CBC/RADIO-CANADA TO ENGAGE WITH CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES ON HOW IT CAN BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE

Note: Find a plain text version of this release at the bottom of this page

Consultations across the country will be part of the effort to develop the public broadcaster’s first-ever national accessibility plan

CBC/Radio-Canada wants to hear from Canadians with disabilities to better understand their expectations of the public broadcaster. To that end, it has scheduled 20 engagement discussions across the country in English, French, ASL (American Sign Language) and LSQ (Quebec Sign Language), from November 2022 to January 2023.

The goal of these meetings is to create a space for meaningful dialogue to examine questions about the needs and priorities of people with disabilities. Topics will include how they are portrayed in the media, the barriers they face when consuming our content, and ways in which CBC/Radio-Canada can improve our relationships with their various communities.

“Engaging with people with disabilities is essential to making our national public broadcaster more accessible to all Canadians. Their input as part of these consultations will help us identify, remove and prevent barriers to using our services, and make CBC/Radio-Canada an accessibility champion within the media industry.”

– Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada

For more information on these engagement sessions, including how to participate, please visit our page Let’s Discuss Accessibility!

Sessions will last 90 minutes each and will be held in person as well as virtually. Here is the list of locations and dates for the consultation events:

Sessions in English:

• Regina, November 28
• Virtually, December 19
• Toronto, December 8
• Virtually, December 12
• Greater Sudbury, Ontario, December 10
• Virtually, January 11
• Weymouth, Nova Scotia, January 14
• Virtually, January 18
• Yellowknife, January 21
• Virtually, January 26

Sessions in ASL:

• Toronto, December 13,
• Virtually, December 15

Sessions in French:

• Regina, November 28,
• Virtually, December 19
• Calgary, to be confirmed
• Montreal, December 6
• Virtually, December 6
• Greater Sudbury, Ontario, December 10
• Virtually, January 12
• Weymouth, Nova Scotia, January 14
• Virtually, January 17

Sessions in LSQ:

• Montreal, December 1
• Virtually, December 1

These dates are subject to change.

For those unable to attend an engagement session, a survey is available on our website. 

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Cree, Dehcho Dene Yati, Dëne Sųłıné (Chipewyan), Gwich’in, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, Sahtu Got'ine Godi, and Tłı̨chǫ (Tlicho). We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

Media contact:
Emma Iannetta
Senior Specialist, Media Relations
Cell. 647 615-1087
emma.iannetta@cbc.ca