As technology and digital literacy have become integral to the everyday life of most Canadians, people with visual impairments aren't always able to keep pace.
In an effort to rectify that to a certain extent, the federal government is providing $1.3 million in funding the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) for its Connecting with Technology Initiative.
Joyce Murray, Minister of Digital Government (who's also the president of the Treasury Board), was at the Kamloops CNIB office today (May 21) to make the announcement.
"Digital skills today are no longer a luxury," she says. "All Canadians should be able to access the internet should they choose, so they can engage with their communities, they can access online resources and stay in touch with children and grandchildren."
The money will be used to help educate around 750 Canadians on how to use technology.
Craig Faris, the B.C. program lead for technology at the CNIB Foundation, says this money will address a variety of issues around getting people educated.
"Most of us rely on computers and smartphones for work, school, staying connected to each other and entertainment," says Faris, who's blind. "But what if you have vision loss and can't see the screen as well as you used to, or if you're blind and in a small town far from Vancouver — where can you learn about the devices that offer untold independence?"
The money comes from the Digital Literacy Exchange, a five-year, $29.5-million program the federal government announced in 2017.
