MP Hawn does his weekly video blog from Ottawa, touching on commitees, meetings with stakeholders, and travelling to Virginia to honour 16 Virginians that made the ultimate sacrifice after joining the RCAF Bomber Command prior to United States entry into WWII.

The post The Hawn Report VLOG – October 24 appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.

Dear Friends,

Again this year, I’m participating in Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life Edmonton on Sunday, September 22, 2013. This year’s Walk will take place at Sir Winston Churchill Square.  I need your help to continue my record as the top individual fund raiser, despite being ganged up on (in a friendly way) by other folks.

You can help support me by making a quick and secure donation online. Please visit my personal donation page by clicking on the link below:

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=3845907&LangPref=en-CA

Your support will help increase awareness about HIV/AIDS and provide essential services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in our community.  This is scourge in communities around the world and your help will make a difference.

For more information on the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life, or to register to Walk, please visit:

http://www.aidswalkforlife.ca

Thanks for your support!

Regards,

Laurie Hawn

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Edmonton, AB – Today, the Honourable Laurie Hawn, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, worked with service specialists from CNIB to experience firsthand how vision rehabilitation can empower Canadians who are blind or partially sighted.

More than one million Canadians are living with blindness or partial sight, including approximately 100,000 in Alberta. Many people who are blind or partially sighted live independently and work or volunteer, but research shows they may experience two to five times as much difficulty with daily living than people who are sighted.

“Today I had a brief glimpse of what living with vision loss might be like,” said MP Laurie Hawn. “It’s reassuring to know that for the growing number of Canadians with vision loss, CNIB can help enable an independent, engaged and community-driven lifestyle.”

Using vision simulator glasses, MP Hawn was able to experience how challenging everyday tasks can be for people who are blind or partially sighted. He navigated an unknown office space with a white cane, and used special screen-reading software to access content on the internet.

MP Hawn was also introduced to some of the thousands of tools and devices that support users with vision loss. They range from simple devices like the white cane to complex software applications.

“We were pleased to have this opportunity to show Mr. Hawn some of the important ways CNIB can support Albertans in overcoming the challenges of sight loss and rediscovering their independence,” said Diane Bergeron, National Director, Government Relations and Advocacy, CNIB. “We truly appreciate his willingness to participate in this exercise.”

At the event, Mr. Hawn encouraged legislators, public servants, industry representatives and the general public to learn more about vision loss and the services CNIB provides. “I am happy I was able to raise awareness and gain a better understanding of the difficulties of the day to day life we so easily take for granted,” concluded MP Hawn.

The post Edmonton MP gains new perspective on vision loss and CNIB services appeared first on Hon. Laurie Hawn.