(Translation) I will be making a statement today regarding problems with transportation services for a person with special needs in my constituency. Concerns have been brought to my attention from both Cape Dorset and Sanikiluaq regarding this issue. In both of these communities, there are a number of young people with either physical or mental handicaps who require assistance while going to school or other places in the community. I have been asked to bring up this issue by both parents and care givers.
I understand that in Cape Dorset, there has been some effort to provide rides to people with wheelchairs in regular vehicles, but this has proven very cumbersome and impractical without a proper wheelchair lift. They would like assistance from the government for obtaining a properly equipped vehicle. Madam Speaker, I am also informed that in Sanikiluaq, there is no formal arrangement for providing transportation assistance for those with special needs in that community. Parents have to do their best by using snowmobiles in the winter or all-terrain vehicles in the summer, which causes a lot of hardship to them.
During question period today, I will be asking the government for information on what programs are presently available to help these people and to find out if we are, in fact, doing everything we can to assist those with special needs in improving their mobility. Thank you, Madam Speaker.