National Library of Canada: Council on Access for Print-Disabled Canadians
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4
E-mail: accessinfo@lac-bac.gc.ca
January 3, 2006
To Whom it May Concern:
In light of recent discussions concerning an accessible library system for blind people in Canada, members of the Canadian Federation of the Blind wish to express our position on this matter.
We believe that blind citizens should have access to reading materials via our public libraries, just as sighted citizens do, and that these services should be publicly funded.
We wish to emphasize the importance of a publicly-funded library service for blind people via the public libraries. We are opposed to the provision of these necessary services through the intermediary of an unaccountable private charity like CNIB. For years CNIB has monopolized library services for the blind; this situation must not be allowed to continue. Sighted people are not forced to get their library books from a charity, so neither should blind people.
The Canadian Federation of the Blind urges administrators and other personnel to consult with blind consumers and take seriously the views of the organized blind in planning the future of our library system.
The Canadian Federation of the Blind is a grass-roots, nonprofit organization made up of blind people committed to the equality and empowerment of blind Canadians. We are modeled after the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in the United States, the largest and most influential grassroots group of blind people in the world.
For more information about our position on the library issue or to learn about the Canadian federation of the Blind and our activities, please contact us at 1800-619-8789, 250-598-7154, info@cfb.ca or visit our Website at <www.cfb.ca> Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lalonde, President
Canadian Federation of the Blind
P.O. Box 8007
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8W 3R7
Phone (250) 598-7154
Toll-free 1-800-619-8789
E-mail info@cfb.ca
Web site www.CFB.ca
CC:
Canadian Library Association
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