The CNIB Mobile Hub was set up inside the Margo Fournier Arts Centre. (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Craddock

Support for blind and low vision

Reconciliation one of many topics discussed at CNIB Mobile Hub in P.A.

May 15, 2024 | 6:00 AM

There is still a lot of work to do to support Prince Albert residents who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision.

That’s coming from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) as it brought its Mobile Hub back to Prince Albert on Tuesday.

The Mobile Hub brings different programs and resources offered by the CNIB directly to community members.

According to Team Lead for Programs and Advocacy Amanda Titman, this is the fifth year they have brought the Hub and its services to the city. She added that the programs offered by the CNIB have seen a big spike in demand over the last five years.

“The programs that we run at our Mobile Hubs here in Prince Albert specifically have grown significantly, probably double in size since our first year visiting P.A,” she said.

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“The biggest difference is we’re listening to what the community is telling us they need. We’re not telling them what we think they need; we’re providing programs and meeting them with where they are at today.”

This year, the Mobile Hub presented elements of its five-year strategic plan: The Way Forward. That plan which was introduced in 2023, calls for the removal of barriers for everyone with low vision. Of note, the CNIB hopes to expand its services to Indigenous communities as part of its plan for reconciliation.

While Titman is excited about these programs and services available for Prince Albert residents, she acknowledged that there are still some big needs to be addressed in the city.

She mentioned that transportation is the biggest concern.

“Using city transit here in P.A. is 100 per cent not accessible for anybody who is low vision, especially those people who are blind and making sure that they always will have access to paratransit or Access Transit for those needed medical appointments and their day-to-day lifestyles, making it so that they can be independent and leave their homes without the aid of other people,” she said.

The CNIB’s Strategic Plan includes a section that calls on political representatives and transit leaders to remove obstacles for low-vision riders on public transit.

Last fall, the CNIB launched the “Get on Board!” campaign as part of the strategic plan, which targeted several municipalities to learn about the accessibility issues facing those with low vision.

Phase 2 of the campaign will focus on 12 cities including Regina, Calgary, Toronto, and Quebec City.

Last year, Translink, the public transit service for Metro Vancouver unveiled its Accessibility Plan, which includes services for those who are blind or have low vision. This includes Braille at transit stops and textured ground surfaces to help convey information to pedestrians who are blind, deafblind, or partially sighted.

Access Transit which is operated by the Prince Albert Community Services Centre (CSC) provides rides for people who are blind or have limited vision.

According to the CSC, eligibility is based on whether or not the passenger can use regular transit services.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com