Access to Emergency Servicesis crucial. But in today’s world of technology, people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech impairments (DHHSI), these services are often inaccessible.

In November 2008, Arthur Rendall, a CHHA member from Burlington, made a presentation to the CRTC regarding the need to make 911 service accessible by wireless handheld devices, using SMS text rather than voice. In 2009 CRTC requested that an investigation be conducted into identifying a system that would DHHSI community members to have access to emergency service from anywhere in Canada by such devices.

In January 2010, the CRTC issued a directive to the Interconnection Steering Committee Emergency Services to progress with the investigations findings, which mandated the introduction of a 911 service via “Text Messaging”.

Mr. Rendall now sits on the Emergency Service Working Group of the CRTC and is requesting assistance from interested CHHA members living in Vancouver, Toronto, PEEL Region (Mississauga/Brampton) and Montreal to take part in trial testing of the system that has been developed.

The system will be tested using the test candidates’ personal wireless devices, which will be registered with their Wireless Service Provider as a DHHSI. The system operates when the DHHSI caller contacts the local 911 operator by text. Therefore the wireless number of the DHHSI registrant must be known so to allow the gateway for 9-1-1 and the Emergency Service Operator to set up their equipment to accept text messaging rather than voice.

These trial tests will be conducted over approximately 3 months. It is hoped that if the tests go well, the system will go live before the end of 2011 and Canada DHHSI community will have the only such direct 9-1-1 system in the world.

Please send your name, where you reside (city) and WSP carrier used for your handheld device to CHHA National Office attention of Karla Wilson. The snail address is: 2415 Holly Lane, Suite 205, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7P2 or by email at chhanational@chha.ca.

Thank you in advance for your help in bringing peace of mind to the community of Canadians who are not able to relay on voice/speech emergency systems.

From 2011 Census Government Website

Why should you fill in your Census questionnaire?

The Census is important to everyone who lives in Canada

In Canada, a census is taken every five years. The next census is in May 2011.

A census includes everyone who lives in Canada. When Statistics Canada receives your answers to the census, it adds your answers to the answers of everyone else living in Canada. Together all our answers are used by Canada, our province and our communities to prepare for the future.

The Census means services for your community

The answers you provide on the census are used by your community to plan services such as schools, seniors housing, health care, daycare, police services and fire protection. These services are important to every one of us.

Census information also helps identify communities which need English and French as second language programs and heritage language classes.

Our programs depend on it

In addition to community services, the census helps to determine how much money is transferred to your province for health care, education and other social services. But that’s not all. The 2011 Census will also help decide how many Members of Parliament are elected to Parliament in Ottawa.

The law is on your side

Statistics Canada is required by law to protect the information you provide on your census questionnaire. Only Statistics Canada employees working directly with the census will ever see completed census forms.

We depend on you!

Completing the census is both a civic responsibility and a legal requirement for all people living in Canada. When you fill in your census questionnaire you continue a tradition that goes back over 340 years – from a few pioneer villages in 1666 to today’s large and prosperous country.

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