News

TORONTO – June 22, 2020 – As students and families adjust to remote learning during COVID-19, the CNIB Foundation has released a free version of its iOS training manual for children with sight loss. The ABC's of iOS: A VoiceOver Manual for Toddlers and Beyond! ensures educators and family members have the tools to teach a child who is blind or partially sighted how to use iOS with VoiceOver.

The next Census of Population will take place in May 2021. The 2021 Census questions are available in large-print, braille, audio and video formats. Learn more about alternate formats for the census questionnaire.

CARLETON PLACE, ON – As part of CNIB Guide Dogs' class of 2021, 20 Canadians who are blind or partially sighted are graduating with their guide dogs today – International Guide Dog Day – after completing intensive training.

Carleton Place, April 28, 2021 – Today, in honour of International Guide Dog Day, the CNIB Foundation is launching the second annual CNIB Guide Dogs Pup Crawl, a virtual five-kilometre fundraiser in support of the charity's guide dog program.

CNIB would like to thank Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. for their longstanding support of people with sight loss across the country.

On March 24, 2021, the Ontario government released the 2021 Budget, "Ontario's Action Plan: Protecting People's Health and Our Economies". 

During the government's pre-budget consultations, CNIB submitted a response that urged the Ontario government to take action to address the low employment rates for people who are blind or partially sighted, which has become significantly worse due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.

We were pleased to see critical investments to support people with disabilities specifically. CNIB continues to work with the provincial government to find ways of enhancing and growing CNIB's Come to Work program with the ultimate goal of building the employment skills and employment opportunities for our Talent Pool.  

As of January 2021, in light of the success, expanded reach, and impact of these virtual programs, CNIB Foundation programs in Brantford transitioned to a hybrid community resource access, and virtual program delivery model. This shift in how we deliver our programming will ensure CNIB continues to be effective and impactful in our service delivery model, and will further enable us to work together as a community to maximize support for people with sight loss in the Brantford area, both through virtual means, and in-person.

As COVID-19 vaccination clinics roll out across the country, CNIB is publicly urging provincial governments and local public health units to ensure their vaccine distribution strategies are accessible to Canadians with sight loss.

Oakville, ON – In partnership with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Halton Healthcare is piloting BlindSquare, an innovative wayfinding system for people with sight loss. This initiative, being launched at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH), will create a more accessible experience by ensuring individuals with sight loss have the opportunity to navigate the hospital safely and independently.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives Canadian citizens the right to vote. But for many Canadians living with sight loss, voting isn’t as simple as walking into a voting booth and checking a name on the ballot. It’s an inaccessible process that involves little to no secrecy, and numerous barriers.