HALIFAX – The CNIB has had a portion of their funding that was cut by the provincial government reinstated, but the organization says they still need more money to cover the services they provide.
In November, the CNIB and its supporters held a rally outside Province House, calling on the government to reverse a 30 per cent cut in their funding during the last budget.
READ MORE: Stable funding for vision rehabilitation program being considered: minister
CNIB officials and Health Minister Leo Glavine began discussions, and the minister paid the Halifax office a visit last Friday.
CNIB’s executive director and Atlantic Canada regional vice-president of CNIB, Pamela Gow-Boyd, says the minister committed to reinstate the $155,000 but the organization is still more than $317,000 short on the $1 million price tag of delivering rehabilitation therapy.
“We had to eliminate five full-time positions and at this point because we are forecasting a significant deficit, we are looking at the possibility of cutting another position in January,” said Gow-Boyd.
“Unfortunately, if we do that, cutting a position means we are cutting services.”
Clients and staff say the CNIB offers services that are unique in the province for the visually-impaired.
Those services include counselling, help with mobility, and outfitting a client’s home to make it both safer and more accessible.
“I’ve come a very long way from being able to still see, drive, read, having the diagnosis of macular degeneration and knowing that I would continue to lose sight until I am now legally blind in both eyes,” said Minda Oberle, who has been a client for nine years.
“It’s been quite a journey and without the CNIB I don’t know what I could have done.”
Gow-Boyd says the CNIB is encouraged by their discussions with the health minister and are hopeful more funding will be available in the new year.
Comments