Ontario Human rights Reform - A call to Action

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update

March 16, 2006

SUMMARY

We want to update you on developments on the issue we reported to you about last week, the Ontario Government’s plans to reform the Ontario Human Rights Code enforcement process by weakening the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

On Thursday, March 16, 2006, the AODA Alliance held a news conference at the Queen’s Park Media Studio in Toronto. This was the AODA Alliance’s first news conference. Below we set out:

The AODA Alliance’s news release
The Talking points that the presenters used at the news conference.
Letters to the Ontario Government supporting the AODA Alliance position from Community Living Ontario, The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians, the Canadian Hearing Society, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf. We know that others have been writing the Ontario Government in support of our position. These are all the organizational letters that we have in electronic format at this time to send you.
A guest column in Monday, March 13, 2006’s Toronto Star, and letters to the editor for and against, in March 15’s Star.
A document we distributed at the news conference which shows the position of the Ontario Liberals on the Human Rights Commission when it was in opposition and proposed amendments to the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001, and when the McGuinty Government’s AODA was before the Legislature last spring.

We are delighted that so many have already taken the time to write the Ontario Government in support of the AODA Alliance’s position. Please keep sending in those letters and emails to the Ontario Government. To see our Action Kit, visit:

www.aodaalliance.org

Pass on our Action Kit to others. Urge friends and family to support our cause. Our Action Kit has already been sent to very many people around the Internet. Send our news release, set out below, to your local media. Urge them to cover this issue.