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Whether it's career support, tech training, youth groups, cooking classes or book clubs – our programs are guaranteed to keep you entertained and engaged. Programs are free and available to Canadians who are blind or partially sighted as well as their families, friends and caregivers.
News
Save the date for the fourth annual CNIB Guide Dogs Pup Crawl!
Get your sneakers ready! The fourth annual CNIB Guide Dogs Pup Crawl is coming back this year on April 17 and will run for six amazing weeks.
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Old Time Radio – A blast from the past!
February 5, 2023
Join host Kelly MacDonald as he shares a blast from the past! Listen to all the old radio shows that made the genre so popular. Everything from mystery, comedy, westerns and holiday specific shows. Sit back and enjoy!
Read moreBlogs
New Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
By: Gabbi Rabaa
For pedestrians who are blind or partially sighted, sound is an essential component of safe and independent navigation. Audible signals can help people to orient themselves to their surroundings, identify potential hazards, understand the flow of traffic, and determine when it’s safe to cross a street.
Recognizing the dangers that quiet hybrid and electric vehicles (HEVs) pose for vulnerable road users, the Government of Canada has created the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 141. This standard requires HEV manufacturers to equip vehicles with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS), which creates artificial sounds comparable to conventional vehicles.
About the CNIB Guide Dogs Urgent Expansion Campaign
Since the program started in 2017, the demand for CNIB Guide Dogs has never been higher. While our intention was always to increase capacity with gradually expanded funding, the pandemic rapidly expedited our need to grow, and created an urgency for additional funding to meet increasing demands. We’re working tirelessly to meet those demands for the Canadians with sight loss who need us. When our community needed us the most during border closers, we made the difficult decision to make critical and urgent investments in the growth of our guide dog program. We’ve had to accelerate the development of our program, which includes fundraising efforts like acquisition campaigns, direct marketing, and other means of raising money.
About the expansion campaign![[9:45 a.m.] John Lalley CNIB's Karin McArthur chat's with a program participant at an event.](/sites/default/files/styles/square_medium/public/images/2022-12/scotia-secondary-block.jpg?h=33760c2f&itok=3PilDJry)
Scotiabank invests in removing barriers to employment for Canadians with sight loss
Scotiabank invests in removing barriers to employment for Canadians with sight loss
In Canada, the unemployment rate for people with sight loss is 14.5 percent, three times higher than the general unemployment rate. Despite having comparable or higher qualifications than their sighted peers, people with sight loss face significant challenges joining and staying in the workforce, including lack of access to assistive devices, and limited networking and advancement opportunities.
Thanks to Scotiabank’s $1.2 million investment in the CNIB Come to Work Program, participants obtain training in networking and self-advocacy, and in accessible technology such as screen readers, video conferencing and smartphones. The program also educates corporate partners to better utilize assistive technology and accommodations to make workplaces more inclusive and increase the recruitment of people with sight loss.
Through this partnership, CNIB will have the capacity to help more than 1,000 talent pool members access personalized professional development opportunities through workshops, internships, mentorships, networking events with potential employers and referrals to community agencies for employment training sessions and workplaces.
Thank you, Scotiabank for partnering with us to create a Canada where everyone can come to work!
Volunteer Opportunities
Resource Development Assistant, Accessible Technology
CNIB's Accessible Technology Program aims to support the technology needs of program participants. With the availability of a wide range of accessible technologies, people with sight loss can accomplish almost any task, provided they have the right device, and the right support! Through our continuous development of Accessible Technology resources, materials and curriculum, we are able to provide our participants with the information they need to use their accessible technology effectively. With our efforts of providing the best support possible, we are seeking volunteers to assist with research & development of a complete Accessible Technology resource kit.
Volunteer for Resource Development Assistant, Accessible Technology
Accessible Technology Group Facilitator
CNIB's Accessible Technology Program aims to support the technology needs of program participants. With the availability of a wide range of accessible technologies, people with sight loss can accomplish almost any task, provided they have the right device, and the right support! Through our monthly Accessible Technology group program offerings, we provide a range of in-person & webinar-based workshops on a variety of technology-based topics. Some topics include accessibility features on smartphones, common social media apps, MS Word basics, and much more! With our efforts of providing the best support possible, we are seeking volunteers to assist with our monthly group program offerings.