Canada Post’s Discriminatory Corporate Policy

John Fearon of Toronto was dismayed when, last November, employees at a Canada Post outlet refused to help him print an address onto a special delivery envelope. Fearon has a disability and can’t use his right arm. He is unable to hold a pen and write.

A discriminatory corporate policy disallowed the employees from helping him. Canada Post doesn’t fill out addresses for customers, in order that it can’t be held responsible for misaddressed mail. To make matters worse, the special envelope is only available at the post office, and outlet employees would not permit Fearon to take an envelope home for assistance in writing the address.

After getting no response to his complaint, Fearon contacted M.P. Carol Skelton, a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Disabilities. Skelton in turn got in touch with Canada Post’s government relations department. Within days, Canada Post promised to change the policy.

“We look at it as an unfortunate circumstance for the customer, and we apologize for that, but we also look at it as a great opportunity for Canada Post to review our procedures,” spokesperson Deb Garnish told CBC News in an interview. She added that nothing like this had ever happened before.

Fearon reported that he was unhappy that Canada Post had not apologized to him directly, nor had it informed him of its decision to change the policy. He had to hear the news from Skelton.