The Honorable David Wilkins
United States Ambassador to Canada
P.O. Box 866,, Station B
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 5T

June 17, 2005

Dear Ambassador Wilkins,

The Canadian Federation of the Blind is a grass roots, self-help organization of the blind. We believe that, given proper training and opportunity, blind citizens can compete with their sighted neighbors on the basis of equality. In order to receive training and to take advantage of opportunity, specialized government sponsored and funded rehabilitation targeted toward blind persons is essential.

This targeted specialized approach is sadly lacking in Canada, where rehabilitation of the blind is left to charity. That is why we have always regarded the American system with admiration and have worked to incorporate some of its features into the Canadian model of service delivery.

We have been particularly impressed that the Rehabilitation Services Administration in the United States has had a profile high enough within the American government to require Senate confirmation of the Rehabilitation Commissioner. It is encouraging to us that a country like the United States has demonstrated enough respect for blind people and their needs to designate a specific office for the blind within the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

For blind Canadians, institutional respect of this kind remains a dream.
We are saddened to hear from blind Americans that services to the blind are in grave danger of being minimized and unfocussed through a proposed reorganization at the Federal level. This would be sad for blind Americans. If that were the only problem, we might look on in sorrow, but feel that it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the internal policy of another country. However, your decisions will have an effect on public policy here in Canada. We blind Canadians frequently point to the respectful treatment of blind citizens in the United States as a model for public policy here. We remind Canadian policy makers that blind Americans have a far greater likelihood to receive meaningful rehabilitation than blind Canadians.

We respectfully urge you to continue with a rehabilitation system which, although it undoubtedly has problems, is a beacon of hope for countries like Canada where the blind are relegated to the status of charitable wards.

Very truly yours,

Elizabeth Lalonde, President
Canadian Federation of the Blind