About Us

WHO WE ARE

CNSDB has a volunteer national Board of Directors comprised of five people who are deaf-blind and three associate members (people who are not deaf-blind).

Board of Directors 2008-2010

President:

Kim Wrigley-Archer, Greater Toronto Area, ON

Kim Wrigley-Archer has been on the CNSDB Board since 2004, first in the role of first vice-president and then later serving as president. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Rotary Cheshire Homes (Don Valley) in Toronto, Ontario. Kim grew up profoundly hard of hearing and was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome II when she was almost 21 years old. Kim then enrolled at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario where she struggled to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree at a time when disability accommodations were unheard of. After graduation, Kim worked for 23 years in Information Technology in various roles for three different large corporations. She gained hard-earned insights into the difficulties faced by people with disabilities in the workplace. Wanting a career change, Kim returned to university part-time in 2000 when she enrolled in Ryerson University’s School of Disability Studies. With the advances in disability accommodations and technology, this was a very positive academic experience.  Kim graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Disability Studies (Honours) in June 2007. Kim currently works as a disability consultant, drawing on her academic training, and her personal and business experiences, in her efforts to improve the accessibility of educational, employment and life opportunities for people with disabilities. She lives in the Greater Toronto Area with her husband and teenage daughter.

First Vice President:

Jane Sayer, Winnipeg, MB

Jane is the coordinator at the Resource Centre for Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind (RCMDB) in Winnipeg. She is one of the founding members of the Manitoba Deaf-Blind Association (MDBA) and was the first chairperson. Jane is the past president of the CNSDB. She served as CNSDB’s second vice president from 2000-2002 and then as president from 2002-2006. After a two-year leave she is currently back on the CNSDB Board as the first vice president. Jane was also one of the founding members of the Canadian Deaf-Blind Council (CDBC).

Second Vice President:

Craig MacLean, Etobicoke, ON

Prior to this term, Craig was a previous CNSDB board member and is experienced in the various director roles. He offers knowledge and experience on deaf-blind issues and advocacy.  A former resident of British Columbia now living in Etobicoke, Ontario, Craig offers insight on deaf-blind experiences and issues in both provinces.

Treasurer:

Jennifer Robbins, Toronto, ON

Jennifer has been the treasurer for CNSDB since 2002 and she brings a wealth of non-profit expertise and experience to her role.  While volunteering with us, Jennifer is the housing manager at Rotary Cheshire Homes (“RCH”), which operates North America’s only barrier-free independent living residence with intervenor services for people who are deaf-blind. RCH tenants are active adults and seniors who live independently in their apartments. RCH also provides case management, outreach and emergency intervenor services.  In addition, Jennifer is vice president of research and administration for Charityjobsearch.com, a website dedicated to serving Canada’s non-profit community.

Members at Large:

Sharon Durnan, Alliston, ON

Sharon has Usher Syndrome, type I.  She is married with no children, living with her deaf husband Ron.  Sharon was born in a small town outside of Barrie, Ontario and was diagnosed as deaf when she was a toddler.  She attended a residential school for the deaf in Belleville for 13 years, graduating in 1965.  Four months after her graduation, Sharon got a job as a typist at a Federal government medical school at CFB Borden, a military base at which she was employed for 31 years before retiring in 1996.  She was a computer operator the last few years before her retirement. Sharon was diagnosed with Ushers at the age of 16 when she took a driving course and an eye examination revealed that she had Retinitis Pigmentosa (R.P.).  She did not take it seriously at the time because she did not understand it.  Sharon has been enjoying her retirement with Ron. She enjoys going out to Deaf Seniors’ club playing cards and chatting weekly, workouts at Curves, knitting, crocheting and networking, although she says she is not an expert! Sharon has been an active participant in activities at the Canadian Helen Keller Centre (CHKC). Since first going to CHKC in September 2001, Sharon has been enjoying herself, learning so many new skills.  She believes CHKC is a great place for people who are deaf-blind to learn daily living skills to gain independence. Braille is one of her favourites and she is proud to be able to read books in both contracted and uncontracted Braille. Besides the training, she goes out to meet people in the deaf-blind community and makes new friends. She has made speeches about deaf-blindness to the Deaf School in Toronto, PEN-ON in Hamilton and Rotary Cheshire Homes.  She has accepted her dual disabilities well since receiving training at CHKC. Currently, Sharon is a board member of CNSDB, the Ontario Usher Syndrome Association (OUSA) and Deaf Access Simcoe-Muskoka (DASM).

Brenda Macalister, McLeese Lake, BC

Brenda is currently the secretary for the Northern Interior Association of the Deaf (NIAD). She also teaches Deaf-Blind Issues in the Interpretation Training Program at Douglas College in New Westminster, British Columbia. Born with Usher Syndrome, Brenda attended deaf schools in Ontario and Vancouver, graduating in 1970 from Jericho Hill School. She became involved in the deaf-blind community in 1981 and since then has participated in a wide range of activities. In 1986, she was elected to the CNSDB board for two terms, and she was a co-founder and president of the B.C. Association of the Deaf and Blind (BCADB) from the spring of 1989. She has also worked for the CNIB as a volunteer intervener training program coordinator. Brenda has lived in the Cariboo region of British Columbia with her husband Ian since 2004. She has two children.  Her hobbies are cooking, gardening and scrap booking, and she enjoys spending time with the family’s cat and two dogs. She travels to Vancouver several times a year for meetings, appointments and personal visits.

Christine Payne, Oakville, ON

Christine has an impressive and varied background in journalism and corporate communications. In addition to her volunteer work with the CNSDB Board of Directors, Christine works as a writer, communications and media consultant to companies in a variety of sectors, including mining, oil and gas, biotech and telecommunications.  Christine is also the managing editor of Charityjobsearch.com, a website for Canada’s non-profit sector.  She is the former communications director for the Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta, where she also served as acting co-executive director for approximately one year.  In addition, Christine sat on the advisory board for the Calgary Employment Partnership, a group of non-profit organizations dedicated to finding and improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and served as an advisor to the United Way (Calgary).  Prior to her transition to communications, Christine worked as a sports journalist (CBC TV Montreal, 680 News Toronto), in a variety of production-related roles in TV and radio (CBC News, CBC TV’s Disability Network, “The Radio Connection: the broadcast voice of people with disabilities”) and as a writer.

OTHER VOLUNTEERS

Membership Coordinator:

Cindy Accardi, Toronto, ON

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Since its inception, CNSDB has been an active participant in a number of important initiatives.

CNSDB partnered with the Canadian Deafblind and Rubella Association (CDBRA) to undertake the “Study of Deaf-Blind Demographics and Services in Canada” project. We are proud that CNSDB successfully applied for funding from the Federal government’s Social Development Partnership Program, which was a key milestone in making this project possible. This project was published in January 2005. 

Hosted conferences such as the Reaching Out Conference of Deaf-Blind People, which was held at the University of Toronto in 1986.  In 1996, CNSDB coordinated the Reaching Out National Canadian Conference of Deaf-Blind People. As well, we advocated for funding so that members could attend the 2004 Deafblind International conference in Ontario.

Supported the development of Rotary Cheshire Homes, which operates North America’s only barrier-free independent living residence with intervenor services for people who are deaf-blind.

Involved in planning and implementation of the George Brown College Intervenor Program.
Encouraged deaf-blind representatives and intervenors to participate in conferences such as Helen Keller World Conferences and conferences of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind.