The Editor,
I love election time because it is the only time when politicians are forced to examine issues that are important to the voters.
Here is one: access to 911 services. This is an essential service that we all pay for and should be available to everybody. I think it's safe to say that most of us take it for granted that when we need to pick up the phone and call 911, they will be readily available to us.
Presently, here in Richmond as well as in the rest of the province, there is very limited access to 911 for deaf people. Once upon a time, most deaf people would have used a TTY/TDD device to connect with services such as 911.
However, like landlines, TTY devices have gone the way of the dinosaur. They are heavy, expensive and can only communicate with another TTY device. And just like hearing people, many deaf people prefer to connect to the world with email and text messaging.
The trouble with that is, 911 refuses to accept text messages. Even the most non-tech folks have learned to accept text messages, but ECOMM (the host of 911) will not!
If a hearing person comes upon a motor vehicle collision in the middle of the night, they can use any cell phone to call 911. But a deaf person must find a hearing person to make the call.
Deaf people are beginning to fight for access to 911 services, but so far their pleas have gone unheard. So here is my question to the council member hopefuls: What will you do to guarantee fair access to emergency services for all residents of Richmond, and when will you do it?
Scott Stewart
Richmond
