Mr. Speaker, as part of National Access Awareness Week, today we wish to draw the attention of the House to the twenty-fifth anniversary of AQEPA, the Association du Québec pour enfants avec problèmes auditifs.
Founded in 1969 by André and Louise Rochette, the association now has more than 1,000 members. I also would like to draw the attention of the House to the exceptional work done within this organization by Denis Lazure, ex-minister of the Parti québécois, who also sponsored the bill to create the Office des personnes handicapées.
Over the years, AQEPA has managed to regroup parents of hearing-impaired children, to teach them and the other parties concerned, to promote the integration of children in the school environment, to raise funds and to increase public awareness.
We can be proud of these initiatives which our society needs very badly, and we believe it is important to encourage organizations that are dedicated to improving the quality of life of the disabled.