About the Project

The Checkered Eye Project (CEP) was launched in 2000 by Libby Thaw, a stay-at-home mother in Port Elgin, Ontario. Living with low vision herself, Thaw recognized an unmet need for a hands-free identifier that could also be discreet and designed one.

The Project is a Not-for-Profit Corporation, as of August 2021. It was originally founded with a simple business license and is now in the process of applying for status as a registered charity.  The goal is to educate the public that blindness is a spectrum and improve understanding of the blindness symbols, the white cane and the checkered eye.

With over 25 years of impact, The Checkered Eye is supported by national media, Canadian blindness organizations, hospitals, national and international educational institutions, and fellow community advocates coast to coast— advancing accessibility and awareness through both credibility and lived experience.