Who Should Lead The CNIB?

Shocker or shaker? I'll let you tell us for yourself. This is the big question presently on the minds of many blind and visually impaired Canadians these days: Who should the next CEO of the CNIB be? Should he/she be a person with a visual impairment, or should he/she be sighted?

A few weeks ago, the CNIB brass sent a shock wave through the blind and visually impaired community when it announced that it was going to change its bylaws so that a sighted person could become its next CEO. Up till now, CNIB has been lead by blind and visually impaired persons but with the pending retirement of Jim Sanders, it looks as if the CNIB may be ready to take a bold and daring step in a new direction. Whereas many blind and visually impaired persons were quite shocked at this announcement and are now determined to have their voices heard by the CNIB, I for one am not surprised by this announcement.

I would like to view this as a shaker rather than a shocker. The CNIB is presently in a battle of its life to stay alive and it has been struggling for the last few years to remain an entity. The once proud organization has somehow managed to slump to its knees and now it is grasping at anything that may help it to stay alive and somehow right itself once more.

Over the years I along with many others have had to endure the embarrassment of seeing a once-respected institution slip helplessly from the pinnacle to the bottom of the heap. At the present time, respect for the CNIB is at an all-time low and this from blind and visually impaired Canadians from coast to coast. A few years ago the CNIB decided to re-brand itself as a research and wellness organization leaving behind the image of a proud organization that used to provide solid client services. The perception of the CNIB today is of an institution that has chosen to desert its clients in favour of becoming an organization that does not seem to be interested in the welfare of blind and visually impaired Canadians. So, against this gloomy and uncertain background, this is the question that needs to be answered. Who should be the one to lead the CNIB for the next few years?

In my humble opinion; it should be the one that best qualifies for the job. Someone who can listen, communicate, and accommodate blind and visually impaired Canadians. Someone who respects the opinions of blind and visually impaired Canadians. Someone who is prepared to engage in healthy dialogue with clients and someone who has the ability to walk the walk and not talk the talk. Someone who will be able to strike the right balance between what clients are demanding and what is needed in order to take the CNIB into a challenging future. In other words, someone who best qualifies for the job and it should not matter if that person is blind or sighted. The criteria of having to be blind or visually impaired should not be applied here. The next few weeks and months should be very interesting ones as we all wait and watch to see who the next CEO of the CNIB is going to be. Who is going to be Jim Sanders's successor. A blind or visually impaired man or woman? Or a sighted man or woman?

Whoever is chosen, you can be sure that they are going to have their work cut out for them and the one thing I hope is that we would all be able to put our differences aside and work for the common good for all stakeholders. I'm Donna J Jodhan your free lance writer and reporterwishing you a terrific day. If you require accessibility, research, and writing services visit
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