Issues & Positions
- Health Care
- Audism
- Captioning and Video Accessibility
- Cochlear Implants
- Deaf Culture vs. Medicalization
- Definition of “Deaf”
- Diversity
- Education
- Employment and Employability
- Human Rights
- Immigration & Medical Admissibility
- Income Tax, Custom Duties & Postage Rules
- International Concerns
- Interpreting
- Language
- Literacy
- Official Languages
- Physician-Assisted Suicide / Physician-Assisted Dying
- Political Participation and Activity
- Seniors
- Social Security and Assistance
- Statistics on Deaf Canadians
- Technology & Technical Issues
- Telecommunications
- Terminology
- Transportation
- Universal Design
- Universal Symbols of Access
- Youth
Telecommunications
The issue
Access to the telecommunications system, and involve-ment in new technology and services, are issues of vital importance to Deaf Canadians.
CAD's position
New telecommunications technology must include access for Deaf people, and current technology that is not accessible needs to made so. This accessibility can only be achieved through the active and equal participation of Deaf people in all aspects of the technology, including development, regulation, and distribution.
The Canadian Association of the Deaf is proud of our many achievements in the telecommunications field. Through our advocacy work, we have succeeded in bringing Deaf Canadians deep discounts on long-distance TTY calls, one of the earliest and largest Message Relay Services (MRS) in the world, tax deductions for the purchase of TTYs and flashing phone-alarms, a national three-digit access phone number for MRS (i.e., 711), and improved pay-phone access.
All of these improvements have been achieved by advocating for changes in technology that did not originally include access for Deaf people. Unfortunately, this lack of inclusion continues with new technology which is developed, regulated, and distributed without any Deaf involvement. Getting changes made for Deaf access as an afterthought (retrofitting) is difficult and expensive. Inclusion from the start is a better approach; but until Deaf people are included in meaningful roles in all aspects, this will remain a dream.
Video communication (video conferences, video mail, web-stream video, etc.) is one of the most important new developments for Deaf people, as it will allow us easy communication via Sign language. Video Relay Service (VRS) which allows Deaf and hearing people to communicate in their own languages (Sign for the Deaf, and voice for the hearing) is one of the exciting new developments. Other countries have pioneered this service, but Canada continues to lag far behind. The CAD has worked long and very hard to bring VRS to Canada, but the regulatory and business climate in this country has been slow and unresponsive. It is frustrating to see our years of hard work pushed aside so that VRS becomes yet another Deaf-targeted service owned and operated and delivered by non-Deaf people.
The CAD continues to be concerned about the lack of a uniform distribution process for equipment. Each province seems to have its own rules for providing, loaning, or selling equipment, its own pricing policy, and its own preferred distribution methods (social services ministry, phone company, service agency, independent dealers, etc.) The Canadian Association of the Deaf maintains that since the telecommunications system is a public service, the telecommunications companies should take the responsibility for distributing and maintaining high-quality equipment, while allowing independent retail competition. Every Deaf person who requires special equipment to access the telecommunications system should be provided with it on the same terms as regular equipment is provided to hearing persons.
The quality of services is another concern. Many of the services have been contracted out to companies that have no Deaf employees or consultants. They acquired the contract by tendering the lowest bid, with every facet of the service being designed towards the absolute reduction of expenses (“cost-effectiveness. The CRTC and other regulators — none of whom have any Deaf employees in meaningful roles — have utterly failed to enforce high standards of service that would recognize the fact that Deaf services are not a “retail feature” like call-display or call-forwarding, but rather are a legal right, an essential service, and a public good. In fact, the CRTC has twice explicitly rejected the CAD’s demand that MRS be included in the CRTC’s list of “quality of service indicators”— i.e., standards of phone service that the Commission monitors.
In view of the powerful benefits for Deaf people, the Canadian Association of the Deaf insists that Deaf persons must be involved in the development of information and communication technology. Deaf people remember too well that the telephone was originally invented as an aid for us, and even television and video were considered to offer improved communication access for us. However, Deaf people themselves were not involved in the invention of these devices, with the result that the devices became barriers instead of aids to our communication with hearing society. The same mistakes must not be made with regard to 21st century technology.
APPROVED: 26 MAY 2007
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Canadian Association of the Deaf
303- 251 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1X3
(613)565-2882 Voice/TTY
(613)565-1207 Fax
www.cad.ca
The issue
Access to the telecommunications system, and involve-ment in new technology and services, are issues of vital importance to Deaf Canadians.
CAD's position
New telecommunications technology must include access for Deaf people, and current technology that is not accessible needs to made so. This accessibility can only be achieved through the active and equal participation of Deaf people in all aspects of the technology, including development, regulation, and distribution.
The Canadian Association of the Deaf is proud of our many achievements in the telecommunications field. Through our advocacy work, we have succeeded in bringing Deaf Canadians deep discounts on long-distance TTY calls, one of the earliest and largest Message Relay Services (MRS) in the world, tax deductions for the purchase of TTYs and flashing phone-alarms, a national three-digit access phone number for MRS (i.e., 711), and improved pay-phone access.
All of these improvements have been achieved by advocating for changes in technology that did not originally include access for Deaf people. Unfortunately, this lack of inclusion continues with new technology which is developed, regulated, and distributed without any Deaf involvement. Getting changes made for Deaf access as an afterthought (retrofitting) is difficult and expensive. Inclusion from the start is a better approach; but until Deaf people are included in meaningful roles in all aspects, this will remain a dream.
Video communication (video conferences, video mail, web-stream video, etc.) is one of the most important new developments for Deaf people, as it will allow us easy communication via Sign language. Video Relay Service (VRS) which allows Deaf and hearing people to communicate in their own languages (Sign for the Deaf, and voice for the hearing) is one of the exciting new developments. Other countries have pioneered this service, but Canada continues to lag far behind. The CAD has worked long and very hard to bring VRS to Canada, but the regulatory and business climate in this country has been slow and unresponsive. It is frustrating to see our years of hard work pushed aside so that VRS becomes yet another Deaf-targeted service owned and operated and delivered by non-Deaf people.
The CAD continues to be concerned about the lack of a uniform distribution process for equipment. Each province seems to have its own rules for providing, loaning, or selling equipment, its own pricing policy, and its own preferred distribution methods (social services ministry, phone company, service agency, independent dealers, etc.) The Canadian Association of the Deaf maintains that since the telecommunications system is a public service, the telecommunications companies should take the responsibility for distributing and maintaining high-quality equipment, while allowing independent retail competition. Every Deaf person who requires special equipment to access the telecommunications system should be provided with it on the same terms as regular equipment is provided to hearing persons.
The quality of services is another concern. Many of the services have been contracted out to companies that have no Deaf employees or consultants. They acquired the contract by tendering the lowest bid, with every facet of the service being designed towards the absolute reduction of expenses (“cost-effectiveness. The CRTC and other regulators — none of whom have any Deaf employees in meaningful roles — have utterly failed to enforce high standards of service that would recognize the fact that Deaf services are not a “retail feature” like call-display or call-forwarding, but rather are a legal right, an essential service, and a public good. In fact, the CRTC has twice explicitly rejected the CAD’s demand that MRS be included in the CRTC’s list of “quality of service indicators”— i.e., standards of phone service that the Commission monitors.
In view of the powerful benefits for Deaf people, the Canadian Association of the Deaf insists that Deaf persons must be involved in the development of information and communication technology. Deaf people remember too well that the telephone was originally invented as an aid for us, and even television and video were considered to offer improved communication access for us. However, Deaf people themselves were not involved in the invention of these devices, with the result that the devices became barriers instead of aids to our communication with hearing society. The same mistakes must not be made with regard to 21st century technology.
APPROVED: 26 MAY 2007
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The Canadian Association of the Deaf
303- 251 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1X3
(613)565-2882 Voice/TTY
(613)565-1207 Fax
www.cad.ca
