To the Editor:
I am the mother of a legally blind child. Everyday my child is challenged by simple tasks that as a sighted person, I take for granted. Cooking a meal, literacy because many books are still not in accessible formats, finding employment, travelling to school when there is no public transportation —these are just a few issues my child has to overcome daily to live independently.
Over the years, the organization that provides post vision loss rehabilitation therapy (PVLRT) to support my child’s ability to undertake those basic daily tasks, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), has had to reduce the resources available due to funding issues. This means that they have reduced staff and travel less frequently to areas around the province to provide rehabilitation.
If you break your hip in Saskatchewan, your rehabilitation is fully funded through the government; however, if you lose your sight, you rely on a charitable organization, the CNIB, for your rehabilitation. Imagine if you relied on the success of a fundraising luncheon in order to receive your rehabilitation? That is exactly what more than 25,000 people who are blind or partially sighted in Saskatchewan do every day.
In Saskatchewan, PVLRT is not a fully funded service; therefore, CNIB relies on donations to subsidize this service. I have reached out to the health region in Weyburn to see if other resources exist to support my child – there are none! In fact, I have been told on many occasions that there is nothing they can do and they have no specialization in this area.
My family relies on the CNIB to work with my family as a whole and the school staff supports to teach the necessary skills to live an independent life. This is everything from learning how to navigate in our community and in the school through teaching white cane skills and mental mapping, to learning how to cook a meal and learning the latest technology to enhance my child’s ability to be successful in school and employment.
I am asking for the Government of Saskatchewan to fully fund post vision loss rehabilitation therapy. I want my child to be an independent and productive member of our community. I encourage you to ask your political candidates during this election period if they would support fully funding vision rehabilitation services to this growing population in our province. #blindmatters @skpoli
Korryn Kubashek,
Weyburn
