CNIB is very saddened to hear of the loss of Walter Gretzky. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Gretzky family. Walter was an incredible CNIB supporter and avid advocate for youth with sight loss. In 1996, the Walter & Wayne Gretzky Scholarship for Blind Youth in Canada was established. Those scholarships were funded through a series of golf tournaments across Canada. For years, Walter would travel to numerous cities to connect with our supporters. He would always regale them with stories of the Great One. Still, in the end, it was always about raising as much money as possible to support youth with sight loss. He was always interested in hearing how the scholarship awards helped them achieve their educational goals. Walter was a remarkable icon and an amazing friend of CNIB who will be greatly missed by many.
New partnership brings community expertise and lived experience into the development of wearable technology, with practical support to help people explore its possibilities.
FirstTap uses fun games and activities to children who are blind or have low vision the commands and gestures (like swiping, pinching, and tapping) to use Apple’s operating system (iOS) its built-in vision accessibility features. Created by CNIB for young children (ages 2 +), activities are tailored to different skill levels, so kids can choose exercises that match their age, skill level and interests.
Held every September, Guide Dog Access Awareness Month is a time to raise awareness and understanding of guide dogs, the rights of guide dog handlers, and to champion equal access for guide dog teams.
While guide dog refusals happen in many settings, transportation remains one of the most common areas where handlers encounter barriers and discrimination. That’s why, in support of our commitment to safe and accessible journeys, our advocacy campaign this year is focused on guide dog access in transportation.
It’s not uncommon for vision loss to occur as we age, but for some, its onset can be sudden and unexpected. That was the experience for one woman from Victoria, Madison Sutcliffe, who suddenly lost about 90% of her vision during pregnancy. Looking for support and community, she reached out to CNIB and joined the Come to Work program
To strengthen our voices and support the professional development of our Ontario advocates, ambassadors and CNIB staff, we’ve launched Educate to Advocate – an advocacy program designed to drive achievement and equality through education.
