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
Email and Tweet Federal Election Candidates! Press Them to Make the Accessible Canada Pledge
April 13, 2025
SUMMARY
The AODA Alliance has posted online a list of all the 2025 federal election candidates across Canada we can find, with email addresses and Twitter handles (when available). Please email and/or tweet as many as you can. Urge them to make the Accessible Canada Pledge, and urge their party leader to do the same. This Update gives you everything you need.
There’s no need to reach out to Green Party candidates. The Green Party has already made the Accessible Canada Pledge. It is the only party to do so up to now. We’ll announce if and when we hear from any other parties.
The Accessible Canada Pledge would ensure that the sluggish implementation and enforcement of the Accessible Canada Act becomes swift, strong and effective, that air passengers with disabilities stop suffering horrific mistreatment by Canadian airlines, and that the Canada Disabilities Benefit Act at last fulfils its purpose of lifting people with disabilities out of poverty.
The AODA Alliance sent the three-plank Accessible Canada Pledge to the federal party leaders on March 20, 2025. Over two dozen major disability organizations co-signed an open letter that calls on federal party leaders to make the Accessible Canada Pledge to meet the urgent needs of over 8 million people with disabilities in Canada.
The AODA Alliance is non-partisan. We don’t support or oppose any party. We want all parties to make the Accessible Canada Pledge. Check out a great 3-minute, April 3, 2025 CBC News report on this issue at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5b6cc4dNOk
How You Can Help
- Visit the AODA Alliance‘s list of federal election candidates to get contact information for the candidates. It is at https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/list-of-all-candidates-in-the-2025-federal-election-that-the-aoda-alliance-could-find-broken-down-by-party/
- Email candidates. Ask them to make the Accessible Canada Pledge. Tell them they can find the Accessible Canada Pledge at https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/disability-advocates-press-federal-party-leaders-to-make-the-accessible-canada-pledge-in-the-impending-federal-election-to-address-the-urgent-needs-of-over-8-million-people-with-disabilities-in-ca/ Ask them to press their party leader to make the Accessible Canada Pledge on behalf of their entire party. It is best to write a single candidate in a single email, rather than addressing your email to a bunch of candidates. Candidates are far more likely to read your email if it is only addressed to them. If you live in their riding, emphasize that in your email.
- If you are on Twitter (also called “X”), send tweets to candidates. If you don’t have time to write your own tweets, then just follow @AODAAlliance and @DavidLepofsky and retweet our tweets to the candidates over the next days.
Here are four tweets you might wish to use. Put a candidate’s Twitter handle right before this text. The AODA Alliance is using tweets like these too!
Tweet #1
Will you make the Accessible Canada pledge to tear down barriers impeding 8 million people with disabilities in Canada and to lift impoverished people with disabilities out of poverty? https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/disability-advocates-press-federal-party-leaders-to-make-the-accessible-canada-pledge-in-the-impending-federal-election-to-address-the-urgent-needs-of-over-8-million-people-with-disabilities-in-ca/ #Xlxn2025
Tweet #2
Will you press your party leader to make the Accessible Canada Pledge? The Green Party of Canada made this pledge. So should your party! https://www.aodaalliance.org/canada/green-party-makes-the-accessible-canada-pledge-to-over-8-million-people-with-disabilities-in-canada-will-the-other-federal-parties-do-the-same/ #Elxn2025
Tweet #3
Have you watched the @CBCNews report on this election’s disability issues? Make the Accessible Canada Pledge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5b6cc4dNOk #Elxn2025
Tweet #4
Read the @Metroland column on this election’s disability issues! Trump’s tariff war is an important issue but isn’t this election’s only issue! https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/aoda-alliance-chairs-monthly-column-in-the-toronto-stars-metroland-publications-explores-federal-elections-disability-issues-that-the-mainstream-media-hasnt-covered/ #Elxn2025
For background, check out:
- The Accessible Canada Pledge that we have asked all federal party leaders to make.
- The 3-minute April 8, 2025 CBC News report on this election’s disability issues.
- The archived video of the April 8, 2025 Candidates Debate on Disability Issues.
- The April 2, 2025 column in the Toronto Star’s Metroland publications on this election’s disability issues, written by AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky.
- The AODA Alliance website’s Canada page to see our advocacy to strengthen the Accessible Canada Act.
- The AODA Alliance website’s Bill C-22 page to learn about the AODA Alliance’s efforts to strengthen the grossly inadequate new Canada Disability Benefit.