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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 8, 20 21 | 14 www.shoppersdrugmart.ca 2501 Third Line905-465-3000 478 Dundas Street West905-257-9737NOW OPEN24 HRS EVERY DAY • Patient Counselling • Complete Diabetic Care• Home Visits • Consultations • Free RX Delivery• Free Nutrition Counselling • Vaccinations• Cholesterol, A1C, AFib and DNA Screening lw ys Here toelp You! DE RANGO PHARMACY INC. 2501 T905-465-3000 • P• H • C AlwaHelp Pharmacist -Fabio De Rango Drug Store/Pharmacy Interlocking & Concrete Specialists Call Mario 905.842.7171 sunmarlandscape.com ™ La n d s c a p in g 3133 Burnhamthorpe Rd W, Milton, On L9E 0J7 • Pebble Concrete • Stamped Concrete • Interlocking • Flagstone • Walkways • Garage Floors • Patios • Driveways • Curbs (French) Interlocking & Concrete Specialists Communities we serve: Located in Halton region, we work in and around • Milton • Campbellville • Burlington • Aldershot • Hamilton • Oakville • Mississauga • Waterdown • Carlisle The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), in partnership with Halton Healthcare, is launching a new service on a pilot project basis, with- first testing taking place at the Oakville Trafalgar Me- morial Hospital (OTMH). BlindSquare is an app for the visually impaired that uses audio technology to help them navigate. It uses a combination of phys- ical beacons and GPS data to provide information. The app communicates detailed points of interest and provides directions for safe travel in outdoor and indoor environments. "Technology is a power- ful tool in the hands of Ca- nadians with disabilities, and we are so thrilled to see this project take off at OTMH," said Shane Silver, vice-president of social en- terprises for CNIB. "Blind- Square's technology will help patients, visitors and staff navigate the hospital safely and independently -- something many of us take for granted. "We are delighted that OTMH is the first hospital in the world to implement BlindSquare's innovative technology." More than 30 Blind- Square beacons have been installed throughout the OTMH facility, creating a more inclusive space for everyone. The service provides us- ers information on exit lo- cations and how to get to specific areas like the food court and emergency de- partment. "This technology em- powers individuals who are blind or partially sight- ed to access OTMH inde- pendently. They can now audibly access information that was previously only available visually, like signs and maps," explained Jack McCormick, an orga- nizational development consultant with Halton Healthcare. Using auditory instruc- tions to navigate allows us- ers to rely on more than just touch, something more important than ever with the ongoing pandemic. "We are proud to be part- nering with CNIB and BlindSquare to increase accessibility at our Oak- ville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital," said Halton Healthcare president and CEO Denise Hardenne. "This project is special as it was brought forward by Halton Healthcare staff through our Innovation Grant Program." The Innovation Grant Program aims to provide for staff-driven projects that will improve patient, visitor, and staff experienc- es. The project also en- hances Halton Health- care's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy by reducing barriers for in- clusion. The app is available for free on the Apple app store. Michael Elioff is a place- ment student from Fan- shawe College. A POTENTIAL BARRIER BREAKER FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital will be the test site for a new app to help the blind and visually impaired. Graham Paine/Metroland MICHAEL ELIOFF m_elioff@fanshawe online.ca NEWS NEW APP BLINDSQUARE TO BE TESTED AT OAKVILLE HOSPITAL Having conversations with family members about COVID-19 vaccines and the hesitancy some have about them, can be tricky, particularly when there are conflicting opin- ions. Vaccine information is changing by the day as we've seen with the Astra- Zeneca jab. This, coupled with misinformation, can cloud these conversations with our loved ones. So, we spoke to Maya J. Goldenberg, author of "Vaccine Hesitancy: Public Trust, Expertise, and the War on Science" to get some insight into how to navigate these sometimes difficult conversations. To start, when it comes to trying to convince family members to see things your way, it might not be so easy. "Anyone that tries to talk to a loved one with the intention to convince them is probably not going to succeed," she said in a phone interview. "If any- thing, you run the risk of making it worse because you might get frustrated -- you're coming from a posi- tion of love and concern, of course -- but you might be frustrated and you might not be responsive to their cues and their concerns." Also, she said that quot- ing scientific literature, to convince someone, has been known to actually make them defensive. "When you try to show everyone why you're con- vinced, you run the risk of not hearing why they're not. The better way to have these conversations is to listen to what their con- cerns are and see if you can speak specifically to their concerns," she said. "Sometimes that means with factual information, but sometimes that just means hearing them out, empathizing and also ac- knowledging that we don't know everything about it and there are risks in- volved. We can't pretend that there aren't any un- knowns or risks around these vaccines." Finally, when it comes to speaking to your folks specifically, Goldenberg brings up some important points. "We need to remember that parents don't like be- ing told what to do by their adult children," she said, laughing. "You need to be careful how you have those conver- sations. It shouldn't be done in a way that makes our older parents feel like we don't trust their judg- ment or that we're the adults now because that's not going to go over very well." TIPS FOR TALKING TO FAMILY ABOUT COVID VACCINES JAMES CHAARANI jchaarani@metroland.com