Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada Privacy Policy
Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada is committed to your privacy. This policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose and retain your personal information. It reflects the principles and requirements set out in applicable privacy legislation. We reserve the right to update this policy without prior notice to reflect changes in our practices. The version of the policy appearing on this website is the authoritative version.
What is Personal Information
What Personal Information does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada collect?
How does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada use my Personal Information?
When does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada disclose my Personal Information?
How long does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada retain my Personal Information?
How does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada keep my personal information accurate and secure?
How can I access or correct my Personal Information?
Digital Media and Communications
Contact us
What is Personal Information
Personal information is information that can be used, on its own or in combination with other data, to identify or contact a specific person. It includes facts, assessments and opinions. Personal information does not include anonymous or aggregate information that cannot be traced back to you personally.
We collect personal information about you over the course of your involvement with Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada. What information we collect, and how we use and disclose it, depends on the specific circumstance, the nature of your involvement with our organization, and the consent you provide.
What Personal Information does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada collect?
The personal information we collect from clients includes :
- Your name, address and contact information
- Demographic information about you, such as your age and gender
- Contact information for a representative you have authorized to make appointments and/or communicate with us on your behalf , or a Power of Attorney if you have one
- Personal health information, including information about diagnosed eye conditions, your sight loss , and care provided by other providers
- Records of your participation in services
- Your language, communication and reading format preferences
- Information about your personal interests, goals or topics on which you would like to receive information, support or services
- Credit card, banking information and transaction records, where you have purchased a device directly from Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
- Third-party payer and/or insurance information
We collect this information when you:
- Are referred to Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada by a third party, such as a physician healthcare professional or community agency
- Register for and/or participate in Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada therapy, services, programs or activities
- Complete program evaluation, satisfaction and other types of surveys
- Purchase products and devices, and/or apply for related government subsidies administered by Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
- Contact us with an enquiry, comment or suggestion
- Subscribe to a mailing list or newsletter
How does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada use my Personal Information?
We use your personal information in order to:
- Facilitate your participation in requested therapy, programs, services, activities or events
- Refer you to CNIB , CNIB Deafblind Community Services or other community organizations , with your consent
- Contact you with information about programs , offers and research opportunities from Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada and/or our partners that may be relevant to you , with your consent
- Plan, administer and manage our internal operations
- Conduct research and compile statistics
- Teach, train and qualify staff and volunteers
- Get payment for the rehabilitation services you receive
- Investigate activity that may violate the terms of acceptable use for particular services
- Comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and fulfil other purposes permitted or required by law.
- From time to time, we may wish to use your personal information for new or additional purposes, in which case we will request your consent as required.
From time to time, we may wish to use your personal information for new or additional purposes, in which case we will request your consent as required.
When does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada disclose my Personal Information?
Your personal information will not be disclosed without your consent for purposes other than those for which it was collected, or as permitted by law. We may disclose your personal information to third parties in the following limited circumstances:
- Facilitate your participation in requested therapy, programs, services, activities or events
- To other external service providers or agencies to support the planning and delivery of coordinated health and social services. Disclosure of information may be directly to an external provider, or through a shared health record
- To funding bodies such as government ministries or health authorities, for the purposes of verifying your eligibility for funded programs, and providing reports on program participation and outcomes
- To service providers, including vendors, consultants and service delivery partners or agencies contracted to perform certain services on behalf of Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada. These organizations are given only the information necessary to perform those services , and sign an agreement committing to ensure that personal information is securely transferred , stored , and used only for the contracted purposes
- Some service providers with whom we share personal information may perform activities in the United States or another country, in which case personal information is subject to laws in the United States or that other country. For example, personal information may be shared in response to valid demands from government authorities, courts and law enforcement officials in the country where the data resides
- To a government institution that has asserted its lawful authority to obtain the information or where we have reasonable grounds to believe the information could be useful in the investigation of unlawful activity
- To comply with a subpoena or warrant or an order made by a court, person or body with jurisdiction to compel the disclosure of information, or with court rules regarding the disclosure of records and information
- As otherwise required by law
How long does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada retain my Personal Information?
The length of time we retain personal information varies depending on the situation and the type of information. Our record retention policy outlines the following standard retention timelines :
- Adult clients: Records are kept for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the last entry in the client's record, or as long as required
- Clients who are minors : Records are kept for 10 years from the date on which the client reached or would have reached their 18th birthday.
How does Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada keep my personal information accurate and secure?
We make reasonable efforts to ensure your personal information is accurate, complete and up to date so that we can fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy. We rely on you to provide us with accurate information and to notify us when your information needs to be updated.
We also take reasonable measures to ensure that our systems keep personal information safe from loss or theft, unauthorized access, use, copying, disclosure or modification. Safeguards include but are not limited to:
- A designated systems security officer accountable for information security controls and ongoing oversight to strengthen information security
- Hard disk encryption on all issued laptop computers
- Firewalls, intrusion-detection, anti-virus, strong passwords, inactivity-based screen lock, mandatory portable device access control and other software solutions for technical security
- Annual privacy training and policy sign-off by all employees
- An ongoing operational emphasis on the importance of safeguarding personal health information
Unauthorized disclosures
As soon as we become aware of any possible infringement of our privacy policy, we take immediate action to contain, investigate and remediate the situation and notify affected parties, as required by law and our breach management protocol.
This includes mandatory reporting of privacy breaches to information and privacy commissioners in situations and jurisdictions where this is required.
How can I access or correct my Personal Information?
You can contact the privacy officer to exercise your rights to:
- Access or update your personal information as stored in our records
- Withdraw your consent for us to use or disclose your personal information in some of the ways described above
- Change your information or contact preferences
The privacy officer can be reached at:
Privacy Officer Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, ON, M4G 3E8
1-800-563-2642
privacy.officer@vlrehab.ca
We make reasonable efforts to ensure your personal information is accurate, complete and up to date so that we can fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy. We rely on you to provide us with accurate information and to notify us when your information needs to be updated.
We also take reasonable measures to ensure that our systems keep personal information safe from loss or theft, unauthorized access, use, copying, disclosure or modification. Safeguards include but are not limited to:
- A designated systems security officer accountable for information security controls and ongoing oversight to strengthen information security
- Hard disk encryption on all issued laptop computers
- Firewalls, intrusion-detection, anti-virus, strong passwords, inactivity-based screen lock, mandatory portable device access control and other software solutions for technical security
- Annual privacy training and policy sign-off by all employees
- An ongoing operational emphasis on the importance of safeguarding personal health information
Unauthorized disclosures
As soon as we become aware of any possible infringement of our privacy policy, we take immediate action to contain, investigate and remediate the situation and notify affected parties, as required by law and our breach management protocol.
This includes mandatory reporting of privacy breaches to information and privacy commissioners in situations and jurisdictions where this is required.
Digital Media and Communications
Links to third-party websites
Links to third-party websites from any Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada websites or other digital platforms are provided for the convenience of our users. We have no control over, and therefore no responsibility or liability for, the manner in which the organizations that operate linked websites may collect, use, disclose or otherwise treat your personal information.
The inclusion of any link does not imply our endorsement of any other organization, its websites, products and/or services.
Contact us
The privacy officer is your main point of contact for all inquiries about Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada ’s privacy policy and practices. You can also contact the privacy officer to exercise your rights to:
- Access or update your personal information as stored in our records
- Withdraw your consent for us to use or disclose your personal information in some of the ways described above
- Change your information or contact preferences
The privacy officer can be reached at:
Privacy Officer Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
1929 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, ON, M4G 3E8
1-800-563-2642
privacyofficer@vlrehab.ca
You also have the right to challenge our compliance with applicable privacy legislation, by contacting the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or your provincial Information and Privacy Commissioner.