Tanis Reynolds
Posted 28 September 2010

Valentina Gal says the TTC has great customer service.

But its maintenance practice — or lack thereof —has become a major accessibility issue, she says.

This issue was addressed by the five leading mayoral candidates who assembled at Trinity Bellwoods Church on Wednesday for a debate focused ways to improve inclusion for those living with disabilities.

The candidates presented varying ideas about how to make transportation accessible for this community as well as answered questions from the audience.

Date: September 28, 2010
By Douglas Bentley

To Whom it May Concern

As a SHHC customer, and wheelchair user for 34 years, I have never had such problems with w/c maintenance than I have had with Shoppers Home Health Care. I will never understand why this company was given the – Central Equipment Pool Contract – based the level of service (or the lack of same) that I have experienced, and have heard about.

Published On Fri Sep 24 2010
By Helen Henderson
Disabilities Reporter

The path to an accessible Ontario is still littered with stumbling blocks and is way too long — not to mention excruciatingly slow.

We’ve been lumbering through committee after committee, tinkering with standards sector by sector, frittering away the 15 years remaining to the blurred 2025 deadline when all the barriers are supposed to disappear.
Maybe.

By Karen Sinclair, The Ottawa Citizen September 19, 2010   
 
John Richard “Rick” Sinclair was born in Richmond Hill on Nov. 29, 1947 and died June 30 in Ottawa, age 62.  

‘Karen puts HP sauce on everything, even ice cream!” This scurrilous tale was told by my husband Rick to my stepsons, Mark and James, who were nine and seven years old, respectively, when they came into my life.

“Ewwwwh!”

Published On Fri Sep 17 2010
Tracey Tyler Legal Affairs Reporter

Denying long-term government support payments to alcoholics and drug addicts violates the province’s Human Rights Code because it discriminates on the basis of disability, the Ontario Court of Appeal has affirmed.

In a 3-0 decision Thursday, the court dismissed an appeal from the director of the Ontario Disability Support Program, who argued that provincial legislation preventing addicts from drawing long-term disability benefits was meant to assist them in their recovery.

By Geof Collis
September17, 2010

In a recent article and Television Interview Blind Voter Lashes Out Over City’s Mail-In Ballots I had brought to light the discrimination shown by a Majority of City Council with regards to the voting process they adopted.

I decided to investigate further and wasn’t any happier with how Council chose Mail In Ballots.

After reading the “minutes” for this decision I discovered 15 Council members voted for this method without even discussing other “Options” put forth by the City Clerk, only 3 voted against.

September 15, 2010

We are very eager for your feedback. The AODA Alliance has just prepared a draft brief to the Ontario Government. It offers our input on the Government’s
September 2, 2010 summary of its proposed integrated accessibility standard.

We want to know what you think of our draft brief. Are there things we should add or change? The Government has given the public until October 16, 2010
to submit any responses to its summary of the proposed integrated accessibility standard. We therefore need your feedback by October 1, 2010 so we can
do our best to prepare our final brief to the Government on schedule.

Posted to site September 15, 2010

A Law Reform Project of the Law Commission of Ontario

How do we make sure that the law takes into account the everyday lives of persons with disabilities? The Law Commission of Ontario (LCO) is working on a project to address this question.

By Glenn Kauth | Publication Date: Monday, 13 September 2010

With municipal elections set to take place across the province this fall, it’s a good time for discussions on the need to accommodate candidates with disabilities.

Barbara Hall, chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, raised the issue recently in her annual report for 2009-10.

Posted to site September 10, 2010

NOTICE:
The Final Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard, as part of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, has now been posted on the Ministry of Community and Social Services’ website.

The final proposed standard was developed by an external Accessible Built Environment Standards Development Committee (ABE-SDC). This external committee included representatives from the disability community as well as the public and private sectors.

By JOE WARMINGTON,
Toronto Sun
Last Updated: September 6, 2010 8:37pm

Toronto for me won’t be the same without Tara Weber wheeling around and chasing stories.

Sadly Citytv is losing the top-notch reporter to Calgary. But there is more to this story than a job offer for a much sought-after on-air talent.

And perhaps some lessons learned?

Posted By MATTHEW VAN DONGEN , STANDARD STAFF
September 4, 2010

Niagara’s GO buses have started making time for disabled residents.

Starting Saturday, the popular transit buses will be able to spend more time at each stop along the routes between Niagara Falls and Burlington, allowing
riders with wheelchairs or scooters to get aboard.

Posted By MATTHEW VAN DONGEN , STANDARD STAFF
September 3, 2010

Pauline Baker has always found it hard to vote for St. Catharines politicians.

No, she’s not particularly cynical about local politics.

The 68-year-old, who has multiple sclerosis and needs a scooter to get around, just has trouble getting into her local polling station.

“It’s not very accessible and it has been bugging me forever,” said Baker, who was left fuming outside a locked door at Prince Philip School during a previous election.

September 2, 2010

SUMMARY

The McGuinty Government has just released a detailed summary of the contents of the proposed accessibility standard it is planning to pass into law. It is proposing a single integrated standard to address barriers in transportation, employment, and information and communication. You can get these in PDF or MS Word format by visiting the Government’s website at:
https://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/quickSearch.do?searchType=current

Posted By Lisa Gervais, Lindsay Post Reporter
September 2, 2010

KAWARTHA LAKES – A blind city voter has lashed out at politicians who chose mail-in ballots for the Oct. 25 municipal election.

Geof Collis said he is “appalled” by the decision, which he says has “effectively discriminated against me and others, ensuring that my right to vote is
neither private nor independent.

Faced with a mail-in ballot, he said: “How would it be possible to vote if you were blind without help from someone in one form or another?”