Reaching Out, Looking In

Our path to truth and reconciliation

“The key word is listening,” says Meghan Mahon, CNIB Community Outreach Lead, as she describes the development of CNIB’s recently launched truth and reconciliation action plan, Reconciliation – The Way Forward.

Meghan, who is Métis, is one of the CNIB team members who helped to create and launch our reconciliation action plan with guidance from Tawi:ne Consulting Inc., an Indigenous-owned company specializing in Indigenous engagement and consultation, policy and governance, and capacity development.

A woman wearing a blazer stands next to a female Indigenous elder at a podium with a CNIB banner in the background

Words and actions

“‘Reconciliation – The Way Forward’ is our commitment to creating a supportive community at CNIB for Indigenous Peoples and breaking down barriers to reaching and serving Indigenous Canadians who are impacted by blindness,” says Meghan. “We’re doing that by connecting directly with Indigenous Peoples and listening to what they want and need from us.”

The plan is our response to the 94 Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, created to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation. Importantly, our plan isn’t just words. It’s full of tangible actions and measurable targets to keep us accountable for this important work – and we’re making progress day-by-day.

CNIB is working alongside other non-profit organizations to co-apply for funding to increase service in rural Indigenous areas. We’ve also become members of the Canadian Council on Indigenous Business, and we’ve committed to working toward the Partnership Accreditation in Indigenous Relations Certification, which, once attained, will help guide our reconciliation work for years to come.

We’re also co-creating programs with and for Indigenous CNIB participants – like Indigenous peer support groups and CNIB Mobile Hub programs in Indigenous communities – and we’re proudly building partnerships with other Indigenous support organizations to collaborate on programs that better serve Indigenous communities.

“The most important part of this plan is maximizing our impact in the lives of Indigenous Peoples who are blind, Deafblind, or who have low vision,” says Christall Beaudry, CNIB’s Vice President for Western Canada and the executive lead for Reconciliation – The Way Forward. “That’s why co-creating these programs alongside Indigenous community members is so critical to the work we’re doing.

Several CNIB staff members smile while holding up a pan of Bannock bread they are making

An important internal shift

Meanwhile, we’re making truth and reconciliation a cornerstone of our internal culture at CNIB. We kick off every large meeting with a land acknowledgment and we incorporate Indigenous cultural elements into many of our staff engagement activities, like a recent event where our team members tried their hands at making Bannock, a fried bread that’s deeply intwined in Indigenous history and culture.

We’ve held a number of Indigenous-led internal workshops on systemic issues facing Indigenous communities in Canada, helping to ensure our staff are educated on both legacy and current issues this community is fighting – from land rights to lack of access to clean drinking water to the devastating and ongoing impacts of residential schools.

“These are very tough topics, but they’re topics we need to face, acknowledge, and do our part to reconcile,” says Christall.

We’re also committed to hiring more Indigenous talent to join our staff community at CNIB. We’ve begun posting employment opportunities on NationTalk as well as other job boards targeted to Indigenous Peoples.

Committing to forever

Although we’re proud of the strides we’ve made so far on our truth and reconciliation journey, we at CNIB know there is so much more work to do – and, most of all, so much more listening to do.

“There’s no end date on this plan. It’s a forever commitment,” says Meghan Mahon. “We know it’s not going to be perfect. We know we might make mistakes along the way. But it’s a journey, and it’s a journey we’re honoured and proud to take.”

Want to learn more about our truth and reconciliation plan? Select this link to read Reconciliation – The Way Forward for yourself.