Question Period: Funding for Equitable Library Access

By: The Hon. Patricia Bovey

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Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Quebec

Hon. Patricia Bovey: I thank you, Senator Gold, but those funds aren’t available for a lot of very small organizations.

In today’s Art Newspaper, it was noted that visual arts organizations are actively working with mental health issues internationally. I am going to turn now to the issues of visual impaired that I spoke about several years ago. The Centre for Equitable Library Access program enables those with visual impairment to access library audio, digital and large-print materials, newspapers, magazines and books, and it is critical for them to be in the knowledge and communications loop.

I have recently heard that the federal government is cutting funding to the Centre for Equitable Library Access, and I ask if this is true. If so, how are people going to get the information they need to live their daily lives?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Senator, thank you for raising this important question, one that my office and the government are aware and seized with. I have made inquiries of the government, and my understanding is that there were some funding cuts. Beyond that, I don’t have the details or the answer to provide to you. I will endeavour to get an answer as soon as I can.

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