From the media release: TORONTO (February 12, 2008) – The National Broadcast Reading Service (NBRS) is proud to announce today that The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, has agreed to become the first Honorary Patron of our unique media charity.
In agreeing to serve as Honorary Patron, the Lieutenant Governor said: “I’m delighted to be able to lend my support to such an effective and worthy organization.”
Gerald Weseen, NBRS Board Chair, responded: “Our entire organization is very excited to have His Honour, who is renowned for breaking through barriers both professionally and in his personal life, as Honorary Patron of our organization. This acknowledgement of our efforts to make media more accessible is extraordinarily gratifying and we value his decision.
"VoicePrint is committed to continuing its pioneering work in making media more accessible to millions of vision- and print-restricted Canadians. It's significant that His Honour's patronage is being announced during White Cane Week, when we celebrate success in surmounting challenges by our fellow Canadians who are blind and vision-impaired.”
As a celebrated broadcaster prior to his September 2007 appointment as Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, His Honour has championed positive public responses to disability issues on many fronts for many years. Having lived with polio and post-polio syndrome since the age of three, he overcame many social barriers to become a role model. In his 22-year career with Citytv, he was Canada’s first senior newscaster with a visible disability. A popular news anchor, host/producer, science and technology specialist, and weatherman, he showed that ability outshines disability.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Georgina Blanas
NBRS, Director
Marketing and Fund Development
Telephone: 416-422-4222 extension 258
E-mail: gblanas@nbrscanada.com
1090 Don Mills Road
Suite 303
Toronto, ON M3C 3R6
416.422.4222
1.800.567.6755
Fax: 416.422.1633
info@nbrscanada.com