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For the record

Regarding a May 24 article “New phone a boon to hearing impaired and mute”, the reporter made several errors.

Regarding a May 24 article “New phone a boon to hearing impaired and mute”, the reporter made several errors.

The article suggested that the Accessibility Advisory Group and Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP) were directly involved in lobbying for the phones, when the main driver was Huey Tollett and visitors’ feedback and support from the Whistler for the Disabled website. However, advisory group members did offer to support this initiative by writing letters of support but none were needed.

Telus confirmed two Fully Functional TTY units for the Whistler Community but up to four units could be installed by end of summer.

Furthermore, “mute” is not the accepted nomenclature for people who cannot speak. The phones are specifically for the “deaf and hard of hearing”, a term that includes people who cannot speak. Lastly, the article suggested that Telus was concerned about the cost of installing the phones when the company was more concerned about the potential for vandalism.