Honourable senators, I rise today to acknowledge that the month of May is Vision Health Month in Canada.

I’m especially pleased to do so because this designation goes back 10 years and was proposed by my friend, former senator Asha Seth, who is here with us today with representatives from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Canadian Council of the Blind.

Here in this chamber and in her professional life, Dr. Seth has always supported and stood up for the blind and the visually impaired.

Sight loss can impact anyone at any time. According to Statistics Canada, there are 1.5 million Canadians who are blind or partially blind in our country, and over 5.6 million Canadians are living today with a vision-threatening condition.

Vision problems have a serious impact on peoples’ daily lives, which is why it’s important to support any political and medical strategy that will improve the quality of life of those affected.

Esteemed colleagues, Vision Health Month should remind us just how important vision is, and above all, that prevention is important for maintaining our vision health.

Making eye health, vision care and rehabilitation services a population health priority requires meaningful federal support, and I look forward to what we will accomplish in the next 10 years of celebrating Vision Health Month.

This month is also about championing the good work of organizations that help people along in their journey after they have lost their sight.

I would now like to take a moment to point out that the Canadian National Institute for the Blind was founded in Canada 105 years ago now, in 1918, to help our First World War veterans.

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind, or CNIB, started with 27 employees, and now has more than 11,000 professionals and 10,000 volunteers working in many fields within eight operating divisions in our country in order to provide help and services to blind people.

We must thank all these people for their commitment to ease the lives of Canadians with vision problems.

Colleagues, if time permits at the end of the day, you’re all invited to an event in celebration of Vision Health Month, to be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Métropolitain.

Thank you for your attention.