An attempt by the Conservative Party to highlight job creation for disabled people fell flat when it sent out flyers with a message printed in braille lettering that cannot be read by the blind.
The so-called “householder” pamphlets, prepared by the party’s research office and sent out by MPs using their parliamentary mailing privileges, were intended to flag the government’s efforts to help people with disabilities enter the workforce.
The headline on the document, Supporting Jobs for All Canadians, is also written in what at first glance appears to be braille. But the dots used to render the Braille letters are printed in ink and are not embossed or raised using a braille printer.
Blind people “read” braille by passing their fingertips over the tiny dots. If the letters cannot be felt, they are useless.
“Unfortunately, disabled Canadians are sometimes limited by inaccessible workplaces,” the flyer says.
“Improving accessibility will remove barriers and help create jobs and economic growth.”
