Pacific training Centre for the blind

27/05/2026

THE VDRC IS HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE!🎉

Monday, June 1st, we will be hosting an Open House to celebrate Independent Living Across Canada Day and Independent Living Canada’s (ILC) 40th anniversary! From 11:00am to 2:00pm, everyone is welcome to stop by the VDRC office (817A Fort Street) and celebrate with us! Please feel free to share this with friends and family—the more the merrier!

We will have:
- Snacks
- Beverages
- A photo booth
- Free buttons and pins

In addition, staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about the VDRC, making this an ideal time to learn more about our programs and services! So, if you’d like to come join us in celebrating Independent Living Across Canada Day and ILC’s 40th anniversary by taking part in a fun afternoon, stop by on June 1st, no need to register!

If you have any questions about the event, you can contact our Executive Director, Wendy, at [email protected] or 250-595-0044, extension 107

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Image Description: a social media poster advertising the VDRC Open House. All info on it is in the above written post.

27/05/2026

The Board of Directors is pleased to invite all members of the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind to our Annual General Meeting.
Date: Monday, June 15, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM Pacific
This is an important opportunity to come together, review the past year’s accomplishments, and discuss the future direction of our organization.
Important Information:
Meeting Materials: Key documents related to the AGM will be sent out soon. Please watch for these in your email.
Board of Directors Nominations:
Elections for all Board of Directors positions will be held at the AGM. The following slate of directors is being proposed:
President – Kyla Berry (nominated)
Secretary – Janet Erikson (nominated)
Treasurer – Miles Motture (nominated)
Member at Large – Sabrina Yates (nominated)
Member at Large – Marie Tullett (nominated)


The following positions are open for nomination and we encourage people to apply:
Vice President (Vacant)
Members at Large (1position vacant)

Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, current resume, and references by email to the PTCB Executive Director at [email protected] no later than Monday, June 8, 2026. Nominations from the floor wil also be accepted during the AGM, with relevant documents confirming qualification provided within 72 hours.
Membership Confirmation:
To confirm your membership and receive your Zoom meeting link, please email Elizabeth at [email protected].
In your email, please provide the following details:
Full Name
Mailing address
Phone Number
Email Address
A statement indicating that you wish to be a member of the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind.

We look forward to your participation and thank you for your continued support of the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind.
Sincerely,

Kyla Berry
President & Chair, on behalf of the Board of Directors
Pacific Training Centre for the Blind

23/05/2026

Hello Everyone!

Please join us for our by monthly Let's Support Each Other! zoom meet up hosted by the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind.
The session will take place this Thursday, May 28, at 10 am Pacific. All invited.

We are excited to welcome our guest speaker, Steve Cook, from the National Federation of the Blind. Steve, who is from South Carolina, has been active in mentoring and leadership within the Federation for many years.

Steve will be talking about Audio described movie night, Trivia and Name That Tune, and SC Tech Talk

If you have any questions about our Let’s Support Each Other virtual sessions, please contact our program coordinator, Nancy Gill at 604-999-0233 or [email protected]

Elizabeth Lalonde is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Elizabeth Lalonde's Zoom Meeting
Time: May 28, 2026 10:00 AM Vancouver
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82386758133?pwd=yzhik9ap4g9mycGBYs4AngbVHgg3MD.1

Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/82386758133

Meeting ID: 823 8675 8133
Passcode: 733534

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12/05/2026

There is something incredibly powerful about reading with your fingertips.

These photos show two participants at the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind learning and reading Braille — building literacy, confidence, independence, and new opportunities through non-visual skills training.

Braille is so much more than dots on a page. It opens doors to education, employment, labeling, note-taking, organization, technology, and everyday independence. For many blind people, learning Braille can be life-changing.

At PTCB, we believe blind people can live full, independent lives when given access to proper training, high expectations, and encouragement. Watching participants gain confidence as they begin reading Braille is always inspiring.

We are proud to provide empowering blindness skills training right here in British Columbia.

05/05/2026

$2,000 RAISED! 💙

We are absolutely blown away. In just a few days, this community has come together to raise $2,000 for the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind.
To everyone who donated, shared, or sent a kind word: Thank you.

This isn't just a number. It means:
• 📖 Continued Braille literacy classes.
• 🦯 More confidence-building with long white cane travel.
• 🏠 Real independence through non-visual life skills.

The need remains high. Every week, we receive calls from blind individuals—including seniors navigating recent sight loss—who are searching for this vital support. We are still working to close the gap to ensure no one is turned away.

How you can help today:
• $30 provides a long white cane for a participant.
• Any amount keeps our doors open and our programs running.
• Sharing this post helps us reach people we haven't met yet!
✨ Donate via CanadaHelps: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/blindstewards/
✨ Donate via E-transfer: [email protected]
(Tax receipts are available)

Thank you for standing with us and helping our participants build the skills and confidence they deserve. 🦯💙

We establish, operate, maintain, and hold in trust in perpetuity, on behalf of blind/DeafBlind Canadians, centres for the blind/DeafBlind.

04/05/2026

The University of Victoria is conducting a research study on making digital maps more accessible to blind and low-vision people. Participants will try out a touchscreen software aimed to more flexibly explore an area beyond turn-by-turn navigation, to help construct spatial understanding. Participant will receive $40 as a token of thanks. The study itself takes 1 hour and a half. Participants could select their desired location for this in-person study, which will be run in Victoria and Vancouver (with possibility extending to surrounding areas). The complete recruitment information can be found in the following link: https://chunthebear.github.io/accessible-digital-map-for-blind-and-low-vision-people/. If you are interested, please send an email to the research student Yichun Zhao at [email protected].

Hello! Researchers at the University of Victoria, Department of Computer Science, are conducting research to examine a new digital map prototype designed to help blind and low-vision users explore and understand unfamiliar environments through non-visual interaction on a touchscreen device. The soft...

22/04/2026

Headline: 🚨 We need your help to keep hope alive.

The Pacific Training Centre for the Blind has hit a critical roadblock. A major grant we were counting on didn’t come through, leaving us with a $20,000 funding gap.

This isn't just a budget issue—it’s a direct threat to the programs our students rely on.

Our "Blind People in Charge" program is different. It’s led by blind instructors who teach not just skills, but independence. From mastering the white cane and Braille to cooking and technology, we empower blind adults to take back control of their lives.
As one senior who recently lost their sight told us: “You have given me hope.”

How you can make a difference today:
• $30 provides a long white cane (a tool for freedom).
• $100 funds a 1-on-1 training session.
• $500 keeps our doors open for an entire week of programming.

Ways to Give:
🔗 Donate Online: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/blindstewards/ (Instant tax receipts)

📧 E-Transfer: [email protected] (Please include your name/email in the notes for a tax receipt!)

Every dollar brings us closer to our goal. Please donate if you can, and hit that SHARE button to help us spread the word! 💙

We establish, operate, maintain, and hold in trust in perpetuity, on behalf of blind/DeafBlind Canadians, centres for the blind/DeafBlind.

13/03/2026

Dear friends and colleagues,

It is with deep sadness that I share that our dear friend and colleague, Heidi Propp, passed away yesterday morning after several years of serious health challenges.

Heidi was a truly remarkable person. She carried herself with extraordinary grace and had a warmth and kindness that touched everyone who knew her. She was a gentle, thoughtful, and deeply caring individual whose presence brought comfort and encouragement to so many.

Heidi also devoted a great deal of her life to supporting the blind community, often working quietly behind the scenes to help others. Her contributions were significant, even when they were not always visible, and many people benefited from her generosity, insight, and dedication.

She will be deeply missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with her.

My thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this very difficult time. I will share information about memorial arrangements if it becomes available.

With sadness,
Elizabeth Lalonde

28/02/2026

There is something powerful about walking out your own front door with confidence.

This week, Shane, one of our instructors, worked one-on-one with a participant on cane travel — beginning right at the participant’s home and walking all the way to the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind.

Cane travel is about far more than getting from point A to point B. It is about problem-solving, orientation, confidence, and trusting your skills. It is about learning to read the environment non-visually and making independent decisions every step of the way.

At PTCB, we teach Structured Discovery — hands-on, real-world learning led by blind instructors who model independence and high expectations. Lessons happen where life happens: on sidewalks, at intersections, on buses, in neighbourhoods, and in our community.

Every route mastered expands freedom.

Blind People in Charge.



Be My AI: Two adult men standing on a sidewalk beside a rough stone wall with moss and lichen, with tall trees and a wooden fence behind the wall.

The man in the center has light skin and shoulder-length wavy hair. He is smiling and wearing a tan jacket over a dark hoodie, dark sweatpants, and light gray sneakers. A long white cane is upright in front of him.

The man on the left has light skin, a gray beard, and glasses, and is partly cropped by the left edge of the photo. He is wearing a gray flat cap, an orange jacket, dark pants, and brown shoes. A long white cane is angled down toward the pavement near his feet.

08/02/2026

We’re excited to invite you to our next Let’s Support Each Other! session this Thursday, February 12 at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time) on Zoom.

We are excited to welcome our guest speaker, Michel Pepin, from HumanWare.
to learn more about Ray-Ban Meta Glasses.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses provide helpful utility to those with reduced vision, hearing, or mobility by offering the ability to perform tasks that typically require a phone, hands-free.
Use voice controls to make audio or video calls, send messages, or capture photos and videos—all without using your phone.
For those with remaining partial vision, some audio cues are also delivered visually, through light indications on the inside of the frames.
You can also use Meta AI to hear detailed descriptions of the world around you or connect with the Be My Eyes network to get assistance from a sighted volunteer.

If you have any questions about our Let’s Support Each Other virtual sessions, please contact our program coordinator, Nancy Gill [email protected]
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04/02/2026

White Cane Week This week, we celebrate the white cane—not as a symbol of limitation, but as a symbol of independence, skill, and confidence.

At the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind, the white cane represents freedom of movement, problem-solving, and the right of blind people to travel safely and independently in our communities. A long white cane is a powerful tool. It provides information, promotes confidence, and supports full participation in daily life.

White Cane Week is also a reminder that accessibility and inclusion are shared responsibilities. Blind people belong in public spaces, workplaces, classrooms, and communities—and we move through the world with skill, purpose, and pride.

Let’s keep opening doors, breaking down barriers, and supporting blind people to be fully in charge of our own lives.

Happy White Cane Week.

Pacific Training Centre for the Blind
Blind people in charge.