News

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.

The Ace still hasn’t been caught!
CNIB announced today that their Catch the Ace fundraiser has reached an incredible high – a whopping $485,000 – and it’s still growing.

CNIB recently unveiled the brand-new Barrie Community Hub and Nanji Family Foundation CNIB SmartLife Centre, thanks to a generous donations made by the Nanji Family Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The new Hub, which is now open to members of the public, is an inclusive community space designed to empower people impacted by blindness to live the lives they choose.

As a Paralympian proudly representing Canada on the international sports stage in rowing, I recently returned from Tokyo where, in the Athletes' Village, I went to restaurants and shops – all without hassle. All without being asked to leave and escorted to the exit. Contrast this with my experience in my home country, and it is a completely different story. Like so many other Canadians who rely on guide dogs, I face discrimination frequently.

"As a guide dog handler to Cody, a three-year-old golden retriever, I shouldn’t have to fight for my rights when businesses are breaking the law. I should be able to take any type of transportation, stay in any hotel, dine in any restaurant – just like anyone else."

Canadians are headed to the polls on September 20 to exercise their democratic right to vote, either at advanced polls, using a mail-in ballot, or on election day. But for Canadians with sight loss, voting isn’t as simple as walking into a voting booth or requesting a mail-in ballot and checking off a name.

"Recently, I found a significant bug with VoiceOver on the iPhone when I tried to access the ArriveCAN app," says Robert Fenton, a member of CNIB’s National Board. "As someone with sight loss, it was impossible to move beyond the privacy screen on the app. This is yet another example of programs and services, including apps, not being ‘born accessible’ and thus creating more barriers for Canadians with disabilities. Simply put, this must end."