Category: What’s New in Our Campaign

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE News Release – For Immediate Release   Saturday, May 10, 2025 is a Bittersweet Anniversary for 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Trying to Tear Down Accessibility Barriers   May 9, 2025 Toronto: Tomorrow will be a profoundly bittersweet day for 2.9 million Ontarians with disabilities. Twenty years ago … Continue reading Saturday, May 10, 2025 is a Bittersweet Anniversary for 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Trying to Tear Down Accessibility Barriers

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE Media Advisory For Immediate Release   Monday November 25, 2024, 9:30 a.m. Queen’s Park News Conference and 2 to 4 p.m. Community Public Hearings Will Mark 30th Anniversary of Grassroots Campaign to Make Ontario Accessible to 2.9 Million People with Disabilities   November 23, 2024 Toronto: Grassroots disability … Continue reading Monday November 25, 2024, 9:30 a.m. Queen’s Park News Conference and 2 to 4 p.m. Community Public Hearings Will Mark 30th Anniversary of Grassroots Campaign to Make Ontario Accessible to 2.9 Million People with Disabilities

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT HISTORICAL TIME LINE — 30 Years of Tenaciously Campaigning to Tear Down Barriers Impeding over 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities   1982 Ontario Legislature amends the Ontario Human Rights Code to make it illegal to discriminate because of physical or mental disability.   Charter of Rights enacted, including right … Continue reading ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT HISTORICAL TIME LINE — 30 Years of Tenaciously Campaigning to Tear Down Barriers Impeding over 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities Website: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance   Save the Date November 26 – and – Another Key Anniversary Today!   October 29, 2024   SUMMARY   Save the Date! Mark November 26 Afternoon on Your … Continue reading Save the Date November 26 – and – Another Key Anniversary Today!

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities Website: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance   A Half Decade Ago Today, Former Lieutenant Governor David Onley Delivered the Blistering Final Report of His Government-Appointed Independent Review of Ontario’s Disabilities Act – We’re Still Waiting … Continue reading A Half Decade Ago Today, Former Lieutenant Governor David Onley Delivered the Blistering Final Report of His Government-Appointed Independent Review of Ontario’s Disabilities Act – We’re Still Waiting for the Ford Government to Implement It

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance   Bonnie Crombie Wins Ontario Liberal Party Leadership – Here’s What She Promised She’d do to Make Ontario Become Accessible to 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities   December 2, 2023   … Continue reading Bonnie Crombie Wins Ontario Liberal Party Leadership – Here’s What She Promised She’d do to Make Ontario Become Accessible to 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance   Today Is the Grass Roots Non-Partisan Ontario Disability Accessibility Movement’s 29th Birthday!   November 29, 2023   SUMMARY   Twenty-nine years ago today, a group of some 20 people with … Continue reading Today Is the Grass Roots Non-Partisan Ontario Disability Accessibility Movement’s 29th Birthday!

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Yasir Naqvi’s Campaign Writes AODA Alliance to Make Commitments on Making Ontario Accessible to 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities – All Liberal Leadership Candidates or Their Campaigns Have Now Responded   November 24, 2023 Toronto: With members of the Ontario Liberal … Continue reading Yasir Naqvi’s Campaign Writes AODA Alliance to Make Commitments on Making Ontario Accessible to 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities – All Liberal Leadership Candidates or Their Campaigns Have Now Responded

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Ontario Liberal Leadership Campaign for Candidate Ted Hsu Responds to AODA Alliance Request for Election Commitments on Accessibility for 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities – Yasir Naqvi is the Only Leadership Candidate Who Has Not Responded by the Eve of the … Continue reading Ontario Liberal Leadership Campaign for Candidate Ted Hsu Responds to AODA Alliance Request for Election Commitments on Accessibility for 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities – Yasir Naqvi is the Only Leadership Candidate Who Has Not Responded by the Eve of the Liberal Party Vote that Starts Tomorrow

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   On Eve of the Ontario Liberal Party’s Big vote for Its Next Leader, Non-Partisan Disability Advocacy Coalition Makes Final Pitch to Yasir Naqvi and Ted Hsu to Make Commitments to tear Down Barriers Impeding 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities   November … Continue reading On Eve of the Ontario Liberal Party’s Big vote for Its Next Leader, Non-Partisan Disability Advocacy Coalition Makes Final Pitch to Yasir Naqvi and Ted Hsu to Make Commitments to tear Down Barriers Impeding 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities Website: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance     A Quarter of a Century Ago, the Ontario Legislature Spoke Unanimously About the Need for a Strong Ontario Disabilities Act – With That Anniversary Impending, the Current … Continue reading A Quarter of a Century Ago, the Ontario Legislature Spoke Unanimously About the Need for a Strong Ontario Disabilities Act – With That Anniversary Impending, the Current Ontario Government Keeps Dragging Its Feet

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Premier Ford Must Immediately Make Public the Final Report and Recommendations of Government-Appointed Independent Review of Ontario’s Disabilities Act, Disability Coalition Says   October 2, 2023, Toronto: A major non-partisan disability coalition today calls on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to now … Continue reading Premier Ford Must Immediately Make Public the Final Report and Recommendations of Government-Appointed Independent Review of Ontario’s Disabilities Act, Disability Coalition Says

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance   AODA Alliance Asks Candidates for Ontario Liberal Party Leadership for Commitments on Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities   September 28, 2023   SUMMARY   After a break of a few … Continue reading AODA Alliance Asks Candidates for Ontario Liberal Party Leadership for Commitments on Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities   Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance   In Ontario Legislature, NDP Presses Premier Ford to At Last Agree to Meet with AODA Alliance   March 23, 2023   SUMMARY   On March … Continue reading In Ontario Legislature, NDP Presses Premier Ford to At Last Agree to Meet with AODA Alliance

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Premier Ford and His Cabinet Have Failed 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities, According to Damning Report Prepared by a Person the Ford Government Picked to Assess Its Performance on tearing Down Disability Barriers   March 10, 2023 Toronto: The Ontario Government, … Continue reading Premier Ford and His Cabinet Have Failed 2.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities, According to Damning Report Prepared by a Person the Ford Government Picked to Assess Its Performance on tearing Down Disability Barriers

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/ In Memory of The Honourable David Onley, a Strong Voice for Tearing Down the Many Barriers Still Impeding People with Disabilities January 14, 2023 We are deeply saddened at … Continue reading In Memory of The Honourable David Onley, a Strong Voice for Tearing Down the Many Barriers Still Impeding People with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities   Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/   Sign Up to Give Feedback to the October 18 or November 8, 2022 Virtual Public Forums on the Implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act … Continue reading Sign Up to Give Feedback to the October 18 or November 8, 2022 Virtual Public Forums on the Implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to Be Held by the Fourth AODA Independent Review Conducted by Rich Donavon

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/   On the Eve of the International Day for People with Disabilities, the Ford Government Publicly Admits in the Legislature It Needs to Do a Lot More to Lead … Continue reading On the Eve of the International Day for People with Disabilities, the Ford Government Publicly Admits in the Legislature It Needs to Do a Lot More to Lead Ontario to Become Accessible to People with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/     1,000 Days After Receiving The Onley Report’s Call for Major New Actions to Make Ontario Accessible to People with Disabilities, the Ford Government Responds to Questions in … Continue reading 1,000 Days After Receiving The Onley Report’s Call for Major New Actions to Make Ontario Accessible to People with Disabilities, the Ford Government Responds to Questions in the Legislature with Non-Answers and Evasions

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/   A Disability Perspective on the Enduring Legacy of the Late Premier Bill Davis   August 9, 2021   Ontario collectively mourns the death yesterday of former Ontario Premier … Continue reading A Disability Perspective on the Enduring Legacy of the Late Premier Bill Davis

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/ Taking a Few Moments to Reflect Back Today on Some Important Milestones in the Campaign for Accessibility for People with Disabilities October 29, 2020           SUMMARY While the COVID-19 … Continue reading Taking a Few Moments to Reflect Back Today on Some Important Milestones in the Campaign for Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities Web: www.aodaalliance.org Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance Facebook: www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/   Michael Coteau is First Ontario Liberal Leadership Candidate to Write Us with All the Detailed Commitments on Accessibility We Seek – Brenda Hollingsworth Said She’ll Do the Same … Continue reading Michael Coteau is First Ontario Liberal Leadership Candidate to Write Us with All the Detailed Commitments on Accessibility We Seek – Brenda Hollingsworth Said She’ll Do the Same – And Still Waiting for the Other Four Candidates to Do So

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance     Come to A Birthday Party On December 3, 2019 (the International Day for People with Disabilities) at Queen’s Park to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Birth of the Non-Partisan Grassroots … Continue reading Come to A Birthday Party On December 3, 2019 (the International Day for People with Disabilities) at Queen’s Park to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Birth of the Non-Partisan Grassroots Movement for Accessibility Legislation in Ontario!

Click here to download the British Columbia Government’s September 16, 2019 Framework for New Provincial Accessibility Legislation

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance   The Accessible Canada Act Comes into Force Today – Download and Read the Legislation in English or French   July 11, 2019             SUMMARY   Today, the Federal Government proclaimed the … Continue reading The Accessible Canada Act Comes into Force Today – Download and Read the Legislation in English or French

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org  aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance     Please Support the AODA Alliance’s Finalized Brief to the David Onley Independent Review of the AODA’s Implementation and Enforcement   January 18, 2019             SUMMARY   We wish one and … Continue reading Please Support the AODA Alliance’s Finalized Brief to the David Onley Independent Review of the AODA’s Implementation and Enforcement

Click here to download in an accessible MS Word format the November 23, 2018 draft AODA Alliance brief to the David Onley Independent Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance     The David Onley AODA Independent Review Schedules Two More Public Hearings, in Toronto and London, With Insufficient Publicity and No Outreach to the AODA Alliance to Help Publicize Them   September … Continue reading The David Onley AODA Independent Review Schedules Two More Public Hearings, in Toronto and London, With Insufficient Publicity and No Outreach to the AODA Alliance to Help Publicize Them

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance     David Onley Schedules Public Hearings of the Third Independent Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Without Notifying the AODA Alliance – Dates Coming Up Fast   August 24, … Continue reading David Onley Schedules Public Hearings of the Third Independent Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Without Notifying the AODA Alliance – Dates Coming Up Fast

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance   Send Us Your Feedback About the Draft Recommendations to Revise the 2011 Ontario Employment Accessibility Standard that the Employment Standards Development Committee Has Circulated for Public Comment   April 4, 2018   … Continue reading Send Us Your Feedback About the Draft Recommendations to Revise the 2011 Ontario Employment Accessibility Standard that the Employment Standards Development Committee Has Circulated for Public Comment

ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ALLIANCE NEWS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   A Disability Accessibility Perspective on the March 28, 2018 Pre-Election Ontario Budget – Many Missed Opportunities to Ensure 1.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Equally Share in New and Expanded Programs the Wynne Government’s Budget Announces   March 28, 2018 Toronto: What … Continue reading News Release: A Disability Accessibility Perspective on the March 28, 2018 Pre-Election Ontario Budget – Many Missed Opportunities to Ensure 1.9 Million Ontarians with Disabilities Equally Share in New and Expanded Programs the Wynne Government’s Budget Announces

November 29, 2017 A Great New Resource at Your Fingertips Today the AODA Alliance is delighted to unveil Part 2 of its series of online videos. These tell the story of the campaign for accessibility in Ontario. It was 23 years ago today, on November 29, 1994, that a group of about 20 disability advocates … Continue reading The AODA Alliance Launches Part 2 of Its Series of Online Videos on the Campaign for Accessibility, to Mark the 23rd Anniversary of Ontario’s Grassroots Campaign for Disability Accessibility

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

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

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

http://www.www.aodaalliance.org/strong-effective-aoda/08212017-cbc-radio-CDA-conference.mp3

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

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

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?

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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?

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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”

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

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

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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