Susan Vida

Susan is a communications manager at the CNIB in Montreal. She holds a B.A. in Modern Languages & Linguistics and also completed a Graduate Diploma and M.A in Communications at Concordia University. Her work at the CNIB involves community development, public education and promoting CNIB’s services across Quebec. Susan also runs her own business in the area of transportation. She served on the NEADS board of directors from 1998-2002 as Quebec Representative and Vice-President Internal.

Remarks

Susan Vida, a member of the NEADS board of directors from 1998 to 2002 (Quebec representative and vice-president internal), said that her early experience with NEADS came at a time when “life was difficult.” Until then, she had never met another person with a vision impairment. “I felt very alone.” But when she attended her first NEADS conference, she was fascinated by the synergy, sharing of information, and peer support, and she was most eager to contribute.

Vida recalled some of the “wonderful people” she had met while representing NEADS in Quebec and elsewhere, including on the Council of Canadians with Disabilities. She explained that she left NEADS in 2002 not because she was moving on with life, but because her father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He passed away in 2003.

Vida explained that, about 18 months ago, she had looked through her father’s personal belongings and had come across his university diploma. She saw his grades, saw that he was brilliant, and realized that the perfect way to commemorate his memory would be to contribute to NEADS financially. She thus announced that she was offering NEADS its very first bursary, the Janos K.Vida Bursary Fund, in memory of her father. The bursary will be owned and run by NEADS and all NEADS members will be eligible.

“It’s a perfect marriage,” said Vida. The bursary will acknowledge a deserving student every year based on academic excellence and contributions to disability rights, and will simultaneously commemorate her father. A newsletter with more details will follow, and an application form will be circulated in spring 2007.