Strategic Initiatives

1. Introduction

1.1 Objectives
1.2 Scope
1.3 Report Structure

In 2005, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) mandated Consulting and Audit Canada (CAC) to evaluate the services Government of Canada departments and agencies provided to those who are Deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing.² For the review, a sample of text telephones (TTYs³) of federal organizations was tested. The report, entitled No Answer, concluded that the federal government was not providing adequate telephonic communications services to people who could not use the regular telephone system, and that an overall strategy was needed to improve the current situation.⁴

In light of this report, CHRC mandated CAC to extend the review to federally regulated organizations. These organizations include banks, communications organizations such as television stations and the transportation industry.

Federally regulated organizations are subject to the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA). The Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of programs and services, and it requires that citizens’ special needs arising from a disability be accommodated to the point of undue hardship.

Canadians who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing have special requirements with regard to telephone communication with organizations as they cannot use the regular telephone system to communicate. In recognition of this fact, some organizations advertise the availability of a TTY line. A TTY is a device that enables Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people to communicate via telephone using a text-based system. TTYs have been in use for over 25 years.

The key issue in the present report is communication between federally regulated organizations and Canadians with specific communications needs and requirements. Although advances in technology such as e-mail and text messaging are helping to break down communication barriers, TTYs are, for the moment, still the most widely used devices for telephonic communication. Testing TTYs, as was done in this study, is a means of assessing the current level and quality of communication with citizens who cannot use the regular telephone system. This, however, does not imply that TTYs will remain the only or the best way to achieve the goal of effective communications.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were two-fold:

• provide objective baseline data on the availability, accessibility, effectiveness and quality of TTY services provided by federally regulated organizations; and
• make recommendations for improving the provision of telephonic communications services for people who cannot use the regular telephone system.

Scope

The assessment of the availability, accessibility, effectiveness and quality of TTY services provided by federally regulated organizations included the following:

• hiring, for the purpose of conducting the testing, qualified experts who understood the communications needs of people who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, and who had prior experience in using telephonic systems of communication designed for these groups; and
• evaluating a sample of federally regulated organizations to determine whether they provide TTY services, and whether these services operate effectively.

Report Structure

The Background section provides information on previous studies done in this area, statistics related to the Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing, and available assistive technology.

The Legislative and Policy Authorities section examines applicable legislation and policies, and attempts to identify some of their limitations.

The Approach and Methodology section describes this project in more detail, especially the steps taken to conduct this review.

The results of this review and the analysis of these results follow, after which are presented the key recommendations.

The Appendices complete the background and context information, as they provide a brief description of advocacy groups and their missions (Appendix A); the response form used to record calls (Appendix B); a glossary of abbreviations (Appendix C); and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat outlining the steps to be taken to implement the recommendations contained in the first No Answer report and to ensure accessible Government of Canada services for all Canadians (Appendix D).

² These are distinct groups with differing communications needs and differing degrees of reliance on TTYs. “Deaf” people, written with a capital D, refers to those individuals who identify with and participate in the language, society and culture of Deaf people, which is based on sign language. “Deafened” individuals have grown up hearing or hard of hearing but their hearing has become non-functional. Their primary means of communication has become visual (lip-reading, print based) rather than auditory in nature. “Hard of hearing” individuals have a hearing loss ranging from slight to severe, and use primarily an auditory means of communication. Some hard of hearing use amplified telephones, others use a TTY. (Source: “What To Do When Your Client Can’t Hear You”, Sinclair, 1994)

³ TTYs make interactive, text-based communications possible by transmitting coded signals across the telephone network. They can comprise custom equipment, or a modem and software on a computer.

⁴ No Answer: A Review of Government of Canada Telephonic Communication with People who are Deaf, Deafened, Hard of Hearing, or Have a Speech Impediment, Canadian Human Rights Commission, July 2005.

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