Ontario region switcher

Notice

For content relevant to your community in Ontario, Please select your region

Get to know the CNIB Foundation

The needs of our community are constantly evolving, and we need to keep evolving too. If you've been to our website lately, you probably noticed that we've made a lot of changes. So let's break those changes down one by one…  

Our nameCNIB Foundation featuring black upper case lettering

The most obvious difference you'll notice about us is that we're not just CNIB anymore – we're the CNIB Foundation. For a long time there's been a public misconception that we're a government-funded organization. Our research tells us that adding the word "foundation" to our name will help people understand that we're a charity, and not part of the government. We're also using a new logo that features the word "CNIB" in white, upper case letters set against a black background. Underneath that is the word "foundation" in black, upper case letters. 

Yellow and black icons including a sun, a briefcase, a shoe and a braille book Our look 

Our website has also been updated with a new colour scheme and imagery. In order to make our site as accessible as possible, we're now using a limited high-contrast colour palette consisting of just black, yellow and white. Some of our website visitors might also notice that we're using a new visual identity with bold, black brushstrokes and bright yellow icons throughout. 

Our programs 

We're not only enhancing our existing programs to make them more impactful than ever, but we're also introducing a range of new programs designed to help people not only live with blindness, but thrive with it.

Here's a taste of the programs we're working on… 

  • A yellow and black icon featuring two faces Entrepreneurship programs that give people with sight loss the support they need to open or expand a small business
  • Professional internships for individuals looking to get their feet wet in the working world and "returnships" for those who want to get back into the workforce later in life
  • Our new guide dog program, which is currently matching its very first trained dogs with their handlers! 
  • Social, sports and recreation programs that enable people with sight loss to make friends, get active and build a network of support 
  • New advocacy programs that help people stand up for their rights and raise their voices for inclusion 
  • Community Hubs that provide people with innovative, accessible places to learn new skills, make friends, have fun and try out the latest technologies (Learn more about our Community Hubs by clicking here) 
  • Our new Phone It Forward program, which gives smartphones to people with sight loss who need them (Learn more about Phone It Forward by clicking here) 

Stay tuned for more information about these programs in the months to come!

Read more articles from the October, 2018 issue of Insight:

More News

Today, 23 new partnerships, including 15 guide dogs, seven buddy dogs, and one ambassador dog, formally graduated as part of the CNIB Guide Dogs Class of 2024.

As part of the celebration, viewing parties of the graduation ceremony were held in communities across Canada. For many graduates, these events signified not only the end of months of anticipation and formal training – but also a tribute to all the individuals who supported each dog in their journey, making these partnerships possible.
April 17, 2024 – Yesterday, the Government of Canada released Budget 2024 and announced that the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit will start in July 2025, pending a regulatory design process. The benefit will be funded with $6.1 billion over the next six years. 

This investment equates to a proposed maximum of $200 per month for eligible recipients who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit. Further, Budget 2024 does not invest in a strategy or programs that enable people who are blind or have low vision to join the workforce. 

While the passage of the Canada Disability Benefit Act was an important first step, CNIB joins the growing list of organizations and advocates calling on the government to commit to more support to lift people with disabilities out of poverty.  
Together, CNIB and CIRA are making the internet a safer and more equitable place for young people living with blindness.
Sail into summer with a taste of the Caribbean! CNIB is proud to present Sailing on the 6ix – A Night of Senses boat cruise event aboard the Obsession 3. Let’s bring the Caribbean experience to life with the tastes, sounds, and excitement of Toronto’s renowned Caribbean Carnival. Thursday, May 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Get ready! The fifth annual CNIB Guide Dogs Pup Crawl is coming back this year on April 17 and will run for six amazing weeks.
Read more news