SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Deafblind Awareness Month
June 15, 2021
Honourable senators, I rise today in recognition of June as Deafblind Awareness Month across Canada.
In 2015, the Senate of Canada unanimously adopted a motion to designate June as Deafblind Awareness Month. This would not have been possible without the support of our colleague the Honourable Jim Munson and former colleagues the Honourable Joan Fraser and the Honourable Asha Seth, whose supportive roles ensured unanimous passage of this motion.
I would also like to acknowledge the steadfast leadership and dedication of another former colleague, the Honourable Vim Kochhar, who is a true champion for the Deaf-Blind community. It was his vision and decades of tireless activism that inspired the motion. Vim is also the co-founder of Rotary Cheshire Homes, which provides housing to persons who are deaf-blind. He continued to dedicate his life to helping those in need when he founded the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons, which provides support to persons with disabilities. In 2014, Vim Kochhar was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame — a true testament to his lifetime dedication and service.
Honourable senators, more than 65,000 Canadians are living with deafblindness and the challenges they consequently face every day. Today we honour their strength and perseverance and celebrate their achievements. We also honour their families and all individuals who work tirelessly to support them.
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” These are the words of Helen Keller, probably the most well-known person who lived with deafblindness. The world-renowned Helen Keller was a heroic woman, whose courage and strength have inspired so many to believe in one’s fullest potential. She was a leader and true advocate for people with physical disabilities across Canada and around the world.
Let us continue building on Helen Keller’s legacy of forward social progress and collaboration to ensure that Canadians living with deafblindness have equal access to the benefits and opportunities that our country affords people with sight and hearing.
Following the unanimous adoption of the motion in 2015, Senator Munson and I began the month of June by co-hosting a special Deafblind Awareness Month reception on Parliament Hill with these everyday heroes who live with deafblindness, their dedicated interveners and supporting organizations such as the Canadian Helen Keller Centre, the Canadian Deafblind Association, the CNIB, DeafBlind Ontario Services and others.
Although we cannot gather in person this year, I invite all honourable senators to join me in support of this important community on this June day during Deafblind Awareness Month. Meeting the community certainly opened my eyes in ways I had never imagined. As Helen Keller so eloquently stated:
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
Thank you.