BILL C-15 AND FREE LITERATURE FOR THE BLIND

Hello everyone,

Thank you again for all of your support. We wanted to inform you of some more updates since our last email on late Monday.

 

1. On Tuesday, December 9, just after 3 pm ET, we submitted a copy of the letter ​​C-15 - Canada Post Act - Lightbound - Letter_Final.docx​​​​​​, with more than 200 signatories, to Minister Lighthouse and cc'd other elected officials. We encourage folks to continue to add your name and organization to the above link so we know of your support, though names added after the cutoff time have not been included in the sent letter. Please feel free to send your own version of a letter if your name was added after the cutoff time (approx. 2pm ET on Tuesday). Please send us a copy of the correspondence to kathrin.kilburn@bc.libraries.coop, so we know that you have done this and you can be added to the mailing list.

 

1. On Tuesday, we also received an official response from the Minister's office indicating both the federal government's and Canada Post's commitment to maintaining free mailing of materials for the blind, but at the same time still supporting the amendments which repeal the clause which guarantees this right by legislation. While we welcome the Minister's office and Canada Post's assurance that they will not touch the existing rates, these assurances are not guarantees, nor do they offer regulatory protections. Ensuring these services are enshrined in legislation, rather than being controlled by Canada Post and its Board, protects them from further change without consultation, at the whim of a Board that may not prioritize people who are blind in Canada. 

 

1. Our next steps:

·        We will continue to collaborate with organizations and libraries, and call for the Free Literature for the Blind to continue to be protected in legislation.

·        In our letter, we have asked for a meeting with Minister Lighthouse to share with him the importance of protecting the Free Literature for the Blind and urge him to withdraw or modify the proposed changes to the Canada Post Corporation Act, so that the clause protecting the free postage for the blind is not repealed.

·        For our library friends, we are working on a template letter of support that includes both this issue, free postage for the blind, as well as the related issue of repealing the clause which ensures reduced postage rates for inter-library loan. Please keep an eye out for updates on this.

·        We will keep you all informed by posting updates on the CELA website and the NNELS website as we are able. You will be able to find template letters and other information in these places as well. These links will be the main source of information going forward.

 

Thank you so much for your continued support of this effort. Like all of you, we are working hard and hoping for a response that provides us with the assurance we need, that this important provision and support will remain in place.

 

Sincerely,

Kevin, Laurie and Daniella – on behalf of the organizing group