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Funding and governance of library and information services for visually impaired people: international case studies

Part2:Country studies

Canada

Definitions and their effects

The views of CNIB

Definitions in current use are:

• Blind and visually impaired
• Print-disabled/disability
• Perceptual disability
• Canadians living with vision loss
• Deafblind Canadians
• Visual Impairment

The term “blind” is very restrictive and can lead to a significant under-estimation. Many may not seek the services offered as they will think CNIB has solutions that only meet the needs of those who are blind.

There are more than 600,000 people with vision loss in Canada, yet CNIB serves a small fraction of this group. Many libraries ask for a doctor’s signature to verify vision loss. The medical system has a set of criteria to determine what is “legally blind” which is more restrictive than varying degrees of vision loss. If a person is not able to get a medical signature, yet they are experiencing vision loss, this is a very negative impact for those needing library services.

The Canadian Copyright Act clearly defines what a perceptual disability is, and therefore who can be provided with “restricted”alternative format materials. However, the terminology the Canadian Census uses could be confusing in that it may be broader than what is understood by libraries. The 2006 Census asked people to respond to a question such as “do you have difficulty seeing, learning, ...”. Libraries must permit access for people who fit the criteria defined in the Canadian Copyright Exception (not just “do you have difficulty seeing or learning”).

The most inclusive definition is “print or perceptually disabled” as that includes people who cannot read regular print due to a disability. For visual impairment, CNIB has determined that vision loss is the most inclusive term and this is the preferred term.