On Thursday, March 3, 2016, Carleton University’s Disability Research Group hosted a symposium to launch and gain feedback on a virtual exhibit, Envisioning Technologies: Historical Insights into Educational Technologies for Persons who are Blind or Partially Sighted in Canada Since 1892.The event brought together community members who were blind or partially sighted, scholars, librarians, students, archivists and curators to engage with the exhibit and ultimately help the Disabilities Research Group refine and expand the project. For a retrospective on the seminar, see Envisioning Technologies by Roy Hanes, professor of Social Work, and Dr. Beth Robertson, a Carleton History graduate .
Dominique Marshall, History Chair, closed the seminar, picking up on a comment by one symposium participant: for people who are blind or partially sighted, blindness is not a weakness, sight is not a strength and navigating the world through touch is a possibility. She said that the Disabilities Research Group hope the virtual exhibit will evolve and grow over time, becoming more accessible and meaningful as we continue to receive feedback and gather further stories of ingenuity and activism