Pacific Training Centre for the Blind Society

Blind people in charge program is the society's signature program which has been running since the centre's inception in 2013. Blind people in charge is the only program of its kind in western canada that offers regular intensive rehabilitation to people who are blind or are losing their vision; it is also the only program that uses an empowering problem solving model of instruction where blind people are teachers planners directors and administrators. The program teaches blind people skills such as braille and tactile skills keyboarding and adaptive technology how to travel safely and competently with the long white cane how to use public transportation and other life skills. The home stay program provides residential based intensive skills training to blind deafblind and low vision adults who live outside of the greater victoria area. It focuses exclusively on providing daily quality intensive services and one-on-one training to participants. Students billet with a vetted home stay host who often is blind or has personal knowledge or experience of vision loss. Home stay participants commit to a program ranging from 8-16 weeks or more. They take part in the regular blind people in charge program and receive an addition 10-16 hours of training per week (usually one-on-one)