Some Kelowna residents are not impressed with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Joyce Henderson has a 36-year-old blind daughter, and said the annual charity event, Wine香蕉视频直播檌ng香蕉视频直播� in the Dark, a fundraiser for CNIB where guests participate in wine sampling while blindfolded, is a 香蕉视频直播済immick for showing life as a blind person.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淪ited people walk away with a misconception about blindness,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Henderson continued most blindness is a slow, gradual process, not the instantaneous one CNIB portrays.

To connect with blind people and to learn what life is like through their eyes, individuals must spend time with a blind person, she said.

Danielle Suter, public relations and communications officer for CNIB, said the event was created by CNIB香蕉视频直播檚 Kelowna office to involve the wine industry in Kelowna.

香蕉视频直播淭he event is not about simulating blindness. There are blindfolds there, but (you) don香蕉视频直播檛 have to put on a blindfold. People come to experience difference wines and provide (funding) for a charity,香蕉视频直播� she said, adding blindfolded-tasting events are common among companies like Pepsi.

Mary Ellen Gabias, president for the Canadian Federation of the Blind, agrees with Henderson that the event doesn香蕉视频直播檛 give a proper description on what blindness is.

Gabias has been blind her entire life and she thinks the event promotes fear and creates a misconception of how blind people live.

香蕉视频直播�(CNIB) promotes pity rather than respect. It香蕉视频直播檚 three hours of sipping wine and the sudden immersion into the fear of blindness香蕉视频直播� my life is nothing like suddenly going blind,香蕉视频直播� said Gabias.

However, Suter said 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 not the goal of it. We know we have the support of our clients who are blind or partially blind.香蕉视频直播�

John Ingram is a client of CNIB and is declared legally blind. He will be attending the fundraiser.

香蕉视频直播淔undraising is important for the community, I have no problem with it,香蕉视频直播� adding he thinks there is no issue with the event.

Gabias is also critical of CNIB as a whole, and believes rehab and rehabilitation for blind individuals should be in the hands of the Provincial government, rather than a charity.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 think a Toronto-centred monopoly is needed,香蕉视频直播� adding the issue with CNIB is it provides a problem by problem solution, instead of ongoing intensive care which she said is needed.

香蕉视频直播淚 would love to see in the province, where people in local communities get paid to instruct people香蕉视频直播� I香蕉视频直播檓 not knocking the individuals. There is a structural problem.香蕉视频直播�

Suter said CNIB fundraisers held locally go back into the local community and that each case differs depending on the individual.

香蕉视频直播淚t stays within the region,香蕉视频直播� she said.