What does the CNIB do?
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is a national charity supporting Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. Headquartered in Toronto, CNIB has over 50 offices across Canada. CNIB’s mission is that Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills, and opportunities to fully participate in life and that Canadians don’t lose their vision to preventable causes. CNIB passionately provides community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. At Mountain Eye Care, we keep the same core values in mind when we work with Hamilton residents to help them correct their vision issues.
Vision loss in Canadians
The charity estimates that 500k Canadians have significant vision loss that impacts their quality of life. Over 50k Canadians will lose their sight annually. CNIB estimates that 75% of cases are avoidable through prevention and treatment. Canadian National Institute for the Blind spends 39% of program dollars on vision loss rehab therapy. In 2017, CNIB provided 40k hours of training everyday skills to people who are blind. Each minute, three Canadians ask CNIB for information and support to overcome vision loss challenges.
Result and impact on Canadians
Legally blind Canadians living in Toronto for instance, can get a free CNIB TTC transit pass. Based on a survey, Canadian National Institute for the Blind learned that 50% of the pass users use the pass daily, 40% use it a few times weekly, and 2% use it once weekly. The reason for using the pass was found to widely vary from job-search activities to seeing relatives. Of its program costs, Canadian National Institute for the Blind spends 20% on community-based support services, 13% on technology and devices to assist daily living, 11% on deafblind services, 10% on accessible publishing and support to libraries, and 7% on public education, advocacy, and research.
At Mountain Eye Care in Hamilton, our core values run right alongside of the CNIB. If you are looking for more information about the CNIB and what they do, please feel free to continue browsing through our website. Click here to find our contact information, schedule an appointment, or to speak with a representative.
