Month: November 2017

Amazing Responses to, Including More Media Coverage of our New Video on Serious Accessibility Problems at Ryerson University’s New Student Learning Centre — and — The Wynne Government Is Taking Longer Just to Appoint a Standards Development Committee on Education Barriers Facing Students with Disabilities Than It Took the Government to Create Ontario’s Entire Disabilities Act

November 17, 2017 1. Amazing Response to the AODA Alliance’s New Online Video Showing Serious Accessibility Problems at Ryerson University’s New Student Learning Centre There has been an amazing response to the AODA Alliance’s new online video, exceeding our hopes and expectations. This video that shows serious accessibility problems at the new Ryerson Student Learning … Continue reading Amazing Responses to, Including More Media Coverage of our New Video on Serious Accessibility Problems at Ryerson University’s New Student Learning Centre — and — The Wynne Government Is Taking Longer Just to Appoint a Standards Development Committee on Education Barriers Facing Students with Disabilities Than It Took the Government to Create Ontario’s Entire Disabilities Act

New AODA Alliance Video on Accessibility Problems at Ryerson University Student Learning Centre Gets Great Media Coverage and Over 2,700 Views on YouTube in Four Days Since Its Launch – Press Your Member of the Ontario Legislature to Watch It!

November 2, 2017 There has been great media coverage of the new AODA Alliance video on accessibility problems at Ryerson University’s new Student Learning Centre, in the Toronto Star on November 2, 2017 and on CITY TV on October 29, 2017. We set those articles out below. Our new video on the Ryerson Student Learning … Continue reading New AODA Alliance Video on Accessibility Problems at Ryerson University Student Learning Centre Gets Great Media Coverage and Over 2,700 Views on YouTube in Four Days Since Its Launch – Press Your Member of the Ontario Legislature to Watch It!

Grassroots Disability Coalition Unveils Powerful New Video Showing Serious Accessibility Problems at the New Ryerson University Student Learning Centre – On 19th Anniversary of Landmark Unanimous Legislature Resolution Calling for Strong Accessibility Law, this Video Shows Ontario Falling Further Behind Schedule for Becoming Accessible by 2025

October 29, 2017 Toronto The AODA Alliance today makes public a striking 12-minute video (and a more detailed 30-minute version) revealing significant disability accessibility barriers in a new public building in the heart of downtown Toronto, built in part with public money. This video documents accessibility problems at the new Ryerson University Student Learning Centre … Continue reading Grassroots Disability Coalition Unveils Powerful New Video Showing Serious Accessibility Problems at the New Ryerson University Student Learning Centre – On 19th Anniversary of Landmark Unanimous Legislature Resolution Calling for Strong Accessibility Law, this Video Shows Ontario Falling Further Behind Schedule for Becoming Accessible by 2025

AODA Alliance Calls On the Wynne Government to Take Action to Ensure Ontario’s Built Environment Becomes Disability-Accessible by 2025

October 23, 2017 Summary On October 23, 2017, the AODA Alliance wrote the Wynne Government’s Accessibility Minister, Tracy MacCharles. It called for the Government to take immediate and decisive action to ensure that the built environment in Ontario becomes fully accessible by the 2025 deadline that the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act imposes. Our … Continue reading AODA Alliance Calls On the Wynne Government to Take Action to Ensure Ontario’s Built Environment Becomes Disability-Accessible by 2025

Wynne Government Still Hasn’t Appointed an Education Standards Development Committee, Fully 314 Days After Premier Wynne Pledged to Create an Education Accessibility Standard under Ontario’s Disabilities Act — and — Last Day to Complete the Wynne Government’s Online Survey about Disability Barriers in Ontario’s Education System

October 16, 2017 Summary Over one third of a million students with disabilities across Ontario still face far too many disability accessibility barriers when they try to get an education in Ontario’s education system, whether they are studying in early learning programs, in schools in colleges or universities, or in job training programs. We need … Continue reading Wynne Government Still Hasn’t Appointed an Education Standards Development Committee, Fully 314 Days After Premier Wynne Pledged to Create an Education Accessibility Standard under Ontario’s Disabilities Act — and — Last Day to Complete the Wynne Government’s Online Survey about Disability Barriers in Ontario’s Education System

Will the Massive New Courthouse that The Wynne Government Is Planning for the Heart of Downtown Toronto Have Sufficient Disability Accessibility?

October 6, 2017 Summary Many think any new building built in Ontario must be fully accessible for people with disabilities. Sadly, neither the Ontario Building Code nor the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act ensures this. To the contrary, new buildings are now built in Ontario, even with public money, that lack proper accessibility. In … Continue reading Will the Massive New Courthouse that The Wynne Government Is Planning for the Heart of Downtown Toronto Have Sufficient Disability Accessibility?

A seriously Flawed Human Rights Tribunal Decision Rules Against the Request of a Nine Year Old Boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Bring His Autism Service Dog to School

September 25, 2017 Summary Here is yet another compelling reason why Ontario needs to enact a strong and effective Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to tear down the many unfair disability accessibility barriers that impede students with disabilities in Ontario’s education system. Almost ten months ago, Premier Wynne promised … Continue reading A seriously Flawed Human Rights Tribunal Decision Rules Against the Request of a Nine Year Old Boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Bring His Autism Service Dog to School

August 30, 2017 Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Ruling On Right of a student with Autism to bring His Service Dog to School

HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL OF ONTARIO B E T W E E N: J.F. by his litigation guardian C.F. Applicant -and Waterloo Catholic District School Board Respondent DECISION Adjudicator:    Laurie Letheren Date:   August 30 2017 File Number:   2016-24088-I Citation:          2017 HRTO 1121 Indexed as:      J.F. v. Waterloo Catholic District School Board APPEARANCES J.F. by his litigation … Continue reading August 30, 2017 Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Ruling On Right of a student with Autism to bring His Service Dog to School

CBC Radio Reports on Serious Recurring Accessibility Barriers on Toronto Transit Commission– Will Reforms to Ontario’s 2011 Transportation Accessibility Standard Ensure These Barriers are Removed by 2025?

September 20, 2017 Summary CBC Radio ran an excellent news report on September 20, 2017, addressing the many accessibility barriers that persist on TTC, Canada’s largest public transit system. This news report came less than 7.5 years before the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires Ontario to become fully accessible to people with disabilities. … Continue reading CBC Radio Reports on Serious Recurring Accessibility Barriers on Toronto Transit Commission– Will Reforms to Ontario’s 2011 Transportation Accessibility Standard Ensure These Barriers are Removed by 2025?

TTC Top Brass to Hear from Passengers with all Kinds of Disabilities at Public Forum Tonight about Inexcusable Barriers They Still Face on Public Transit in Canada’s Biggest City 12 Years After Ontario Passed Its Disabilities Act

September 19, 2017 – TORONTO: With nine months left before Ontario’s next general election, Torontonians with all kinds of disabilities will converge tonight from 7 to 9 pm at the TTC’s Accessible Transit Public Forum at the Beanfield Centre (formerly Allstream Centre) Exhibition Place – 150 Princes’ Boulevard. The media will have its eyes opened … Continue reading TTC Top Brass to Hear from Passengers with all Kinds of Disabilities at Public Forum Tonight about Inexcusable Barriers They Still Face on Public Transit in Canada’s Biggest City 12 Years After Ontario Passed Its Disabilities Act

Raise Public Transit Accessibility Barriers at the September 19, 2017 TTC Public Forum on Accessible Transit — and – AODA Alliance’s Advice on Accessibility Reaches All the Way to New Zealand

September 13, 2017 Summary 1. Come to TTC’s Annual Public Forum on Accessible Transit on September 19, 2017 Below you can find the Toronto Transit Commission’s web announcement of its 2017 Annual Public Forum on Accessible Transit. It will be held on the evening of Tuesday, September 19, 2017 from 7 to 9 pm. We … Continue reading Raise Public Transit Accessibility Barriers at the September 19, 2017 TTC Public Forum on Accessible Transit — and – AODA Alliance’s Advice on Accessibility Reaches All the Way to New Zealand

The AODA Alliance Writes Kent Hehr, Canada’s New National Minister for People with Disabilities, who is Now Responsible for Developing Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law

August 29, 2017 Summary On August 28, 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled his federal cabinet. As a result, Mr. Kent Hehr was appointed Canada’s new Minister Responsible for People with Disabilities. He takes over responsibility for leading the development and enactment of the new national accessibility law which Prime Minister Trudeau promised in the … Continue reading The AODA Alliance Writes Kent Hehr, Canada’s New National Minister for People with Disabilities, who is Now Responsible for Developing Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law

Watch the Archived Video of the August 22, 2017 Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include – And – Canada’s Federal and Provincial Governments Should Use All the Levers of Power They Have to Promote Accessibility

August 27, 2017 Summary 1. Any Time You Wish, You Can Enjoy the August 22, 2017 Online Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include Did you miss the August 22, 2017 online Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s National Accessibility Law Should Include? No problem! It’s available online and will … Continue reading Watch the Archived Video of the August 22, 2017 Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include – And – Canada’s Federal and Provincial Governments Should Use All the Levers of Power They Have to Promote Accessibility

Excellent Media Coverage of the Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include — and — More Media on Other Accessibility Issues

August 24, 2017 Summary 1. Wonderful Media Coverage of the August 22, 2017 Online Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include The August 22, 2017 online Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s National Accessibility Law Should Include was a real success. It was hosted at the Inclusive Design Research Centre … Continue reading Excellent Media Coverage of the Policy Experts Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include — and — More Media on Other Accessibility Issues

Remember to Catch Tomorrow’s Online Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include And More Media Coverage on Accessibility Triggered by Wonderful Grassroots Ontario Accessibility Advocates

August 21, 2017 Summary 1. A Great Chance to Learn from Amazing Speakers from Around the World on What the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act Should Include Remember to log in to watch tomorrow’s online policy experts’ conference on what the Federal Government should include in the promised national accessibility law. It will be streamed … Continue reading Remember to Catch Tomorrow’s Online Conference on What Canada’s Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include And More Media Coverage on Accessibility Triggered by Wonderful Grassroots Ontario Accessibility Advocates

Tune in Online to the August 22, 2017 Conference on What the Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include

August 11, 2017 Summary What should be included in Canada’s forthcoming national accessibility law that the Federal Government promised to enact? Here is a great way to hear from policy experts on accessibility legislation from Canada and around the world. On Tuesday, August 22, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT, plan to settle … Continue reading Tune in Online to the August 22, 2017 Conference on What the Promised National Accessibility Law Should Include

Toronto Star Editorial Blasts the Wynne Government for Too Much Secrecy and Not Enough Action on Disability Accessibility – Will the Wynne Government Finally Agree to Waive Its Fee and Make Public All the Information on the Disabilities Act’s Implementation and Enforcement that AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Sought under the Freedom of Information Act Over Two Years Ago?

August 8, 2017 Summary The August 7, 2017 edition of the Toronto Star included a powerful editorial by the newspaper’s editorial board, set out below. This editorial calls for the Wynne Government to demonstrate more action and less secrecy when it comes to accessibility for people with disabilities. This editorial was triggered by the July … Continue reading Toronto Star Editorial Blasts the Wynne Government for Too Much Secrecy and Not Enough Action on Disability Accessibility – Will the Wynne Government Finally Agree to Waive Its Fee and Make Public All the Information on the Disabilities Act’s Implementation and Enforcement that AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Sought under the Freedom of Information Act Over Two Years Ago?

New Democratic Party and Progressive Conservative Party Call on the Wynne Government to Make Public All Information that AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Requested in His June 4, 2015 Freedom of Information Application, on the Disabilities Act’s Implementation and Enforcement Without Charging a Fee – and Other Developments on the Freedom of Information Front

August 3, 2017 Summary Despite the lazy, hazy days of summer, there are four important developments on our efforts to get the Wynne Government to keep its promise to be the most open and transparent government in Canada. First, last week’s Information and Privacy Commission decision in the case of AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky … Continue reading New Democratic Party and Progressive Conservative Party Call on the Wynne Government to Make Public All Information that AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Requested in His June 4, 2015 Freedom of Information Application, on the Disabilities Act’s Implementation and Enforcement Without Charging a Fee – and Other Developments on the Freedom of Information Front

Tell the Ontario Government if You Support the AODA Alliance’s and ARCH Disability Law Centre’s Brief to the Ontario Government on Reforms to Make Transportation Accessible to People with Disabilities

August 2, 2017 Summary On July 31, 2017, the AODA Alliance and ARCH Disability Law Centre submitted our finalized joint brief to the Transportation Standards Development committee. In it we offer detailed recommendations on how the Government should strengthen the Transportation Accessibility Standard which the Ontario Government enacted in 2011 under the Accessibility for Ontarians … Continue reading Tell the Ontario Government if You Support the AODA Alliance’s and ARCH Disability Law Centre’s Brief to the Ontario Government on Reforms to Make Transportation Accessible to People with Disabilities

Information and Privacy Commission Orders the Wynne Government to Reveal Its Plans for Enforcing Ontario’s Accessibility Law, and Finds the Government Tried to Charge the AODA Alliance, an Unfunded Disability Coalition, over Five Times the Fee It Could Justify – Disability Coalition Presses the Government to Make “Freedom of Information” Free

August 1, 2017 Summary August 1, 2017 Toronto: On July 28, 2017, David Lepofsky, The chair of Ontario’s widely-recognized non-partisan AODA Alliance and a visiting professor at the Osgoode Hall Law School, won key parts of his appeal to Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commission, against the Wynne Government’s refusal to waive a hefty $4,250 fee … Continue reading Information and Privacy Commission Orders the Wynne Government to Reveal Its Plans for Enforcing Ontario’s Accessibility Law, and Finds the Government Tried to Charge the AODA Alliance, an Unfunded Disability Coalition, over Five Times the Fee It Could Justify – Disability Coalition Presses the Government to Make “Freedom of Information” Free

Help Us Make Transportation Services in Ontario Accessible to Passengers with Disabilities — By July 27, 2017 Please Send Us Feedback on the draft Brief by the AODA Alliance and ARCH Disability Law Centre on the Transportation Standards Development committee’s Draft Recommendations for Improving the 2011 Transportation Accessibility Standard

July 21, 2017 Summary We very much want and welcome your feedback on how to make transportation services in Ontario fully accessible to passengers with disabilities! Email us at aodafeedback@gmail.com by the end of Thursday, July 27, 2017. In 2011, the Ontario Government enacted the Transportation Accessibility Standard. It sets accessibility requirements for transportation services in Ontario. … Continue reading Help Us Make Transportation Services in Ontario Accessible to Passengers with Disabilities — By July 27, 2017 Please Send Us Feedback on the draft Brief by the AODA Alliance and ARCH Disability Law Centre on the Transportation Standards Development committee’s Draft Recommendations for Improving the 2011 Transportation Accessibility Standard

Wynne Government Extends to July 31, 2017 the Deadline for Answering the Government’s Education Barriers Survey and for Giving Feedback on Draft Reforms to Ontario’s Transportation Accessibility Standard – and – Wynne Government Responds to AODA Alliance Letter But Doesn’t Answer Our Concerns With the Government’s Consultation on Education Accessibility Barriers

July 17, 2017 Summary Here are five quick newsworthy items from the front lines of our accessibility campaign in Ontario: 1. Wynne Government Extends Deadline to Complete the Government’s Education Accessibility Barriers Survey   At our request, the Wynne Government has extended the deadline for completing the Government’s online survey of disability accessibility barriers in … Continue reading Wynne Government Extends to July 31, 2017 the Deadline for Answering the Government’s Education Barriers Survey and for Giving Feedback on Draft Reforms to Ontario’s Transportation Accessibility Standard – and – Wynne Government Responds to AODA Alliance Letter But Doesn’t Answer Our Concerns With the Government’s Consultation on Education Accessibility Barriers

Before Week’s End, Please Fill Out the Wynne Government’s Online Survey on Disability Barriers in Ontario’s Education system and Endorse the AODA Alliance’s Answers to This Survey, Which We Make Public Today

July 11, 2017 Summary Please email the Wynne Government by the end of Friday July 14, 2017 to say you support the AODA Alliance’s answers to the Government’s survey on the disability accessibility barriers that over a third of a million students with disabilities face in Ontario’s education system. You might just say: “I support … Continue reading Before Week’s End, Please Fill Out the Wynne Government’s Online Survey on Disability Barriers in Ontario’s Education system and Endorse the AODA Alliance’s Answers to This Survey, Which We Make Public Today

AODA Alliance Asks the Wynne Government for Updated Specific Information on What It Is Doing to Keep Its Promise to Effectively Enforce the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

June 26, 2017 Summary Two weeks ago, on June 12, 2017, the AODA Alliance wrote Ontario’s Accessibility Minister, Tracy MacCharles. We asked for specific updated data and information on the Government’s efforts at enforcing the AODA. The Ontario Government has promised to effectively enforce this law. We set our June 12, 2017 letter out below. It is … Continue reading AODA Alliance Asks the Wynne Government for Updated Specific Information on What It Is Doing to Keep Its Promise to Effectively Enforce the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

After Almost Three Months, The Wynne Government Answers the AODA Alliance’s Request for An Update on Government Plans on Implementing and Enforcing the AODA, but Several of Our Important Questions Remain Unanswered

June 23, 2017 Summary Back on March 16, 2017, the AODA Alliance wrote Ontario’s Accessibility Minister Tracy MacCharles, to ask what the Government has recently done, and what it plans to do over the next year, to implement and enforce the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Eighty-three days after we wrote, the Minister responded. The Government’s … Continue reading After Almost Three Months, The Wynne Government Answers the AODA Alliance’s Request for An Update on Government Plans on Implementing and Enforcing the AODA, but Several of Our Important Questions Remain Unanswered

The Wynne Government’s Current Online Survey of Disability Barriers in Ontario’s Education system Leaves out Many if not the Majority of Barriers Impeding Students with Disabilities in Ontario’s Education System – The AODA Alliance Offers Ways to Fix That Survey

June 21, 2017 Summary On June 21, 2017, the AODA Alliance wrote Ontario’s Minister of Accessibility Tracy MacCharles, Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter, and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development Deb Matthews. In that letter, set out below, we identify problems with the Government’s online survey about disability accessibility barriers in Ontario’s education system. … Continue reading The Wynne Government’s Current Online Survey of Disability Barriers in Ontario’s Education system Leaves out Many if not the Majority of Barriers Impeding Students with Disabilities in Ontario’s Education System – The AODA Alliance Offers Ways to Fix That Survey

We Invite Schools, Colleges, Universities, Early Learning Programs and Job Training Programs in Ontario to Use These Tips for Holding a Public Event to Gather Feedback from Your Organization and the Public on Disability Accessibility Barriers in Our Education System

June 19, 2017 Summary It is commendable that the Government is encouraging schools, colleges and universities to convene public community events to gather information on the accessibility barriers that students with disabilities face in Ontario’s education system. Recent AODA Alliance Updates explained that the Ontario Government is asking the public to tell it about the … Continue reading We Invite Schools, Colleges, Universities, Early Learning Programs and Job Training Programs in Ontario to Use These Tips for Holding a Public Event to Gather Feedback from Your Organization and the Public on Disability Accessibility Barriers in Our Education System

Before July 14, 2017 Please Fill Out the Ontario Government’s Survey of Disability Accessibility Barriers that Hurt Students with Disabilities in Ontario’s Education System – Here Are Great Tips to Help You

June 16, 2017 Summary We strongly encourage you to fill out the Wynne Government’s online survey on accessibility barriers facing students with disabilities in Ontario’s education system, by the July 14, 2017 deadline. Please fill it out whether you are now or have ever been a student with a disability in Ontario, a parent or … Continue reading Before July 14, 2017 Please Fill Out the Ontario Government’s Survey of Disability Accessibility Barriers that Hurt Students with Disabilities in Ontario’s Education System – Here Are Great Tips to Help You

The Wynne Government Posts Details for Applying to Serve on the Education Standards Development Committee – Applications Must Be Submitted by July 31, 2017

June 14, 2017 Summary On June 12, 2017, the Wynne Government at last circulated more specific information on how to apply to serve on the forthcoming Education Standards Development Committee. That Committee will make recommendations on what the Wynne Government should include in the promised Education Accessibility Standard. The Education Accessibility Standard is needed to … Continue reading The Wynne Government Posts Details for Applying to Serve on the Education Standards Development Committee – Applications Must Be Submitted by July 31, 2017

The Federal Government Releases Report of Its Public Consultation on What the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act Should Include – Lots of Good Content But Some Areas Where The Federal Report Falls Short

June 13, 2017 Summary On May 29, 2017, the Federal Government released a detailed 63-page report on what its promised Canadians with Disabilities Act should include, according to the feedback the Federal Government received during its public consultation. It held public forums and roundtables across Canada, and an online survey, from the 2016 summer through … Continue reading The Federal Government Releases Report of Its Public Consultation on What the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act Should Include – Lots of Good Content But Some Areas Where The Federal Report Falls Short

The Media Reports on AODA Alliance Concerns About the Wynne Government’s Disability Employment Strategy – and – More Reflections on that Disability Employment Strategy

June 6, 2017 Summary We are delighted that the AODA Alliance’s appraisal of the Wynne Government’s June 5, 2017 announcement of its “Disability Employment Strategy” quickly secured great media attention. This included: * leading in June 6, 2017’s Toronto Star report on this issue, set out below. * also appearing in the Globe and Mail’s … Continue reading The Media Reports on AODA Alliance Concerns About the Wynne Government’s Disability Employment Strategy – and – More Reflections on that Disability Employment Strategy

Today’s Wynne Government Disability Employment Strategy Offers Too Little Immediate Concrete Action and More Delays for Unemployed Ontarians with Disabilities, After More Than Four Years Since the Government Promised Action

June 5, 2017 Summary June 5, 2017 Toronto: The Wynne Government’s Disability Employment Strategy, unveiled this afternoon, will do little for months, if not  years, to combat high levels of unemployment facing Ontarians with disabilities. In 2015, David Onley (Ontario’s former Lieutenant Governor and now the Wynne Government’s Special Advisor on Accessibility) declared that the unemployment … Continue reading Today’s Wynne Government Disability Employment Strategy Offers Too Little Immediate Concrete Action and More Delays for Unemployed Ontarians with Disabilities, After More Than Four Years Since the Government Promised Action

Wynne Government to Unveil Its Promised New Strategy to Tackle High Unemployment Facing Ontarians with Disabilities on June 5, 2017 (A Strategy On Which the AODA Alliance Was Not Consulted) – AODA Alliance Releases a Backgrounder Documenting Four and One-Third Years of Government Foot-Dragging

June 2, 2017 Summary The unemployment rate facing people with disabilities is not only a national crisis – it is a national shame, according to David Onley, Ontario’s former Lieutenant Governor and now the Wynne Government’s special advisor on accessibility. What will the Wynne Government do about this? On Monday, June 5, 2017, at 1 … Continue reading Wynne Government to Unveil Its Promised New Strategy to Tackle High Unemployment Facing Ontarians with Disabilities on June 5, 2017 (A Strategy On Which the AODA Alliance Was Not Consulted) – AODA Alliance Releases a Backgrounder Documenting Four and One-Third Years of Government Foot-Dragging

An Interim Victory for Our Grassroots Campaign – Wynne Government at Last Invites Applications to Serve on the Education Standards Development Committee

May 29, 2017 Summary Let’s celebrate victories, even interim ones!  We have just won one. On Thursday, May 25, 2017, after we waged a 171-day campaign, the Wynne Government has finally started the delayed process of recruiting people to serve on the promised Education Standards Development Committee, to be appointed under the Accessibility for Ontarians … Continue reading An Interim Victory for Our Grassroots Campaign – Wynne Government at Last Invites Applications to Serve on the Education Standards Development Committee

Raise Disability Accessibility Issues in the June 1, 2017 Sault Ste. Marie Ontario By-election

May 4, 2017 Summary On May 3, 2017, the Ontario Government called an Ontario by-election for June 1, 2017 in the Sault Ste. Marie riding. We urge anyone in or near that riding to raise disability accessibility issues with the candidates. Press them to make accessibility pledges. This by-election comes just one year before the … Continue reading Raise Disability Accessibility Issues in the June 1, 2017 Sault Ste. Marie Ontario By-election

Nova Scotia Is the Third Canadian Provinse to Pass an Accessibility Law – When Will Ontario Live Up to Its Own Accessibility Law’s Potential?

April 28, 2017 Summary On Thursday, April 27, 2017, the Nova Scotia Legislature passed a new accessibility law, the Accessibility Act, following the lead of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Nova Scotia becomes the third Canadian province to enact a comprehensive accessibility law. The Nova Scotia law has the goal of Nova Scotia … Continue reading Nova Scotia Is the Third Canadian Provinse to Pass an Accessibility Law – When Will Ontario Live Up to Its Own Accessibility Law’s Potential?

The Ontario Conservatives Ask the Wynne Government When It Will Appoint the Education Standards Development Committee, But the Wynne Government Doesn’t Give a Direct Answer — and — Come to the April 22, 2017 AODA Public Forum in Georgina Ontario

April 21, 2017 Summary 1. There Have Been 137 Days Since Premier Wynne Promised An Education Accessibility Standard, But Still No Answer On When the Wynne Government Will Post an Ad Inviting the Public To Apply To Serve on the Education Standards Development Committee Over a third of a million Ontario students with disabilities are … Continue reading The Ontario Conservatives Ask the Wynne Government When It Will Appoint the Education Standards Development Committee, But the Wynne Government Doesn’t Give a Direct Answer — and — Come to the April 22, 2017 AODA Public Forum in Georgina Ontario

There Have Been 127 Days Since Premier Wynne Promised to Create an Education Accessibility Standard, But the Wynne Government Hasn’t Yet Posted an Ad Inviting People to Apply to Serve on the Education Standards Development Committee – and – Encourage All Teachers, Principals and School Board Officials to Watch a New Video on Ensuring that Students with Disabilities Are Able to Thrive in Fully Accessible, Inclusive Classrooms

April 11, 2017 Summary We are very concerned about the Wynne Government’s ongoing delays in getting started on developing an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. An excessive 127 days have passed since Premier Wynne promised to develop an Education Accessibility Standard to tear down the accessibility barriers impeding students … Continue reading There Have Been 127 Days Since Premier Wynne Promised to Create an Education Accessibility Standard, But the Wynne Government Hasn’t Yet Posted an Ad Inviting People to Apply to Serve on the Education Standards Development Committee – and – Encourage All Teachers, Principals and School Board Officials to Watch a New Video on Ensuring that Students with Disabilities Are Able to Thrive in Fully Accessible, Inclusive Classrooms

AODA Alliance sends the Wynne Government Detailed Recommendations to Make Sure that the major Renovation to the Government’s Hub in Toronto, the Macdonald Block, Is Fully Accessible to People with Disabilities

April 7, 2017 Summary The Wynne Government is planning a major renovation to the Macdonald Block, the major complex in the heart of downtown Toronto that houses the headquarters of a number of key Government ministries and offices. The Government recently reached out to the AODA Alliance for input on what it should do to … Continue reading AODA Alliance sends the Wynne Government Detailed Recommendations to Make Sure that the major Renovation to the Government’s Hub in Toronto, the Macdonald Block, Is Fully Accessible to People with Disabilities

With Only One Year Until the 2018 Ontario Election Campaign, the AODA Alliance Asks Accessibility Minister Tracy MacCharles for a Detailed Update on What the Ontario Government is Doing and Plans to Do to Ensure Ontario Reaches Full Accessibility for 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities by 2025

March 16, 2017 Summary The AODA Alliance has just written the Wynne Government’s lead minister responsible for leading Ontario to full accessibility by 2025, Accessibility Minister Tracy MacCharles. We ask for a detailed update on what the Government has been doing, and what it plans to do, to ensure that Ontario reaches full accessibility by … Continue reading With Only One Year Until the 2018 Ontario Election Campaign, the AODA Alliance Asks Accessibility Minister Tracy MacCharles for a Detailed Update on What the Ontario Government is Doing and Plans to Do to Ensure Ontario Reaches Full Accessibility for 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities by 2025

Yet More Great Accessibility Town Hall and Public Forum Events Coming Up Around Ontario — and — More New Quick and Important Ways to Give Your Feedback and Input on Disability Accessibility Barriers You Face

February 17, 2017 Summary Here’s a punchy and heaping grab-bag of news from the front lines of our non-partisan campaign for full accessibility in Ontario. This all shows that the accessibility movement is strong and continually growing. Here are announcements of: * the February 26, 2017 Toronto Town Hall on federal accessibility legislation. * The … Continue reading Yet More Great Accessibility Town Hall and Public Forum Events Coming Up Around Ontario — and — More New Quick and Important Ways to Give Your Feedback and Input on Disability Accessibility Barriers You Face

Federal Accessibility Minister Carla Qualtrough Gives Toronto Star Another Glimpse into Her Thinking on the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act — and — AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Presents to the Final Federal Public Consultation Forum on the Canadians with Disabilities Act

February 10, 2017 Summary The February 10, 2017 Toronto Star includes a report, set out below, that offers a further glimpse into Federal Accessibility Minister Carla Qualtrough’s thinking on what the promised Canadians with Disabilities Act should include. Minister Qualtrough made these important points in an interview with the Toronto Star, on behalf of the … Continue reading Federal Accessibility Minister Carla Qualtrough Gives Toronto Star Another Glimpse into Her Thinking on the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act — and — AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Presents to the Final Federal Public Consultation Forum on the Canadians with Disabilities Act

On the Eve of Toronto Public Consultations, Canada’s Disabilities Minister Carla Qualtrough Offers a Glimpse Into What the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act May Include

February 6, 2017 Summary The February 5, 2017 Global News reports on an interview that the Canadian Press conducted with Canada’s Disabilities Minister Carla Qualtrough. It offers a glimpse into the Federal Government’s thinking on what the promised Canadians with Disabilities Act should include. (See the article, below) Minister Qualtrough is leading the Federal Government’s … Continue reading On the Eve of Toronto Public Consultations, Canada’s Disabilities Minister Carla Qualtrough Offers a Glimpse Into What the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act May Include

Join Us as the AODA Alliance Comes to Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge Next Week – and – come to the Federal Government’s February 8, 2017 Public Consultations in Toronto on the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act, Where the AODA Alliance Will Be One of Many Presenters

February 3, 2017 Summary It’s time to hop back on board the AODA Alliance Express as we make our way around Ontario, helping non-partisan grass roots advocacy efforts in support of accessibility for people with disabilities. On Tuesday, February 7, 2017 Wilfred Laurier University is hosting a public forum on accessibility at 10 AM to … Continue reading Join Us as the AODA Alliance Comes to Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge Next Week – and – come to the Federal Government’s February 8, 2017 Public Consultations in Toronto on the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act, Where the AODA Alliance Will Be One of Many Presenters

On January 31, 2017, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commission Heard David Lepofsky’s Freedom of Information Appeal Regarding Implementation and Enforcement of Ontario’s Disabilities Act, and Reserved Its Decision

February 2, 2017 Summary On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky spent a day before Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commission. He argued his Freedom of Information appeal against the Wynne Government. This appeal garnered media coverage in the Toronto Star (see below. As well, a story ran in French on CBC Radio Canada. … Continue reading On January 31, 2017, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commission Heard David Lepofsky’s Freedom of Information Appeal Regarding Implementation and Enforcement of Ontario’s Disabilities Act, and Reserved Its Decision

Check out the Arguments the Information and Privacy Commission Will Hear Tomorrow in AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky’s Freedom of Information Appeal Against the Wynne Government

January 30, 2017 Summary Tomorrow at 10 a.m., AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky will personally argue his Freedom of Information appeal against the Wynne Government. He is appealing the Ontario Government’s refusal to waive the $4,250 fee the Wynne Government is charging to fully answer his June 4, 2015 Freedom of Information application. He seeks … Continue reading Check out the Arguments the Information and Privacy Commission Will Hear Tomorrow in AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky’s Freedom of Information Appeal Against the Wynne Government

January 31,2017 Reply Affidavit by AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Filed with the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission

January 31, 2017 INFORMATION AND PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OF ONTARIO IN THE MATTER of Appeal Number PA 16-156 under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act REPLY AFFIDAVIT OF DAVID LEPOFSKY I, David Lepofsky, CM, O. Ont., LL.B. (Osgoode Hall), LL.M. (Harvard), LL.D. (Hon. Queen’s University, University of Western Ontario, and the Law Society … Continue reading January 31,2017 Reply Affidavit by AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky Filed with the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission

AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky’s January 30, 2017 Reply memorandum of argument Filed with the Information and Privacy Commission

January 30, 2017 INFORMATION AND PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OF ONTARIO In the Matter of an Application under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31 dated June 4, 2015, directed to the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, for the Disclosure of Records Regarding the Implementation and Enforcement of the … Continue reading AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky’s January 30, 2017 Reply memorandum of argument Filed with the Information and Privacy Commission

January 24, 2017 Affidavit that the Wynne Government Filed against AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky with Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commission

January 24, 2017 INFORMATION AND PRIVACY COMMISSIONER of ONTARIO  IN THE MATTER of Appeal Number PA 16-156 under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act AFFIDAVIT OF JENNIFER BROWN  This affidavit was created as a result of an oral inquiry pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Accordingly the use … Continue reading January 24, 2017 Affidavit that the Wynne Government Filed against AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky with Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commission

January 24, 2017 memorandum of argument Filed with the Information and Privacy Commission Against AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky

January 24, 2017 Wynne Government’s INFORMATION AND PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OF ONTARIO In the Matter of an Application under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.31 Dated June 4, 2015, Directed to the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, for the Disclosure of Records Regarding the Implementation and Enforcement … Continue reading January 24, 2017 memorandum of argument Filed with the Information and Privacy Commission Against AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky

AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky to Battle the Wynne Government at a January 31 Information and Privacy Commission Public Hearing, As He Tries to Unearth Government Records on Its Implementation and Enforcement of Ontario’s Disabilities Act –Watch David Lepofsky Appeal to the Information and Privacy Commission to Force the Government to Disclose Records, Without Demanding that this Unfunded Coalition Pay a Hefty $4,250 Fee

January 23, 2017 SUMMARY On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, at 10 AM, come to the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission’s downtown Toronto offices at 2 Bloor St. East Suite 1400. Watch AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky, a visiting professor at the Osgoode Hall Law School, argue his Freedom of Information appeal against the Wynne Government’s … Continue reading AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky to Battle the Wynne Government at a January 31 Information and Privacy Commission Public Hearing, As He Tries to Unearth Government Records on Its Implementation and Enforcement of Ontario’s Disabilities Act –Watch David Lepofsky Appeal to the Information and Privacy Commission to Force the Government to Disclose Records, Without Demanding that this Unfunded Coalition Pay a Hefty $4,250 Fee

AODA Alliance Writes Tracy MacCharles to Propose Action Priorities for Her as Both Accessibility Minister and Minister of Government and Consumer Services

January 16, 2017 SUMMARY Now that Premier Wynne has assigned Tracy MacCharles to serve as both Ontario’s Accessibility Minister and Minister of Government and Consumer Services, the AODA Alliance has written Minister MacCharles to provide a thorough list of priorities for action on accessibility in each portfolio. We set out that letter below. This new … Continue reading AODA Alliance Writes Tracy MacCharles to Propose Action Priorities for Her as Both Accessibility Minister and Minister of Government and Consumer Services

Yesterday’s Ontario’s Cabinet Shuffle Is a Step Backwards for 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities

January 13, 2017 SUMMARY We unfortunately start this new year with a Cabinet shuffle that for people with disabilities, is a case of one step forward and then seven months later, one step backward. Yesterday’s Cabinet shuffle significantly unravelled the gains we applauded last June. For years, we pressed the Ontario Government to appoint a … Continue reading Yesterday’s Ontario’s Cabinet Shuffle Is a Step Backwards for 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities

Media Reports on Our Getting the Wynne Government to Agree to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard – Federal Government to Consult on Adopting the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Ontario Public Service Restructures Who Leads Its Own AODA Compliance

December 8, 2016 SUMMARY This is our last AODA Alliance Update for 2016. Enjoy the peace and quiet as we take an email and social media break until the new year. We wind up 2016 with good news, highlighted below: * The Toronto Star reported on our important success earlier this week, when the Wynne … Continue reading Media Reports on Our Getting the Wynne Government to Agree to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard – Federal Government to Consult on Adopting the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Ontario Public Service Restructures Who Leads Its Own AODA Compliance

Breaking News –Premier Wynne has Just Announced in the Legislature that the Ontario Government Agrees to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

December 5, 2016 SUMMARY This news is hot off the presses! In Question Period today, Progressive Conservative MPP Bill Walker asked Premier Wynne to agree to develop an Education Accessibility Standard to tear down the accessibility barriers impeding hundreds of thousands of students with disabilities  in Ontario schools, colleges and universities. Premier Wynne said yes. … Continue reading Breaking News –Premier Wynne has Just Announced in the Legislature that the Ontario Government Agrees to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

22 Major Disability Organizations Send Premier Wynne an Open Letter Calling for the Wynne Government to Agree to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard under Ontario’s Disabilities Act – Check out the Open Letter and AODA Alliance News Release and a Toronto Star Article on This

December 5, 2016 SUMMARY Today, 22 major disability organizations, including the AODA Alliance, sent Premier Kathleen Wynne a compelling open letter that calls on her Government to agree to develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. As well, the AODA Alliance today issued a news release, to publicize this … Continue reading 22 Major Disability Organizations Send Premier Wynne an Open Letter Calling for the Wynne Government to Agree to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard under Ontario’s Disabilities Act – Check out the Open Letter and AODA Alliance News Release and a Toronto Star Article on This

On this International Day for People with Disabilities, We Look Back at Kathleen Wynne’s Written Promises to 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities, Made Four years Ago Today, on What She’d Do on Disability Accessibility if She Became Ontario’s Premier

December 3, 2016 SUMMARY Let’s look back at a very important letter that Kathleen Wynne wrote to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance four years ago today, on December 3, 2012. December 3 is the day which the United Nations declares as the International Day for People with Disabilities. To set the stage, … Continue reading On this International Day for People with Disabilities, We Look Back at Kathleen Wynne’s Written Promises to 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities, Made Four years Ago Today, on What She’d Do on Disability Accessibility if She Became Ontario’s Premier

Excellent Toronto Star Article Reports on the AODA Alliance’s Captioned Video about Accessibility Problems at the New Centennial College Culinary Arts Centre

December 2, 2016 SUMMARY An excellent article in the Toronto Star on December 2, 2016, set out below, reports on the AODA Alliance’s video which depicts a number of accessibility problems in the brand-new Centennial College Culinary Arts Centre. The article lets far more members of the public know about this incident, and about our … Continue reading Excellent Toronto Star Article Reports on the AODA Alliance’s Captioned Video about Accessibility Problems at the New Centennial College Culinary Arts Centre

Ontario and Federal Governments Announce $44 Million for New Infrastructure at Centennial College But Announce No Strings To Ensure It’s Fully Disability-Accessible – Deeply Worrying After the AODA Alliance’s Online Video Shows Significant Accessibility Deficiencies at Centennial College’s Brand-New Culinary Arts Centre

December 1, 2016 SUMMARY 1. Will Troubling History on Accessibility Repeat itself? Here is yet more proof that the Ontario Government needs to agree to develop an Education Accessibility Standard. In a November 21, 2016 news release, which we set out below, the Ontario and Federal Governments jointly announce $44 million in new infrastructure spending … Continue reading Ontario and Federal Governments Announce $44 Million for New Infrastructure at Centennial College But Announce No Strings To Ensure It’s Fully Disability-Accessible – Deeply Worrying After the AODA Alliance’s Online Video Shows Significant Accessibility Deficiencies at Centennial College’s Brand-New Culinary Arts Centre

On the 22nd Anniversary of the Birth of Ontario’s Grassroots Accessibility Law Campaign, the AODA Alliance Releases a Striking Video that Shows Significant Accessibility Problems at the Brand New Centennial College Culinary Arts Centre

November 29, 2016 SUMMARY 1. A Video You Must Watch The AODA Alliance today makes public a striking 18-minute video, and a shorter 6 minute version. These shows significant accessibility barriers in a brand-new public building that was just built with public money, the new Culinary Arts Centre at Toronto’s Centennial College. This video depicts … Continue reading On the 22nd Anniversary of the Birth of Ontario’s Grassroots Accessibility Law Campaign, the AODA Alliance Releases a Striking Video that Shows Significant Accessibility Problems at the Brand New Centennial College Culinary Arts Centre

Spread the Word About the AODA Alliance’s New Discussion Paper on What an Education Accessibility Standard Can and Should Include

November 21, 2016 SUMMARY Here is a helpful new tool you can use in our 5-year long campaign to get the Ontario Government to agree to create an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Please check out and spread the word about our new Discussion Paper on What an Education … Continue reading Spread the Word About the AODA Alliance’s New Discussion Paper on What an Education Accessibility Standard Can and Should Include

Progressive Conservative Party and Green Party Candidates in the Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook November 17, 2016 By-elections Answer the AODA Alliance’s Accessibility Questionnaire

November 15, 2016 SUMMARY We have just received the responses to the AODA Alliance’s accessibility questionnaire from the Progressive Conservative Party’s and the Green Party’s candidates in the November 17, 2016 by-elections in the Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook ridings. We set these responses out below. We should note that we had not sought commitments … Continue reading Progressive Conservative Party and Green Party Candidates in the Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook November 17, 2016 By-elections Answer the AODA Alliance’s Accessibility Questionnaire

Ottawa Vanier Liberal Candidate in the November 17, 2016 By-election Nathalie Des Rosiers Answers the AODA Alliance’s Accessibility Questionnaire – Only the Conservative Candidates in the Ottawa and Niagara By-elections Have Not Answered

November 14, 2016 SUMMARY Earlier today, the AODA Alliance released the answers to the AODA Alliance’s accessibility questionnaire that it had received from any of the November 17, 2016 Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook by-election by our November 13, 2016 deadline. Since we made those public, the Liberal candidate in the Ottawa Vanier by-election, Nathalie … Continue reading Ottawa Vanier Liberal Candidate in the November 17, 2016 By-election Nathalie Des Rosiers Answers the AODA Alliance’s Accessibility Questionnaire – Only the Conservative Candidates in the Ottawa and Niagara By-elections Have Not Answered

Three of the Six Major Parties’ Candidates in the November 17 2016 Ottawa and Niagara By-Elections Answered the AODA Alliance’s Requests Seeking Accessibility Commitments – Neither of the Conservative Candidates nor the Ottawa Liberal Candidate Has Answered Our Letter

November 14, 2016 SUMMARY As we have done so often in the past, the non-partisan AODA Alliance has sought commitments on disability accessibility issues from the Liberal, Conservative and New Democratic candidates in the November 17, 2016 Ontario by-elections in the Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook ridings. We wrote the candidates on November 7, 2016, … Continue reading Three of the Six Major Parties’ Candidates in the November 17 2016 Ottawa and Niagara By-Elections Answered the AODA Alliance’s Requests Seeking Accessibility Commitments – Neither of the Conservative Candidates nor the Ottawa Liberal Candidate Has Answered Our Letter

Next Weekend’s Whitby Accessibility Public Forum is the First AODA Alliance Community Event Since the AODA Was Passed to Be Attended by Ontario’s Minister Responsible for Implementing Ontario’s Accessibility Law – The November 12, 2016 Whitby Accessibility Forum Comes on the Heels of Successful Grassroots Action on Disability Accessibility Around Ontario, in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland/ Labrador

November 10, 2016 SUMMARY Here are three late-breaking developments on the road to a barrier-free Canada for people with disabilities that leap to our attention this week. After these, we offer reminders of other important items on the accessibility agenda that can help you. 1. Come to this Saturday’s Durham Region AODA Accessibility Public Forum, … Continue reading Next Weekend’s Whitby Accessibility Public Forum is the First AODA Alliance Community Event Since the AODA Was Passed to Be Attended by Ontario’s Minister Responsible for Implementing Ontario’s Accessibility Law – The November 12, 2016 Whitby Accessibility Forum Comes on the Heels of Successful Grassroots Action on Disability Accessibility Around Ontario, in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland/ Labrador

A Report by the KPMG Consulting Firm Prepared for the Wynne Government Confirms that There Are Recurring Accessibility Barriers in Ontario’s Education System – That Is The Very Reason Why AODA Alliance Calls on the Wynne Government to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

November 9, 2016 SUMMARY Here’s yet another reason why the Wynne Government should agree to develop an Education Accessibility Standard to tear down the many accessibility barriers that still persist in Ontario’s education system. Last year, the Wynne Government hired the KPMG consulting firm to prepare a report on accessibility barriers in Ontario’s education system, … Continue reading A Report by the KPMG Consulting Firm Prepared for the Wynne Government Confirms that There Are Recurring Accessibility Barriers in Ontario’s Education System – That Is The Very Reason Why AODA Alliance Calls on the Wynne Government to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

AODA Alliance Offers a Preliminary Look at the Proposed New Accessibility Law that the Nova Scotia Government Tabled in the Nova Scotia Legislature Last Week – A Good Start But It Needs Substantial Strengthening

November 6, 2016 SUMMARY Last week, the Nova Scotia Government introduced a proposed new bill, to be called the Accessibility Act, into the Nova Scotia Legislature. We commend the Nova Scotia Government for doing so. This is especially timely, since the Federal Government is now busy consulting across Canada on the development of the promised … Continue reading AODA Alliance Offers a Preliminary Look at the Proposed New Accessibility Law that the Nova Scotia Government Tabled in the Nova Scotia Legislature Last Week – A Good Start But It Needs Substantial Strengthening

Ontario Conservatives Press Premier Wynne in the Ontario Legislature’s Question Period to Agree to the AODA Alliance’s Call for the Government to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard – Premier Wynne says Her Ministers of Accessibility and Education Are Discussing How to Move Forward on This

November 1, 2016 1. SUMMARY During Question Period in the Ontario Legislature yesterday, October 31, 2016, opposition Progressive Conservative MPP Bill Walker pressed Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne to agree to develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to ensure that Ontario’s education system becomes fully accessible to students with … Continue reading Ontario Conservatives Press Premier Wynne in the Ontario Legislature’s Question Period to Agree to the AODA Alliance’s Call for the Government to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard – Premier Wynne says Her Ministers of Accessibility and Education Are Discussing How to Move Forward on This

Action Kit for Raising Disability Accessibility Issues in the November 17, 2016 Ontario By-elections in Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook

October 31, 2016 1. SUMMARY The Ontario Government has called provincial by-elections for November 17, 2016 in the Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook ridings. These by-elections will replace former Liberal MPP Madeleine Meilleur (Ottawa Vanier), who was the minister responsible for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act from 2006 to 2011, and Tim Hudak, … Continue reading Action Kit for Raising Disability Accessibility Issues in the November 17, 2016 Ontario By-elections in Ottawa Vanier and Niagara West-Glanbrook

Today is the 18th Anniversary of a Pivotal Milestone on the Road to Strong Ontario Disability Accessibility Legislation that Resonates to this Day in Provincial and Federal Accessibility Campaigns

October 29, 2016 SUMMARY Today, October 29, 2016, is the 18th anniversary of an extremely important event in the decade-long battle, from 1994 to 2005, for the enactment of strong Ontario accessibility legislation, to achieve a barrier-free Ontario for persons with disabilities. What was accomplished by Ontario’s grassroots disability advocates back then continues to send … Continue reading Today is the 18th Anniversary of a Pivotal Milestone on the Road to Strong Ontario Disability Accessibility Legislation that Resonates to this Day in Provincial and Federal Accessibility Campaigns

Come to Upcoming Accessibility Forums in St. Johns Newfoundland (Nov4), Burlington Ontario (Nov. 6) and Whitby Ontario (Nov. 7) and Let the AODA Alliance Know of Any Accessibility Barriers You Face when Using Public Transportation in Ontario

October 19, 2016 SUMMARY 1. Come to Upcoming Accessibility Public Forums in St. John’s Newfoundland (November 4), Burlington (November 6), and Whitby (November 12) The grassroots AODA Express is continuing to blaze its tireless community-organizing trail across the land! Here is what is coming next. If you are in the neighbourhood, please plan to climb … Continue reading Come to Upcoming Accessibility Forums in St. Johns Newfoundland (Nov4), Burlington Ontario (Nov. 6) and Whitby Ontario (Nov. 7) and Let the AODA Alliance Know of Any Accessibility Barriers You Face when Using Public Transportation in Ontario

Please Use and Widely Circulate Two New Helpful Resources We Here Give You, Helpful for Anyone Taking Part in the Government of Canada’s Current Public Consultation on the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act – Our Short Leaflet and Our Longer, More Detailed Tip Sheet

September 23, 2016 The Federal Government is asking the public to give it input on what should be included in the promised Canadians with Disabilities Act, a new federal disability accessibility law. Are you thinking of taking part in that public consultation and giving the Government feedback? You can do so by attending one of the … Continue reading Please Use and Widely Circulate Two New Helpful Resources We Here Give You, Helpful for Anyone Taking Part in the Government of Canada’s Current Public Consultation on the Promised Canadians with Disabilities Act – Our Short Leaflet and Our Longer, More Detailed Tip Sheet

Over Two Short Days, Our Accessibility Issues Come Up Twice in Ontario’s Legislature and Also in the Toronto Star

September 15, 2016 SUMMARY We are very busy advocating on accessibility in Ontario on so many fronts at once, from pressing for an Education Accessibility Standard, to trying to get the AODA effectively enforced, to scanning the recent Throne Speech for accessibility issues, to advocating for more accessibility in our public transit systems in Ontario. … Continue reading Over Two Short Days, Our Accessibility Issues Come Up Twice in Ontario’s Legislature and Also in the Toronto Star

Attend the Toronto Transit Commission’s September 15, 2016 Annual Public Forum on Accessible Transit to Recount Accessibility Barriers You Face on TTC – Are Public Transit Authorities Across Ontario All Annually Holding These Mandatory Public Forums for Public Transit Riders with Disabilities?

September 13, 2016 SUMMARY Below is TTC’s web announcement of its 2016 Annual Public Forum on Accessible Transit. It will be held on the evening of September 15, 2016. We encourage anyone in the Toronto area to come to this event and raise accessibility problems you have experienced on the TTC. With the Federal and … Continue reading Attend the Toronto Transit Commission’s September 15, 2016 Annual Public Forum on Accessible Transit to Recount Accessibility Barriers You Face on TTC – Are Public Transit Authorities Across Ontario All Annually Holding These Mandatory Public Forums for Public Transit Riders with Disabilities?

Premier Wynne’s Throne Speech Offers 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Nothing new

September 12, 2016 Toronto: The Wynne Government’s new Throne Speech, read at Queen’s Park this afternoon, offers 1.8 million Ontarians with disabilities absolutely nothing new, as a point-by-point analysis, set out below, shows. “This Throne Speech is called “A Balanced Plan to Build Ontario Up for Everyone,” but nothing in it ensures that 1.8 million … Continue reading Premier Wynne’s Throne Speech Offers 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Nothing new

Will Premier Wynne’s Throne Speech Today Announce New Action to Tear Down the Many Barriers that 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Still Face in 2016?

September 12, 2016 Toronto: Over 1.8 million Ontarians with disabilities are waiting to see if Premier Wynne’s Throne Speech at Queen’s park today will announce new, decisive action to get Ontario back on schedule for becoming fully accessible to people with disabilities by 2025, under 8.5 years from now. Premier Wynne promised to ensure Ontario is on … Continue reading Will Premier Wynne’s Throne Speech Today Announce New Action to Tear Down the Many Barriers that 1.8 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Still Face in 2016?

Upcoming Accessibility Public Forums in Ottawa, London and Whitby – and – Let the Wynne Government Know by This Friday If You Support the AODA Alliance’s Brief on Health Care Accessibility Barriers

September 8, 2016 SUMMARY 1. Join Us at Upcoming AODA Accessibility Forums in Ottawa September 19, London September 30, and Whitby November 12 The AODA Alliance Express is making its way around Ontario to spread the word and promote more advocacy and action on accessibility across the province. Join us and let others know about … Continue reading Upcoming Accessibility Public Forums in Ottawa, London and Whitby – and – Let the Wynne Government Know by This Friday If You Support the AODA Alliance’s Brief on Health Care Accessibility Barriers

The September 2016 Newsletter

September 1, 2016 Table of contents 1. Recent Breaking Events in the Campaign for a Strong, Effectively Enforced Canadians with Disabilities Act 2. Some Reflections on These Recent Events 3. The Toronto Star August 28, 2016 article 4. Canadians with disabilities: By the numbers 5. Government of Canada’s August 23, 2016 Announcement of Public Consultation … Continue reading The September 2016 Newsletter

The Liberal Party’s Candidate in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River By-election Answers the AODA Alliance’s Accessibility Questionnaire, After We Made Public that the Liberals Were the Only Major Party Not to Answer Us

August 30, 2016 SUMMARY Our tenacity has paid off…again! We now have received answers from the candidates of all three major parties running in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River Ontario by-election. We set them all out below. In our August 20, 2016 letter to the candidates, we asked for responses to these questions by … Continue reading The Liberal Party’s Candidate in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River By-election Answers the AODA Alliance’s Accessibility Questionnaire, After We Made Public that the Liberals Were the Only Major Party Not to Answer Us

The Conservative Candidate in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River By-election Answered the AODA Alliance’s Questionnaire on Disability Accessibility Issues, After We Made Public that Only the NDP Candidate Had Responded –The Liberal Candidate Still Has Not Answered

August 29, 2016 SUMMARY Here is late-breaking news on the Ontario political front. Now the Ontario Liberal candidate is the only major party’s candidate competing for votes in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River Ontario by-election that has not answered the AODA Alliance’s request for commitments on disability accessibility. Yesterday we made public the fact … Continue reading The Conservative Candidate in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River By-election Answered the AODA Alliance’s Questionnaire on Disability Accessibility Issues, After We Made Public that Only the NDP Candidate Had Responded –The Liberal Candidate Still Has Not Answered

The New Democratic Party’s Candidate in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River By-election Answered the AODA Alliance’s Questionnaire on Disability Accessibility Issues – Neither the Liberal Nor Progressive Conservative Candidates Responded

August 28, 2016 SUMMARY On August 20, 2016, the AODA Alliance wrote the Liberal, NDP and Conservative candidates in the Scarborough-Rouge River September 1 by-election, to seek their commitments on disability accessibility. That letter is set out below. The AODA Alliance does not support or oppose any party or candidate. We have done this in … Continue reading The New Democratic Party’s Candidate in the September 1, 2016 Scarborough-Rouge River By-election Answered the AODA Alliance’s Questionnaire on Disability Accessibility Issues – Neither the Liberal Nor Progressive Conservative Candidates Responded

The September 2016 Newsletter

September 1, 2016 Table of contents 1. Recent Breaking Events in the Campaign for a Strong, Effectively Enforced Canadians with Disabilities Act 2. Some Reflections on These Recent Events 3. The Toronto Star August 28, 2016 article 4. Canadians with disabilities: By the numbers 5. Government of Canada’s August 23, 2016 Announcement of Public Consultation … Continue reading The September 2016 Newsletter

Tell the Wynne Government If You Support the AODA Alliance’s Finalized Brief on health Care Accessibility Barriers that We Submitted to the Government’s “Pre-Consultation”

August 26, 2016 SUMMARY The AODA Alliance has finalized its august 26, 2016 brief to the Wynne Government on accessibility barriers in Ontario’s health care system. We submitted it to the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario as part of its “Pre-Consultation.” We set out this 14-page brief below. It would be great if you could email … Continue reading Tell the Wynne Government If You Support the AODA Alliance’s Finalized Brief on health Care Accessibility Barriers that We Submitted to the Government’s “Pre-Consultation”

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario Calls On the Wynne Government to Agree to Create an Education Accessibility Standard Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

August 23, 2016 SUMMARY Yet another major voice has joined our call for the Wynne Government to agree to develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. On August 10, 2016, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario wrote Ontario’s new Accessibility Minister, Tracy MacCharles, to support our request … Continue reading The Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario Calls On the Wynne Government to Agree to Create an Education Accessibility Standard Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

August 2016 Newsletter

August 22, 2016 1. Download, Widely Circulate  and Use the Revised Discussion Paper on What the Canadians with Disabilities Act Could Include A new and improved Discussion Paper on what the promised Canadians with Disabilities Act could include, is now available for you to download and read. Written by Barrier-Free Canada co-chair David Lepofsky, this … Continue reading August 2016 Newsletter

Send Us Your Feedback on the AODA Alliance’s Draft Brief to the Wynne Government’s “Pre-Consultation” on Health Care Accessibility Barriers Facing Patients with Disabilities

August 18, 2016 SUMMARY We welcome your feedback on the AODA Alliance’s draft brief to the Wynne Government on its “Pre-Consultation” on accessibility barriers that patients with disabilities face in Ontario’s health care system. We set out our draft brief below. It is 13 pages long. We ask you to respond quickly. We need to … Continue reading Send Us Your Feedback on the AODA Alliance’s Draft Brief to the Wynne Government’s “Pre-Consultation” on Health Care Accessibility Barriers Facing Patients with Disabilities

The Toronto Star Gives Great Coverage to the ‘AODA Alliances “Picture Our Barriers” Social Media Campaign – Join In the Blitz

August 11, 2016 SUMMARY There is a great article in the August 10, 2016 Toronto Star, set out below, by reporter Jessica Botelho-Urbanski, on troubling barriers that still face people with disabilities in Ontario in 2016. It gives great profile to the AODA Alliance’s “Picture Our Barriers” campaign. In this campaign, people all over Ontario … Continue reading The Toronto Star Gives Great Coverage to the ‘AODA Alliances “Picture Our Barriers” Social Media Campaign – Join In the Blitz

Please Circulate the AODA Alliance’s News Release Responding to the Wynne Government’s Announcement on School Supports for Students with Disabilities

Even though Ontario is required by law to become fully accessible to all people with disabilities by 2025, less than eight and a half years from now, Ontario’s publicly-funded education system is still full of barriers that can impede 334,000 students with special education needs. The Wynne Government still has no plan in place to … Continue reading Please Circulate the AODA Alliance’s News Release Responding to the Wynne Government’s Announcement on School Supports for Students with Disabilities

Today’s Wynne Government Announcement on Education for Students with Disabilities Falls Miles Short – the Wynne Government Needs to Enact an Education Accessibility Standard to Tear Down the Many Barriers Facing 334,000 Students with Disabilities Throughout Ontario’s Publicly-Funded School System

August 8, 2016 Toronto: the Wynne Government’s announcement today on education for students with disabilities in Ontario, while welcomed by families who fought to keep open all Ontario provincial and demonstration schools,  falls miles short of what is needed by 334,000 students with special education needs, says the Ontario Disability coalition that campaigned for reforms in this … Continue reading Today’s Wynne Government Announcement on Education for Students with Disabilities Falls Miles Short – the Wynne Government Needs to Enact an Education Accessibility Standard to Tear Down the Many Barriers Facing 334,000 Students with Disabilities Throughout Ontario’s Publicly-Funded School System