A Nova Scotia woman who is blind says it's time the province steps up its funding to help people with vision loss transition to their new reality.

Pat Gates says there's a double standard in health care, where some with disabilities are fully funded, while those who are blind are on their own.

In 2000, Gates lost all sight in one eye, and was left with cloudy vision in the other. At 47 years old, she was legally blind and had no idea what to do.

"I was afraid to go out on my own because of what I might not see on the sidewalk," she said. "I was very angry."

She said she entered a "vaccuum." Over the next 10 years, she rarely left her apartment.

"I had no support. I didn't know anyone who had lost vision so I couldn't say to them 'what did you do?'"

Finally, she discovered the services offered by Canadian National Institute for the Blind. A therapist helped her relearn basic skills such as cooking and how to use her computer.

"I was able to learn how to use the white cane, which gave me back my independence," she says.

But CNIB says it may have to cut some of its six therapists that offer those programs in Nova Scotia.

The charity depends on provincial funding to cover the costs. This year, it received $530,460 from the departments of health and community services.

Some of it — $175,000 — is stable funding, but the rest is determined annually and was recently cut. CNIB says it needs just more than $1 million to operate the rehabilitation programs.

Pam Gow-Boyd, regional vice-president of CNIB, says there's a double standard.

"When a Nova Scotian requires rehab for reasons other than vision loss — as the result of a stroke or hearing loss or amputation, for example — the rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy and the support of an audiologist or social worker are provided within our health-care system," she says.

"Our question is, why are blind Nova Scotians treated differently?"

Gates uses stronger language.

"What the government needs to do is to offer a credible explanation to the blind and partially-sighted population in this province as to why they're discriminating against us," she says.

"We deserve the same services as everyone else, but for some reason they put us in a different category."

CNIB recently cut five positions including two public education jobs to save money, but Gow-Boyd says any more cuts will hurt the rehabilitation specialists if funding isn't increased.

"When we cut a positions at this point, we are in a crisis situation," she says.

Gow-Boyd is offering a solution. She says if a stable funding formula can't be established, CNIB will gladly hand over control of the therapy programs.

Gates will be joining CNIB Thursday afternoon at a planned rally at Province House to draw attention to the funding issue.