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Website Privacy Policy

Welcome to The Seeing Eye® Organization. Thank you for visiting our website and we are glad you are here. This is our Privacy Policy. It describes for you the various ways we collect, use, and share information about you when you visit our websites located at https://www.seeingeye.ca (the “Website”). This Privacy Policy does not apply to any other website, service, or application of The Seeing Eye Organization or any websites, services, or applications linked to or from the Website.

1. About Our Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with applicable privacy legislation in Canada, including PIPEDA (the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act).  PIPEDA governs how for private-sector organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information in the course of commercial activity. Please visit this PIPEDA web site for further information about this law and its requirements.In this Privacy Policy, The Seeing Eye Organization is sometimes referred to simply as “we”, “our”, or “us”. This Privacy Policy is a legally binding agreement between The Seeing Eye Organization and you, so please read it carefully. If you do not agree to terms of this Privacy Policy, you may not use the Website. This Privacy Policy is subject to, and made a part of, the Terms of Use available here.

2. Our Goals

The Seeing Eye Organization is committed to protecting and respecting the personal information of visitors to the Website in accordance with PIPEDA. This Privacy Policy provides guidelines to ensure that The Seeing Eye Organization remains compliant with PIPEDA requirements.

3. Definitions to Know

PIPEDA includes many defined terms that can be found on the PIPEDA website referenced in Section 1. However, we think a few are worth noting here to help you understand key parts of this Privacy Policy: 

  • Breach of security safeguards:  The loss of, unauthorized access to, or unauthorized disclosure of personal information resulting from a breach of an organization’s security safeguards, or from a failure to establish those safeguards.
  • Personal information: Information about an identifiable individual.
  • Security safeguards:  Security safeguards include (a) physical measures, such as locking filing cabinets and restricted access to offices; (b) organizational measures, such as security clearances and limiting access on a “need-to-know” basis; and (c) technological measures, for example, the use of passwords and encryption.

Significant harm: Includes bodily harm, humiliation, damage to reputation or relationships, loss of employment, business or professional opportunities, financial loss, identity theft, negative effects on the credit record, and damage to or loss of property.

4. Privacy Policy Principles

Our Privacy Policy is designed to comply with applicable privacy legislation in Canada. It addresses the following 10 PIPEDA principles:

  • Accountability
  • Identifying Purpose
  • Consent
  • Limiting Collection
  • Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
  • Accuracy of Information
  • Safeguarding Information
  • Openness
  • Access to Information
  • Challenging Compliance

Material changes to our privacy practices will be reflected in updates to this Privacy Policy. We do this to ensure that you know what information we collect, how we use it, and how we protect it. When information that has been collected is to be used for a purpose not previously identified, the new purpose will be identified to you prior to use.

5. Accountability

The Seeing Eye Organization is responsible for maintaining and protecting the personal information under its control. Accountability for this function within our organization is held by the Assistant Treasurer. 

6. Information Collected, Methods of Collection, and Purposes of Collection

We collect two types of information. The first type is information that identifies an individual (called “personal information”). The second type is information that does not identify, and cannot reasonably be used to identify, an individual (called “anonymous information”). We may collect the following particular personal and anonymous information during your use of the Website:  

  • Your email address when you sign-up for email communications. 
  • Information you provide to us when you contact us through the Website or via email.
  • Information you provide to us when registering for a service or activity.
  • Information we obtain from a third party, such as a site or platform provider, about use of the Website on third-party platforms or devices.
  • Information you provide to or which is collected by our service providers, such as when you make a donation to us. 
  • Location information, including location information provided by a mobile or other device interacting with our Website (including through beacon technologies), or associated with your IP address or other online or device identifier.
  • Activity information about your use of our Website, such as the content you view, how often you visit our Website, and your preferences.
  • Usage, viewing, technical, and device data when you use the Website. 

We collect information from you two ways – information that you voluntarily choose to provide to us and information that we collect automatically, such as through

certain technology we use on our Website. These methods are described more fully below: 

  • We collect information when you voluntarily provide it to us, such as when you contact us on the Website or make a donation to us. You are not required to voluntarily submit personal information to us in order to access or use the Website.
  • We collect information using analytics tools, including when you visit our Website, including cookies, web beacons, and other technologies. A cookie is a file that a website can place on your computer’s hard drive for record-keeping or other administrative purposes. We may use cookies to help personalize your experience. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies, and you can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies. If you decide to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully use the features of the Website. Cookies may also be used at sites accessible through links on the Website.

We use Google Analytics to collect information about the use of our Website. Google Analytics collects information from users such as how often they visit our Website, what pages they visit, their location, activity on the Website,  and what other websites they have used before coming to our Website. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit our Website, not your name or other identifying information. Google Analytics also uses specific identifiers to help collect information about the use of our Website. For more information on how Google collects and processes your data, visit this information made available by Google. To opt out of Google Analytics data collection, follow these Google instructions.

Consistent with applicable law and any applicable choices and controls that may be available to you, we may use information collected from you, or from devices associated with you, to:

  • Provide you with the Website and the functions and services you request, view, or engage with;
  • Communicate with you and send you information or request feedback about features on our Website or changes to our policies;
  • Send you information about products and services; 
  • Personalize content and experiences;
  • Operate, understand, optimize, develop, or improve our Website, products, services, and operations, including by using survey research and analytics tools; and
  • Detect, investigate, and prevent activities that may violate our policies, pose safety issues, or be fraudulent or illegal.

We may also use or disclose the information we collect for any other purpose we describe when we collect your information or to which you consent.

7. Consent

An individual’s knowledge and consent are required before The Seeing Eye Organization is allowed to collect, use or disclose the individual’s information, except where appropriate. When appropriate, The Seeing Eye Organization will obtain consent directly from you at the time of collection. By accessing and using our Website or its functions (such as making a donation or registering for email communication), you consent to the collection and use of your information for the purposes identified in this Privacy Policy.

In limited circumstances, The Seeing Eye Organization may use or disclose information without your knowledge or consent; for example, for purposes of enforcing this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Use, as required by governmental bodies acting with authority, or as authorized or required by applicable legislation.

You may withdraw consent (such as by unregistering for email communications) at any time by providing 30 days written notice to the contact listed in Section 13.  If your request requires that we delete your registration information, we will no longer be able to provide you with the services or products for which you have subscribed. 

8. Limiting Collection

The Seeing Eye Organization collects only the information that is reasonably necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy.

9. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention

The Seeing Eye Organization does not use information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with an individual’s consent or as permitted or required by law. 

The Seeing Eye Organization sometimes uses the services of external firms to assist us in communicating with individuals (e.g., a mail or email vendor) or as a means of providing more effective and efficient services to these individuals (e.g., technology support). Our external suppliers are contractually obligated to keep the information confidential, to use the information only for the purpose requested and to destroy the information when it is no longer required. The Seeing Eye Organization does not sell or rent the information you choose to provide to us to any third party.

Information is retained only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes stated in this Privacy Policy. Once information is no longer required to fulfill the identified purposes or other legal requirements, it will be destroyed, deleted, or made anonymous.

10. Accuracy

Information is kept as accurate, complete, and up to date as necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used. We encourage you to provide updates to your personal information as changes occur (e.g., advise us of a new email address), to enable us to continue to provide information and services to you.

11. Openness

The Seeing Eye Organization is committed to being open about its policies and practices with respect to the handling of information. Our Privacy Policy is available through our home page site. If a hard copy or additional information is desired, requests for such information may be made to the contact listed in Section 13. 

We are also committed to keeping you appropriately informed of any breaches of security safeguards that may occur which affect your personal information and which may result in a risk of significant harm to you.

12. Accessing and Updating Your Personal Information

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you by submitting a written request to the contact and address listed in Section 13. Acceptable proof of identification is required before such information is made available. If you feel the personal information we have about you is inaccurate, you may request that it be reviewed and, if inaccurate, changed.

13. Challenging Compliance

You may challenge our compliance with our Privacy Policy by providing written details of the challenge to info@seeingeye.ca or 

The Seeing Eye Organization C/O T8059,
P.O. Box 8059, STN A, Toronto, ON M5W 3W5