This letter was sent recently by parents of a child with Down's Syndrome to the Regroupement pour la Trisomie 21, the association for Down's Syndrome in Quebec. We will keep you appraised of what response is received, if any.
Hi,
As parent's of a 13-year-old boy with Down's Syndrome born here in Quebec, we would like to express our opinion that, by not having English on your website, the Regroupement pour la Trisomie 21 is fundamentally in error.
Although I speak some French, my wife does not and due to your French-only policy, we have been deprived of any benefits that your organization may have offered us over the past 13+ years since our son was born.
As you may well imagine, parents of kids with special needs are not the people who can most easily cope with navigating a second or third language when they go to seek help with their challenges.
The vast majority of websites in Quebec, or certainly Montreal, that deal with a wide public, are presented bilingually.
Your group should be a leader, representing a progressive view of "inclusion" and "diversity" in society. Yet you intentionally exclude English from your site and have no doubt driven away dozens or hundreds of families who need help, like ourselves.
Is this a welcoming, inclusive organization?
Furthermore, the Province of Quebec has undertaken to provide English services in health and education wherever warranted. Yet your organization seems totally oblivious to this moral obligation.
In conclusion, we would like to say that we are aware there are financial constraints in all charitable endeavors, no more so than in funding for special needs. This does not in any way justify alienating a large percentage of the population in the Montreal area, many of whom would benefit greatly from the assistance you could offer.
Therefore we urge you to implement an official bilingualism policy at your earliest possible convenience and anxiously await your response.
Sincerely yours,
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