REGINA – SaskTel is allocating $554,300 to the Regina and District Association of Community Living (RDACL) to be used for the provision of telecommunications technology and training to persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
“Community Living is committed to enabling the intellectually disabled the opportunity to make social connections and this aligns with SaskTel’s vision of enabling a connected Saskatchewan,” said Don McMorris, Minister Responsible for SaskTel. “Whether it is connections to technology, connections to friends and family or connections to a world of information, SaskTel is pleased to enable these connections for all its customers.”
"We are all only too well aware of the ever larger role technology is playing in our lives – from smart phones to the social media. Nothing could be truer for the intellectually disabled. SaskTel has enabled a whole new world for many that may not of otherwise had the chance," said Stu Mason President of RDACL.
The grant to RDACL is meant to provide funding in order to develop programs based on education of persons with cognitive disabilities to utilize telecom products and services, possibly help offset the cost of devices or service plans and support existing programs such as Campus for All, Next Chapter Book Club and the Best Buddies program. A working group is being developed within RDACL to determine next steps and possible programs for the use of the monies.
SaskTel has an extensive Special Needs program that assists persons with disabilities, and offers a wide variety of services, telephones and accessories especially suited to customers who have sight, hearing, motion or speech limitations. The carrier has received approval from the CRTC to allocate its entire deferral account of $1.54 million to fund initiatives that improve the accessibility of telecommunications to persons with disabilities.
