Human Resources committee  [Interpretation] I understand there's a cost to access. There are strategies or ways to address that. For example, if you want to support removing barriers in Canada, there are tax credit incentives for businesses if they are fully accessible. If you promote it in that vein, then

Human Resources committee  [Interpretation] Sure. We strongly recommend that there be a minimum of two-thirds representation of people with disabilities and deaf persons in the group, because they have lived experience and they are the experts. They know what the barriers are and can help consult in terms

Human Resources committee  [Interpretation] Certainly. We need to resolve issues efficiently and quickly. We don't want any delays. We don't want deaf persons or people with disabilities unsure of where they should go. There should be one door, one entry point and one person to collect all complaints. The

Human Resources committee  [Interpretation] If you don't mind, I would like to add one more. If there's an emergency alert, an attack, a tornado or a hurricane, we have to be prepared to evacuate and we need emergency preparedness mechanisms that are accessible to us. When you're providing announcement

Human Resources committee  [Interpretation] Certainly. I can start, and then Mr. Roots can add. In any funding that's provided, if they stay stagnant and they don't follow the accessibility act.... If they want to remove barriers, for instance, and you allot any funding within that procurement process, t

Human Resources committee  [Interpretation] Certainly. Thank you for your question. We face many barriers and challenges on a day-to-day basis. Often sign language interpreting services, for example, are not readily available for job interviews or various other services that we're trying to access. Ofte

Human Resources committee  [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for inviting us to appear before this committee to study Bill C-81, the accessible Canada act. My name is Frank Folino, and I am the president of the Canadian Association of the Deaf. This is my colleague, James Roots, executive directo

Procedure and House Affairs committee  What you've documented is appropriate. I would agree with what you've encapsulated. Thank you.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I would just like to add to the recent comments by my colleagues. It's important to have an independent consortium commission or commissioner to consult with and include disability advisory groups, so that regardless of the jurisdiction, the requirements are provided everywhere.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Picture-in-picture sign language interpretation has never happened in a political debate. I think it just has to happen once for it to become precedent.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The answer is that you require both. Closed captioning is primarily for the hard of hearing community, and anyone with intellectual disabilities can watch the closed captioning. It benefits everyone. Sign language, ASL and LSQ, needs to be there simultaneously as well.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The interpreters can regulate conversation. For example, if you look at the Quebec election platform a few years ago, it was televised, and it had four sign language interpreters simultaneously working, one representing each party. They were neutral, obviously. The interpreters w

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I want to clarify. When there is a televised national debate, and there's closed captioning, audio descriptive narratives, and sign language interpreters on the screen, make sure that it's also provided on social media platforms, on Twitter and elsewhere, because sometimes an ind

Procedure and House Affairs committee  [Interpretation] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for inviting me to appear before this committee as part of your study of a proposal to create an independent commission or commissioners to organize political party leaders' debates during the federal election campaigns. My name is Frank