OTTAWA – The government must take different steps to inform and support disabled Canadians in advance of this summer’s transition to digital television, says Media Access Canada (MAC).
In an appearance before the Canadian Heritage Parliamentary Committee, the group said that with the Canadian broadcasting system still not fully accessible, efforts to educate Canadians with disabilities must extend beyond mere public service announcements.
“Imagine a deaf senior-citizen, living alone and on a fixed income who turns on her television September 1st only to receive no signal”, said MAC executive director Beverley Milligan. “She may believe the television is broken and will have to somehow discover what has actually happened. With no opportunity to plan and budget, how will this senior navigate through the very real challenges she and others with disabilities face from what to us might seem no more than a minor inconvenience?”
MAC also called on the government to offer financial assistance to households that will be forced to buy a new television or digital box or purchase a cable subscription.
