Information and Communication Standard Development Committee

The goal of the information and communication standard is to make sure that persons with disabilities have equitable access to information and communication.

About the committee

The majority of committee members identify as having a disability. Committee members include:

• persons with disabilities
• representatives from organizations that provide services to persons with disabilities
• representatives from sectors impacted by the standard (like communications professions, interpretation professions and public and private sectors)
• representatives from the Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions and Communications Nova Scotia

Committee members

• Jeff Overmars, Chair - Communications Advisor, Nova Scotia Human Rights
• Linda Campbell, Vice-chair - Professor and senior research fellow, Department of Environmental Science, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax
• Ashar S Ahmed - Cyber Security and Software Advisor, Halifax
• Natasha Benincasa - Northern Region Respite Services, New Glasgow
• Shelley Berry - Manager, Advocacy Atlantic Canada, CNIB, Halifax
• Catherine Buckie - Plain language consultant, Dartmouth
• Ashley Campbell - President of Maritime Association of Professional Sign Language Interpreters and Manager of Interpreting Services, Saint Mary's University, Halifax
• Debbie Cavers - Inclusion Nova Scotia, Member of the Board of Directors, Westville
• Adam Fine - Director of Experiential Graphic Design, Fathom Studio, Dartmouth
• Brian Foran - Deaf Community Advocate, Halifax
• John Kenney - Director of Digital Governance, Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions
• Caroline Kovesi - Accessible digital communications specialist, Halifax
• Allan Lawlor - Director, Web and Content, Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions
• Judy Lewis - Paralegal, Ambassador for Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Patient Family Advisor for Mental Health and Addictions, Nova Scotia Health, Halifax
• Heather McCallum - Clerk/Treasurer, Village of Chester, Lunenburg
• Etta Moffatt - Design Consultant, Halifax
• Christine Muise - Braille Transcriber/Tactile Illustrator, Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority, Halifax
• Michael Noonan - Communications Director and Lead for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility, Executive Council Office, Halifax
• Zoh Qureshi - Deaf Accessibility Advocate, Halifax
• John Smith - Chair, Annapolis County Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility (IDEA) Committee, Bridgetown
• Emily Towns - Creative Developer, Forward Creative, Hubbards
• Barbara Welsford - Assistive Technology and UDL Specialist, South Shore Regional Centre for Education, Mahone Bay
• Michelle Zou - Educational Audiologist, Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority, Halifax