The Council recognizes the importance of this recommendation and has integrated this issue in all of its work.

The Council recognized the link between recommendations 2 and 19. National centralized direct services do not necessarily have to be from a single source but could be from a partnership or a series of coalitions.

The Council has communicated to LAC the importance and urgency of the implementation of recommendations 3 and 4, with emphasis on recommendation 4.

A meeting with senior officials from HRDC was held and the Task Force report and recommendations were presented to the Interdepartmental Senior Level (ADM) committee on the Federal Disability Agenda. No action has been taken by the Human Resources and Social Development Canada.

In the process of copyright reform, the Chair made a submission on the subject of Recommendations 5 and 6 and passed on information intended for officials representing Canada at the World International Property Organization (WIPO) meetings. The Council also had discussions with the Department of Canadian Heritage to address this question. The Council through the Chair also worked with Canadian Library Association (CLA) to ensure that equitable copyright exemptions for persons with print disabilities were included in their position paper on copyright, Protecting the Public: Information for the Canadian library and information community on Bill C-60 (Jan 2006) www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Copyright_Information
&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2887.

8) Exceptions for the print -disabled The exceptions for the print disabled must ensure that individuals have the same ability as others to access content. Current restrictions in legislation on specific alternate formats (large print books and adaptation of cinematographic works) are unacceptable. The limitation of alternate formats for the print-disabled to those formats especially designed for these users presents a restrictive and costly barrier for equal access to content for millions of Canadians. CLA urges the Government to remove this restriction on equitable access as it is in direct violation with core Canadian values, as spelled out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. (page 7)

This recommendation was mentioned in the Chair's submission to the Copyright Act Review.

A Vision and Implementation Plan for a Clearinghouse for Print-Disabled Canadians (May 2003) was developed to facilitate the timely and affordable production of multiple format titles, while protecting management rights. An Electronic Clearinghouse for Alternative Format Production Pilot Project (Mar 2006) tested the concepts of the plan by establishing a clearinghouse for e-text to which publishers made their works available to alternative format producers. The pilot project was conducted by the Council, CLA, the Canadian Publishers' Council, the Association of Canadian Publishers, l'Association nationale des Éditeurs de Livres, and leading Canadian alternative format producers, with funding from Social Development Canada. As part of the Initiative on Equitable Library Access (IELA)*, LAC will continue to operate the Clearinghouse and will investigate the implementation of the recommendations made in the report.

The Council decided to do no further work on Recommendation 8.

LAC's AMICUS database (which encompasses CANUC-H/CANWIP) is now free of charge to all users. LAC continues to make improvements to ensure accessibility and to facilitate the identification of alternative formats. The databases are up-to-date and comprehensive and LAC continues to work with the library community to increase reporting of alternative format materials. AMICUS records are also created for Electronic Clearinghouse titles.

The Council emphasized the importance of acquiring funding for Canadian content as stated in Recommendation 10. The Council recognized that this was a complex issue but has recommended that strategies be developed to acquire funding. The Chair has had informal discussions with the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding possible funding. The Council submitted a Proposal for Canadian Heritage Support for Alternate Format Production of Canadian Content (Jan 2003). No response has yet been received.

The Council endorsed Recommendation 11 and has cooperated, as appropriate, with relevant government departments.

The Council recommended that negotiations be as broad as possible over the longer period to ensure that French language and heritage language alternate format materials be available to Canadians.

There has been nothing further done on this.

The Council recommended that the National Librarian communicate and negotiate, as soon as possible, with Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic, the conditions and the costs associated with a Canadian site licence. The National Librarian wrote to the president of RFB&D in March 2001. Representatives of Recordings for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) were at the Council's third and fourth meetings.

Delegates from the Council were sent to RFB&D in July 2002. RFB&D were clear that they have fundamental concerns about establishing a Canadian site licence although in principle they are enthusiastic about expanding their program to other countries. RFB&D has not abandoned the hope of finding a meaningful relationship in Canada, but their priority is the development of their digital program and that they are very cautious about maintaining their trusted relationships with U.S. publishers. They are also anxious not to jeopardize the existing arrangements with individual Canadians.

LAC and the Council will continue to foster a relationship with RFB&D. This activity will now be part of the IELA workplan.

The Council endorsed Recommendation 14 and has cooperated, as appropriate, with relevant government departments.

The Council encouraged the use of the Accessible Procurement Toolkit www.apt.gc.ca/DListProdsE.asp? by the Governments Assistive Devices Industry Office www.at-links.gc.ca/as. It is a web-based application that delivers accessibility requirements and standards to apply to a purchase of mainstream products and services. Applying these standards ensure that products meet "Universal Design" principles and help the procuring organization meet its mandated obligation to purchase more accessible goods and services.

This training material will be developed as part of IELA.

The Council, with resources from Treasury Board, developed the Manager's Guide to Multiple Format Production, which contains instructions on the Depository Services Program and the role it plays in disseminating federal publications in libraries across Canada.

The Council recognized the link between recommendations 2 and 19.

LAC has established an office to bring IELA to life. The office will determine the ongoing implementation costs of such an initiative. More specifically, it will consider the issue of how best to ensure production of materials in multiple formats, what costs would be associated with such production, and sources of funding to support it.

AMICUS is now free to users of the database. A national workshop on resource sharing was held in October 2001 at the National Library with 30 participants from major institutions and associations.

Work on this recommendation will continue as part of the IELA.

No action has been taken on this recommendation.

Although funding will not be available, training materials will be developed as part of IELA"

Canadian Heritage has been negotiating the renewal of the Library Book Rate (LBR) and has been advised of this recommendation and the need to include many formats of material in the program that provides Canada Post with resources to sustain the LBR.

The Council wrote to Canadian Heritage to encourage the implementation of the recommendation made in its Study of the Library Book Rate (2002) [www.pch.gc.ca/progs/ac-ca/progs/pap/pubs/tlb-lbr/index_e.cfm], that the definition of materials eligible for distribution under the LBR be expanded to include non-book formats. In addition, the Council proposed that the programme be enhanced to ensure that audio books borrowed through libraries can be returned to the library postage-free.

The Council also ensured that the report presented to the Department of Canadian Heritage by CLA and l' Association pour la science et les techniques de la documentation, presented to the Department of Canadian Heritage, recommended the that LBR material be extended to include "all sorts of non-book works", especially alternative formats for people with print disabilities: Information Resource Sharing: A Position Paper on the Library Book Rate (Oct 2004) www.clatoolbox.ca/issues/cla_asted_librarybookrate.pdf.

The Council wrote to the Minister of Transport to expand Canada Post's Material for the Use of the Blind Regulations http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/ShowTdm/cr/C.R.C.-c.1283/en to include all persons with print disabilities and to include new formats. As a result, the regulations have been expanded to include "other sound recordings," but not electronic text, and the service is still restricted only to persons who are blind. The Council will continue to push this issue.

The Council was established in February 2001.

The Council unequivocally recognized that it is paramount that the Government of Canada applies recommendation 26 in all its undertakings. The Council has published several issues of Access Info. It also has a website, an email address and a discussion list and makes presentations at relevant workshops and conferences.

This is part of the mandate of IELA.