President & CEO, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada

Jennifer Urosevic has spent her career committed to improving the lives of Canadians with vision loss.

A 1998 Mohawk College graduate of the Instructor for Blind & Visually Impaired – Rehabilitation program, Jennifer is president and CEO of Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (VLRC), responsible for oversight of national operations and leading strategic operational planning, program design and performance management.

Jennifer joined VLRC in 2018 as executive director of the central region, and prior to that, worked for 21 years with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).

Since being promoted to president in 2021 and in her previous role as vice president of healthcare operations at VLRC, Jennifer has transformed VLRC's service delivery model to improve the client experience and has built capacity within the organization’s staff across Canada. She handled accreditation processes for the organization and negotiates with provincial ministries and regulatory funding partners to increase funding and raise awareness of essential services, as well as overseeing collaborations with international vision associations and foundations in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand. She has also built partnerships with community partners, including Work Well with the YMCA. Canadian Ophthalmological Society, Canadian Association of Optometry, Fighting Blindness Canada and Canadian Council of the Blind, CNIB and Deafblind Community Services.

In February 2024, VLRC won the HLTH Foundation’s Global Techquity Impact Award for its eye health screening initiative focused on Canadians at risk for diabetic retinopathy in remote, rural, and Indigenous communities. The Global Techquity Impact Award recognizes a project outside the U.S. that effectively uses technology to overcome geographical, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers for a population experiencing persistent health disparities. VLRC's initiative trains local community providers to use Eyenuk's EyeArt, the first autonomous AI technology licensed by Health Canada for the detection of diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults.

In October 2024, Jennifer testified before the Senate Social and Scientific Affairs Committee on behalf of VLRC’s advocacy for Bill C-284: A National Eye Care Strategy. The bill, which passed, represents a significant step forward for millions of Canadians who face barriers to vision care. The strategy will prioritize early detection, equitable access, integrated care, rehabilitation and research.

“This is more than just a bill – it’s a commitment to supporting Canadians' vision health, especially for vulnerable and under-resourced communities,” Jennifer posted on social media.

Jennifer contributes to her field as a board member of the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals; a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired; a member of the organizing committee of the 2018 Canadian Interdisciplinary Vision Rehabilitation conference; and as a previous committee member of International Community Outcome Based Vision Rehabilitation.

She is also committed to her community as the co- chair of the Mill Courtland Neighbourhood Association, serving a highly diverse community of new Canadians, low-income, single-led, and ethnic families. In addition to overseeing the work of the board and its subcommittees and organizing special events and fundraisers, she is the voice of MCNA at events and workshops.

Jennifer has a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Lambton College, a degree in child development and physical education from Brock University, earned a non-profit/public/organizational management certificate from the University of Waterloo, and completed a competency-based healthcare leaders professional development series at Western University.