White Cane Week 2016: Feb 7-13

Held annually, White Cane Week is to create awareness of issues that confront the blind and vision impaired community. Just as important, demonstrate ability over disability to others as well as themselves.

By the Numbers:

480,000

Approximate number of Canadians with significant vision loss

3

Number of times more likely that people 60 and older with vision loss will be clinically depressed, compared with those with good vision

> 15 million

Number of children for whom Lions Club International has provided eye screenings, glasses and other treatments

> 50,000

Number of Canadians each year who lose their sight

> 5.5 million

Number of Canadians with a major eye disease that could cause vision loss

30%

Approximate percentage of children CCB mobile clinics have found to have previously undetected vision problems, including being legally blind

315

Number of eye hospitals built by Lions Club International

1918

Year the CNIB was founded to serve veterans returning home blind from the First World War

285 million

Estimated number of visually impaired people worldwide

> 80,000

Number of titles in alternative formats, including braille and accessible audio, at the CNIB Library

> 90%

Percentage of the world’s visually impaired population living in low-income settings

 

Sources: Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), Lions Club International, World Health Organization