Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, to Serve as Viceregal Patron, to the Canadian Council of the Blind

PRESS RELEASE

February 26, 2020 – Ottawa, ON –The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) is honoured that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, has agreed to serve, as it’s viceregal patron. We recognize this longstanding practice and are comitted to Her Excellency’s goal “to build on this tradition of recognizing exceptional contributions to Canadian society, by increasing the reach and impact of this relationship.”

“The Council is humbled by the continued recognition of its advocacy on behalf of the 1,560,000 Canadians living with vision loss and its role in changing what it means to be blind,” said the CCB’s National President Louise Gillis. “Whether it’s an awareness initiative or advocating governments for improved access and funding, the CCB identifies and addresses the specific barriers and obstacles that confront those with vision loss living in Canada. Our original mission and role (outlined in 1944), to promote the well-being of people with vision loss through advocacy, education, gainful employment, social association, and achieving a better quality of life, continues to this day.”

Today’s Canadian Council of the Blind

The CCB is the Voice of the Blind™ in Canada. Founded 75 years ago in 1944 by returning blind veterans and schools of the blind, the CCB is a membership-based registered charity that brings together Canadians who are blind, living with vision loss, or deaf-blind through chapters within their own local communities that provide the opportunity to share common interests and social activities.

The CCB works tirelessly to improve the quality of life for people with vision loss through advocacy and its dedication to building public awareness, improving the well-being of people with seeing disabilities and of its responsibility to promote and provide a better understanding of, and solutions for, the barriers faced by those living with vision loss all while shouting out, that a lack of sight, is not a lack of vision.

The CCB is proud of these efforts to change what it means to be blind, of its success in partnering and building relationships with other national and international organizations of, and for the blind. Most importantly, of its leadership role through initiatives that call for access to accessible, assistive technology, the provision of the very best in available medical treatments, and the fostering of patients’ rights, all while recognizing that blindness and vision loss are avoidable.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Becky Goodwin

National Office

Canadian Council of the Blind

Telephone: 1-613-567-0311

bgoodwin@ccbnational.net

www.ccbnational.net