Hey there and I’m Scott Savoy at the Sterling Creations desk.
Just when you think that somehow things will start to abate re the ArriveCan debacle then guess again!
And our president Donna J. Jodhan is right here to bring you the latest.
Read on and we’d love to hear from you with your thoughts!
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Wishing you a great weekend.
The 60 Million Dollar Faux Pax
by Donna J. Jodhan
I don’t think that anyone should be surprised re the CBSA’s continued propensity to ignore the basics when it comes to ensuring that Canadians are protected. Most importantly? The protection of the rights of Canadians with disabilities.
What am I talking about today? Well, please go to the link below and see and decide for yourself!
In short, this rogue department failed miserably to adhere to basic management requirements and once more! They failed to protect the rights of Canadians with disabilities. Their excuse? They had to develop an app in an emergency situation and alas! They forgot to include requirements for accessibility!
What this means is that Canadians with disabilities travelling back to Canada had no way to use the now cursed ArriveCan app independently and even today the CBSA (Canadian Border Security Agency) has not offered any reason for this glaring gaff! No apology! Not even any sort attempt at an excuse!
What is the picture now? We have a rogue department now being called on the carpet for their horrific mismanagement! For having spent millions of dollars more than was first estimated! The RCMP is now involved in an investigation and hearings before the Canadian Parliament are being conducted as I write this editorial! We have to thank the Auditor General for having blown the whistle!
What does this mean for Canadians with disabilities? What could happen if a future emergency takes place? Will we be forgotten once more? Is this something that could really turn into a disaster if this type of situation is allowed to happen again? Yes! The Covid situation was a real emergency but there was absolutely no excuse for the CBSA to have forgotten to take care of the requirements for accessibility.
What do I mean when it comes to accessibility? Well! Blind/vision impaired Canadians traveling back to Canada could not use this app because it did not include such features that enabled them to use their I devices, to independently access the website, and to be able to know what could happen to them if they needed to be isolated if they had Covid. And there were several other groups who were also gravely affected. Seniors, persons who were unable to use an i-device, and even sighted persons who were technically uncomfortable.
In closing I proffer the following question: As someone who is vision impaired, who can I turn to if I need my rights to be protected? Who can I turn to if another emergency arises? The Canadian Human Rights Commission, you think? Not a chance!
Just my two cents for today.
To learn more about me as an award winning sight loss coach and advocate visit www.donnajodhan.com
