Ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3), CNIB has launched its Know Your Rights project in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan. Through the creation of plain language legal information resources, Know Your Rights aims to empower people who are blind, partially sighted or Deafblind to better understand their rights, navigate provincial legal systems and self-advocate to challenge discrimination.
Initially only available in Ontario and Quebec, generous funding and support from The Manitoba Law Foundation, the New Brunswick Law Foundation, the Law Foundation of Newfoundland & Labrador, The Law Foundation of Ontario, the Law Foundation of Prince Edward Island and the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan allowed CNIB to further expand this important initiative across Canada.
As part of the Know Your Rights project, CNIB held focus groups across Canada where participants with sight loss shared their experiences with discrimination. From this research, eight priority areas were identified: education, employment, health care, housing, transportation, the built environment, government and consumer services, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Resources (handbooks, videos, workshops, etc.) were then developed to reflect these key areas.
Each provincial handbook provides readers with an overview of important legal rights specific to the priority area as well as links to helpful legal resources and community supports, in both PDF and Word formats.
“One of the project’s goals is to present legal information in a way that speaks directly to the needs of people who are blind, partially sighted, or Deafblind,” says Duane Morgan, Vice President, Atlantic Canada, CNIB. “We hope these resources will help people identify their rights, understand the laws that protect them, and know what to do if their rights have been violated.”
A special thank you to The Community Legal Education Association (CLEA), McInnes Cooper and Pro Bono Students Canada, the Public Legal Information Association of NL, and the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan (PLEA) for assisting with legal research and writing.
We invite you to explore our website, browse the handbooks, and familiarize yourself with your legal rights. Visit www.cnib.ca/knowyourrights learn more. If you have questions or comments, please email knowyourrights@cnib.ca.
CNIB continues to seek opportunities to advance this vital work in other provinces and territories.
About International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on 3 December was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. For more information, visit the UN’s website.