Large Print
Back in May 2006, we got a message from a viewer. She was visually impaired. She needed a large print census form. Stats Canada said no.
Instead, they told her they'd do it over the phone. Which is a strange solution when you think about it. If someone can't read a form, reading it to them over the phone isn't much of a fix. And it also means someone else is writing down her answers.
What Their Own Website Says
Here's the part that really got us. Stats Canada's own website at the time said large print forms were available on request. It was right there in writing. You could ask for one, and you'd get one.
So why did this viewer get told no?
We don't know. Maybe the person on the phone didn't know the policy. Maybe they were told to keep people on the phone. Maybe it was just one person having a bad day.
But it happened. And when it happens, it's worth writing down.
Why It Matters
Accessibility isn't a small thing. If the census is mandatory, and it is for most households, then the government has to make it possible for everyone to fill it out. That includes people who can't read standard print. That includes people who can't use a computer. That includes people who need help.
When someone asks for a large print form and gets told no, that's not a small inconvenience. That's a government failing to do the thing it says it does.
The Phone Thing
Doing a census over the phone isn't inherently bad. For some people, it's the easiest way. But it should be a choice, not the only option. And when it's the only option, it changes the nature of the thing. Someone else is now handling your private information. Someone else is filling in the boxes. Someone else is hearing your answers out loud.
If you're visually impaired and you need a large print form, you shouldn't have to give up your privacy just to participate in a mandatory survey.
What You Can Do
If you need a large print form, ask for one. If they say no, ask again. Ask for a supervisor. Point out that their own website says it's available. If that doesn't work, write it down and send it to us.
And if you know someone who needs help with their census form, offer to help. Not to fill it in for them, but to make sure they get the form they need in the format they need.
The Bigger Point
This isn't really about large print. It's about the gap between what Stats Canada says and what it does. They say large print forms are available. This viewer got told no. They say the census is easy to complete. Millions of people find it confusing and stressful. They say privacy is protected. We've got a whole page of breaches that say otherwise.
The pattern repeats. What they say and what they do don't always match. And when they don't match, the person on the other end of the phone pays the price.