For immediate publication
Montreal, August 3, 2010 - The Research Centre on Digital Inclusion, a research center on digital inclusion, deplores the federal government’s recent decision to replace the mandatory long form with a voluntary national households survey in 2011.
As a research organization on issues surrounding digital inclusion, we are deeply concerned about what this decision will mean with regards to the availability of data on people with disabilities, especially as the federal government has recently decided to abandon the Participation and Activity Limitations Survey (PALS) and it is still not clear how the void left by the abandonment of PALS will be filled.
The census short form, which is mandatory, does not collect information on the prevalence of functional limitations in the Canadian population. The long form, which contained two questions on this subject, allows, at the very least, an estimate of the number of Canadians with disabilities.
The federal government's decision concerning the long form, and the abandonment of PALS, could have a significant impact on our research activities. Without data on the people we represent, our training, awareness and advisory activities on digital inclusion of persons with disabilities are at risk of being affected also.
We therefore joins our voice to those of hundreds of organizations and asks the federal government to reconsider its position on this matter to ensure the availability of data on disability in Canada.
About Us
The Research Centre on Digital Inclusion, founded in 2009, promotes digital inclusion of persons with disabilities. Through research and experimentation, information, training, support, etc., various partners are working together through our organisation to enable persons with disabilities to fully participate in the information society.
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Source:
Catherine Roy
General Director
514-452-9721
croy@crein.ca
http://www.crein.ca
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