Visually-impaired community angry with pending closure of Medicine Hat resource office

Wayne Cyr has uses the VLR Alberta services as he is blind in one eye and only has partial sight in the other.

“Initially I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it,” said Cyr. “The office has been here for a long, long time and there are so many people here in Medicine Hat who rely on it to get access to the services and technological aides that they need to be independent.”

VLR Alberta was launched in 2018 by CNIB as a provincially funded resource for the blind in the province, providing access to services like mobility training with canes and selling various products like magnifiers and visually-impaired technology.

But more than that, Cyr said it’s a gathering place for Medicine Hat’s visually-impaired community.

“There’s not going to be that central place of contact,” he said. “Without that, it’s very difficult for people to community. I do have some visually-impaired friends that I do keep in touch with. But, the wider community at large, especially those who are shut-ins, are going to have a lot more difficult time with it.”

The lack of funding has forced VLR Alberta to eliminate 11 staffing positions across the province, including at the Medicine Hat office.

Administrative assistant Toni Freimark is among those losing their jobs, adding working at the office shared by CNIB and VLR Alberta has been her life.

“I don’t really know what I want to do with my life after this,” said Freimark. “I definitely enjoyed my time here and I know how I’ve helped the clients here.”

VLR Alberta staff member Toni Freimark (right) speaking with Wayne Cyr (left) (Photo courtesy of Bob Schneider)

Medicine Hat’s almost 140 clients will now need to travel to Calgary or Edmonton to access VLR Alberta services.

That’s made accessing these services much more difficult according to clients like Cyr.

“I have to either take a shuttle and then cab around and that type of thing or try and make it through on public transit,” said Cyr. “That’s often very difficult. If you have an early morning appointment, then you have to go the night before, then you have to stay in a hotel, and you’re travelling back and forth. A lot of people with visual impairments, including myself, don’t have the hugest incomes that are able to afford and do things like that.”

The program’s Shop CNIB stores where clients can physically purchase aides are all closing as well, with only the online option being available moving forward.

“Shop CNIB is shutting down, even in Calgary and in Edmonton,” said Freimark. “So, there will be no physical shops where people can look at all these products.”

VLR Alberta is executing a transition plan looking for alternative methods to provide services, however they admit reductions will come in Medicine Hat.

Also a member of the blind community, Freimark believes not renewing the funding was a misguided move by the province.

“They don’t know what it’s like to live with a vision loss,” said Freimark. “Maybe they should live with a vision loss for a day and see what it’s like, it’s not easy. For them to cut this for everybody, it’s going to be so hard.”

CHAT News reached out to local MLAs Drew Barnes and Michaela Glasgo on Tuesday, however they were not available for comment.

A statement from the ministry of community and social services was provided:

“The work organizations like CNIB do, through programs like Vision Loss Rehab, provides important supports to people with disabilities,” said press secretary Kassandra Kitz. “Funding has not been cut, and Community and Social Services’ current agreement (April 2018 to March 2020) with CNIB remains in place at their current level.”

While there is no planned change for the national CNIB organization, VLR Alberta confirmed they will not be receiving their funding.

VLR Alberta also stated they are a ‘separate and distinct organization from CNIB.’

“They don’t really fully understand how this is going to impact everybody,” said Freimark. “When you can’t sleep at night because you’re worried about your clients and you care about them, now you can’t offer that to them. They need to really think about it before they start doing stuff like this.”

While he was surprised by the initial announcement of the Medicine Hat location’s closing, Cyr added it’s usually social services that are cut.

He said he hopes the provincial government will change their minds and avoid putting more stress on one of Alberta’s most vulnerable communities.

“I would like to see the government return the funding,” he said. “I would like to see the government realize that there are people who need help and we’re not all wanting to be a burden. We didn’t ask to be in this situation. Just give us a chance and give us the access to the services that we need.”

by Scott Roblin

Visually-impaired community angry with pending closure of Medicine Hat resource office

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