AEBC and Allyant award 10 scholarships to blind and partially sighted students

The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians and Allyant have named 10 scholarship recipients for 2026, recognizing students across Canada for academic achievement, leadership and accessibility advocacy. The awards include three memorial or named scholarships and highlight the growing role of blind and partially sighted students in building a more inclusive country.

Why it matters: - The 2026 AEBC/Allyant Scholarship Program is helping blind, Deafblind and partially sighted students pay for postsecondary education while recognizing leadership in accessibility and inclusion. - The awards spotlight students whose work and study are shaping future careers in education, health, public service, technology, sports and advocacy. - The program is backed by Allyant, donors and community partners who see education as a way to remove barriers and expand opportunity.

What happened: - The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians, in partnership with Allyant, announced 10 scholarship recipients for 2026. - The recipients come from across Canada and were selected for academic achievement, leadership, community involvement and commitment to accessibility. - Three of the awards are named scholarships honoring people who made lasting contributions to the AEBC community: Tom Teranishi, John Rae and Rob Sleath. - Marcia Yale, national president of AEBC, said the organization is impressed each year by the talent, determination and leadership shown by the recipients.

The details: - Aidan Lapp received the John Rae Memorial Scholarship. The MacEwan University student is legally blind, studies political science and French, and aims to work in international security and peacebuilding. - Brittany Metzger received the BC Affiliate Scholarship in honour of Rob Sleath. She is training to become a registered massage therapist and is working on an accessible online fitness platform for legally blind and partially sighted people. - Meili Lanthier received the Allyant Scholarship. The recent l'Université de Hearst graduate will begin the Baking and Pastry Arts Program at Algonquin College in September. - Vesper Marlin Parkinson received the Tom Teranishi Memorial Scholarship. The University of Calgary social work student is blind, autistic and disabled, and focuses on trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming support. - Matteo Spina received an Allyant Scholarship. He has moderate hearing loss, vision impairment and Mucopolysaccharidosis Type 1H, and plans to study accounting. - Fadia Dirani received an AEBC Scholarship. She works as an Education Resource Worker in the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board and is completing a degree in Early Childhood Studies. - Renuka Jantz received an AEBC Scholarship. The Edmonton-based educator and legal scholar is completing a Disability Studies diploma at NorQuest College and plans graduate research on disability disclosure in hiring. - Hayden den Ouden received an AEBC Scholarship. The Barrie, Ontario student will study physics at Dalhousie University and has represented Canada in goalball, including a bronze medal at the 2025 Para Pan-American Games. - Kaitlyn Casperson received an AEBC Scholarship. The Montréal-based theology student at Quebec’s Evangelical School of Theology hopes to become a spiritual care worker in pediatric hospitals. - Ludovic Charbonneau received an AEBC Scholarship. He is almost completely blind, studies programming, runs a YouTube channel featuring accessible games and plays goalball. - AEBC said the scholarships are supported by the BC Affiliate, the John Rae Legacy fund, donors and community partners.

Between the lines: - The mix of recipients shows the scholarship program is not limited to one academic path. It spans social work, physics, theology, business, education and the arts. - Several recipients are building careers that directly improve accessibility for others, which suggests the program is investing in future advocates as well as students. - The named awards also show AEBC using scholarships to preserve community memory and recognize longtime contributors.

What's next: - The recipients will continue their studies this fall and beyond, with some entering new programs in September and others advancing toward graduate school or professional training. - AEBC and Allyant are expected to continue the scholarship program as long as donor and partner support remains strong. - More information about the program is available in the AEBC Scholarship Program.

The bottom line: - AEBC and Allyant are using scholarships to do more than fund school: they are helping build a pipeline of blind and partially sighted leaders across Canada.