AODA Alliance
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 these events!
* On Monday, September 19, 2016 from 1:30 pm to 3:30pm, there will be an Accessibility Public Forum at the University of Ottawa Desmarais Building (external link), 55 Laurier Avenue East, room 12102. Below we set out the full announcement for this event. It is open to anyone in or near the Ottawa area.
* On Friday, September 30, 2016, for anyone in the London area, there will be an Accessibility Forum from 1 to 3 pm. Come to The Vitali lounge, second floor of the Wemple building, King’s university college, 266 Epworth ave
To get there, turn east off Richmond, across from the main gates to University of Western Ontario. Accessible parking is in the lot beside Wemple (to west) – out front & the best is at the back. An elevator goes up right to the room.
It is not mandatory that you RSVP, but the organizers would appreciate it if you let them know if you are coming. Email Estelle.VanWinckle@kings.uwo.ca Details for this event are still being worked out. Stay tuned for more details.
* On Saturday, November 12, 2016, from 10 a.m. to noon, there will be an Accessibility Public Forum at the Abilities Centre 55 Gordon Street, Whitby, in the Multi-Purpose Room on the second floor. This is for anyone in or near the Durham Region. Details for this event are also set out below.
The announcements, set out below, give information on how to RSVP and on available accommodations.
These great events follow on the heels of successful Accessibility Public Forums earlier this year in Kingston, Windsor, Peel Region, and at York University in Toronto.
We encourage you to offer to help organize an AODA Accessibility Public Forum in your community, to help us spread the word. If you are interested in doing so, or want more information on what this involves, contact us at aodafeedback@gmail.com
2. The Accessibility Directorate of Ontario Extended the Deadline for Giving Feedback on Health Care Accessibility Barriers to this Friday, September 9, 2016
At our request, the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario has extended the deadline to this Friday, September 9, 2016, for you to let the Wynne Government know about accessibility barriers in Ontario’s health care system that the promised Health Care Accessibility Standard should address. We do not know what steps the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario has taken to alert the public of this extension.
Take advantage of this extension. Please email the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario to say if you support the AODA Alliance’s August 26, 2016 brief on the accessibility barriers in the health care system that the Health Care Accessibility Standard should address. write the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario at:
If you don’t have time to write the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario a longer email, just say something like this:
“I support the AODA Alliance’s August 26, 2016 brief on the accessibility barriers in the health care system that the promised Health Care Accessibility Standard should remove and prevent.”
You can read the AODA Alliance’s August 26, 2016 brief to the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario on the accessibility standards barriers in the health care system that the Health Care Accessibility Standard should address by visiting Ð09__
3. Will the New Ontario Throne speech on Monday, September 12, 2016 Include Any New Action on the Implementation and Enforcement of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act?
In a news release today, the Wynne Government announced that when the Legislature resumes sitting this upcoming Monday, September 12, 2016, there will be a new Speech from the Throne. A Throne Speech is a key point in a Government’s term in office, when it announces its major priorities for action over the next months.
We will be poised to respond quickly to the Throne Speech. We will be watching to see what the Wynne Government announces to kick-start the slow and sluggish implementation and enforcement of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It is good that Premier Wynne appointed Tracy MacCharles this summer, as Ontario’s new Minister of Accessibility. The Throne Speech is a good place for the Wynne Government to show that it means business by this appointment.
Will the Government commit to develop an Education Accessibility Standard, desperately needed to meet the needs of 334,000 students with special education needs in publicly-funded schools in Ontario, as well as many more students with disabilities who want to study in Ontario’s colleges and universities? Will the Government announce any action to address the need for accessibility retrofits in existing buildings that are not being renovated? Will the Government announce new action to ramp up the weak enforcement of the AODA?
Stay tuned for more news on this front. Let your MPP know how important these issues are to you.
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.
Follow us on Twitter. Get others to follow us. And please re-tweet our tweets!! @AODAAlliance
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