CASLPA Lobbying & Advocacy Update
Key Result Area #1 of the CASLPA strategic plan is to raise awareness of the role and impact of speech-language pathology and audiology. One of the objectives to achieve this goal is to lobby government related to the role of S-LP and audiology within health, education, social services and community. The following is an update on recent CASLPA key lobbying and advocacy initiatives.
UNHS / Disability Tax Credit / Noisy Toys / Concerned about Classrooms
Universal
Newborn Hearing Screening - UNHS
As
part of a national campaign to improve early identification of hearing
loss in children, on Monday, October 4, CASLPA held a press conference
to launch its new
position paper on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS).
The event was a great success, with coverage by the Globe and Mail, Toronto
Sun, CFRA radio, CBC evening and morning news and a number of other media
outlets. Check out the press
conference video footage and CBC
television coverage on the CASLPA YouTube channel. An
announcement about this lobbying effort was sent to CASLPA's 290 Twitter
followers and was then re-tweeted to more than 4,000 other individuals!
A website area on UNHS was developed for our consumer site that contains links to the new CASLPA position paper on UNHS, media materials and other relevant UNHS studies and websites. Check it out! A new Facebook group, "Supporters of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) in Canada," was developed and already has almost 100 members. Join today and pass along the link to encourage your friends, family and clients to do the same!
The
efforts on UNHS are part of a bigger CASLPA plan which includes 2011 lobbying
efforts for early identification and intervention of speech and language
disorders. To pursue both interests, CASLPA made
a pre-budget submission to the Standing Committee on Finance as part of
the federal budget consultation process. The submission recommended that
the 2011 budget include a national program that ensures universal access
to newborn hearing screening as well as programs to facilitate the early
identification and intervention of speech and languge disorders in young
children. As a result of
this submission, CASLPA executive director Ondina Love and president Gillian
Barnes were asked to appear before the Standing Committee on Finance on
Tuesday, October 5 to highlight the importance of including funding to
address these issues in the upcoming budget. Review
the speaking notes from the presentation.
More coming soon... watch for details and grassroots lobbying kits you can use to get involved and support these initiatives.
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Disability
Tax Credit
On
October 5 CASLPA was pleased to support Peter Julian’s (MP for New-Westminster
Burnaby) private members’ bill C-577 as it was tabled in the House
of Commons. The bill would amend the Income Tax Act relative to hearing
impairment; a change that seeks to ensure all eligible individuals with
hearing disabilities have fair access to the disability tax credit. CASLPA
issued a press
release announcing our support and director of audiology Chantal Kealey
appeared as a speaker at the press conference announcing the bill. Check
out the video footage of the press conference on the CASLPA YouTube channel.
CASLPA is part of the National Working Group on the Disability Tax Credit.
Along with the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, the Canadian Academy
of Audiology and VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children, this group has been
working together to advocate for improvements to the eligibility criteria
and terminology associated with the disability tax credit. The working
group has met with various members of parliament to gain support on this
issue as well as with the minister of finance’s office and the Canada
Revenue Agency to advocate for improvements.
Now
we need your help to support this issue. Contact your MP and senator to
ensure support for this bill. Let them know how important this is to you
as an audiologist and to your hard of hearing patients. There is strength
in numbers so please take a moment and have your voice heard. Where to
find your MP and senator: Members
of Parliament / Senators,
Be
sure to let CASLPA know who you have contacted by emailing Chantal
Kealey.
More coming soon... watch for details on a house of commons petition we'll
be gathering signatures for.
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Noisy
Toys
After
several years of CASLPA lobbying efforts, Health Canada has now reduced
the acceptable noise levels in toys to align with international standards.
The new regulations are even stricter than international standards in
various areas of test measurement. As part of the work to implement the
government's Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan, CASLPA participated
in a technical briefing on consumer product safety. The bill is now being
drafted into regulation. CASLPA issued a press release congratulating
the government on re-introducing the Consumer Product and Safety legislation.
Check out Health Canada video on YouTube.
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Concerned
About Classrooms Coalition
After
several years lobbying on the need for acoustical standards in Canadian
classrooms and the formation of a coalition of 20 like-minded groups,
a requst to change the national building code was submitted for consideration
by the National Research Council. It was placed on the agenda of the NCR's
executive committee and we are awaiting a decision.
