Resource directory
Helpful tools for a full, independent life with vision loss
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- Advocacy and awareness
- Books, literacy, and libraries
- Children and youth
- Deafblindness
- Education
- Eye health
- Faith-based
- Finances, discounts, and concessions
- Guide dogs – Canada
- Guide dogs – U.S.A
- Home and community support services
- Multicultural
- Products and technology
- Social, recreation, and entertainment
Advocacy and awareness
- Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC), working to increase rights and responsibilities to ensure individuals with a vision impairment receive all possible benefits and opportunities: blindcanadians.ca
- CCB (Canadian Council of the Blind), offering advocacy, programs, and information for people with blindness: ccbnational.net
- Canadian Federation of the Blind, people who are blind fighting, supporting, advocating, and standing for themselves as well as fellow blind friends and family: cfb.ca
- The Checkered Eye Project, dedicated to making the checkered eye a recognizable symbol for people with low vision: checkeredeye.com
- CNIB, empowering people with sight loss to break down barriers to create a more inclusive society: cnib.ca/advocate
- Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), advocating for the rights and responsibilities of individuals living with disabilities in Canada: ccdonline.ca
- Easter Seals Canada, a non-profit with a mission is to ensure individuals with disabilities have equal access to equipment, programs, services, and support: easterseals.ca
- Fighting Blindness Canada, research and advocacy about eye diseases and blindness: fightingblindness.ca or 1-800-461-3331
Books, literacy, and libraries
- Abilities, magazine for people living with disabilities: abilities.ca
- Braille Literacy Canada, programs and resources promoting braille: brailleliteracycanada.ca
- Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) public library service for Canadians with print disabilities: celalibrary.ca
- Unione Italiana Ciechi Studio Uno (Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired) offering talking books in Italian: 39 0302209421 or lpbs@uiciechi.it or lp@uiciechi.it
Children and youth
- Blind Beginnings, B.C. organization with a mission to inspire children and youth who are blind or partially sighted and their families through diverse programs, experiences, counseling and peer support, and opportunities to create fulfilling lives: blindbeginnings.ca
- VIEWSon programs and services for children with sight loss: viewson.ca
Deafblindness
- Canadian Deafblind Association National, offering services and support for people with hearing and vision loss: cdbanational.com
- Canadian National Society of the Deaf-Blind, supporting and advocating for people who are both deaf and blind: deafblindcanada.ca
- CNIB Deafblind Community Services, offering intervenor, emergency intervenor, and literacy/life services for people with hearing and vision loss: deafblindservices.ca
Education
- Hadley School for the Blind, distance and in-person learning for Canadians with vision loss: 1-800-323-4238 or hadley.edu
- Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille, Quebec French-speaking school for blind students: inlb.qc.ca
- National Education Association of Disabled Students (NEADS), supporting full access to education and employment for post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities across Canada: neads.ca
- W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind, located in Brantford, Ontario: pdsbnet.ca/en/schools/w-ross-macdonald/
Eye health
- Canadian Association of Optometrists, offering eye health information and resources: opto.ca
- Canadian Institutes of Health and Research, offering information on a number of health issues including blindness and eye disease: cihr.ca
- Canadian Ophthalmological Society, offering eye health information and resources: cos-sco.ca
- Fighting Blindness Canada, research and information about eye diseases and eye health: fightingblindness.ca or 1-800-461-3331
- Orbis Canada, offering eye health information and education: can.orbis.org
Faith-based
- Joy Beyond Vision Community, faith-based non-profit organization in Toronto and Vancouver supporting Cantonese and Mandarin speaking individuals with vision loss: joybeyondvision.ca
- Radio Maria, 24-hour religious programming: radiomaria.ca or 416-245-7117
Finances, discounts, and concessions
- Access 2 Card, Easters Seals Canada program designed to ensure that entertainment, cultural and recreational opportunities are more available and accessible to all: access2card.ca or access2card@easterseals.ca
- Canadian Disability Tax Credit, information about this non-refundable credit for people in Canada living with disabilities: Canadian Disability Tax Credit
- CNIB card, providing discounts on air travel, public transit, and some services: cnib.ca/cnib-card
Guide dogs – Canada
- Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind: guidedogs.ca
- CNIB Guide Dogs: cnib.ca/guidedogs
- Lions Foundation of Canada Guide Dogs: dogguides.com
- Mira Foundation: mira.ca
Guide dogs – U.S.A.
- Guide Dogs for the Blind: guidedogs.com
- Guide Dogs of America: guidedogsofamerica.org
- The Seeing Eye: seeingeye.org
Home and community support services
- 211, government program for all community resources (available in 150+ languages): 211.ca
- CCB (Canadian Council of the Blind), offering programs and information for people with blindness: ccbnational.net
- CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), offering a range of services across Canada for people of all ages living with sight loss: cnib.ca or 1-800-563-2642
- Ontario Home and Community Support Services, health care services at home, at school, or in the community:
- Erie St. Clair
- South West
- Waterloo Wellington
- Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant
- Central West
- Mississauga Halton
- Toronto Central
- Central
- Central East
- South East
- Champlain
- North Simcoe Muskoka
- North East
- North West
- Healthline, local health and community services across Ontario: healthline.ca
Multicultural
- Joy Beyond Vision Community, faith-based non-profit organization in Toronto and Vancouver supporting Cantonese and Mandarin speaking individuals with vision loss: joybeyondvision.ca
- Radio Maria, 24-hour religious programming: radiomaria.ca or 416-245-7117
Products and technology
- Apple Accessibility, accessibility features and services offered by Apple: 1-877-204-3930 or applevis.com
- Bell Accessibility, accessibility services offered by Bell Media: bell.ca/accessibility_services or accessible@bell.ca or 1-800-268-9243
- Google Home, home automation products: 1-855-971-9121 or disability-support-external@google.com or the Google Home online store
- TrySight, assistive products and technologies: trysight.com
- Freedom Scientific, accessibility software and technology: freedomscientific.com or 1-800-444-4443
- Microsoft Accessibility, accessibility features and services offered by Microsoft: 1-800-936-5900 or microsoft.com/accessibility
- Neil Squire Foundation, non-profit empowering individuals with a disability through computer-based assistive technology: neilsquire.ca
- Canadian Assistive Technology, technology, training, and support for people with vision loss: 1-844-795-8324 or canasstech.com
- CNIB Smartlife, offering hundreds of products and technologies for people with vision loss: cnibsmartlife.ca
- Rogers Accessibility, accessibility services offered by Rogers Media: rogers.com/accessibility or 1-877-508-1760 (ext. 243) or accessibilitydiscount@rci.rogers.com
Social, recreation, and entertainment
- Access 2 Card, Easters Seals Canada program designed to ensure that entertainment, cultural, and recreational opportunities are available and accessible to all: access2card.ca or access2card@easterseals.ca
- Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability, promoting, supporting, and enabling Canadians with disabilities to live healthy and happy lives: ala.ca
- Accessible Media Inc., non-profit media company that aims to entertain, empower, and inform blind/low vision Canadians: ami.ca
- Bell Accessibility, accessibility services offered by Bell Media: bell.ca/accessibility_services or accessible@bell.ca or 1-800-268-9243
- Blind Sailing Canada, bringing the sailing experience to blind and visually impaired persons: blindsailing.ca
- Canadian Blind Sports Association, offering sports programs for people who are blind: canadianblindsports.ca
- CNIB culture, sports, and recreation programs: https://cnib.ca/en/programs-and-services/play/culture-sports-and-recreation-programs
- CNIB Lake Joe, camp facility in Ontario for people with sight loss and their families: cnib.ca/lakejoe
- Freedom’s Wings Canada, flying opportunities for people with disabilities: freedomswings.ca
- Ontario Blind Sports Association (OBSA), encouraging people with vision loss to join one of many adapted and unique sports offered: blindsports.on.ca