Canadian National Institute for the Blind
| INCA | |
 |
|
| Motto | Seeing beyond vision loss |
|---|---|
| Formation | March 30, 1918 |
| Type | Charitable organization |
| Registration no. | 119219459RR0003 |
|
Staff
|
1,100 |
|
Volunteers
|
10,000 |
| Website | cnib |
|
Formerly called
|
Canadian National Institute for the Blind |
CNIB (French: INCA) is a volunteer agency and charitable organization dedicated to assisting Canadians who are blind or living with vision loss, and to provide information about vision health for all Canadians. Founded in 1918 as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (French: Institut national canadien pour les aveugles) to assist soldiers who had been blinded in the First World War, CNIB originally offered sheltered care and specialized employment to people with vision loss. It has since expanded to include other programs and services, including research, public education, rehabilitation counselling and training, advocacy and an alternative-format library for people living with a print disability. It is a member of the Braille Authority of North America.
CNIB was incorporated on March 30, 1918 to provide food, clothing and sheltered residences for blind veterans returning from World War I. It began with 27 employees serving 1,521 people who were blind, primarily in Toronto, with two "home teachers" providing rehabilitation training in other parts of Canada.
During the 1920s, CNIB operated a job placement program with limited success, also creating jobs through its own factories, broom shops and concession stands. The organization also appointed a special nurse responsible for vision health and sight preservation.
In 1923, a Dominion Charter was obtained to establish a Home Nursery Hospital and Kindergarten for the Blind under 6 years of age in Ottawa. Mothers of blind babies from any Province in the Dominion, were encouraged to place their charges in the Canadian Blind Babies Home Association for proper care and education c. 1918 - 1939. It was to be similar to "Sunshine Home," at Chorley Wood, England, which was then the only home in the Empire for Blind babies." After the founder, Mrs. Margaret Dean, died it went out of existence and the subscription funds were reallocated to the CNIB.
By the 1950s, CNIB was serving more than 17,000 clients, with offices, vocational centres and residences in major Canadian cities. A formalized research program into prevention was also prioritized. Steps were taken towards advocacy with the 1930 Blind Voters Act, allowing a person who is blind to vote with the assistance of a sighted person, and legislation around mandatory eye drops to prevent disease in newborns. In 1956, the organization helped sponsor a course for blind computer programmers.
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Wikipedia