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.

If you need help:

Please call our free telephone service at 1-877-777-2011 from May 2 to 31 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Operators who speak other languages will be available.

(Distributed from CHHA National Office) – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(16 February 2011) ’s broadcast regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) must shortly rule on who will control a $5.7 million Accessibility Fund, which BCE has proposed as part of its tangible benefits commitment. The objective of the fund would be to ensure that the broadcasting system becomes 100% accessible to disabled Canadians by 2020. The CRTC will decide whether to empower the accessibility community to do the job or entrust the task to BCE.

Proposed by Media Access on behalf of the Access 2020 Coalition, the commitment will underwrite the final details and execution of a business plan to achieve 100% accessibility in Canadian broadcasting by 2020.

“We believe the CRTC recognizes this opportunity to establish an Accessibility Fund, controlled by accessibility organizations to work with experts, academics and stakeholders, an approach never before attempted,” stated Beverley Milligan, Executive Director of Media Access Canada. “The CRTC will be the first regulator in the history of international broadcasting to empower accessibility organizations to finally get the job done for Canadians with disabilities.”

In submissions to the CRTC, Media Access presented uncontested evidence that past attempts on the part of broadcasters to consult with accessibility organizations have not succeeded. “BCE’s suggestion that it establish its own fund to work towards 100% accessibility in broadcasting in consultation with the accessibility community is just more of the same, empty words.” stated Louise Gillis, National President, Canadian Council of the Blind.

“If BCE wants to control the fund, does this mean they are prepared to ensure 100% accessibility by 2020?” noted Louise Norman, President of the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association. “Broadcasters like BCE have had 60 years to provide 100% accessibility on their own and they haven’t. This work should be overseen by those who are most committed to its success.”

“On behalf of Canadians with disabilities MAC has developed a business plan to achieve 100% accessibility in a reasonable time frame. The accessibility industry must be allowed the control to execute it. This can be done and we know how to do it. The technology and the knowledge are there. What has been lacking to date is the commitment to make it happen,” says Milligan. “Consultation in the past has been a smokescreen behind which the broadcasters have hidden”.

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For further information contact:
Beverley Milligan, Media Access
info@mediac.ca ph: 416-488-9521

From the CHHA National’s Head Office to the “DTC Call to Arms”
 

MP Peter Julian, NDP-Burnaby-West, has tabled Bill C-577 – An act to amend the Income tax Act (hearing impairment). The purpose of the Bill is to clarify the terminology used that currently confuses the authorizers able to sign the DTC forms.