Press Release
Canadian Council of the Blind
May 2019
The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) has been working with the Government of Canada and its agencies, including the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as well as collaborating with blindness organizations toward the creation of an Accessible Canada Act. All organizations of persons with disabilities have worked tirelessly, especially since Canada signed on to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
CCB is pleased to see that the Accessible Canada Act has passed and will receive Royal Ascent very soon. While we now have a timeline toward 2040, as the National president of CCB, I hope to see our Government take action now so that many of the accessibility issues we currently face will be overcome well before that date.
We can all work together as Canadians to ensure that the built environment, employment, programs and services as well as access to information are barrier-free for all.
CCB declared during our 2019 White Cane Week celebrations that this is ‘our year of accessibility.’ At our White Cane Dinner, the Hon. Carla Qualtrough was recognized as our “Person of the Year.” We would like to acknowledge Minister Qualtrough’s work in making the Accessible Canada Act a reality, and congratulate her, and all others involved. We look forward to continuing our work to improve the Act wherever possible – Nothing about us without us!
Happy National Access Awareness Week!
