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Official Standing Order

Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness with special emphasis on Border Transit
House of Commons Ottawa, Canada

Hon. Jerry Pickard, P.C., M.P.
Chatham-Kent Essex

February 9, 2004

Mr. Jim Prowse
Canadian Council of the Blind
401-396 Cooper Street
Ottawa, ON, K2P 2H7

Dear Mr. Prowse:

On February 4, 2004, I presented a Standing Order 31 in the House of Commons on the subject of White Cane Week. As per your request, please find enclosed a copy of that Standing Order, contained in the Official Report (Hansard) from that day.

It was my pleasure to present this Standing Order during White Cane Week on behalf of constituents in my riding of Chatham-Kent Essex who suffer from print disabilities. This is indeed an important issue, and it is my sincere hope that the federal government will continue to help Canadians with print disabilities to live more independently in our society.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness with special emphasis on Border Transit

CANADA
OU't of VOLUME 139 . NUMBER 003 . 3rd SESSION . 37th PARLIAMENT
OFFICIAL REPORT
(HANSARD)
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
(Part A)

Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken

94 COMMONS DEBATES February 4, 2004
S. 0.31
WHITE CANE WEEK

Hon. Jerry Pickard (Chatham-Kent Essex, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadians suffer from print disabilities. They include people whose vision is impaired, those with perceptual or eye problems and people who suffer from blindness.

All Canadians must have the right to access print material in our society. For those Canadians, alternative print material, such as large print books, magazines, Braille, audio materials and specialized electronic resources are tools to help keep visually impaired people informed.

During this White Cane Week I encourage the government to continue to help those Canadians to function more independently with adequate resources in order to better serve the visually impaired.

HOUSEOFCOMMONS CANADA

Standing Order 31
Presented by Hon. Maria Minna, P.C. Member of Parliament Beaches-East York In the House of Commons

Tuesday, February 3, 2004
WHITE CANE WEEK

'Mr. Speaker, today I ask the House to pay tribute to the Canadian Council of the Blind, an organization of the blind and visually impaired which, is this year celebrating its sixtieth year. The Council founded in 1944 by veterans of the Second World War who felt the need for a voice for the blind. Since 1947 the first week of February has been designated as White Cane Week. During this week events take place in communities across the country that are designed to increase the public awareness of the challenges faced by the blind and visually impaired and to build the understanding that a lack of sight is not a lack of vision.

Today the White Cane is a symbol of independence and the courage of the blind and visually impaired Canadians as they strive to function independently.

Blindness is not defined by age but as our population ages increasing numbers of our citizens will face the challenge of a deterioration of their sight. The national challenge is to ensure these Canadians can live as independently as possible. The White Cane is a sign of independence not dependence, of ability not disability.

I ask the House to join me in recognizing White Cane Week and its commitment to 'changing what it means to be blind.'

- Hon Maria Minna, P.C., M.P.