This year, CNIB’s annual awareness campaign is focusing on guide dog access in health care settings.

Guide dogs and their handlers have the right to access to any premises that the public would normally have access to. This applies to medical clinics, doctors’ offices, dentists’ offices, hospitals, and anywhere a guide dog handler would seek medical treatment or advice.

Guide dog handlers also have the right to visit family members in any area of a health care setting or medical facility where other visitors are allowed.

While guide dogs may not be permitted in specific environments like operating rooms or areas with radiation exposure, a reasonable accommodation must still be provided for their handlers in such instances.

By learning more about guide dogs, you can help shift social attitudes towards universal acceptance and appreciation for guide dogs, ensuring the rights of guide dog teams are always respected.

Get involved and show your support for guide dog teams by:

• Visiting guidedogchampions.ca – CNIB’s one-stop shop for businesses to become more welcoming to guide dog teams.
• Reading CNIB’s guide dog etiquette digital resource and FAQ, specifically about access to health care spaces.
• Registering for CNIB’s information session about guide dogs and health care spaces on September 29.
• Learning more about guide dog legislation.
• Following CNIB on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X to like, comment on, and share our activities throughout the month.
• Ordering a free “Guide dogs welcome” decal for your business to show support for guide dog teams in your community. Email advocacy@cnib.ca for more information.

A widespread lack of sufficient funding means that BC’s non-profit sector is at a critical point. We’ve joined over 200 non-profit leaders in calling for immediate action.

Read the open letter, coordinated by the BC Society for Policy Solutions, here: https://bcpolicy.ca/2025/09/11/funding-crisis/

What the sector is asking:

“We need your [funders] help to stabilize and sustain our sector:

1. Provide core, multi-year, unrestricted funding. Invest in organizational stability, not just one-off pilot projects and guarantee that funding keeps up with the cost of living.
2. Reduce administrative burdens while providing transparency to applicants. Simplify applications and reporting, and ensure grantmaking is transparent, fair, and ethical, so we can focus on delivering programs rather than paperwork.
3. Invest in the nonprofit workforce. Ensure funding enables a living wage, benefits, and professional development.”

Media coverage:

Vancouver Sun, Business in Vancouver and Global News.

Please help spread the word!

TransLink is now accepting applications for both the Access Transit Users’ Advisory Committee and HandyDART Users’ Advisory Committee until Sept. 14.

The Purpose of the Access Transit Users’ Advisory Committee (UAC) is to advise TransLink on improvements to the accessibility of their conventional transit services (Bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus and West Coast Express). The Committee provides accessibility-related advice on TransLink plans, programs and other initiatives and is comprised of persons with disabilities, seniors or their representatives. UAC members are people with disabilities, seniors, or individuals who support people with disabilities and/or seniors.

The purpose of the HandyDART Users’ Advisory Committee (HDUAC) is for HandyDART customers and their representatives and stakeholder groups to provide advice and guidance on HandyDART plans, programs and other initiatives, and to advise TransLink on matters to improve HandyDART service for customers. HDUAC members are individuals who use HandyDART, or people who provide support for people who use HandyDART.

For more information and to apply, please click one of the links for each of the committees.

Apply to Access Transit Users’ Advisory Committee

Apply to HandyDART Users’ Advisory Committee