CNIB Newfoundland and Labrador
2011-2012
A Year in Review
Community-based support and knowledge
Together, with the support of our partners, donors and volunteers, we are striving to uphold the highest standards of integrity in our work and to provide real value to our 3,264 clients in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Throughout 2011-2012, CNIB specialists in St. John’s, Corner
Brook and Grand Falls-Windsor assisted clients with:
 overcoming the emotional impact of their vision loss through adjustment to vision loss programs
 learning how to use magnification, colour contrast and lighting to maximize remaining vision
 acquiring skills to independently manage everyday activities such as preparing meals, using the telephone and identifying money
 learning street crossing techniques, way finding and cane skills to travel independently in their homes and communities
 learning how to use assistive technology to access information, to enhance job readiness or to maintain employment.
CNIB’s Eye Safety Program educates organizations and their employees about vision health and eye safety at work, at home and at play, building a culture of safety and reducing the associated costs of workplace eye injuries. In 2011-2012, CNIB conducted 50 eye safety workshops in Newfoundland and
Labrador with 1,492 participants. This program has garnered the

support of Workplace Health & Safety Compensation Commission
(WHSCC), Iron Ore Company (IOC), Vale NL, Novartis
Pharmaceuticals, NL Association of Optometrists and 3M Canada.
In-kind sponsorship to support our marketing efforts was provided by the NL Construction Safety Association, The
Telegram and Steele Communications.
Partnerships: In 2011-2012, CNIB signed a partnership agreement with Eastern Health that recognizes CNIB as part of the continuum of care. We also continue to strengthen our relationships with other government departments, community agencies, and optometrists and ophthalmologists.
Summer Intervention and Family Summer Camp: In the summer of 2011, 27 children participated in the CNIB’s summer intervention program that helps maintain and build vision rehabilitation skills. In addition, 82 campers attended CNIB’s summer family camp, including children, their families and interveners.
Post Secondary Orientation: In 2011-2012, CNIB delivered our third annual Post-Secondary Orientation program to ease the transition from high school to post-secondary school for students who are blind or partially sighted. Five students toured university and college campuses, and took part in Orientation and Mobility and Independent Livings skills activities throughout St. John’s.
This program is available to grade 11 and 12 students from all areas of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Expanding Service Delivery: CNIB continues to be dedicated to making vision rehabilitation services accessible to everyone in
Newfoundland and Labrador. In September 2011, CNIB welcomed

Jennifer Hynes as Early Intervention Specialist working with children who are blind or partially sighted and their families.
Jennifer will be operating from our Grand Falls-Windsor centre, and is responsible for delivering services in the central and western regions of our province. In March 2012, CNIB welcomed
Lynsey Soper as a Counsellor/Volunteer Coordinator located in our St. John’s Centre.
CNIB’s Anna Peddle accepted a $5,000 donation from Trevor
Murphy, Director of Community Partnerships, IceCaps Care
Foundation to support CNIB’s Youth Post-Secondary Orientation
Program.
Facts
 18,300 people in Newfoundland and Labrador live with blindness or partial sight. This figure will double by 2031.
 Number of residents with some form of: o age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is 20,000 o glaucoma is 4,400 o diabetic retinopathy is 8,000 o cataracts is 44,000
 Every year, vision loss costs Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians $268 million.
Fund Development
CNIB relies on the generosity of individuals, service clubs, businesses, foundations and organizations to make our work possible. Support from our friends comes in many ways ranging from sponsoring, attending or hosting an event to giving a donation, providing a project grant, or making a planned gift.
The Everyday Hero program has raised $375,000 since its launch in 2009. Jim Hynes of Sea Force Technologies and Anna

Patten from Browning Harvey continued on their quest to raise vital funds this past year by reaching out to their network of colleagues, friends and family for support.
Newfoundland and Labrador kicked off its second annual Vision
Health Month with the Lieutenant Governor honouring Everyday
Heroes and celebrating a successful three-year capital campaign.
As part of Shades of Fun Day celebrations, school children and business people wore their shades on May 26 to protect their eyes from the sun and raise funds for CNIB.
CNIB’s 1000 Challenge was launched to staff in late November
2011. The 1000 Challenge was then launched to Board members, volunteers and clients beginning in March 2012, following the creation of campaign brochures and a dedicated web presence. A public launch will follow later in 2012.
PharmaChoice Golf Invitational chose CNIB as its charity of choice for its August 2011 tournament , which brought together over 100 golfers to the scenic Terra Nova Golf Club in central
Newfoundland.
In February 2012, Browning Harvey and Raymonds Restaurant hosted Newfoundland and Labrador’s first-ever Dining in the
Dark. Dining at arguably one of the provinces’ best restaurants, guests were treated to an exquisite five-course meal with pairings while wearing blindfolds and embracing the dining in the dark concept.
CNIB’s Paris at Dusk raised over $100,000 – making it the most successful event to date. The evening brought a Parisian

theme to a high-end cocktail event that included live auction, signature martinis and live entertainment.
Government Relations
CNIB has a formal service agreement with Eastern Health to supplement the continued support from the Department of Health and Community Services. The partnership with Eastern Health positions CNIB within the continuum of vision health care and has already resulted in an increase in referrals from medical professionals. This additional support has resulted in the expansion of our child and family services and we are opening a service centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
We would also like to commend the Department of Advanced
Education and Skills for the ongoing support of our employment and workplace accommodation program. Over the last year, two
CNIB Career and Employment Specialists helped more than 90 people who are blind or partially sighted in our province to find work, enter training programs, or remain employed.
In the last quarter of this year, our Atlantic Director of
Government Relations along with our Newfoundland and Labrador
Board Chair began discussions with the Department of Education around our Library services. Our goal is to establish sustainable support to produce alternate formats so that literature is accessible to people in our province who have a print disability.
Finance*
Revenues (fiscal year ended March 31, 2012)
 30% Support from the Public
 51% Government Funding

 19% Fees for Service & Misc Income
Expenditures (fiscal year ended March 31, 2012)
 69% Services, Public Education and Research
 23% Fund Development and Gaming
 8% Administration
*Due to the state of the economy, and restructuring and revamping of our Fund Development and other programs, results from Support from the Public have declined as compared to other sources of revenue but this is expected to change and improve over time.
Heartfelt Thanks
CNIB recognizes the Newfoundland and Labrador Board members’ commitment to vision health and thanks them for their contributions in 2011-2012:
Patricia Suvak, Chair
Jim Hynes, Vice-Chair
Jim Maher, Past Chair
Danny Barrett
Shane Budgell
Deanna Cheeke
Terry Gardner
Trevor Giles
Alex Hickman
Trudy Metcalfe
Philip Strong
Jason Taylor
Una Tucker
CNIB Centres

70 The Boulevard
St. John’s, NL
A1A 1K2
709-754-1180
1A O’Neill Avenue
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
A2A 1J8
709-489-6515
Downtown Health Centre
Corner Brook, NL
A2A 4B8
709-639-9167 www.cnib.ca/nl