Monday, February 6, 2012

Deaf Couple Turned Aside

An investigation is underway into why a Canadian couple was cut out of a survey because they are deaf. A Statistics Canada representative came to the couple's home in Fredericton, New Brunswick asking if they would take part in the technology survey. The couple agreed by passing notes and asked for an interpreter. The national statistics agency left a note a couple of days later saying they are were no interpreting services available and the deaf couple's opinions were no longer of interest to the federal agency. When their daughter called to complain, she says she was told by a manager her parents didn't need an interpreter. The manager asked her, "They can read, can't they?" Statistics Canada says it is looking into what happened.