Sign Up For The Charles Beer Independent Review’s Public Forums On How Well Ontario’s Accessibility Legislation Is Working

Sign Up for AODA Alliance Updates by writing: aodafeedback@rogers.com
Learn more at: www.www.aodaalliance.org

September 17, 2009

SUMMARY

We encourage you to sign up to have your say at public forums on whether the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act is being implemented quickly and effectively enough. The Ontario Government appointed Charles Beer to conduct an Independent Review of Ontario’s disability accessibility legislation.

Please find below a message from Charles Beer with the details of where and when the public meetings are being held as well as the instructions for registration.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO SEPTEMBER 28, 2009.

All the information you require for registration including the dates, locations and times of the meetings can be found by clicking on the link provided below.

In addition to these public forums, there is another great way to have your say. We encourage you to organize your own meeting of persons with disabilities and others interested in disability accessibility, to discuss whether Ontario is on schedule for becoming fully accessible for all Ontarians with disabilities by 2025. Invite Charles Beer to attend your meeting in person, or to take part over the phone. A speaker phone at your meeting is all you need to enable him to hear what you have to say, if he cannot come to you in person. Let him know:

  1. Whether you think Ontario is making progress quickly enough towards full accessibility by 2025.
  2. What steps you think should be taken to ensure Ontario is on schedule for full accessibility by 2025, and
  3. what barriers you face in getting equal access to employment, goods, services or facilities in Ontario.

You can either set up a special meeting for this purpose, or use an existing meeting (like an annual general meeting of a community disability organization.

Mr. Beer’s schedule is quickly filling up. It is wise to contact him quickly to try to work out a time for such a meeting.

If you want some ideas on issues to discuss, and recommendations to make, check out the AODA Alliance’s draft brief to the Charles Beer Independent Review, which is available at:
Draft Brief Review Doc

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MESSAGE FROM CHARLES BEER, INDEPENDENT REVIEWER OF THE EFFECTIVESS OF ONTARIO’S DISABILITY ACCESSIBILITY LEGISLATION

Greetings,

I am writing to provide you with an update on my Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).

Over the summer I have met with a number of stakeholders from a wide range of sectors.

The next stage of the Review involves public meetings. These will be held in Sudbury on October 1, 2009, in Ottawa on October 6, 2009, in Toronto on October 14, 2009 and in London on October 20, 2009. Please see the detailed instructions on how to participate and register for the public meetings below:
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario/accesson/participate

In addition to public meetings, I will be accepting written submissions.

Please see the detailed instructions on how to send in your written submission.

I look forward to hearing from Ontarians to help guide me on this important Review.

If you want to contact me directly I can be reached at charles.beer@ontario.ca

Regards,
Charles Beer,
Independent Reviewer