WEBVTT

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Hello! This is DeafDots, 
15 August 2025. 

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Bringing alerts & news reports at 
intervals for all Deaf Canadians. 

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Don’t forget to subscribe, 
like, and follow 

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DeafDots to get 
new video updates! 

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Video relay service (VRS) is a basic 
telecommunications service that enables 

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sign language users and voice telephone 
users to communicate with each other.

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[DAWN]: DeafDots reported that 
the Canadian Radio television and 

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Telecommunications Commission 
(CRTC) had issued its ruling 

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on "Review of Video Relay 
Services" last February. In the ruling, 

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CRTC stated that “VRS is a basic 
telecommunications service 

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that must continue to 
be made available in Canada.” 

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[DAWN]: Both the DHH Coalition and 
Canada Deaf Grassroots Movement (CDGM) 

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submitted documents related to CRTC's 
ruling. They stated that CRTC's 

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ruling does not go far enough, and 
that VRS as mandated by CRTC, 

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is not considered "Deaf & hard of hearing 
friendly/accessible". 

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They say the current VRS does not allow 
Deaf & hard of hearing consumers 

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to make and receive phone calls 
in a similar fashion as their hearing peers.

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[DAWN]: DHH Coalition is represented 
by two provincial associations: 

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Newfoundland and Labrador 
Association of the Deaf (NLAD) and 

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Ontario Association of the Deaf (OAD). 
The DHH Coalition participates 

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in CRTC proceedings to 
represent the interests of Deaf and 

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hard of hearing consumers. On May 22, 
DHH Coalition filed a “review and 

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vary application” with CRTC. What is 
a “review and vary application”?

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"Review and Vary" application means "appeal". 
Really it's the same thing. 

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CRTC makes decisions that impact 
people related to TV, phone, and internet. 

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Sometimes organizations, companies 
or individuals after seeing CRTC's 

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decision may disagree and can appeal. 
CRTC receives many complaints 

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on their decisions which is normal. 
CRTC completed their 

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Review of Video Relay Service 
in February 2025. The good news is 

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that VRS will continue. But 
barriers still remain. For example, 

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hearing people can call 
between Canada and the USA. 

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Canada VRS users cannot 
call American VRS users. 

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Hearing people can call 911 and get 
an answer within 5 or 10 seconds at most, 

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or up to 20 seconds. Deaf VRS 
callers calling 911 have to wait 

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for the next available Video Interpreter. 
This means a longer wait... 

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two minutes, 3 minutes, or 5 minutes. 
That's more than 20 seconds. 

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Several hearing people can call 
each other at the same time, 

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called a "conference call". Several 
Deaf VRS users can't have conference 

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calls at the same time. There are many 
things hearing callers can do 

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but Deaf callers are limited with shorter 
options. CRTC decided in its ruling 

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on "Review of VRS" that VRS is 
"Deaf and hard of hearing accessible".

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In our final comments, CDGM strongly 
supported the DHH Coalition’s request 

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to review and vary the CRTC’s 
decision on Video Relay Service (VRS). 

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We emphasized that the current VRS 
is still not 100% accessible and 

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members in various sectors of the Deaf 
community do not have full access. 

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Hard of hearing people struggle 
for accessibility, and 

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DeafBlind do not have accessibility. 
Deaf Indigenous people across Canada 

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do not have accessibility to use. 
We need to encourage CRTC to 

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improve how VRS is delivered, 
run and inclusive to 

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the diverse Deaf people 
within our Deaf community.

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How CRTC works... It must follow 
two laws: the Accessible Canada Act, 

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and the Canadian Human Rights Act. 
Both require CRTC to remove all barriers 

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to communication. It cannot remove 
barriers up to a limited dollar amount, 

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say: up to 41 million dollars, 
for example. They cannot. 

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DHH Coalition has filed an 
appeal demanding CRTC 

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remove all barriers 
following the two laws.

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[DAWN]: The current Canada VRS lets 
Deaf and hearing people call each 

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other 24/7 for free. You say that CRTC 
has a legal duty to remove 

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telecom barriers. Doesn’t the current 
CAV meet that obligation?

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No, not fully, no. While 24/7 service
 is important, CDGM believes 

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true accessibility goes beyond basic 
availability. CRTC’s legal duty is 

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to ensure all services are equitable 
and barrier-free and 

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not with some barriers. It needs 
to have no barriers at all! 

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To be able to access anywhere, 
anytime. Right now, 

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Canada VRS still excludes some 
people like Indigenous Deaf users 

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without stable internet, DeafBlind 
users who can’t access to use 

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the VRS and are stuck. Overseeing VRS 
should involve more Deaf leaders. 

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VRS should be operated by Deaf people 
and Deaf leaders because 

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we know what the community needs, 
wants, dreams and their expectations 

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of VRS itself and its operations. 
The CRTC must do more to remove 

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systemic barriers — not just offer a minimal 
service that some can’t use 

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or get stuck, or can use, it is inconsistent. 
It should be for all and 

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consistent, capable and can be used 
anytime regardless of being Indigenous, 

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DeafBlind, in remote areas or urban settings, 
etc., all the same with access to VRS.

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[DAWN]: How does supporting the DHH 
Coalition help the Deaf community?

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We support the DHH Coalition’s application 
because the CRTC's current decision 

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ignored serious concerns raised 
by Deaf-led organizations, including CDGM 

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and others who said the same. The VRS 
system is still governed in a way 

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that excludes Deaf leadership and is run 
by the Board and telephone companies 

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and their hearing representatives who 
do not fully understand our accessibility 

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and the diverse members in the Deaf 
community. CDGM believes that CRTC 

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must re-evaluate its decision and 
meaningfully involve Deaf communities — 

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especially DeafBlind, Indigenous, 
and diverse Deaf users — 

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to make sure the VRS service can be truly 
accessible by everyone and meet their needs.

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CRTC says “VRS is a basic telecommunications 
service that must be offered in Canada.” 

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Is a basic VRS good enough for Deaf people? 
Or do Deaf people want the same 

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expanded functionalities 
that hearing people have? 

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That is what CDGM and 
DHH Coalition are fighting for.

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At Aira we believe access is a human 
right. We're dedicated to changing 

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the world by removing barriers 
and making it more accessible, 

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providing access to information 
anytime, anywhere. 

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This is the foundation Aira's 
innovative platform is built on.

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[DAWN]: On July 22, the Greater 
Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) 

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announced that Toronto Pearson 
International Airport is the first airport 

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in Canada to offer the Aira ASL app 
for free to travelers! What is Aira ASL?

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Aira ASL is a video remote interpreting 
(VRI) app where Deaf travelers 

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can connect immediately 
to a professional ASL interpreter 

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on their smartphone to communicate 
with airport staff at no cost. 

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This Aira ASL App can be downloaded 
on Apple App Store and Google Play. 

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[DAWN]: Aira was first founded in 2015 
to connect blind and low-vision individuals 

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to trained visual interpreters via 
smartphone or smart glasses. 

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These interpreters assist users 
in navigating their environment, 

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reading documents, and 
performing daily tasks. 

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[DAWN]: In October 2024, Aira 
officially began another service, 

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the Aira ASL app and since then has 
expanded its service to 17 U.S. airports 

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and Toronto Pearson is their 
18th airport. Their goal is 

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to offer on-demand ASL VRI 
interpreting at various locations, 

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not only airports but also other 
public spaces. Who is Aira? 

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Aira is a privately owned company. 
Our team that developed the ASL App 

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has over 20 years’ experience combined. 
Our vice-president of business 

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development Jill Ratliff has been 
involved in interpreting services and VRS, 

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over 20 years’ experience. Several members 
on our team have been actively involved 

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in different fields within the Deaf community. 
They have an innate understanding 

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of what barriers our community 
faces in everyday life. 

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We hope that experience can be incorporated 
in Aira to deliver and overcome barriers.

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[DAWN]: Who runs the VRI aspect of Aira ASL?

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Our interpreting pool comes from 
two Deaf owned interpreting businesses. 

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We believe in minority owned businesses 
and support our Deaf ecosystem.

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[DAWN]: What led Aira to 
launch the Aira ASL app?

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Aira ASL was launched to overcome 
any communication barriers that Deaf and 

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hard of hearing people encounter 
in public and private spaces. 

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Our goal is to establish a Deaf advisory 
board with diverse group of people 

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from our Deaf community and about 40 testers 
from the Deaf community as well. 

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We distributed to them our App so they 
could go and test themselves and 

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share how it works. When we get feedbacks 
back we take this information 

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to our engineering team. Our engineering 
team refines the App so we can then 

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take it back to the community and 
see what the reactions are. 

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Whether to improve, or fix further… 
it's an ongoing process as we expand.

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[DAWN]: Aira, which is based in the U.S., 
just celebrated its tenth anniversary. 

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According to the GTAA’s July 22 
announcement, Aira ASL is part of a pilot 

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phase running through December 31, 2025, 
during which they will evaluate 

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user experience and feasibility. Pearson airport 
in Toronto is not the first airport 

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to have VRI but they are the first 
airport to offer a VRI app that you 

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can download instead of looking 
for the airport's customer service desk 

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or hunting down where VRI is available.

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NLAD must make a public apology
 to Kimberly Churchill after Kimberly 

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showed an apology letter from NLAD 
for damaging her reputation.

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[SIGNER]: A petition was circulated 
on social media regarding Newfoundland 

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and Labrador Association of the Deaf. 
What prompted it? 

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Robyn Mackie, our reporter 
tells us more about it.

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[ROBYN]: On June 7, Kimberly Churchill, 
mother of Deaf son Carter shared 

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written apologies from both Newfoundland 
and Labrador Association of the Deaf, 

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and the Canadian Association 
of the Deaf. NLAD apologized for making false 

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statements in their letters accusing 
Kimberly of discriminating against 

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and being oppressive to 
the Deaf community and an audist. 

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CAD stated their letter was written at 
the request of NLAD executive director 

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Myles Murphy. 

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 DeafDots reported in December 2022 
on this case Carter Churchill 

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vs. Newfoundland Labrador 
English School District. 

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Nicole Marsh, who was born 
in Newfoundland, was angered 

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to read the NLAD apology letter that 
Kim Churchill shared with the Deaf community. 

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I saw the news shared recently 
by Kim. I cannot sit back. 

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Not when a Deaf child is being harmed, 
and Kim Churchill, a big supporter 

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in the Deaf community is 
having her name destroyed. 

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This is NOT okay. 
It is NOT acceptable. 

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[ROBYN]: On June 18th, Nicole 
started a petition on Change.org 

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which had nearly 500 signatures at
 the time of this DeafDots report. 

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The petition demanded the 
resignation of both Myles Murphy, 

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executive director of Newfoundland 
and Labrador Association of the Deaf, 

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and his step daughter Renee Phair-Healey, 
NLAD Wellness Programs Director.

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This petition is to the Board of Directors 
of NL Association of the Deaf, NLAD. 

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We request Accountability, 
Transparency, and Leadership Reform. 

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We, the undersigned Canadian Deaf 
community (and hearing allies), 

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respectfully ask the NLAD Board of Directors 
to take immediate action 

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to address serious concerns about leadership, 
transparency, and governance. 

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The Canadian Deaf community believes 
changes are necessary to protect 

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the integrity of NLAD and restore 
trust within the community.

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[ROBYN]: The petition says that 
Myles Murphy and Renee Phair-Healey 

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have damaged the reputation and 
trust of NLAD through their actions. 

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Their continued roles in leadership 
are a barrier to healing and progress. 

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They have not taken responsibility 
or responded appropriately 

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to community concerns. They believe 
that both must resign for NLAD 

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to rebuild its credibility and 
serve the community properly.

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We also ask NLAD to hold a Special 
Member Meeting within 90 days to: 

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Review and assess the performance 
of the current leadership; 

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Establish a formal process to hold 
the Executive Director and Board accountable, 

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and; Propose and approve changes 
to the bylaws that allow members 

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to have more say in how NLAD is run.

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[ROBYN]: DeafDots asked about the 
statements made in the 3 NLAD letters, 

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the petition and if they 
were taking actions or steps to 

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address community concerns. 
We received this video response:

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NLAD cannot publicly discuss details 
related to a matter that was settled 

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within a legal proceeding. All parties 
accepted the settlement. 

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NLAD agreed to the settlement as it was 
the best option for the organization.

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[ROBYN]: They did not address 
the petition or what they were doing 

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to address community concerns. 

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[DAWN]: I see that the petition has to 
do with the Churchill case ruling 

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which occurred in April 2023. The mission 
statement on NLAD website says 

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"To protect and promote the rights, needs 
and concerns of people who are Deaf 

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or who communicate in American Sign Language 
within the province of Newfoundland 

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and Labrador." This appears to be a matter that 
the Deaf community needs to play a role in.

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[DAWN]: The National Public Alerting 
System is a federal, provincial and 

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territorial system that allows emergency 
management officials across Canada 

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to issue alerts to warn the public 
about emergency situations using 

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telecommunications and broadcasting 
networks. This system also includes 

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AMBER Alerts and other urgent bulletins. 
Their mandate is to keep Canadians safe 

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from a range of risks such as natural 
disasters, crime and terrorism.

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The Commission plays a supporting role 
within the NPAS by requiring cellphone 

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service providers, cable and 
satellite television providers, 

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as well as radio and television 
broadcasters, to distribute emergency alerts 

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to the public. This helps ensure that 
Canadians have access to public alerts 

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in emergency situations through 
telecommunications and broadcasting systems.

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[DAWN]: Public Safety Canada, 
a federal agency manages 

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the National Public Alerting 
System (NPAS). 

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Now CRTC is launching this notice 
of consultation to consider targeted 

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improvements to public alerting 
within its role in the NPAS.

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Through this consultation and as part 
of its Consumer Protections Action Plan 

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to help protect Canadians, the Commission
 is considering targeted improvements 

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to support the NPAS within its mandate. 
The Commission is seeking comments 

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on certain aspects of the NPAS, 
including barriers to accessibility; 

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the languages in which alerts
 are provided, issues affecting 

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its availability nationwide, and 
possible measures the Commission could 

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implement to monitor the 
system’s status more effectively.

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[DAWN]: CRTC says they contracted 
recently for public opinion research 

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that shows one reason for dissatisfaction 
with the NPAS is that 

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WPA may not be accessible 
to persons with disabilities. 

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In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 
CRTC is now seeking comments 

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to help identify or prevent barriers
 to the accessibility of the NPAS 

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and solutions for eliminating these 
barriers, both in terms of distributing 

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and receiving public alerts. Are there 
barriers to the accessibility 

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of public alerts for persons 
with disabilities in Canada? If so, 

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how can the NPAS be improved and 
how can the Commission contribute 

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to reducing or removing these barriers? 

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Can send an ASL or LSQ video 
using the intervention form.

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[DAWN]: To ensure participation 
by the Deaf Community, 

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CRTC is accepting video 
submissions in ASL or LSQ. 

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The deadline for the receipt 
of interventions is 14 October 2025. 

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Thank you for watching DeafDots. 
Please send your news suggestions 

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through our website www.DeafDots.ca 
or email to news@deafdots.ca. 

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Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and follow 
DeafDots to get new video updates! 

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