Hello, neighbor! This is a page for our Canadian friends. Or at least the first part is. I will see what kind of info I find to fill it up.
First of all, a topic near and dear to my heart: puppies! It appears the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is now in the guide dog business. They have started a program to train dogs and match them with appropriate folks. They are compiling a list of people who would like a dog as well as asking for puppy parents. They are looking for people in North Toronto, Markham and Newmarket as well as Halifax and Winnipeg.
Now, more power to you. I would make a good foster parent except for one small detail: I would not be able to give her up! That, and I am a soft touch. So that is two details. If you are capable of such generosity you can give up an animal for a good cause, maybe you should volunteer. They are, as I said, looking for volunteers. I, on the other hand, will demure.
CNIB runs a summer camp. It is just North of Toronto. I would love to say those of us with age-related eye diseases can go but it looks like, once again, it is for those pesky people called children. Could you please explain to me why they get all the fun?
FYI, I tried to get the people at the Penn State Summer Academy to say I could play, too. They were having none of it. Very discouraging for a 64 year old ‘kid’! I think we older folks need equal time!
Canada has the Center for Equitable Library Access. Although they work closely with CNIB CELA is not a subsidiary of CNIB. In Canada you can sign up at your public library or call 855-655-2273.
CNIB offers a Readasaurus Kit for preschoolers to get introduced to the joys of reading. Their site shows you how to make your own tactile books and gives you ideas for low vision activities for the little ones. Know any little people with visual impairment? I do and I think I will share this site with Mommy.
Another activity for the kiddos offered by CNIB is a Braille writing contest, with CASH prizes! I don’t think I know of any novels written initially in Braille but why not? Our lack of knowledge and imagination does not mean it cannot happen. Maybe it will happen in Canada.
Really being impressed by CNIB and its offerings. They have games they allow us big folks to play! They have an auditory version of Battleship and Sound Sudoku. They also have links to sites like The Able Gamers Foundation for video game play.
Like I said, impressed with what our cousins to the north have to offer. Some of it – websites for the educational materials and the games for examples – is available to everyone including non-Canadians. Be sure to check it out.
written July 23rd, 2017
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