Community Report - Central

Kim Kilpatrick has been totally blind since birth. She's the founder and coordinator of the Get Together with Technology program as well as a music therapist, professional storyteller, and radio show host. Kim travels through life with her fourth guide dog Tulia.
 

Annette Dennis was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa in her mid-twenties. She feels so fortunate that over the years she has made some amazing friends in the blind and low-vision community who inspire and encourage her constantly. Annette has been volunteering with the London-Middlesex Suicide Prevention Council since 2006, the past several years in the role of treasurer. Annette also enjoys yoga, reiki, playing guitar, curling and acting with Out of Sight Productions, a blind theatre troupe in London, Ontario. One of her most memorable acting experiences was appearing in the Integrated Described Video Creator Series for AMI.

Mathieu Rochette is from Montreal, Quebec, and was born with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Mathieu currently works as a waiter at O.Noir restaurant in Montreal. If you have never heard of or visited yet, he highly recommends you give it a try; the restaurant gives customers a blind experience where they eat in total darkness. Mathieu played on the Quebec goalball senior team from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, he had the privilege of representing Canada in the world junior tournament in Denver, Colorado. Mathieu's current obsession is chess. One of his personal goals is to become the first chess expert in Canada who plays with a blind chessboard. Mathieu wants to thank AMI for giving him the opportunity to talk about blind and partially sighted community activities in Quebec.  
 

Stephen Ricci works for the CNIB in the Social Enterprise Division as the National Portfolio Manager — The Tech #Home Program — Accessibility Solutions, supporting the CNIB Smartlife Teams throughout Canada.

Stephen is a person with ocular albinism and has been legally blind since birth. He is an active member in the blind and partially sighted community, volunteering and always willing to lend a hand to such wonderful organizations as: BALANCE for Blind Adults, Fighting Blindness Canada, Alliance for the Equality of Blind Canadians, AMI, National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, Canadian Council of the Blind and the CNIB Foundation.

Stephen is driven by the knowledge that he can help make a difference in his community and change what it means to be blind or partially sighted. Stephen is happily married, with three adult children, and resides in Toronto. When Stephen is not advocating for accessibility, universal design or talking about the benefits and features of accessible products, he’s likely reading, listening to comedy, cheering on his Maple Leafs and Raptors or vacuuming.