The Canadian Federation of the Blind

Read the August Issue of The Blind Canadian Magazine

Some items in this Issue:

  • FEATURE: Donna, her employment success story
    as blind personal support worker, an interview
  • The Blind Mechanic, a book review
  • CFB’s position on MAID
  • Defining “blind”
  • Wrap-up on CFB’s BC Human Rights Tribunal case
    regarding bike lanes / floating island bus stops
  • Other advocacy

Available in PDF and Web versions.

To read past issues of the magazine, go to The Blind Canadian page.

CFB’s Position Statement on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID),  Regarding the Blind

The Canadian Federation of the Blind deplores any attempts by those responsible for decision making in the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program to consider impending blindness as a potential reason to end a life.  In the case of blind individuals, employing MAID is a stark example of the common, and tragic, misunderstanding of blindness and its consequences.  Adjustment to blindness is difficult, and blind people face their own particular challenges, but it is well known that these challenges can be met, and the technology and services available today have vastly improved prospects for the blind. That someone facing blindness might want to die is tragic; that the state might sanction and aid the suicide of blind people is a total betrayal of trust and decency. The Canadian Federation of the Blind invites any blind person or their supporters to connect through our email group or our contact form and we will be here to support. We also stand willing to actively oppose this program and it’s devastating ramifications for the blind.

Summary of CFB’s bike lanes / floating island bus stops BC Human Rights Tribunal case in Victoria

When the City of Victoria showed no concern about our voiced safety concerns, CFB turned to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. CFB received pro-bono law assistance, thanks to Crease Harman, and received donations from individual supporters, including the blind community.

The tribunal deemed the bike lanes and floating island bus stops infrastructure as “daunting” for the blind and discriminatory. They issued a cease and desist order.

Yet, the city fought the blind, intent to deem the infrastructure as acceptable. Read more here.

CFB’s Feedback and Position on the Current Study of Floating Bus Stops at Bike Lanes

CFB has widely publicized its stance on the dangers of expecting blind bus pedestrians to navigate floating island bus stops and cross the bike lanes. In our five-year BC human rights tribunal case, this type of infrastructure was originally deemed as discriminatory towards people who are blind or vision impaired. The City of Victoria and elsewhere have since been trying to deem these as “inclusive” and acceptable, which they are  not. The only safe, reasonable place for a bus stop is at the sidewalk curb.

Accessibility Issues, Castanet News, Letters, Kelowna, BC, November 16, 2023

CFB Open Letter to BC Premier Eby, November 2023

CFB Response Letter to Saanich Municipality (in Victoria, BC), November 2023

Letter to Mayor Dyas and Kelowna City Council, December 1, 2023

Share your experience on discrimination in shared housing

The Canadian Federation of the Blind is collecting experiences of people who believe they may have been discriminated against when trying to rent in shared accommodations. We are helping our member Ben Fulton, who is challenging the Ontario Human Rights Code Section 21 (1). Click here for more information or to craft a submission if you believe you have experienced discrimination in shared housing.

Thursday’s Feature Article

Each Thursday we feature an article or story on one of the many aspects to do with blindness. These weekly pieces come from past issues of The Blind Canadian, CFB’s magazine. This week’s article is:

My First NFB Convention

By Maria Kovacs

My name is Maria Kovacs and I am glad to have attended my first NFB convention. This year, for the first time, I had a chance to attend one of the most empowering conventions I have ever attended in my life! Getting there was not so easy because of all the thoughts running through my mind. This kind of conference, as curious as I was, was bringing me a great deal of fear and also lots of anticipation of what I could learn that could be useful for when I return home.

Read the full article here… You can also send a blank email here which will subscribe you to receive the Thursday featured article every week in your in box.

Read about CFB’s complaint to Competition Bureau Canada regarding CNIB’s monopoly

CNIB: Canada’s 100-Year Monopoly – Report
December 2020, Volume 18, The Blind Canadian, Special Edition
Read in PDF and Web versions.

Who is the CFB? What is Our Philosophy?

CFB is a not-for-profit, entirely volunteer blindness organization, incorporated in June 1999. Created by and for blind Canadians (our executive board members are all blind), our mandate is to improve the lives of blind people across the country. Click here to read more.

Associations

CFB is associated with the US National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the largest and most influential mentoring and advocacy movement of blind people in the world.

The CFB wishes to express sincere gratitude to its sponsors and supporters:

 

CREASE HARMAN LLP

The Victoria Foundation

Father De Lestre Council of the Knights of Columbus

Individual Donors

Victoria Imperial Lions Club

 

 

Registered Charitable Tax Number:
864997291 RR0001
Donations are tax deductible.

 

Canadian Federation of the Blind
Douglas Lawlor, President
PO Box 8007
Victoria, BC, V8W 3R7
Phone: (250) 598-7154 Toll Free: 1-800-619-8789
Email: info@cfb.ca
Website: www.cfb.ca
Find us on Facebook
Twitter: @cfbdotca
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CFBdotCA