The provincial government announced they would be supporting deafblind intervenor services with an additional $645,000.
In 2022 the B.C. government announced funding for deafblind intervenors, people who operate as the eyes and ears for people who have limited sight or hearing. They granted $1.1 million over three years for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind's (CNIB) intervenor services program. Intervenors are more than interpreters, they help people with deafblindness navigate, communicate and help them maintain independence.
Intervenors support people with deafblindness do day-to-day activities, things as simple as shopping where an intervenor describes the colour of an article of clothing. Intervenors use a mix of communication methods, whatever works best for the person they are supporting. These can include American Sign Language (both visual and tactile), two-hand manual, voice-over, print-on-palm and large-print notes.
In January, Cariboo resident Brenda Macalister, a person with deafblindess, shared her fears over losing access to intervenor services.
"I want to keep this as my normal. I don't want to go back to being so isolated and cut off," Macalister said through an intervenor at the time. "I cannot be alone by myself, just in my own head, dealing with my own emotions. And then being able to just go out by myself, I'm not able to just go walk down the street like everyone else but having an intervenor sets me free from that sort of mind prison."
She described intervenor services as being life-changing for her and she hopes to continue to have access to the services for the rest of her life.
The new funding will renew intervenor services for another year through the Wavefront Centre and CNIB Deafblind Community Services.
