CCD Will Testify Before Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities about Recent Changes Announced by Canada Post

Ottawa, 18 December 2013 - Today, Bob Brown and Roy Hanes, representatives of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), will appear before the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (3:00 pm – 4:00 pm in Room C-110, 1 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON) to discuss Canada Post's announced changes to services.

The Council of Canadians with Disabilities, a national organization of people with disabilities working for an accessible and inclusive Canada, will explain to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities how recent changes announced by Canada Post will put additional barriers in the way of Canadian with disabilities. 

Because it did not use a disability lens when making its plans, Canada Post has forgotten some critical factors affecting persons with disabilities and as result Canada Post's changes will be inaccessible and exclusionary: in the winter our sidewalks can be impassable for people using mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, so some people with disabilities will not be able to travel to their communal mailbox; not everyone has the dexterity to independently access a communal mail box; due to the digital divide many poor people do not have the luxury of substituting Canada Post with internet based services; people with disabilities experience a disproportionate level of poverty in Canada. These and other issues will be raised by Mr. Brown and Mr. Hanes.

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To discuss CCD's position or to arrange an interview contact Laurie Beachell, CCD National Coordinator, Tel: 204-947-0303 or Email: laurie@ccdonline.ca.