Journey to Independence: Blindness—the Canadian Story

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This book scores well on the three main criteria for an organizational
history: detail, detail, detail. It starts with the founding of the
Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in 1918 and gives a
blow-by-blow account of structure and restructuring, goals, programs,
services, and executive over an 85-year history.

Herie, a CNIB executive for nearly 20 years, drew material from a vast
archive that includes 180 interviews. He addresses the organization’s
development and growth chronologically, hanging much of the content on
the work of the executive over the years. Through this approach, he
shows us the people both in their official capacity and as individuals
dedicated to achieving improvements in the everyday lives of blind
Canadians. Against the social and political content of the times, CNIB
worked to achieve advances in education and employment opportunities for
clients, and to promote vision health and the prevention of blindness.
At various times this meant providing services such as residences,
camps, vocational training, teaching reading and writing of Braille,
northern “eye patrols,” home teaching, eye banks, “shelter”
workshops, eye vans (mobile eye-care units), lending library services,
and “talking books.” Advocacy and awareness campaigns were always
part of the mix. Herie details how the services provided were a match
for the social conditions of the time and were dropped or changed as
needs changed through legislative and political actions and advances in
technology. Controversial topics such as the 1930s movement to promote
sterilization of the blind and a degree of empire-building within CNIB
are covered.

A generous number of public relations photos and portraits of
executives illustrate the text. The writing style is clear though flat;
quotes from archival documents provide an extra touch of readability.

Any corporate history is of extreme interest to people in the
organization. In this case, the interest will fan out to CNIB’s
100,000 clients and their families as well as to students of Canadian
social history.