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. All your work at the grassroots helps yield results, like those we report here.

Here are late-breaking developments over the past two days:

* In the Ontario Legislature yesterday, the New Democratic Party raised the AODA Alliance’s concerns during the Throne Speech debate, about the fact that the Government included nothing new in the Throne Speech for people with disabilities. The NDP also referred to the AODA Alliance’s “Picture Our Barriers” campaign , though not by name, in which we tweet photos to MPPs about the many barriers that people with disabilities still face in Ontario.

We set out the extract below from the September 14, 2016 debates in the Ontario Legislature on the Throne Speech.

To read the AODA Alliance’s September 12, 2016 news release and disability analysis of the Wynne Government’s recent Throne Speech.

* During Question Period in the Legislature today, the NDP again raised the fact that the Throne Speech included nothing new for people with disabilities, attributing this objection in effect to the AODA Alliance. The acting Premier, Deb Matthews, did not directly answer the question. The exchange is also set out below.

We commend the NDP for twice raising our concerns in the Legislature in the past two days. We urge all MPPs to do the same.

* The September 15, 2016 Toronto Star quoted the AODA Alliance in an article, set out below. It focuses on the many accessibility barriers that people with disabilities still face when trying to ride the Toronto Transit Commission. We also set out below the AODA Alliance’s September 15, 2016 news release, announcing the TTC’s Public Forum on Accessible Transit, being held tonight from 7 to 9 pm in Toronto.

How can you help produce more results in our accessibility campaign? Attend an upcoming Accessibility Public Forum in your community including:

* Ottawa Monday, September 19, 2016 from 1:30 to 3:30
* London Friday, September 30, from 2 to 4 pm, and
* Whitby/Durham region from 10 a.m. to noon.

For more information about these events, and how to RSVP and request any needed accommodations, visit http://www.www.aodaalliance.org/strong-effective-aoda/09082016.asp

You can always send your feedback to us on any AODA and accessibility issue at aodafeedback@gmail.com

Have you taken part in our “Picture Our Barriers campaign? If not, please join in! You can get all the information you need about our “Picture Our Barriers” campaign by visiting www.www.aodaalliance.org/2016

To sign up for, or unsubscribe from AODA Alliance e-mail updates, write to: aodafeedback@gmail.com

We encourage you to use the Government’s toll-free number for reporting AODA violations. We fought long and hard to get the Government to promise this, and later to deliver on that promise. If you encounter any accessibility problems at any large retail establishments, it will be especially important to report them to the Government via that toll-free number. Call 1-866-515-2025.

Please pass on our email Updates to your family and friends.

Why not subscribe to the AODA Alliance’s YouTube channel, so you can get immediate alerts when we post new videos on our accessibility campaign.

Please “like” our Facebook page and share our updates.

Learn all about our campaign for a fully accessible Ontario by visiting http://www.www.aodaalliance.org

Please also join the campaign for a strong and effective Canadians with Disabilities Act, spearheaded by Barrier-Free Canada. The AODA Alliance is proud to be the Ontario affiliate of Barrier-Free Canada. Sign up for Barrier-Free Canada updates by emailing info@BarrierFreeCanada.org