No Alternative: A Review of the Government of Canada’s Provision of Alternative Text Formats for People who are Blind, Deaf-Blind or Visually Impaired
Q.1 How many Canadians are print-disabled?
Q.2 Federal institutions now post many publications on their websites in HTML and PDF formats. Isn’t this sufficient?
Q.3 What are the main findings of the report?
Q.4 Did the report cover all federal departments, agencies and organizations, public and private, under federal jurisdiction?
Q.5 Was the Commission tested?
Q.6 What are the main recommendations of the report?
Q.7 What are the next steps?
Q.8 How much did this report cost?
Q.9 Who did the report?
Q.10 Which organizations were tested and how did they fare?
General questions Q.1 How many Canadians are print-disabled?
In 2003, the Task Force on Access to Information for Print-Disabled Canadians found that three million Canadians, or about 10 percent of the population, are print-disabled. A 2004 report from Statistics Canada states there are approximately 69,700 Canadians over the age of 12 living with the dual disability of deaf-blindness or another combination of vision and hearing losses that limits their everyday activities.Q.2 Federal institutions now post many publications on their websites in HTML and PDF formats. Isn’t this sufficient?
Not all blind, deaf-blind or visually impaired people have the necessary skills or equipment to access or read online information. According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, only 23 percent of its clients have access to the Web. Those who do not have access require documents in alternative print or audio formats.Specific to the report
Q.3 What are the main findings of the report?
The report’s main finding is that federal institutions are not adequately meeting the needs of Canadians who are print-disabled due to a vision impairment. People who are print-disabled have less than a 50/50 chance of obtaining a desired publication in a timely manner, and the quality of alternative formats is often unsatisfactory.Q.4 Did the report cover all federal departments, agencies and organizations, public and private, under federal jurisdiction?
No, the report focused on a sample of 50 institutions governed by the Financial Administration Act (FAA), which are therefore subject to the Government’s Communications Policy.Q.5 Was the Commission tested?
The Commission was not part of this study, however it is subject to the Government’s Communications Policy and its publications are available in alternative format on request. This report is available in Braille, large print and audio formats.Q.6 What are the main recommendations of the report?
The report makes several recommendations regarding the establishment of procedures, policies and standards for the provision of alternative formats of publications.For example, the report recommended that:
Q.7 What are the next steps?
The Commission will advise each of the tested organizations of their results and work with them if required to improve their ability to respond to the needs of the print-disabled. The Commission has begun to work with the Treasury Board to follow-up on the study’s recommendations to the federal government for ensuring that all Canadians have access to information about government services.Q.8 How much did this report cost?
The cost for this report is $23,177.50.Q.9 Who did the report?
The Report was commissioned by the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the research was conducted by Government Consulting Services (formerly Consulting and Audit Canada). Government Consulting Services is a Special Operating Agency of Public Works and Government Services Canada. Its services are available only to federal government organizations and, on request, to other public sector and international organizations. The Commission and Government Consulting Services consulted with four groups in the inception phase of this review, in order to better understand the requirements of print-disabled communities. Blind consultants — one anglophone and one francophone — were hired to carry out the actual tests.Q.10 Which organizations were tested and how did they fare?
The important issue is that all federal institutions provide adequate alternative formats for print-disabled Canadians in a timely manner.
- The objective of the study is to remind federal departments and agencies of their obligation to make their publications available in quality alternative formats, and to encourage them to develop and promote internal procedures regarding the provision of publications in multiple formats.
- All tested organizations will be informed of their individual results.