Despite continued appeals, rallies, requests and discussions, blind
\npeople in British Columbia and in the rest of the country continue to
\nreceive apathy and indifference in response to their need for proper
\nblindness skills training and rehabilitation.
\n
\nThe Canadian Federation of the Blind (CFB), a grassroots advocacy
\norganization made up of and led by blind people, is calling for
\nimmediate action on this matter at the 2012 BC budget consultation
\nhearing to be held tonight, September 19, at the Coast Capri Hotel at
\n6:20 . The organization is asking government to take responsibility
\nand provide funding for blind people to receive the training they need
\nand deserve.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is atrocious that blind people are not receiving such basic public
\nservices as proper training in using the white cane, Braille, adaptive
\ntechnology and other independent living skills,\u201d says Mary Ellen
\nGabias, CFB President.<\/p>\n
no publicly accountable funding exists for blindness rehabilitation
\nin this province. Persons with mental and physical disabilities
\nreceive funding in the public system for rehabilitation, but this
\npublic funding does not exist for persons who are blind.<\/p>\n
The unemployment rate of blind people is near 80 percent.
\nApproximately 13,000 legally blind people live in BC; among these,
\napproximately 3,000 to 4,000 are working-age.<\/p>\n
“The public does not realize blind citizens are not receiving the
\nservices they need and deserve. Government takes no responsibility for
\n the situation and chooses to leave the lives and futures of blind
\ncitizens in the hands of charity,” says Gabias.<\/p>\n
For further information, please contact:
\nIn Kelowna, (250) 491-7226
\nIn Victoria: (250) 598-7154<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Despite continued appeals, rallies, requests and discussions, blind people in British Columbia and in the rest of the country continue to receive apathy and indifference in response to their need for proper blindness skills training and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n