News

 (TORONTO, ON ) – CNIB welcomes the Ontario Government’s new investment to support the continued growth and expansion of CNIB’s Come to Work program. The Ontario Government is investing $1.7 million through its Skills Development Fund to help connect job seekers who are blind or partially sighted with employers who want to discover the full potential of Ontario’s talent.

(CARLETON PLACE, ON – Apr. 27, 2022) – As part of CNIB Guide Dogs' class of 2022, 16 Canadians who are blind or partially sighted are graduating with their guide dogs on International Guide Dog Day (April 27) after completing intensive training. 

CNIB is hitting the road to bring its innovative programs to life for more participants. The CNIB Mobile Hub is a new program delivery model where CNIB visits various communities to deliver in-person programming for people who are blind or partially sighted.

​​​​​​​As provinces scale back PCR testing for COVID-19, many Canadians are relying on at-home rapid antigen tests for diagnostic purposes – including the 1.5 million Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. People with sight loss are unable to independently read the printed instructions, administer the tests with accuracy, or verify the results of rapid antigen tests
CNIB therefore calls on provincial governments and local public health authorities to ensure that tests are made accessible to people who are blind or partially sighted. 

CNIB would like to send a huge congratulations to our friends at ASIC (Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers) for returning to operations after a five-year hiatus.

CNIB, Canada’s largest non-profit serving people with sight loss, has appointed Angela Bonfanti as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), making her the first COO in the organization’s 104-year history.

Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc is excited to announce that CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) in Toronto is one of the recipients of the 2021 Community Impact Grant.

February is Black History Month.

This year’s theme, “The Future is Now,” is a chance to celebrate and acknowledge the transformative work that Black Canadians and their communities are doing right now.
Throughout the month, CNIB staff and participants from the Black community will be hosting five keynote programs, aimed at engaging participants in critical discussions ranging from Black history in Canada to the intersectionality of the Black experience and sight loss.

Following the Ontario government’s announcement which outlined plans to permit Ontario municipalities to introduce electronic kick scooter (e-scooter) pilots in the province, the City of Ottawa passed a by-law to run an e-scooter pilot project. In its second year, the City partnered with three e-scooter companies to provide 1,200 rental e-scooters from May 28 to November 30, 2021.

In November 2021, CNIB held a townhall to gather feedback from members of the sight loss community on their experiences with e-scooters in Ottawa.  This feedback has been compiled into a report to be shared with City staff and other stakeholders. Read the full report.

CNIB is pleased to announce a partnership with Uber Canada. Under this partnership, Uber Canada is reaffirming their commitment with CNIB over the next three years to create and support ongoing awareness campaigns around service animal policies. This includes sponsoring a CNIB guide dog, who will be raised, trained, and matched to support a Canadian with sight loss. The future guide dog is expected to be born in the spring.