Will Butler, VP at “Be My Eyes”, talks about the popular smart phone app and its rapid global adoption among the blind and visually impaired as well as millions of volunteers. Will further shares stories of corporate partnerships established by Be My Eyes to help people with low vision navigate everything from performing computer updates to reading pregnancy test results. About the Guest: I work every day to make the world better for blind people. At Be My Eyes, we understand that visual impairment is not only a spectrum of visual acuity, but cuts across every demographic, geography and …

Will Butler – Be My Eyes: Over 4 Million Volunteers Helping the Blind See. Read more »

Brad Folkens, CEO of TapTapSee, explains how the application helps people who are blind or have low vision “see“ using their smart phones. Brad covers the origins of the company and its technology, common use cases, and how the technology can be improved in the coming years. About the Guest: Bradford Folkens is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of CloudSight, Inc., a technology company that specializes in image captioning and understanding. Folkens earned his Bachelor of Science in Theoretical Computer Science and Mathematics from Northern Illinois University in 2002. Folkens has owned and operated his own company, CityTech …

Brad Folkens – TapTapSee: Leveraging Technology to Help the Low Vision Community. Read more »

Randy Pierce, President of 2020 Vision Quest, shares his journey of vision loss and how he focused on his abilities rather than his disabilities to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and other notable peaks, train for and compete in the Boston marathon as a blind athlete, pen a book to inspire the masses, and become a motivational speaker giving keynote addresses across a range of industries and geographies. About the Guest: During two short but significant weeks in 1989, a devastating neurological disease transformed Randy Pierce from a healthy and ordinary young man to a blind man completely uncertain of his …

Randy Pierce – Mastering blindness, mindset, and reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Read more »

Dr. Hemant Khanna discusses how a powerful gene editing tool called CRISPR has the potential to treat blinding I diseases such as Leber Congenital Amarosa‘s, Retinitis Pigmentosa, and others. Dr. Khanna further provides an overview of gene therapy for retinal disease, as well as a description of a novel approach to treating retinal degeneration using partial length proteins. About the Guest: Dr. Hemant Khanna Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Massachusetts Medical School “Our lab investigates molecular and cell biological bases of severe photoreceptor degenerative disorders, such as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). Our studies have identified …

Dr. Hemant Khanna – Treating retinal disease with CRISPR, gene therapy, and partial proteins. Read more »

Rob Cramer, Guide dog mobility instructor for CNIB, discusses his lifelong dream to work with guide dogs for people with low vision. Rob’s journey began at the age of 10 when his mother, diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, received her first guide dog. His path took him to Australia and eventually back to Canada, accumulating experience and powerful stories along the way that he shares with the audience in this interview. About the guest: Rob Cramer is a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor with CNIB Guide Dogs.  Rob commenced his career in 2008, holding a variety of positions at organizations in Australia before …

Rob Cramer – Stories from a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor. Read more »

David Demers, Executive Director of CNIB Quebec and Executive Lead for Frontier Accessibility, discusses accessibility and employment for people who are blind or visually impaired. Other topics covered include David’s own story of sudden vision loss due to Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and the history and stigmatization of blindness.   About the guest: In 2008, the alumnus’s vision was impaired by Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, a degenerative vision disorder. Executive Director at the CNIB, David also speaks at schools and organizations to raise awareness of the challenges of the blind. Former positions: General Manager Business Development and Outreach Manager. …

David Demers – Leading the Charge for Accessibility and Employment for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Read more »

Dr. Helen Dimaras discusses how empowering Retinoblastoma survivors and their families to have a greater role in the decision-making process of research projects has led to more inclusive, high-quality, and translatable results. The Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board (CRRAB) is co-directed by patients, clinicians, allied healthcare providers, researchers, patient engagement experts, and policymakers. About the guest: Helen Dimaras, PhD Dr. Helen Dimaras is Associate Professor and Director of Global Health in the Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. She is cross-appointed to the Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public …

Helen Dimaras – Why patients can (and should) become researchers. Read more »

Victoria Nolan shares her story of vision loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa and how she was drawn to start rowing at age 30, eventually earning a spot on the Canadian national adaptive rowing team. Victoria further shares stories of her experience as a guide dog handler and her current training for the Tokyo Olympic Games. About the author: Victoria was born with a degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, but she asserts that facing the challenge of going blind was actually an opportunity – a chance to develop her grit and inner strength. Her determination propelled her to pursue excellence on …

Victoria Nolan – Rowing for Gold, Olympic Dreams, and Retinitis Pigmentosa. Read more »

Dr. Stephen McIntosh provides a high-level overview of Age-related Macular Degeneration, Including modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, basic treatment approaches, a scientific explanation for the cause of the disease, and thoughts on why the disease etiology is complicated and not completely understood. About the Guest: With international experience in eye care, cross-disciplinary research, and healthcare philanthropy, Dr. McIntosh brings a broad perspective to small-town eyecare, spending the past decade practicing optometry in small communities of rural Newfoundland.   His interests include disease prevention and health promotion through primary eye care, optics and the optical industry, as well as bioethics and health care …

Age-related Macular Degeneration with Dr. Stephen McIntosh. Read more »

Andre Larente, President of DIAGNOS, explains how artificial intelligence is impacting the field of ophthalmology, enabling for early detection of diabetic retinopathy and other blinding eye diseases. Mr. Larente further explains how his companies technology can detect early signs of non-ocular conditions, including stroke. About the guest: André Larente. President, CEO, DIAGNOS Inc. Mr Larente has been active in the information technology sector for more than 26 years. He has previously held leading management positions with companies such as Siemens, Syscan International, Newbridge Networks, Legent Corporation, Cognos, Tandem Computers and Honeywell Information Systems. Mr. Larente is the President of …

DIAGNOS: Artificial intelligence meets ophthalmology. Read more »