CNIB turns the page on inequality by launching national campaign
Alberta Government leads the way in supporting accessible library services
January 19, 2010 (Edmonton, Alberta) - CNIB is thanking the Alberta
Government for its commitment and asking the public to urge the federal
government to provide immediate and fair public funding for nationwide
accessible library services.
For more than 90 years, CNIB has operated Canada’s largest library of
braille and accessible audio materials, funded entirely through
donations. Unlike regular public libraries which are fully funded by
taxpayers, accessible library services for people with vision loss have
received no such support. The charity announced today that it can no
longer sustain the $10 million annual operating cost of the service
without ongoing government partnerships.
Answering the call for a cost-sharing formula between CNIB, the
federal and provincial governments, the Alberta Government has committed
its share of the funding over the next two years. This funding will
ensure that any Albertan with a print disability will be able to access
the CNIB library service through their local, public library.
Approximately 400,000 Albertans could be eligible to benefit, including
79,000 with vision loss. Alberta and Ontario are the first two provinces
to commit their support, which will sustain library services to people
with vision loss and other print disabilities in their provinces.
“Over the years, the CNIB Library has provided an important service
for Albertans,” said Maggie Macdonald, Chair of The Alberta Library. “We
are thrilled the funding is there to enable it to continue.”
“We are grateful for the leadership our government has demonstrated
through its commitment to this public-private partnership,” said CNIB
Executive Director Cathy McFee. “Now we need all Albertans to urge the
federal government to step up to the plate and contribute its share.”
As part of the larger, national campaign, CNIB is calling on Albertans to visit www.cnib.ca/righttoread,
where they can send a letter asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper to
fund accessible library services in the upcoming federal budget, and
help spread the word about the campaign.
For more information, please visit www.cnib.ca/righttoread or contact:
Ellie Shuster, Director, Regional Communications, CNIB
O: 780-453-8306 C: 780-909-0525 ellie.shuster@cnib.ca