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The Alliance for the Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) & T-Base Scholarship Program now accepting applications for the 2016/2017 academic year

For the fifth consecutive year, T-Base Communications is proud to partner with The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) in offering a scholarship program to help fund the educational pursuits of up to three outstanding blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted students in Canada who are continuing their academic education at the post-secondary level. A total of $4,000 to be awarded!

The Jennifer Laura Eve Wilson Memorial Scholarships

Two Jennifer Laura Eve Wilson Memorial Scholarships (worth $1,000 each) will be offered. Jennifer was someone who was always selfless, always there for someone in need. She showed courage in overcoming adversity. She took the challenges life put her way from the complications of Type 1 diabetes including visual impairment, and rose above them by her courage, inner strength and determination to make the world a better place for others. These annual AEBC scholarships continue her tradition of helping others.

T-Base Communications Scholarship

The T-Base Communications Scholarship is designed to help students pursue their educational endeavors and is not limited to any one discipline. One T-Base Communications scholarship valued at $2,000 will be awarded for the 2016/2017 academic year beginning in the fall semester of 2016.

Award Criteria Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of:

1. Academic performance;

2. Community involvement; and

3. Overcoming adversity.

While each criterion will contribute in the overall evaluation process, equal weight will not be applied in determining a final score. Rather, each criterion will serve to assist in distinguishing the exceptionalities and strengths of one candidate from another in the awarding of scholarships. The winner of the T-Base Communications scholarship is expected to participate in 2 ad-hoc advisory committee meetings on the topic of T-Base Communicationsì educational services.

The AEBC Student and Education Council Committee is comprised of one AEBC member from the national executive and two regular members of the organization. This committee reviews all applications and selects the scholarship recipients. In the case of the T-Base scholarship program, the top three applicants are identified to T-Base Communications and T-Base Communications makes the final decision. Successful recipients will be notified of their selection by July 31st, 2016. 

Applicant Qualifications:

Students at the undergraduate and graduate levels (masters, doctorate, or post-doctorate),as well as students in college, vocational, educational upgrading, and performing arts programs, are welcome to apply. Unless an applicant indicates otherwise, all applicants will be considered for each scholarship for which they are eligible. A separate application for each scholarship program is not required. Previous applicants or recipients of AEBC scholarships are eligible to reapply if qualified.

To be eligible for these scholarships, you must meet all of the following qualifications: 1. You must be blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted. For our purposes, you are considered to be ìblindî if you have no vision or only light perception in the better of your two eyes, and partially sighted if you have a visual acuity of 20/60 or less (as measured on the Snellan eye chart) in your better eye with best correction, or if your visual field measures less than twenty degrees.

2. You must be studying (or planning to study) at a post-secondary institution in Canada. (Canadian citizens or permanent residents studying abroad under an exchange program and paying fees to a Canadian educational institution are eligible, as are students who choose to study abroad for lack of a similar program in Canada, failure to be accepted into a Canadian program, or the clear superiority of a program abroad.) You will be required to provide your social insurance number for income tax purposes if you receive a scholarship.

3. You must be attending (or planning to attend) a post-secondary program during the period between September 2016 and April 2017, on at least a part-time basis (i.e. taking the equivalent of at least two courses per semester).

4. Membership in AEBC Scholarship applicants and recipients need not be members of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians. However, involvement in the organization is strongly encouraged, as we seek to gain a stronger voice in Canada, and membership benefits those who are blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted both collectively and individually. A year's free membership to AEBC is part of each scholarship. This affords the winner an opportunity to learn about and participate in our organization.

5. Completing Your Application A complete application is comprised of the following five items. You may submit your application in either English or French. Please double check that your application is complete before submitting it.

A complete application will include:

(a) The application form. You can find a blank copy of this form attached.

(b) A copy of your most recent transcript. This need not be an official copy ñ a printout from your schoolìs web site is acceptable. We may ask for an official copy at a later date.

(c) A one-page (500 word) personal statement: This is an opportunity for you to describe yourself, provide background on your visual condition (and any additional medical or disability information that may be relevant), your academic goals, interests, school and community activities, work experience, and so on. In writing this essay, you should try to answer the question:

What barriers or obstacles have you faced and conquered in your life (which may include financial hardship), as a result of your disability? Please do not simply send a resume.

(d) A one-page (500 word) essay on "accessible education." Tell us how accessibility in learning makes a difference in your education. Please let us know what format (print, large print, Braille, audio, etc.) is most important to you for your success as a student and why. NOTE: We can only know you through the information you give us. Please be thorough and complete. (e) One letter of reference: You should include one current letter of reference (written in the last twelve months) from an individual who can comment in detail on your academic progress, personal strengths, community involvement, and any other aspects of your life that support your application. The individual may be an employer or supervisor, clergy member, academic advisor, department head academic planner, etc. If possible, this reference letter should be forwarded with your application package. If your reference would prefer to send it directly to AEBC, please ensure that they clearly indicate in their e-mail who they are writing on behalf of.

Submitting Your Application:

The deadline for scholarship submissions is Thursday, March 31st, 2016. Each part of your application should be submitted as a separate electronic file, preferably in Microsoft Word (.DOC or .DOCX), Rich Text (.RTF), or plain text (.TXT) format. Some members of the Student and Education Council committee are themselves blind, and picture files (.JPG, .GIF, .PNG, etc.) are not accessible. Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) files may or may not be accessible to users who are blind and should be avoided if possible. (We understand, however, that some documents, such as your transcript, may only come in one format from your institution).

Please attach all of these documents to an e-mail message and send them to: scholarship@blindcanadians.ca Incomplete applications, as well as any applications (complete, incomplete, or parts of applications) received after March 31st, 2016 will not be considered for scholarship awards. Please distribute this announcement as widely as possible to ensure it reaches your eligible blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted students.

Application deadline is March 31, 2016. For full details on how to apply and to download the information package, visit http://www.blindcanadians.ca/programs/scholarship.

About The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians

The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians is a national charitable organization, founded in 1992, that is dedicated to promoting the increased inclusion of blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted Canadians in all aspects of social life, from employment to participation in elections. Our members, comprised of blind, deaf-blind, and partially sighted consumers and supporters from across the country, participate in working groups and committees, engage with local, city-based chapters, and engage in public awareness and education activities on a daily basis. www.blindcanadians.ca

About T-Base Communications

T-Base Communications specializes in quality and on time delivery of alternate format educational textbooks and learning materials in braille (literary, music, computer, chemistry and Nemeth), e-Text, Audio CD, Accessible PDF, DAISY, and Math ML. Our goal is to provide accessible learning materials for you to offer students who are blind or print-disabled and to ensure the delivery and quality matches that of the learning materials their sighted peers have access to. www.tbase.com

For Further Information - Media Contacts:

Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians Dar Wournell National President AEBC 1-800-561-4774 dar@blindcanadians.ca T-Base Communications Deanna White Media Relations (613) 236-0866 Ext. 1231 dwhite@tbase.com