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12/01/2005

A big breakthrough for French closed captioning at the Société Radio-Canada and the Réseau de l'information.

Following mediation conducted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC), a task force has been created to study the issue of French closed captioning at Société Radio-Canada (SRC) and the Réseau de l’information (RDI).

SRC itself proposed the creation of this task force in response to a complaint by Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier, in which he sought to have all SRC and RDI programs made accessible to Francophone viewers who are deaf or hearing impaired.

As part of its mandate, the task force will study the technical procedures for closed captioning in French and the issue of recruiting qualified staff. It will also be responsible for defining the parameters of a possible partnership between SRC and La Cité Collégiale aimed at training and recruiting qualified staff.

The agreement signed by the parties is the result of mediation organized by the Commission and chaired by the Honourable Gérard LaForest, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Mediation is a voluntary approach that enables each party to gain a better understanding of the opposing position. It also allows consideration to be given to each party’s needs and interests, which is essential for reaching a solution. The Commission is increasingly making use of mediation to encourage parties to come up with innovative solutions and help them resolve disputes quickly.

The task force will present its final report to the CHRC on April 1, 2005. This agreement marks a significant step for Francophones who are deaf or hard of hearing. It should enable them to access all SRC and RDI programs like any other member of society.