Media Advisory - Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) Honoured by Canadian Council of the Blind with Inaugural President's Award in Recognition of "AMI's Outstanding Success in Making Media Accessible"

TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - For almost 70 years the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) has worked to improve the quality of life for Canadians living with vision loss. It represents the largest group of people who are blind or with low vision in the country.

"And it is from this perspective that we recognize and honour AMI's barrier-breaking work over the past 20-plus years to promote greater inclusion and enhance the lives of Canadians who are blind or partially sighted through making all media accessible," says Louise Gillis, President, CCB.

"The CCB's President's Award is to be given annually to an individual or entity who in their work or service have made a real difference to our community," adds Gillis. "And I can think of no more appropriate or prestigious entity on which to bestow this first Award than AMI. We need more organizations like them."

The CCB presented the President's Award on Friday, February 10 at the Ottawa Curling Club, just one event among the many events during CCB's annual White Cane Week (February 5 to 11), the organization's awareness-raising program and salute to one of the world's most stirring symbols of greater accessibility.

"We are so delighted and honoured to be the first recipient of CCB's President's Award," says David Errington, President and CEO of Accessible Media Inc.-AMI. "It's a great tribute to the vision of our founders, the hard work of our staff, Volunteers and Board of Directors, and the support of government, the CRTC, our broadcast and publishing partners and, of course, the people we serve: AMI's loyal audiences."

AMI is a long-time supporter of CCB and White Cane Week and, explains Errington, "it's a key aspect of our mandate: that for all impacted and concerned Canadians, AMI can be a new model media organization that collaborates with all individuals and organizations who share a determination to increase accessibility to all media."

"It's terrific to have AMI as such a strong supporter and its special programming is most compelling," concludes Gillis. "We thank AMI for playing such a vital role in helping us to show all Canadians the great strides made by people who are blind and low vision - and the challenges we still face. I'll be tuning in for sure."

Follow AMI on Twitter: @a11ymedia

About Accessible Media Inc.
Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) is a not-for-profit multimedia organization operating two broadcast services, AMI-tv (formerly The Accessible Channel-TACtv) and VoicePrint (soon to be known as AMI-audio), and a companion website, www.ami.ca. AMI serves more than five million Canadians who are blind or with low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, learning disabled, mobility or print restricted, or learning English as a second language by making print, broadcast and online media accessible.

About the Canadian Council of the Blind
The CCB's primary mandate is to improve the quality of life for Canadians living with vision loss. This requires it to focus on activities that express the concerns and interests not just of its membership but of also its stakeholders - the blind and visually impaired. The CCB's mission is to work together as a community of peers that acts to improve the individual and community quality of life of the blind and vision impaired.

Andrea Ramos, Public Relations Coordinator
800-567-6755 ext. 0977, [email protected]