Making a world of difference, around the world

The Honourable Senator, Dr. Asha Seth and CNIB are working as international partners in Northern India to support people who are blind or partially sighted with various initiatives. The focus is on rural areas where access to health care and education is limited.
A team of 8 field workers and a project officer travel through the Uttar Pradesh, Rajashtan, and Madhya Pradesh states, visit villagers in their homes and identify those with sight loss. They then offer 4 week orientation and mobility training and work with each client for up to 3 months to ensure proper rehabilitation. Depending on the clients needs, they are eligible to receive free glasses and white canes. The team of field works also focuses on educating children and adults about eye health by making presentations at schools and holding meetings throughout the villages. The CNIB Foundation continues to seek opportunities and partnerships with governments and other NGOs working with people impacted by sight loss around the world.

For more than 100 years, the CNIB Foundation has worked to level the playing field for Canadians with sight loss by delivering life-changing programs and powerful advocacy to people from coast to coast to coast.cnib2
But we’re also a leader in matters concerning vision health and sight loss on the international stage. We partner with sight loss organizations around the globe, working with government and other non-profit organizations, sharing expertise and professional resources with people experiencing sight loss. We’re also part of the global fight against poverty and illiteracy, and in support of human rights, for people who are blind in developing countries.
Every year, CNIB invests more than $1 million internationally to improve the lives of children and adults with sight loss. Worldwide, more than 80 per cent of sight loss can be prevented or cured. But many people in developing countries don’t have access to the medical care they need to help them avoid or treat blindness.

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