Jane Sayer
1st Annual “JT Award” Recipient
Presented at the 9th Annual JuneFest June 15, 2011 Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
Rotary Cheshire Homes Inc. and the Canadian Helen Keller Centre Inc.established the “JT Award” in honour of a great friend and leader in thefield of deaf-blindness - Joyce “JT” Thompson. Joyce was a champion of the disability of deaf-blindness andconsumers for over 30 years. Joyce sadly passed away earlier this year.
During those 30 years Joyce played pivotal roles in the founding of Rotary Cheshire Homes in 1992 and the Canadian Helen Keller Centre in 2001. In 2000, Joyce worked alongside former Willowdale MPP David Young to declare June “Deaf-Blind Awareness Month” across the province, and she single handedly founded JuneFest in 2003.
In all of Joyce’s work she brought Awareness to the disability of deaf-blindness, Expansion to the services available and ensured Involvement of consumers who are deaf-blind. At last year’s JuneFest, Joyce was presented with the “JuneFest Award of Excellence” to recognize the tremendous and lasting effects she’s had on this sector. This year, that award has been renamed the “JT Award”. It is meant to recognize the good work that takes place across Canada for Canadians who are deaf-blind going forward.
This year’s recipient comes to us from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She’s a consumer herself who spends her days working at the Resource Centre for Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind and much of her free time volunteering.
As a volunteer, Jane Sayer has filled many positions with the Canadian National Society of the Deaf-Blind, the Canadian Deaf-Blind Council, the Manitoba Deaf-Blind Association and she has also acted as an advisor on the necessary accommodation needs for travelers who are deaf-blind with the federal Canadian Transportation Agency.
Jane is currently working on a provincial housing committee to develop accessible housing for persons who are deaf-blind in Winnipeg. Jane has also presented at numerous conferences in Canada and abroad. Her fundraising efforts ensure that deaf-blind consumers have the opportunity to attend Seabeck camp in Washington.
Although very dedicated, Jane is adamant that all people who are deaf-blind have a responsibility to advocate for themselves. As one of her nominators said, “Jane, like Joyce, is connected to people in the deaf-blind community across the country – everyone knows Jane Sayer and her work in advocacy. How many of us can say that?”
Jane and Joyce were great friends and allies for many years. Joyce would have been delighted to see Jane receive the 1st Annual “JT Award” for her work in the areas of Awareness, Expansion and Involvement.