I deliver to quite a few disabled people in my community, and I think it's against their privacy rights for them to have to stand up and prove what disability they have. There are individuals who I deliver to who live in a community called Independence Place. They go there so that they can have their independence. For Canada Post to demand that they prove they have a disability for us to deliver to their door when the sky is not falling....
Like you said, the post office has made tremendous profits over the last 19 out of 22 years. For somebody to have to prove they have a disability, it's very similar to the veteran who has to prove every year that he doesn't have two legs. Why should someone who is trying to be independent...? Most people with disabilities who I speak to don't want to be a burden and they don't want people to take notice. They just want to live their lives and receive the services they currently get. Going door to door is essential for these individuals.
I have individuals who are bound to a wheelchair and look forward to me coming to the door every day. It's a simple “Hello, how are you?” but I'm pretty sure I'm probably the only person who says hello to them during the day and throughout the rest of the week. Mondays are usually exciting for some people. I have one lady who waits outside for me if it's a nice day. She gives me cookies every now and again, which is cool, too.
People shouldn't have to prove that they have a disability when the service is already there. The company is profitable, has been profitable. It's not broken. We don't need to fix it. Obviously Deepak is going around to companies such as Mr. Barrett's at Vesey's Seeds. We are extremely proud to deliver his products every day. They are such beautiful, colourful magazines and his little parcels are great things to see.
We shouldn't be knocking on people's doors and saying “Really, do you have a disability? Do you really need this service?”
The service was put there so that we're the eyes on the ground. I'm a member of my community, and I'm the eyes of that community. I see when there's a dog loose. I see when there's a child outside unsupervised ready to run across the street. Like I mentioned in my presentation, there are two blind ladies on my route. One was outside one day. It was storming, and she went to put her garbage out. She got disoriented and fell to the ground and started to panic. If I hadn't been there at that exact time, what would have happened to that lady?