Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons

08/04/2026

The team at CFPDP joins CHKC in remembering Joan Mactavish. Our sincere condolences to her family, friends, colleagues and the deafblind community. She was a true pioneer and leaves an incredible legacy.

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Joan Mactavish, a remarkable advocate, educator, intervenor, and pioneer whose contributions helped shape the DeafBlind community in Canada and beyond.
Joan's impact began through her extraordinary partnership with Mae Brown, Canada's first DeafBlind university graduate. As Mae's intervenor, Joan provided the support that helped make higher education accessible at a time when such opportunities were virtually unheard of for individuals who are DeafBlind.
Following Mae Brown's passing, Joan carried forward many of the ideas and initiatives they shared, helping advance services, supports, and opportunities for individuals who are DeafBlind.
Joan was more than an advocate. She was a mentor, author, teacher, and champion for inclusion. Through her dedication, she helped establish the value and importance of intervenor services and inspired generations of professionals, families, and individuals who are DeafBlind to believe in a future without limits.
The DeafBlind community has lost a true pioneer, but Joan's legacy will continue to live on in the countless lives she touched, the barriers she helped dismantle, and the doors she opened for future generations.
We extend our deepest condolences to Joan's family, friends, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of knowing her. May her memory continue to inspire us to build a more accessible, inclusive, and connected world.

07/28/2026

The CFPDP team is proud to share our latest national public service announcement ad celebrating two important initiatives.

First, congratulations to the 2026 Canadian Disability Hall of Fame inductees:

Builder: Dr. David Legg
Athlete: Mac Marcoux
Achiever: Bradley McCannell

These extraordinary Canadians will be inducted during the official ceremony on Thursday, October 8, 2026 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Learn more and get tickets to come celebrate: https://cdhf.cfpdp.com/

We are also pleased to highlight the new CFPDP $100,000 Impact Award for Disability Research. The prize is paid directly to an outstanding Canadian researcher, not to their institution, with nominations open until October 16, 2026. Self-nominations are welcome. Learn more and submit nominations: https://iadr.cfpdp.com/

06/13/2026

06/12/2026

On June 10, CFPDP was proud to attend the Senate Reception for Deafblind Awareness Month on Parliament Hill, celebrating the achievements, contributions and leadership of Canadians who are deafblind.

CFPDP was especially pleased to have our founder and Chair, The Honourable Vim Kochhar, in attendance. While serving as a Senator, Vim championed the original effort to have June officially recognized as Deafblind Awareness Month in Canada, introducing a motion before Parliament was prorogued and his subsequent retirement. He has spent more than four decades advocating for greater awareness, inclusion and support for people who are deafblind and living with other disabilities.

Today, Vim's legacy continues through the work of CFPDP and Canadian Helen Keller Centre, both of which he founded.

Thank you to Senators Yonah Martin, Salma Ataullahjan, Michèle Audette, Flordeliz Osler and Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia for hosting this important reception and for their ongoing support of the deafblind community.

Canadian Helen Keller Centre

06/01/2026

June is Deafblind Awareness Month, and we are proud to celebrate!

Did you know that The Honourable Vim Kochhar, who founded both CFPDP and Canadian Helen Keller Centre, led the initiative to have the Senate officially recognize June as Deafblind Awareness Month in Canada?

He championed and introduced the initial push for the Senate to adopt the motion, which was formally tabled and unanimously adopted in 2015 after his retirement, largely thanks to the efforts of Senators Yonah Martin and Jim Munson.

This year, Hon. Kochhar will be attending the Deafblind Awareness Month reception on Parliament Hill on June 10. The reception is co-hosted by Senators Yonah Martin, Salma Ataullahjan, Michèle Audette, Flordeliz Osler and Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia and brings together community leaders, advocates and supporters to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Canadians who are deafblind.

Today marks the beginning of DeafBlind Awareness Month, and to honour this the CN Tower will light up blue tonight, raising visibility and honoring the experiences of the DeafBlind community. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusion, accessibility, and support for all.

If you see the CN tower tonight lit up blue, take a picture and share it in the comments!

05/21/2026

On May 20th, CFPDP was proud to see the Impact Award for Disability Research featured in a PSA advertisement in The Globe and Mail. We are grateful to the publication for its ongoing support.

For more than 40 years, The Honourable Vim Kochhar has led CFPDP as a full-time volunteer, working tirelessly to improve the lives of people with disabilities. This new national award builds on that legacy by recognizing Canadian researchers whose work is creating meaningful change for the 27% of our country's population who identify as having a disability.

Created in collaboration with Dr. Tom Chau of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, the award includes a personal prize of $100,000 and celebrates research that goes beyond discovery and delivers measurable, real-world impact.

Please help us spread the word. You may know a mid- to senior-career researcher whose work is already making a difference and deserves national recognition — and self-nominations are also welcome.

Nominations are open until October 16, 2026.

Learn more or submit a nomination: https://iadr.cfpdp.com/

05/04/2026

May 4 is the final day to nominate an outstanding Canadian for induction into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame in 2026.

Now in its 33rd year, the Hall of Fame recognizes excellence and achievement in Canada's disability community.

Help celebrate individuals whose contributions are advancing accessibility and inclusion across our nation.

Learn more: https://cdhf.cfpdp.com/

Submit your nominations: https://www.cfpdp.com/canadian-disability-hall-of-fame-nomination/

04/26/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭?

Paralympian, CBC Sports broadcaster and CFPDP Board Director Rob Snoek invites you to nominate an outstanding Canadian for the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose contributions are advancing accessibility and strengthening the disability community across Canada in three categories:

✨ Builder
✨ Achiever
✨ Athlete

⏰Deadline: May 4, 2026
🔗 Link in bio

If someone comes to mind, this is the moment to recognize their impact!

04/26/2026

Nominations for the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame are open until Monday, May 4, 2026! Learn more at https://cdhf.cfpdp.com/ and submit your nominations today via https://nominations.cfpdp.com/