James W. Sanders, Chair
Jim, who lives in Guelph, retired in 2009 after a 42-year career with CNIB. He worked in four provinces serving for his final eight years as President and CEO. He continues to represent CNIB as Vice President of the North America/Caribbean Region and member of the International Executive Committee, The World Blind Union. Jim also serves as Executive Director of The Sir Arthur Pearson Association of War Blinded, a volunteer position he has held since 1989. He is a member of the Minister's Advisory Committee on Accessible Devices, Industry Canada. Jim serves on the Advisory Board, Adjunct Faculty of the International Leadership Institute, The Hadley School for the Blind. Jim received the King Clancy Award in 2003 and the Helen Keller Award in 2007. Jim was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2003.
Peggy Taillon, Vice Chair
Peggy Taillon is President of the Canadian Council on Social Development, Canada's longest established social policy and research organization. A passionate advocate for equality and social justice, Ms. Taillon most recently served as Senior Vice- President of Advocacy, Community Engagement and Chief Privacy Officer at The Ottawa Hospital. She has used her expertise to influence the development and reform of health and human service systems. She has also been a catalyst for bringing together people and systems, establishing a wide array of networks and organizations anchored by the goals social justice. Ms. Taillon is an active community volunteer, working with the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership, the Inner City Health Project, the Ontario Women's Health Council, and the Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child & Youth Mental Health. Most recently, Ms. Taillon established the HERA Foundation of Canada to support her many development projects empowering women and children in Western Kenya. Ms. Taillon holds degrees in Social Work and Law, and advanced Degrees in Mediation and Negotiation. She is an adoring mother of her beautiful son, Devlin.
Joan Gallagher-Bell
Joan Gallagher-Bell of Burlington, since retirement in 1993, has been an active volunteer with Multiple Sclerosis Society Halton Chapter, MS Society Ontario Division Ambassador Program, MS Social Action Committee, the City of Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee, Mayor's Seniors Advisory Committee, Halton Region Accessibility Advisory Committee, Halton Region Housing Task Force, Halton Voices Program, and United Way/Seniors Advisory Committee Task Force as member and Chair of Sub Committee re: Transportation. She was privileged to participate as a voting member on the Transportation Standards Development Committee plus the Accessible Built Environment Standards Committee. She is a proud Grandmother of five grandchildren, opera enthusiast, enjoys jazz, knitter of shawls for church, and past painter in various mediums. She is "practicing to be a senior."
Earl Black
Earl Black of Sudbury is a graduate of Laurentian University and has been employed as the Coordinator of Special Needs at Laurentian University in Sudbury Ontario since 1989. He founded the Independent Living Centre in Sudbury and Manitoulin in 2001 and is presently Past Chairperson. He was a former member of the Accessibility Advisory Committee for the Province of Ontario for disabled persons from 1990-1995, and has been a member of the Transportation’s Standards Committee 2006 - 2009, and the Employment Standards Committee 2007 - 2010. He was a member of Sudbury and Manitoulin Workforce Partnerships Board 2006 and Independent Living Canada 2008. He is also Chair of the Accessibility Advisory Panel for the City of Greater Sudbury since 2003. Earl received a Community Action Award from the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in 2010.
Ian Greaves
Ian Greaves, of Niagara Falls, has a strong background in advocacy for people with disabilities. He was a regional representative with the Ontarians With Disabilities Act Committee, works on social action issues with the MS Society, participates on accessibility advisory committees at Niagara Region and Niagara Falls, and is a board member with the Niagara Centre For Independent Living. He has extensive experience in urban and transportation planning, housing and land development. He has a BA (Sociology) from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA from the State University of New York.
Don Halpert
Don Halpert of Thunder Bay is Vice President, Human Resources at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. He is past Board member and treasurer of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. He has also served on the Board of the Canadian Hearing Society. Don is active in accessibility efforts in Ontario Hospitals. He is a graduate of the University of Windsor and has been hard of hearing for the past 20 years. He maintains his active job and active life with the aid of a Cochlear Implant.
Ken Harrower
Ken Harrower of Toronto was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1961. Ken has Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC). He went to the University of Waterloo part-time from 1987 - 1988 to study general arts. Ken moved to Toronto in 1999, where he is involved in the art community and sells his paintings to the public. For past two years, he has also been actively engaged in provincial affairs.
Betsy Heately
Betsy Heately of Brockville is a former policy and project manager with several different Ontario government ministries, specializing in human rights and disability issues, organizational development and sport and recreation. Since her retirement and relocation to Brockville, Ontario in 2003, Betsy has been an active community volunteer with the May Court Club of Brockville, the Brockville Arts Centre, Brockville Public Library, Volunteer Bureau of Leeds and Grenville and the Newcomers Club of Brockville. She is an avid curler, golfer and fine artist. She is a graduate of Ryerson Polytechnic University and Queen’s University with degrees in Public Administration.
John Hendry
John Hendry of Waterloo is an author, professional speaker, veteran public school trustee, and an outspoken advocate for persons with special needs. He is the father of a son with cerebral palsy, written a book for parents of children with disabilities, and he has served on a special education advisory committee for more than twenty years.
Dr. Laverne Jacobs
Dr. Laverne Jacobs is a law professor at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. Her areas of expertise and research interests centre on legal relationships of fairness between citizen and state. She teaches courses in access to justice, civil liberties and judicial review of administrative action. Professor Jacobs has extensive expertise in equality rights, including disability rights and discrimination, which stems in part from her experiences as a member of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and of the disability community. Professor Jacobs studied at McGill University where she completed her B.A. (Hons.) in French literature and law degrees in the Common Law and Civil Law (LL.B & B.C.L). She holds a Ph.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School and was recently a Visiting Scholar at Cornell University.
Rabia Khedr
Rabia Khedr of Mississauga is a Trainer and Consultant under diversityworX and Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities (CAM-D). She also chairs Mississauga's Accessibility Advisory Committee. And is a member of the Peel District School Board Parent Involvement Committee, the Disability Degree Program Advisory Committee at Ryerson University and the Ontario Women's Health Network board. A human rights activist, Rabia, who is married and a mother of four, is blind. Most recently, she has worked for the University of Guelph facilitating Accessible Customer Service Training. Rabia has presented at local, national and international conferences to raise awareness around disability issues, women's rights and Islamaphobia. Rabia is the recipient of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women – Women Who Inspire Award 2007, Council for the Advancement of Muslin Professionals – Toronto Community Leadership Award 2007 and Canadian Multicultural Council Ontario Asians Outstanding Asian Canadian Award 2010.Rabia specializes in the areas of cultural competence, intersectionality of identity and barriers to participation and has written a number of articles related to these subjects. Rabia has a B.A. from the University of Toronto and is currently pursuing graduate studies at York University.
Stuart Kidd
Stuart Kidd retired from a career in municipal planning. His experience includes property development, sales, leasing and management for a provincial crown corporation. His past appointed positions include Vice Chair, Physically Handicapped Adults Rehab Association, Chair, North Bay Police Services Board and Board Member of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. He is currently a Board Member of the Ontario Conservation Review Board, Member of the North bay Drug Awareness Committee and he co-manages a family property portfolio.
Lorin MacDonald
Lorin MacDonald of Hamilton, following a multi-faceted career in the business, public and non-profit sectors in Toronto and as an entrepreneur in her hometown of Port Dover, decided it was time for a change. With the goal of acting as a catalyst for change through social policy, Lorin earned her law degree from the University of Western Ontario in London, complimenting undergraduate studies in sociology. In 2004, she was the lead organizer of a fully accessible forum in London that directly influenced the provincial government to introduce stronger disability legislation. In 2006, Lorin was named to the City of London Mayor's New Year's Honours List, and has received numerous honours for her unwavering efforts toward a barrier free Ontario.
Frank Maggisano
Frank Maggisano of Woodbridge has worked as a lawyer in the greater Toronto area in a variety of legal areas over the past several years and is licensed to practice in both Ontario and new York State. Currently, Frank acts as a legal counsel with a company serving the real estate industry. Frank is knowledgeable in various real estate related laws and regulations both provincial and municipal. Frank is also a member of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
Jeffrey Preston
Mr. Jeffrey Preston of London, completed an undergraduate degree in Media and the Public Interest at the University of Western Ontario. He is now completing an MA in Media Studies. He won Ontario Graduate Scholarship, a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant and Teaching Assistant Award in 2007. Jeff is returning to the University of Western Ontario this year as a Doctorate candidate in Media Studies. He has sat as chair of the Provincial Council and vice-chair on the Board of Directors with Easter Seals Ontario.
Faelyne Templer
Faelyne Templer is the founder of a Durham-based non-profit organization called Avocation that offers free vocational training and job support to people looking for work. Faelyne was honoured in 2006 with a nomination as the YWCA Durham's Women of Distinction for her work in the community through Avocation. She is also the Business Co-chair of the Durham Region Local Training Board, Executive Board Member of ACTEW (A Commitment to Training and Employment for Women), a member of the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade, a member of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Durham Region Employment Network and a former member of the YWCA's Women of Distinction Committee.
France Tolhurst
France Tolhurst of Guelph has been a health care professional for over 40 years including clinical, managerial and planning roles. Her spare time has been spent on community volunteer activities related to issues pertaining to persons with disabilities, including boards, commissions as well as disabilities advisory committees in various municipalities. She is a graduate of Laval University and York University with degrees in Nursing and Business Administration.
Customer Service Standard
Partnerships
