Phone It Forward

Phone it Forward is a CNIB program that gives smartphones to people with sight loss who need them.

Donations of used smartphones from corporations and individuals are used to fuel this transformational program. CNIB loads the devices with accessible apps and provides between 10-15 hours of one-on-one user training to participants in the program.

“Having a smartphone is such an important part of my life, especially because of my sight loss. My phone has become a vital tool for navigating, reading, emailing and so many other things I do on a day-to-day basis. Today’s technology has made my life so much easier.” -Victoria Nolan, individual with sight loss

- More than 500,000 Canadians are living with significant sight loss today – 100,000 among them are registered with CNIB.
- An estimated six million Canadians have an eye disease that, if untreated, could lead to blindness.
- As a result of the aging demographic, these numbers will increase in the next 25 years.

A great program to bring change:

- The unemployment rate for Canadians with sight loss is 3x the national average.
- High unemployment rates make it very difficult for Canadians with sight loss to afford and access a smartphone.
- Mobile ownership is increasing among Canadians with sight loss – but there is still a significant access gap, with 30% saying they own neither a smartphone nor a tablet.
- Smartphones are critical tools that revolutionize daily life for people with sight loss.

Smartphone donations are critical because:

For a person with vision loss, phones are a portable, all-in-one accessibility, mobility & communication solution (Built in Magnification & Screen Readers, Accessible GPS apps, Colour ID apps, Barcode Reader apps, etc.)

Why are smartphones so important for someone with sight loss or blindness?

- Staying connected after losing one’s vision can reduce isolation & loneliness.
- The skills needed to access a Smartphone are transferrable and can be applied to other technologies.
- They are must-have tools for success in school and employment for youth and working-aged adults with sight loss.
- Smartphones promote literacy and socio-economic participation amongst people with sight loss (e,g, Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, Accessible Books, etc.)

The Phone It Forward program is fueled by donations:

Many corporations and organizations issue corporate phones to their employees or use corporate issued tablets in their offices, branches, or stores. These fleets of phones and tablets are usually retired every 2-3 years. Often these phones are wiped and environmentally recycled, they are not repurposed. Phone It Forward repurposes modern smartphones and tablets by providing them to Canadians living with vision loss.

With data security at the top of every organization’s list of priorities, phones donated to our program are carefully tracked, physically secured and securely wiped using certified methods.

To view our video and learn more about Phone it Forward please visit www.phoneitforward.ca