Vision

At the Pacific Training Centre, we are guided by the principle that “blind and DeafBlind people empowering each other to be employed, independent, and free.”

Mission

The Pacific Training Centre for the Blind empowers its students to achieve independence, freedom, and equality through a positive blind-lead training model. Our teachers, who have lived experience, support participants to learn skills and gain confidence. It’s not about sighted people doing things for blind people; it’s about blind people doing things for ourselves.

History

The PTC was founded in 2011 and has been providing services since 2014. The idea of the centre took root years before in the minds of blind people who wanted to address the high unemployment rate (75% nationally), isolation, and severe lack of intensive rehabilitation available to blind people in the province and in the country.

“The simple truth is that blind people are not helpless. A blind person can do pretty much anything a sighted person can. All they need is the right training and opportunity.” Elizabeth Lalonde, PTC founder and Executive Director, May 2014.

Accreditation and Awards

PTC’s programs are accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Our Blind People In Charge program has won the Canada Life Literacy Innovation Award from ABC Life Literacy. PTC is also one of the only organizations in Canada that offers regular, intensive, group-based blindness skills training to blind and low vision adults.

Programs and Services

The Pacific Training Centre for the Blind offers a range of empowering programs and services designed to build confidence, independence, and practical non-visual skills. Using a positive, blind-led training model and a problem-solving approach, our programs support blind and DeafBlind adults to take charge of their lives and develop the skills they need to thrive. This empowering model of teaching is very different from traditional blindness rehabilitation or training.

Blind People in Charge

Our signature offering, the Blind People in Charge program is delivered at the offices of the Pacific Training Centre in downtown Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The Blind People in Charge program has been running for over a decade and offers free, intensive, nonvisual skills training to blind, DeafBlind, and low vision adults primarily in the greater Victoria area, though limited exceptions may be available for participants from nearby regions when appropriate and feasible. Participants learn practical skills, build confidence, and develop their independence through the Structured Discovery model — a positive, blind-led approach where problem-solving, exploration, and lived experience are central to learning.

At the Pacific Training Centre, people who are blind and DeafBlind are the instructors, planners, directors and administrators of the Blind People in Charge program. Traditional training models use fixed methods which train people who are blind or DeafBlind to follow a prescribed series of steps to complete a task. This traditional approach does not teach participants how to handle new situations or to explore their world with confidence. The Structured Discovery learning method, however, teaches that participants can gain confidence in themselves through their own efforts at problem solving and resolution, better enabling them to manage all obstacles in their path. This approach promotes a high belief in the unlimited potential of people who are blind and DeafBlind and sustains high expectations of all participants and staff.

Our Blind People in Charge program is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), recognizing the quality, safety, and effectiveness of our training. It is one of the only accredited blindness-service programs in BC.This accreditation has been renewed in 2024 and reflects our continued commitment to excellence in blindness rehabilitation and instruction.

Our instructors, who have lived experience, support participants to take charge of their own lives by building on their strengths and fostering high expectations. Instead of teaching fixed, step-by-step methods, Structured Discovery encourages students to think creatively, problem-solve, and adapt techniques to new situations. This empowering philosophy helps participants gain confidence through their own discoveries and successes. The Blind People in Charge Program is customizable, teaching skills and techniques that match a learner’s interests, skill development goals and objectives. Our instructors have received extensive training in each area we teach.

Instructors teach non-visual independence skills such as Braille, adaptive technology, cane travel, cooking, home management, and employment skills. They work with students to develop positive strategies for coping with blindness, DeafBlindness, and vision loss in a world that assumes sight. Throughout the program, participants and instructors work together to identify solutions and techniques to promote independence. Having blind and DeafBlind instructors engenders a belief in participants’ own abilities as a person who is blind or DeafBlind; if they see another person who is blind or DeafBlind doing something, they can then believe in their own ability to do it and find the confidence to strive for their goals.

The Blind People in Charge program is designed to allow participants to progress at their own pace. Anyone over 18 who is blind, DeafBlind, or experiencing significant vision loss may apply, including those who are navigating additional challenges in life.

An instructor will work one-on-one with each participant, teaching skills related to their expressed learning objectives and needs. The Blind People in Charge works at each participant’s own pace to best assist them in achieving their goals.

Some of the independence / blindness skills offered in the Blind People in Charge program include but are not limited to:

• Reading and writing Braille and using tactile skills;
• Keyboarding and adaptive technology such as talking computers and smart phones;
• Travelling safely and competently with the long white cane, making mental maps and orientating oneself using cues in the environment (i.e. the direction of the sun, sounds of traffic and changes in textures on the ground);
• Using public transportation;
• Personal and social skills;
• Cooking, cleaning, organizing, labelling, home and financial management, and
• Employment skills
• Other life skills.

Apply to the Blind People In Charge Program

We encourage students to apply to the Blind People In Charge program as there is currently a wait list. Getting your name on the list ensures you can receive services as soon as possible.

Please contact us to apply or make an inquiry today!

Let’s Support Each Other Zoom Sessions

This program provides support, peer mentoring and resources to blind seniors and other adults through twice-monthly Zoom sessions. Our sessions are lead by well-known presenters within the local, regional and national blind community. Discussions touch upon a wide variety of areas including news of governmental programs for people with disabilities, physical fitness, cooking, discussion of technologies that can help blind people become more independent, emergency preparedness, community led discussion and support, just to name a few. If you wish to join our Let’s Support Each Other meetings on Zoom, please email info@pacifictrainingcentre.ca or contact our director, Elizabeth Lalonde at elizabeth@pacifictrainingcentre.ca

Governance

The Pacific Training Centre is run by a board of directors, a constitution and by-laws.

Board of Directors

Kyla Berry

President

Elizabeth Lalonde

Executive Director

Janet Erikson

Secretary

Miles Motture

Treasurer

Marie Tullet

Director at Large 1

Get Involved

We appreciate your desire to help. The only question is, how do you want to help us?

Volunteer

We are always looking for people who can help us with reading printed materials, driving, and other tasks. We are also looking for blind and DeafBlind people who may be interested in developing their mentorship skills. Contact us to learn more.

Advisory Board

We invite community members to serve on our advisory board to assist us with fundraising, promotion, and other centre initiatives. Contact us to learn more.

Spread the Word

Tell people about us. Visit our social media pages, friend us, and like/retweet our posts. You can find links to our social media channels here.

Become a Member

Contact us to become a member of The Pacific Training Centre .

Donate

The centre funds the bulk of its operation through grant awards and donations from the general public. To give, please go here.

Supporters

Contact Us

We would love to hear from you. For more information, please call us at: +1 (250) 580-4910.