Federal Election Toolkit

CELA has developed an election toolkit to help users, member libraries and supports to educate candidates about accessible book funding in Canada.
On September 20, 2021, Canadians will go to the polls. The federal government has an important role to play in supporting accessible reading materials which are crucial for the economic, academic and social wellbeing of people with print disabilities. CELA and NNELS have been working collaboratively to advocate for a long term funding solution. Together we have developed this toolkit to help you connect with and educate your candidate. We encourage our users and member libraries to be as active as possible in the lead-up to the election to advocate for long-term sustainable funding for CELA and NNELS.
For all in-person interactions, please respect all local public health restrictions. Before reaching out to a candidate, review their websites to see what priorities they highlight.
Here are some ways to engage.
Here are some questions you could ask candidates:
The federal government’s move towards industry-based production and distribution of accessible reading materials to people with print disabilities across Canada will not replace the important service that NNELS and CELA provides.
We ask that a funding commitment recognize the following principles:
Ensure that all content can be made accessible to a diverse community of people with print disabilities.
Recognizing that people with print disabilities face economic and social barriers that industry-based production and distribution will not be able to fully address.
Support for multiple formats, including braille, is essential for an equitable reading landscape.
Access to published works for people with print disabilities internationally through the Marrakesh Treaty should be facilitated by organizations that are independent from industry.
Accessibility expertise and equitable reading must be supported and made available independent of market forces.
Mainstream reading systems, tools, and devices can be complicated and expensive, and support for the provision of accessible services will continue to be essential.
Accessible reading materials support the economic and academic success of people with print disabilities and offer opportunities for social connection and inclusion. The funding provided by the federal government is essential for the production of accessible print materials in a variety of formats for people with print disabilities but that funding is in jeopardy.
What is the status of federal funding?
The federal government’s 2020 Fall Economic Statement (FES) included an announcement that current annual funding of $4 million for CELA ($3 million annually) and NNELS ($1 million annually) to provide material to those across Canada with print disabilities would be reduced by $1 million annually beginning in 2021 before ending entirely in 2024-2025.
After concerns about the Fall Economic Statement funding cuts were raised by NNELS and CELA (as well as users of their services and representatives of the publishing industry) funding for 2021-2022 was restored. The additional one-year funding reprieve in funding for 2021-2022 was welcome, but currently, both organizations face a 50% federal funding cut for each of the next 2 years before receiving $0 by 2024-2025.
If the cuts continue as planned, it will result in a devastating impact on our organizations, and on those across Canada who have been relying on the critical service we provide. The funding cuts for each of 2022-23 and 2024-25 will result in increasingly reduced service from both CELA and NNELS, and further compound the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is having a disproportionate impact on those with disabilities across Canada. Organizations like NNELS and CELA are critical for the production and delivery of equitable access to reading material and CELA and NNELS are unable to provide this vital service without federal funding support.
This information is taken directly from the platforms of the various parties:
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois platform does not specifically address accessibility with respect to reading materials or technology.
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada platform states on page 69:
We will provide an additional $80 million per year through the Enabling Accessibility Fund to provide:
The Green Party has not released an official platform as of September 2, 2021
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party platform states on page 86:
New Democratic Party of Canada
The NDP platform does not specifically address accessibility with respect to reading materials or technology.
The Center for Equitable Library Service (CELA) and the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), which is a project of the BC Libraries Cooperative, are national not-for-profit organizations that provide accessible reading services to the approximately 3 million people across Canada with print disabilities. NNELS and CELA provide a critical and necessary public service to ensure equitable access to reading for those with print disabilities.
Print disabilities encompass those who are blind or visually impaired, people with cognitive disabilities such as dyslexia and those with physical disabilities that make it difficult to read a physical book. The services that CELA and NNELS provide ensure that people with print disabilities across the country are more able to fully participate in learning, work and community life and contribute to the social, cultural, and economic development and success of their local communities and Canada as a whole.
Laurie Davidson, Executive Director, CELA, laurie.davidson@celalibrary.ca
Kevin Millsip, Executive Director, BCLC (NNELS), kevin.millsip@bc.libraries.coop