News

December 3, 2021 – On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, CNIB is calling on the federal government to use the 44th session of Parliament to support the creation of a barrier-free Canada and illustrate how countries can create inclusive societies for people with disabilities.  

Join us for the CNIB Community Meeting in your province. This will be an opportunity for CNIB, CNIB Deafblind Community Services and Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada to provide you with organizational updates as we prepare for a post-pandemic world. As we take this time to connect to ensure we continue to provide innovative and inclusive programs and services for Canadians who are blind, partially sighted or Deafblind, we want to hear from you.

It has been nearly two years since CNIB first alerted the Government of Ontario that Ontarians who are blind, partially sighted or Deafblind are currently unable to renew their Ontario Health Card online through the Government of Ontario website because the renewal form requires a driver’s license number. 

Recently, our most significant discussions have been with the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services around transforming the online health card renewal services to ensure they are accessible and available to Ontarians who are blind, partially sighted, and Deafblind.

CNIB received many remarkable scholarship applications this year and awarded $128,000 in funding to people who are blind or partially sighted in recognition of their educational and professional aspirations and achievements.

(HALIFAX, NS – Nov. 8, 2021) Five future CNIB Guide Dog puppies recently arrived in Halifax, where they’ll spend the next 12 to15 months in the care of volunteer puppy raisers, getting prepared for their future careers as CNIB Guide Dogs. The pups can be seen training around the Halifax area, wearing their bright yellow Future CNIB Guide Dog vests.

In 2016, Ontario launched a 10-year pilot project to allow for the testing of automated vehicles (AVs) on Ontario's roads by approved companies under certain conditions. To date, Ontario has approved fourteen entities to participate in the pilot and two have been approved for driverless testing. The provincial government is now looking to expand the pilot in six different ways that will widen participation in the existing pilot in terms of who can participate and how.  

MONTREAL, Quebec, October 22, 2021 – CNIB, Canada’s largest non-profit serving people with sight loss, celebrated the grand opening of the Nanji Family Foundation CNIB SmartLife Centre in Montreal on October 18, 2021.

In June 2021, the Ontario government published a report that contained 197 recommendations for Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). These standards aim to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility gaps and barriers faced by students with disabilities from kindergarten to Grade 12. A further 75 recommendations were put forward addressing the transition from K-12 to post-secondary, the community and/or the workplace.

To help provide a more inclusive customer experience, Moneris Core payment terminals are equipped with enhanced accessibility features.

Consumers can enable an interface on Moneris Core payment terminals with features designed to help people independently navigate the terminal without having to share their pin or ask for assistance.

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