Thanks to all who contributed their time and effort....

Dear Gary,

This is a one time follow up email to all Canadians who participated in the 2010 Right to Read campaign.

On behalf of all of us at CNIB, I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you for adding your voice to our call to Canadian governments to provide immediate and fair funding for accessible library services for all Canadians with print disabilities.

We're pleased to report that in addition to garnering interim funding from governments in five provinces and territories (NorthWest Territories, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and PEI), we've also received a one-time grant of $7 million from the Government of Canada that will ensure our library collection and current infrastructure will be maintained in the short term.

These developments are key milestones in our journey to protect the right to read of blind and partially sighted Canadians – and we couldn't have achieved them without your support.

So what's next?

With interim funding in place and our current operations secure for the short term, we can sharpen our focus on the larger goal: a sustainable, equitable, nationwide library service for all Canadians with print disabilities – one that is not reliant on charitable dollars.

To reach this goal, we'll continue to advocate with all levels of government and foster dialogue among other relevant organizations including public libraries, publishers, end users and national organizations representing people with print disabilities. Thanks again for your support.

Sincerely,

John M. Rafferty
President and CEO
CNIB