Smartphones can change lives. For that reason, Sechelt Library is excited to partner with CNIB’s Phone it Forward program. This program is the first of its kind to refurbish smartphones for the purpose of giving them to people with vision loss. Smartphones can radically alter the lives of those who experience blindness, as they are a portable accessibility tool that enables greater independence.
Starting on Friday, Nov. 22, people will be able to come into Sechelt Library to receive a pre-paid envelope to ship unwanted smartphones to CNIB. These phones will be wiped, refurbished and loaded with new accessibility apps specifically designed to benefit someone with vision loss. These devices can then be used for daily tasks that many people take for granted such as reading printed text, navigating with GPS, identifying colours and faces and confirming correct medications.
“Libraries are all about creating equal access to information,” says Elle Archibald, chief librarian of Sechelt Library. “This type of partnership is a win-win: people who are in the process of upgrading their technology can give back and produce less waste, while those receiving the phones gain a greater sense of independence and freedom. It’s also a win for the library as it helps promote digital equality.”
Customers can either clear their own phone of personal information with instructions provided by CNIB, or can get it wiped through CNIB after it is mailed.
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