Dominion Diamond

Corporation & CNIB

Northern Legacy Project
Year 2 Report
August 2014

Seeing beyond vision loss in NWT

In 2012, Dominion Diamond Corporation generously agreed to fund four
years of projects and services to help blind and partially sighted CNIB clients
in the Northwest Territories live full and independent lives.
All of the projects are community-based, address pressing needs in the
north, involve a wide variety of local partners and most importantly
many are designed to become self-sustaining beyond the four-year
funding program. Projects include:

Page 1

Yellowknife square foot garden

Travel and community outreach
Tlicho literacy project
Behchoko soapstone carving
Yellowknife office
Professional development

In brief
CNIB is a registered charity, passionately providing community-based
support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure Canadians who are blind
or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully
participate in life.
We continue to see a steady growth in clients in the Northwest Territories.
Since the major causes of blindness in Canada are age-related, 70% of our
clients are seniors. As the population ages, the need for CNIB services grows.
In fact, the number of Canadians with significant vision loss is expected to
double by 2032.

Client Statistics (as of March 31, 2014)

Age Group

0-18

19-59

60+

Total

2004-2005
2005-2006

8
9

54
54

73
84

135
147

2006-2007

57

83

148

2007-2008

55

86

149

2008-2009

58

94

160

2009-2010

10

67

104

181

2010-2011

13

72

138

223

2011-2012

14

71

139

224

2012-2013

14

68

157

239

2013-2014

12

78

161

251

Page 2

Yellowknife square foot garden

In 2010, Norma Jarvis, regional manager at CNIB Northwest Territories, sent
an unusual proposal to the city of Yellowknife. Her plan was to build a square
foot garden an exciting and innovative type of garden that could be
adapted for clients living with limited vision and/or mobility.
In the beginning, many said gardening was off-topic for CNIB, Norma
recalls. But people with vision loss can often feel isolated, and I wanted to
offer clients an avenue for meaningful recreation. Square foot
gardening makes a therapeutic and rewarding activity available to
anyone. Norma also shares
that
an
abundance
of
community
support
and
generosity made an allconsuming project much less
overwhelming. From cement
and shed materials to pump
trucks and valuable hours, a
multitude of volunteers and
donors made this accessible
garden a reality and
Dominion
Diamonds
continued support keeps
the project thriving.
This
year,
55-year-old
Randy McBride (shown left)
grew lettuce, onions, beans
and peas in the CNIB garden
for the third season in a row.
An avid outdoorsman, he values the chance to get active and make new
friends. The garden is about independence and the outdoors, and its
also a great social experience, he remarks.
Randy reached out to CNIB in 2007 after a stroke paralyzed the left side of
his body and caused a hemianopia loss of the left field of vision in both
eyes. The garden impacted him so much that hes building his own when he
moves to Kelowna this year.

Page 3

CNIBs mission is to help the blind and partially sighted live as independently
as possible, and the square foot garden model is particularly conducive to
that. With high contrast pathways, smooth concrete and circular navigation,
people with vision loss navigate the garden with ease. This year, engineers
from Dillon Consulting helped CNIB introduce four additional raised boxes.
The beds, which are at the 12, 9, 6 and 3 oclock positions, are accessible by
wheelchair or walker.
In past seasons, gardeners
depended on a hose, but
watering cans and wagons
made the square foot garden
even more user-friendly this
year. Volunteers continue to
assist with watering and
general maintenance, and its
because of this collaboration
with dedicated clients that the
garden produced its biggest
bounty to date. This year,
the ergonomic benches were
fixed in place, and a flag pole
featuring the CNIB flag was
installed in the center planter.
The flag pole will act as a
sundial in the summertime.
The garden also provided
creative summer opportunities
for community engagement (it
was the site of four different
art and music presentations).

CNIB client Terry waters his garden plot

Word about the garden is spreading like pollen with more and more people
taking interest each year. Clients say gardening increases their self-esteem
and provides a sense of fulfillment. 65-year-old Bryon Best says, CNIB staff
should be commended. This gets people doing something creative and
productive, and also generates good community spirit. I sure hope the
gardens catch on, because any community could benefit from something so
good.
As garden volunteer Jenny Tucker puts it, People living with vision loss
and other limitations are used to receiving care, and this is their
chance to give care. That has such a positive effect.

Page 4

Travel & community outreach

Despite the vast distances and challenging conditions involved with travelling
to remote communities in the north, its essential for people with vision loss
to receive the support and skills they need to fully participate in life and
serving clients in those remote communities is what regional manager
Norma Jarvis is most committed to.
Among many other titles, Norma is a certified Low Vision Specialist who
travels to provide direct service and to coordinate service through
community health professionals (eg: Nurses in Charge, the Eye Team).
In this funding year, Norma traveled to Inuvik, Aklavik, Hay River, Fort
Simpson, Fort Smith, Fort Resolution and Behchoko.

September 2013
Janice Gurlitz, an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist from CNIB
Edmonton, accompanied Norma to
Hay River, Fort Simpson, Fort
Smith and Fort Resolution where
they provided information and
assistance in terms of daily living
skills, orientation and mobility,
and low vision assessment. The
two
travelled
with
talking
watches, a number of magnifiers,
and liquid level measurers to aid
in instruction.
Janice and Norma returned to
Hay River in February 2014 to
follow-up on Septembers O&M,
ILS
and
Low
Vision
training/services. Travel costs
were supported by funding
through Dominion Diamond.
CNIB professional display in Hay River

Page 5

January 2014
Norma presented a workshop on understanding low vision and how to work
with patients who are blind or partially sighted to students in the Personal
Support Worker Program at Aurora College in Inuvik.

April 2014
Norma attended the Aklavik health and career fair (shown below), sponsored
by the Beauford Delta Health and Social Services Authority. She presented a
table on behalf of CNIB and also provided service to clients in Inuvik.

Norma continues to travel to Behchoko regularly, while braille specialist

Myrna Thode continues to teach basic braille and provide Independent Living
Skills (ILS) service to a number of clients.

Page 6

Overall, Dominion Diamond helped

communities outside of Yellowknife.

CNIB

serve

Community

Service Hours

# of Clients Served

Aklavik

0.16667

Behchoko

58.0833

11

Fort Good Hope

3.16667

Fort McPherson

154.617

Fort Providence

5.91667

Fort Resolution

5.33333

Fort Simpson

16.6667

10

Fort Smith

14.0833

12

Hay River

77.9167

18

Inuvik

9.88333

13

Tsiigehtchic

1.38333

Tuktoyaktuk

1.83333

Wekweti

Wrigley

Yellowknife

192.133

38

Grand Total

542

125

Page 7

87

clients

in

Behchoko soapstone carving

It may seem unusual to
find
CNIB
organizing
soapstone
carving
workshops in a remote
village in the north, but
our
commitment
to
providing
communitybased
programs
and
services tailored to local
needs can lead us to
surprising places.
In the Tlicho region, up to one-quarter of residents are affected by BardetBiedl Syndrome (BBS). BBS causes either partial or complete blindness,
developmental delays, speech delays, learning difficulties and other systemic
issues. Due to its remote location, Behchoko has limited opportunities for
employment, and doesnt have rehabilitation programs available to help
residents with BBS make the most
of their remaining vision. BBS
also carries a stigma in the local
community and, because the
condition often involves cognitive
impairment, the combination of
situational and emotional factors
leaves many feeling demoralized.
Norma Jarvis implemented
soapstone carving to provide
hope, purpose, socialization, and
the chance for local CNIB clients
to develop new skills and
independence.
The workshops were a hit Norma received excellent feedback in the first
funding year. This year, she continues her search for a coordinator who can
help clients participate in soapstone carving in the future.

Page 8

Tlicho literacy project

Residents of remote, rural areas in the north can have trouble accessing
services that are more readily available in urban areas. No matter the
location, CNIB strives to provide programs and services for blind and
partially sighted residents including access to the CNIB Library.

In 2010, support from Dominion Diamond enabled CNIB to conduct a

survey of North Slave residents to determine what blind and partially
sighted people in the area would like to read in CNIBs newly accessible
digital formats. The most sought-after titles were the New Testament and
traditional stories. By making these texts available on CD in the Tlicho
language, CNIB endeavored to support culture and spirituality among people
with vision loss in the region.
Each CD reads, Proudly
sponsored by BHP Billiton.
This year, CNIB hosted a
successful book launch in
Behchoko and Yellowknife.
Clients were shown how to
use the DAISY Book Reader
(shown above) a device
that allows people with vision
loss to navigate books with
ease.

Page 9

Professional development
For regional manager Norma, keeping her professional skills and certification
as an ophthalmological technician (COT) ensures that shes informed about
the latest treatments and research around vision loss and prevention.
Courses and workshops not only certify me but also keep me up-todate, so clients can feel confident in my abilities, Norma says. Part of
my job is explaining functional vision I want to be able to describe things
in easily understandable terms to provide clients with the best service
possible.
This year, Norma travelled to New Orleans, as she is required to recertify
every three years and cant always earn the credits in Canada. Thanks to
funding from Dominion Diamond, she was able to take part in the Joint
Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmologys annual national
program, known as the JCAHPO Annual Continuing Education (ACE) Program.
This premiere event in eye education afforded her access to these and
several other courses:

Overview of Low Vision Devices

Corneal Procedures for Today and Tomorrow
Lucentis, Avastin, and Aylea: A New Era in Treatment
Identifying and Assisting the Patient with Low Vision
The Future of Age-related Macular Degeneration

The ACE Program is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the
American Academy of Ophthalmology, so in addition to attending courses
and earning credits Norma had an opportunity to meet and network with
other ophthalmic professionals like Dr. Gregg Pusateri, an optometrist who
spoke at a workshop on technology for low vision. He proved to be an
invaluable contact down the road.

iPad Training
Dr. Pusateri is a legally blind, self-taught technology expert. In March, he
flew from Chicago to Yellowknife to instruct at CNIBs three-day iPad training
workshop.

Page 10

Dominion Diamond approved funding to purchase ten iPads. The five

clients who participated in iPad training will each receive their own device,
while the other five tablets will be used for training in Inuvik and Hay River
this fall.
Ive never used iPads or even a laptop before. I didnt even know
how to turn the iPad on!
Im just a beginner, so
the courses were very
interesting and useful,
shares
client
Moreno
Ladovici. Im 100 per cent
blind, so itll take practice
before Im comfortable
with technology. I look
forward to receiving my
own iPad so I can practice
more!
Dr. Pusateri explains that
for people living with vision loss, iPads and iPhones are the Swiss Army knife
of low vision devices. Theyre tools, not toys, and they opened up my
world in a way that I hadnt anticipated, he says. From identifying
currency to reading books, navigating streets, identifying colours and more,
the VoiceOver option and other features make this technology the closest
thing possible to a set of working eyes.
There were a lot of apps and websites I wasnt aware of. Now, I invert
colours quite a bit depending on the application, and I often use the
flashlight
feature,
says
client
Peter
Biggar.
Everyones limitation is
different so I think people
gain a lot from training
sessions like this. When
youre blind, every tool
you can access is a
definite advantage.

Page 11

Yellowknife office
Learning to cope with losing some or all of ones vision is never easy, but
learning to cope with blindness or partial sight in remote northern
communities presents unique challenges ones that are often compounded
by other barriers such as language, literacy, culture and access to
technology and training.
Maintaining a Yellowknife office helps CNIB better understand northern
conditions and culture, connect with local partners and provide direct service
in a way that wouldnt be possible from our other divisional offices in Alberta.
Dominion Diamonds support plays an integral role in maintaining
this local presence.
This year, the CNIB office in Yellowknife was equipped with a
printer/scanner/photocopier/fax machine combination. Before this addition,
the staff was unable to scan or photocopy legal-sized documents, and the
already rather small office felt even more cramped with a separate fax
machine taking up space. Not only is there more office space available, but
there has been a drastic change in terms of efficiency.
Two computers were also updated. Braille specialist Myrna Thode was using
a computer that was running on Windows XP a platform thats no longer
supported by Microsoft. This year, the Northwest Territories office invested
in a laptop, which not only has up-to-date software, but has made it easier
for Myrna to complete client reports and other work when she travels.
Previously, Norma Jarvis was using her office computer to serve clients
visiting CNIB. Thanks to funding from Dominion Diamond, the office
has a new computer with a 24 inch screen. A larger screen and the
ability to load JAWS and ZoomText are much more user-friendly, making it
simpler for Norma to use technology for training and teaching purposes.

Page 12

Grant account
Dominion Diamond
Corporation (formerly
BHP) Year 2
(2013/2014) - $63,500

Grant
Amount
Y2

Square Foot Garden

Yellowknife

Balance
Carried
Forward
(From Y1)

Expenses
Y2

-9,379

Project
Funding
Adjustment

6,000

Tlicho Literacy Project

Behchoko Soapstone
Carving

3,513

3,513

5,000

-196

5,000

9,804

-8,752

10,419

Outreach to Remote
Communities

a) Caregiver manuals
b) CNIB staff travel

40,000

1,377

-22,207

Yellowknife Office
Support, Professional

a) Cost of maintaining
YK office

15,000

4,497

-19,497

2,500

-2,873

b) Professional
development

63,500

Page 13

14,388

-54,152

3,379

Funds
Remaining

0
373

23,735