31.730 --> 00:03:37.225 I developed an accessible tourism strategy for British Columbia, 00:03:37.225 --> 00:03:43.442 a peer support program as I mentioned for people with spinal cord injuries, 00:03:43.442 --> 00:03:46.400 I advanced disability and income support policy 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:50.265 and I established a Minister's Council on Employment and Inclusion 00:03:50.265 --> 00:03:53.638 with members of the disability community and the business community. 00:03:53.638 --> 00:03:58.888 [Anselmo]: You're the first Chief Accessibility Officer - 00:03:58.888 --> 00:04:02.714 could you explain a little bit about what your new role would 00:04:02.714 --> 00:04:05.661 consist of and what your vision is? 00:04:05.712 --> 00:04:09.916 As Chief Accessibility Officer, I'm an independent special advisor 00:04:09.916 --> 00:04:13.397 to the minister responsible for the Accessible Canada Act. 00:04:13.397 --> 00:04:17.633 Under the Accessible Canada Act there are a number of priority areas for action 00:04:17.633 --> 00:04:22.462 to break down barriers within all of the federal jurisdiction 00:04:22.462 --> 00:04:26.666 in Canada priorities are things like employment the built environment 00:04:26.666 --> 00:04:32.498 communications procurement and as the chief accessibility officer 00:04:32.498 --> 00:04:36.169 I'll be responsible for monitoring the outcomes of the act 00:04:36.169 --> 00:04:41.124 so my focus will be on those priority areas I'll work with partners 00:04:41.124 --> 00:04:48.250 and stakeholders to figure out how best to achieve that what needs to be done. 00:04:48.250 --> 00:04:54.000 In our approach to a common goal of making Canada barrier-free by 2040. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:58.623 It's important though I think to make it clear from the outset that 00:04:58.623 --> 00:05:00.312 my role will be to monitor 00:05:00.312 --> 00:05:05.215 and report not to enforce the act or the regulations that will be the job of 00:05:05.215 --> 00:05:09.637 the commissioner and as well my role won't be about suggesting the types of 00:05:09.637 --> 00:05:12.960 standards that are needed to address accessibility issues 00:05:12.960 --> 00:05:15.627 that will be the job of Accessibility Standards Canada but we will be 00:05:15.627 --> 00:05:17.483 working cooperatively. 00:05:18.318 --> 00:05:20.219 [Anselmo]: What are your priorities for 00:05:20.219 --> 00:05:23.356 Canadians with disabilities? 00:05:23.756 --> 00:05:28.361 I have no illusions about the challenges ahead; I know that 00:05:28.361 --> 00:05:32.059 people with disabilities feel disenfranchised by policies that 00:05:32.059 --> 00:05:36.000 are ineffective because they weren't developed with a lens 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.262 on accessibility governments and private sector organizations have 00:05:39.262 --> 00:05:42.991 in fact for years espoused the values of inclusion and accessibility 00:05:42.991 --> 00:05:49.665 but too often it isn't required and it gets missed so even worse than 00:05:49.665 --> 00:05:54.739 being missed unconscious bias often allows folks to decide that 00:05:54.739 --> 00:06:00.693 a lens on accessibility isn't needed and when that happens new problems are created. 00:06:00.693 --> 00:06:05.298 Moving the dial on these problems won't be easy or fast but I come 00:06:05.298 --> 00:06:09.902 to this position with a deep understanding of the complexity of government 00:06:09.902 --> 00:06:14.540 and the perseverance needed to bring about systemic lasting change. 00:06:14.540 --> 00:06:19.145 I'm ready to work with partners and stakeholders to figure out what needs 00:06:19.145 --> 00:06:23.783 to be done and how to make Canada truly inclusive where people of all abilities 00:06:23.783 --> 00:06:28.388 have the opportunity to participate fully in their communities. 00:06:28.388 --> 00:06:32.992 The quote "nothing without us" has always made sense but even more so today. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:39.198 [Anselmo]: Do you have any direct experience with the Deaf community? 00:06:39.198 --> 00:06:44.237 Will your staff have someone who is familiar with diversity 00:06:44.237 --> 00:06:49.275 and inclusion of Deaf Canadians on issues that Deaf people face 00:06:49.275 --> 00:06:54.280 and ways and means of alleviating these obstacles? 00:06:54.647 --> 00:06:59.782 I've worked with many people from the Deaf community and a number of 00:06:59.782 --> 00:07:02.977 different situations but I don't have a fulsome understanding of 00:07:02.977 --> 00:07:06.513 the barriers faced by the community or the best way to ensure that 00:07:06.513 --> 00:07:08.421 Deaf people are included. 00:07:08.421 --> 00:07:10.829 I understand there is a distinct culture separate 00:07:10.829 --> 00:07:15.151 and apart from the hard of hearing community and that the needs vary. 00:07:15.151 --> 00:07:18.782 It's important to me that my office reflect the diversity of Canadians 00:07:18.782 --> 00:07:24.000 and appreciate accessibility and disability inclusion issues from all perspectives 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.330 including those perspectives of Deaf Canadians. 00:07:27.330 --> 00:07:31.401 This is why outreach and engagement with the community is also going 00:07:31.401 --> 00:07:32.775 to be so important. 00:07:32.775 --> 00:07:37.190 No doubt ongoing conversations with the Deaf community will help me 00:07:37.190 --> 00:07:42.419 and my office to better understand the issues and the possible ways to address them. 00:07:42.628 --> 00:07:47.433 [Anselmo]: With Stephanie's first-hand knowledge and experience 00:07:47.433 --> 00:07:54.574 in the disability community, this issue is personal to her and she is eager 00:07:54.574 --> 00:07:57.955 to make better changes. 00:07:57.955 --> 00:08:02.290 I'm looking forward to seeing what she will bring to the table. 00:08:15.995 --> 00:08:22.207 [Anselmo]: On April 16, 2022, a Gallaudet University senior, 00:08:22.207 --> 00:08:30.206 Molly Feanny from B.C. tweeted a signed video message 00:08:30.206 --> 00:08:39.615 to Apple's Chief Executive Officer, Tim Cook, inviting him 00:08:39.615 --> 00:08:49.495 to deliver Gallaudet University's 152nd commencement address on May 13. 00:08:49.495 --> 00:08:54.300 About an hour later, Cook had accepted. 00:08:56.300 --> 00:08:58.958 We would like to invite you to be the speaker at our 00:08:58.958 --> 00:09:04.464 commencement. Mr.Cook, will you join me in speaking to 00:09:04.464 --> 00:09:09.765 our amazing class of 2022 on May 13 at Gallaudet University 00:09:09.765 --> 00:09:11.765 in Washington, DC? 00:09:12.218 --> 00:09:16.622 [Anselmo]: DeafDots asked Molly what prompted her 00:09:16.622 --> 00:09:21.627 to invite Tim Cook through Twitter. 00:09:22.194 --> 00:09:34.385 It was both mine and Gallaudet University's idea to invite him. 00:09:34.385 --> 00:09:35.174 We partnered up. 00:09:35.174 --> 00:09:43.450 We thought since it's been 2 years since our last in-person graduation celebration 00:09:43.450 --> 00:09:50.599 and we've been through a lot for 18 months with distance learning due to the pandemic. 00:09:50.599 --> 00:09:58.497 We figured, why not celebrate with someone special for the graduation ceremony this year? 00:09:58.497 --> 00:10:05.081 The University and I worked together on the invitation; 00:10:05.081 --> 00:10:10.994 I signed the invitation and they filmed me and posted the video on Twitter. 00:10:11.611 --> 00:10:19.485 [Anselmo]: You could've asked anyone, why Tim Cook specifically? 00:10:20.052 --> 00:10:25.858 The CEO of Apple shows great leadership. 00:10:25.858 --> 00:10:30.376 He partnered with Gallaudet University to make sure all students, 00:10:30.376 --> 00:10:38.468 teachers, and staff have access to learning and working through Apple devices, 00:10:38.468 --> 00:10:42.548 like MacBook laptops and iPads. 00:10:42.548 --> 00:10:50.201 This was exceptional because for 18 months we had to do distance 00:10:50.201 --> 00:10:54.000 online learning and how do we gain access to learning? 00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:00.306 Some students, teachers, and staff had limited access to technology. 00:11:00.306 --> 00:11:09.001 The free MacBooks and iPads helped us to gain equal access to education and work. 00:11:09.568 --> 00:11:19.345 [Anselmo]: What did you gain from his address to the graduating class? 00:11:19.345 --> 00:11:24.383 What message struck a chord with you? 00:11:24.850 --> 00:11:31.524 Tim Cook gave an extraordinary speech at the graduation ceremony. 00:11:31.524 --> 00:11:41.017 There's so much I could say but what stood out to me was the advice 00:11:41.017 --> 00:11:46.686 to graduate students, "live your life to the fullest." 00:11:46.686 --> 00:11:49.692 I agree with that statement. 00:11:49.692 --> 00:11:56.582 Our lives are so short but we need to live our lives to the max. 00:11:56.882 --> 00:12:01.053 [Anselmo]: Now that you've graduated, what's next for you? 00:12:01.520 --> 00:12:04.757 Right now, I'm here in Florida. 00:12:04.757 --> 00:12:06.058 Why? 00:12:06.058 --> 00:12:11.497 To celebrate my graduation at Disney World. I'm excited about this. 00:12:11.497 --> 00:12:18.304 After that, I want to find a full-time job in tech. 00:12:18.304 --> 00:12:21.240 This means I might stay here in the United States 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.643 or maybe I'll travel the world then apply for 00:12:24.643 --> 00:12:29.509 graduate school for technology and accessibility. 00:12:29.509 --> 00:12:34.583 Or there might be opportunities popping up ahead of me 00:12:34.583 --> 00:12:38.259 and that's why you should never expect your path to be set in stone. 00:12:38.259 --> 00:12:46.265 Maybe new exciting opportunities might come up and I'll pursue them to success. 00:12:46.932 --> 00:12:51.278 [Anselmo]: Gallaudet University also participates in an Apple 00:12:51.278 --> 00:12:58.882 scholarship program for students of colour and disabilities. 00:12:58.882 --> 00:13:15.127 And at a university where about two-thirds of students are eligible for Pell Grants, federal aid for students from low-income families, 00:13:15.127 --> 00:13:27.262 the partnership between Apple and Gallaudet has been beneficial in advancing greater accessibility and inclusion in education. 00:13:54.800 --> 00:14:01.740 [Anselmo]: The 2022 Summer Deaflympics was held in Caxias do Sul, 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:09.323 Brazil, from 1 May to 15 May 2022. 00:14:09.323 --> 00:14:15.995 Team Canada did so well and here are some highlights: 00:14:15.995 --> 00:14:22.528 1st participation of the Women's Beach Volleyball team in the Summer Deaflympics. 00:14:22.528 --> 00:14:28.365 1st participation of a golf team as well. 00:14:28.365 --> 00:14:36.375 9 out of 15 athletes participated at the Deaflympics for the first time. 00:14:36.375 --> 00:14:42.469 A great performance by the tennis team with a total of 3 wins, including 00:14:42.469 --> 00:14:47.419 one in Men's Doubles. 00:14:47.419 --> 00:14:53.746 The youngest player on the Canadian team was Vaunn Smith - 00:14:53.746 --> 00:14:59.276 a 20 years old beach volleyball athlete. 00:14:59.276 --> 00:15:11.043 A first ever medal at the Summer Deaflympics since 2009 by a Canadian athlete, 00:15:11.043 --> 00:15:17.417 the golfer Russell Bowie. 00:15:17.417 --> 00:15:22.069 DeafDots reached out to several athletes but they were either busy 00:15:22.069 --> 00:15:26.909 or understandably exhausted, one athlete responded. 00:15:26.909 --> 00:15:35.697 We asked Team Canada's flag bearer, Lance Gordon, 00:15:35.697 --> 00:15:44.644 a 55 year old five time Deaflympics badminton athlete 00:15:44.644 --> 00:15:51.991 to share his experience at the 2022 summer games. 00:15:51.991 --> 00:15:58.090 How did you first get involved with badminton? 00:15:58.691 --> 00:16:06.498 Let's go back to high school, that was when I showed interest in badminton 00:16:06.498 --> 00:16:08.882 and played against hearing students. 00:16:08.882 --> 00:16:19.918 At the time, my parents and two good friends - who played in the Deaflympics as well - 00:16:19.918 --> 00:16:27.849 talked to me and encouraged me to play and attend the Deaflympics. 00:16:27.849 --> 00:16:35.397 This was in 1985 in Los Angeles, California. 00:16:35.828 --> 00:16:42.668 [Anselmo]: What was the experience like for you competing in the Deaflympics? 00:16:43.002 --> 00:16:43.969 Wow. 00:16:43.969 --> 00:16:45.804 It's always challenging. 00:16:45.804 --> 00:16:52.144 There are many good players from different countries all over the world. 00:16:52.144 --> 00:16:59.267 Especially in Asia, there are a lot of good players. 00:16:59.267 --> 00:17:01.053 It's fun to watch them. 00:17:01.053 --> 00:17:06.000 High-level players. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:09.770 They make me want to become a better player. 00:17:09.770 --> 00:17:13.298 I try to catch up to their high-level playing skills. 00:17:14.099 --> 00:17:21.840 [Anselmo]: What was the highlight of the whole trip? 00:17:22.875 --> 00:17:27.462 We had a golfer who won a silver medal. 00:17:27.462 --> 00:17:30.227 That inspired me a lot. 00:17:30.227 --> 00:17:34.939 He made me feel proud to be part of Team Canada. 00:17:34.939 --> 00:17:36.705 That was good. 00:17:36.705 --> 00:17:40.756 Also, getting involved with different competitions, chatting, 00:17:40.756 --> 00:17:45.343 and learning their languages and sign languages, you know? 00:17:45.343 --> 00:17:47.239 It's always interesting. 00:17:47.466 --> 00:17:54.465 [Anselmo]: How did you prepare for the Deaflympics? 00:17:54.465 --> 00:17:59.523 Physically, mentally, and emotionally? 00:17:59.523 --> 00:18:06.351 It's important to understand that; it's important to control your mind, 00:18:06.351 --> 00:18:14.437 control your calmness, and it's important to prepare ahead; 00:18:14.437 --> 00:18:21.800 what to do in the game and make sure you feel strong. 00:18:21.800 --> 00:18:28.505 Mentally, it's important to stay calm. 00:18:28.505 --> 00:18:31.824 This goes the same for emotions as well; 00:18:31.824 --> 00:18:39.751 you can't get too excited or afraid or anything like that, 00:18:39.751 --> 00:18:45.008 it's important to stay calm and to control your mind. 00:18:45.257 --> 00:18:49.061 [Anselmo]: Now that the 2022 Summer Deaflympics have ended, 00:18:49.061 --> 00:18:52.331 what's next for you? 00:18:52.698 --> 00:18:55.204 I'm undecided for now. 00:18:55.204 --> 00:18:58.937 I know that the next Deaflympics will be in Japan. 00:18:58.937 --> 00:19:00.205 Whew. 00:19:00.205 --> 00:19:04.908 I'm really motivated to go and to get involved. 00:19:04.908 --> 00:19:13.152 I would really love to help the team by becoming a team manager, a coach, 00:19:13.152 --> 00:19:15.718 or even an assistant coach. 00:19:15.718 --> 00:19:16.717 Really, anything like that. 00:19:16.717 --> 00:19:24.990 There is a possibility that I might play again but I hope not. 00:19:24.990 --> 00:19:31.788 I really want to see young players develop and grow, you know, 00:19:31.788 --> 00:19:34.592 grow for the future and that's important. 00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:40.879 [Anselmo]: Not everyone can experience something extraordinary like 00:19:40.879 --> 00:19:43.882 competing in the Deaflympics. 00:19:43.882 --> 00:19:52.070 Team Canada represented us well and we're proud of them. 00:20:20.852 --> 00:20:27.301 [Anselmo]: Deaf people don't always have equal access to the same goods, 00:20:27.301 --> 00:20:34.842 services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations 00:20:34.842 --> 00:20:40.765 in our daily lives and it's frustrating. 00:20:40.765 --> 00:20:47.244 When big name companies take action to remove barriers and make something 00:20:47.244 --> 00:20:54.000 more inclusive and accessible, it's a big deal. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:21:00.000 Nicole will share what's happening in the tech world. 00:21:04.096 --> 00:21:09.221 [Nicole]: On May 19, 2022, Netflix Canada announced they were 00:21:09.221 --> 00:21:15.336 launching its first-ever "Celebrating Disability with Dimension" 00:21:15.336 --> 00:21:20.288 collection of shows and movies with characters or stories about people 00:21:20.288 --> 00:21:34.126 living with disabilities in honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day. 00:21:34.126 --> 00:21:45.428 Netflix is also boosting its audio descriptions, AD for short, and subtitles 00:21:45.428 --> 00:21:51.713 for deaf and hard of hearing, SDH for short, in more languages, including Spanish, 00:21:51.713 --> 00:21:55.115 French, Korean, and Portuguese. 00:21:55.115 --> 00:22:03.249 According to Netflix, 40 percent of its global audience regularly use subtitles. 00:22:03.249 --> 00:22:14.018 Netflix's director of accessibility, Heather Dowdy said, "if our members with disabilities 00:22:14.018 --> 00:22:21.149 aren't even able to access that title and give us the feedback to improve the SDH, 00:22:21.149 --> 00:22:24.697 then we aren't serving all of the members the best way that we can." 00:22:53.004 --> 00:23:00.249 [Nicole]: Microsoft's Xbox partnered with Sorenson to launch a brand new channel - 00:23:00.249 --> 00:23:11.064 Xbox ASL - that features American Sign Language interpretation for original live streams. 00:23:11.064 --> 00:23:20.971 Deaf gamers will have access to first-looks, specific tips, interviews, 00:23:20.971 --> 00:23:27.180 and strategies in their natural language. 00:23:27.180 --> 00:23:35.680 Lance Pickett, Sorenson's Chief Relationship Officer said, 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:41.830 "Gaming with Twitch is a very communal experience for fans 00:23:41.830 --> 00:23:44.775 and gamers as celebrities. 00:23:44.775 --> 00:23:49.555 With ASL interpretation, Deaf gamers can join and fully participate 00:23:49.555 --> 00:23:51.110 in that community." 00:23:51.141 --> 00:23:56.349 Currently, the ASL Xbox channel provides sign language interpretation 00:23:56.349 --> 00:23:59.328 for approximately 25 hours of live streams each week. 00:23:59.328 --> 00:24:06.927 Now, for Deaf avid gamers, digital accessibility support in gaming includes ASL. 00:24:20.358 --> 00:24:28.690 [Nicole]: Apple announced new accessibility features for various platforms 00:24:28.690 --> 00:24:37.805 such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch will come out later this year. 00:24:37.805 --> 00:24:42.689 Live Captions will be able to transcribe any audio content - 00:24:42.689 --> 00:24:49.421 FaceTime calls, social media apps, video conferencing apps with auto attribution 00:24:49.421 --> 00:25:00.000 to identify the speaker, streaming video, or in-person conversations. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:07.433 Users can adjust font size for ease of reading. 00:25:07.433 --> 00:25:12.880 Live Captions in FaceTime attribute auto-transcribed dialogue 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:15.978 to call participants and this helps group video calls to become more convenient 00:25:15.978 --> 00:25:18.511 for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. 00:25:18.511 --> 00:25:25.401 For calls on Mac, Live Caption users have the option to type a response 00:25:25.401 --> 00:25:29.376 and have it spoken aloud in real time to others. 00:25:29.376 --> 00:25:35.795 Live Captions feature is compatible with iPhone 11 and later, 00:25:35.795 --> 00:25:51.285 iPad models with the A12 Bionic chip and later, and Apple silicon Macs. 00:25:51.550 --> 00:25:55.360 [Anselmo]: This is some of the ways technology improves Deaf 00:25:55.360 --> 00:26:01.426 and hard-of-hearing people's lives for the better. 00:26:01.426 --> 00:26:04.296 Thank you for watching DeafDots. 00:26:04.296 --> 00:26:14.420 Please send your news suggestions through our website www.DeafDots.ca 00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:27.259 or email to news@deafdots.ca. 00:26:27.259 --> 00:26:32.692 Don't forget to subscribe, like, and follow DeafDots 00:26:32.692 --> 00:26:37.333 to get new video updates!