Connect Society

A friendly reminder that the DeafBlind Expo will take place tomorrow, Saturday, June 6, 2026!

There will be Deaf & DeafBlind vendors if you are interested in supporting local artists and there will also be resources about working with DeafBlind children available!

We are excited to have you join us!!

The DeafBlind Expo, happening this Saturday, June 6, 2026, will feature books by John Lee Clark, last year’s DeafBlind keynote presenter. Books are $10 each. Limited copies available—first come, first served!

About The Author John Lee Clark image description:
Black background. “About The Author John Lee Clark John Lee Clark was the keynote presenter at the DeafBlind Expo in 2025. He is a DeafBlind poet, essayist, historian, translator, and Protactile expert. His latest book, Touch the Future, is the first book to be published about the Protactile movement. His essays have won the National Magazine Award and the Krause Essay Prize. His collection of poems, How to Communicate, won the Minnesota Book Award and was finalist for the National Book Award. He is currently based in Montreal, where he is the Miriam Aaron Roland Graduate Fellow at Concordia University.” DeafBlind Expo. Connect Society logo on the bottom right-hand corner.

John Lee Clark Books For Sale Limited Supply! First Come First Serve image description:
Black background. “John Lee Clark Books For Sale Limited Supply! First Come First Serve! $10.00 each (average retail price $24 each) *2 signed copies of each book*
An Image of How To Communication Book Cover. How To Communication won the Minnesota Book Award and was finalist for the national Book Award. An image of Touch The Future book cover. Touch The Future, is the first book to be published about the Protactile movement. DeafBlind Expo. Connect Society logo on the bottom right-hand corner.

June is National DeafBlind Awareness Month. 2026’s theme is “Connected by Touch: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.” This theme highlights touch as the foundation of connection and communication in the DeafBlind community.

Image description of Light Up Blue flyer: Navy blue background. Light Up Blue! An image of the ground-level view of Calgary Tower lighting up in blue at night time. On the right, Celebrate National DeafBlind Awareness Month. On the bottom of the Calgary Tower image, Calgary Tower, Sunday, June 14, 2026. At the bottom, an image of the side view of Edmonton High Level Bridge lighting up in blue at night time. Edmonton High Level Bridge, Sunday, June 28, 2026. Connect Society logo on the bottom right corner.

Image description of the Proclamation from the City of Edmonton:
The City of Edmonton logo on the top with golden borders. Proclamation.
Whereas, as many as two per cent of Canadians over the age of 15 live with DeafBlindness, experiencing varying degrees of combined hearing and vision impairment;
And whereas, dual sensory impairment is a distinct experience with unique accessibility needs, and DeafBlind individuals face a variety of gaps in services across Canada;
And whereas, full participation in education, employment and community life depends on appropriate accommodations, accessible design and communities that embrace diverse communication methods;
And whereas, communities, organizations and individuals across the City of Edmonton are encouraged to take this month as an opportunity to deepen their understanding of DeafBlindness and take meaningful steps toward greater inclusion and accessibility;
Therefore I, Mayor Andrew Knack, do hereby proclaim June 2026 “National DeafBlind Awareness Month” in Edmonton, Alberta’s Capital City.
Dated this 1st day of June, 2026.
Signature
Andrew Knack
Mayor, City of Edmonton
Blue triangle at the bottom as a symbol of the Edmonton City Hall building.

There are still some spots left for "Art Without Boundaries" facilitated by Rose Kamma Morrison! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in an art class led by a DeafBlind artist. No experience is required to register.

To register email [email protected]!

Tomorrow!!!!!!

👶🤟 Baby & You — Special Guest Session

Join us next Tuesday for an engaging session on American Sign Language (ASL) and speech & language development for infants and toddlers 🌿

An Early Intervention/Family Support Consultant and a Speech Language Pathologist from Connect Society will be onsite to share information, tips, and strategies to support communication and early development.

✨ Learn about:
✔ Early communication skills
✔ ASL signs for infants and toddlers
✔ Speech and language development
✔ Supporting connection through communication

📅 Tuesday, June 2, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
📍 Cabrini Centre (16811 88 Ave NW)

💛 Free drop-in program!

Best suited for: pregnant and newly parenting caregivers of infants who are not yet mobile

Note: A Public Health Nurse from the West Jasper Place Health Centre will also be available throughout the session to provide support, information, and resources related to infant care and postpartum wellbeing.

Connect Society's DeafBlind Expo will have "DeafBlind Immersive Experiences" Facilitated by DeafBlind Services on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 4:00pm! Check out the flyer for more details:

Image description of the flyer:
Black background. “DeafBlind Immersive Experiences” Facilitated by DeafBlind Services. Saturday, June 6, 2026. 4:00pm. Hands-On Activity. Tactile Experience. Meaningful Connection.
The “DeafBlind Immersive Experiences” is a powerful, hands-on event to build understanding and respect for DeafBlind lives. Participants learn tactile communication fundamentals, like hand-over-hand techniques, and explore objects solely through touch. Guided by Co-Navigators, attendees gain practical skills and deeper empathy and experience how consistent touch enables meaningful connection.
An image of four people with a range of vision capabilities and navigation techniques, such as using a white cane or a guide dog.
DeafBlind Expo. Connect Society logo on the bottom right corner.

A friendly reminder that the deadline to register for the "Art Without Boundaries" class is on Friday, May 29, 2026. The registration fee includes a pizza dinner and artwork!

Image description:
Black background. “Art Without Boundaries” Facilitated by Rose Kamma Morrison. Saturday, June 6, 2026. 5:30pm.
On the right, a close-up photo of a woman (Rose) smiling at the camera, with her hand resting on her cheek, dark brown shoulder-length hair, sunglasses resting on top of her head, wearing a black turtleneck sweater layered with a blue jean shirt.
Rose is a Canadian artist and advocate living with Usher syndrome. She embraces the motto, “My horizon is broader than my tunnel vision”. Art, which she studied in her youth, became central to her life after she was forced to retire due to her vision loss at age 40.
As her vision declined, Rose adapted by successfully experimenting with creating art while blindfolded, a process that relies on her mind’s eye and muscle memory, which greatly boosted her confidence. She specializes in abstract alcohol ink art, an unpredictable medium that allows her to avoid the fine detail required for realism. She uses simple, everyday items like plastic straws, Q-tips, and canning jar rings to manipulate the ink’s unique textures, drawing inspiration from dreams, nature, and the emotional impact of her vision loss.
Rose channeled this adaptive journey into developing and teaching “Art Without Boundaries,” an accessible class that fosters community and combats the stigma of disability. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she advocates for deafblindness education and self-advocacy. As an advocate for low vision/blind runners, she made history as the first Canadian woman to compete in the blind category of the 2009 Boston Marathon. Rose remains committed to creativity, adventure, and challenging herself.
DeafBlind Expo. Connect Society logo on the bottom right corner.

Image description:
Black background. DeafBlind Expo. “Art Without Boundaries” with Rose Kamma Morrison. A close-up photo of a woman (Rose) smiling at the camera, with her hand resting on her cheek, dark brown shoulder-length hair, sunglasses resting on top of her head, wearing a black turtleneck sweater layered with a blue jean shirt. Accessible and tactile art class with pizza dinner! Rose Kamma Morrison is a Canadian DeafBlind artist who creates abstract alcohol ink art using her mind’s eye and simple tools. Saturday, June 6, 2026. 5:30pm-8:30pm. Northgate Lions Recreation Centre, 7524-139 Ave, Edmonton, AB T5C 3H7. $20 Registration Fee. DeafBlind: FREE ($10 deposit to reserve your spot). Supplies will be provided & take your art home after class! *Interpretation services will be provided* Limited Spaces! Deadline for registration: Friday, May 29th. Contact [email protected]. Connect Society logo on the bottom right corner.

Storytelling: "Ezra and his Magnificent Cane Narrated by Angela Gallace will be taking place at the DeafBlind Expo on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 3:00pm! Check out the flyer for more details.

Image Description: Black background. Storytelling: “Ezra and his Magnificent Cane” Narrated by Angela Gallace. Saturday, June 6, 2026. 3:00pm. On the right, an image of a woman with long brown hair, glasses, smiling, wearing a black jacket, with trees and fallen orange-brown leaves along the trail in the background.
Born and raised in Edmonton. Angela is DeafBlind who loves to serve. She successfully completed her academic upgrading, finishing the prerequisites needed to open doors to new career opportunities from NorQuest College. Her past experiences included working with children as an Educational Assistant at Connect Society and being a part-time stocker at Michaels. Upon training and certification, she hopes to land a role as a Braille transcriber. In her spare time, she enjoys reading Braille, doing workouts, baking, crocheting, and making cards.
In the storytelling, “Ezra and his Magnificent Cane” is an empowering children’s book about a young boy named Ezra who enjoys a day at the fair, teaching his peers about blindness and navigating the world with his “Magnificent” white cane. The book is part of the Usher Syndrome Series, designed to educate, celebrate disability representation, and provide different ways to experience the world. The book was written by Dr. Jasmine Simmons, who is a DeafBlind author.
DeafBlind Expo. Connect Society logo on the bottom right corner.