Opinion Jun 22, 2017
by Luisa D’Amato
Waterloo Region Record
Is a school a public place?
It’s a simple question, but you could answer it either way.
This is what is at the heart of an Ontario Human Rights Commission hearing in Waterloo that will decide if a boy with autism has the right to have his service dog in the classroom with him.
Final arguments concluded Wednesday at the tribunal, which pits Craig and Amy Fee, parents of nine-year-old Kenner, against the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.
By Bruce Chessell, Woodstock Sentinel-Review
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
While most children were able to enjoy the new Foldens playground during its grand opening Saturday, there was at least one who could not.
Eight-year-old Chloe Nicol came to the playground from Salford with her mother Karen on Saturday for the opening in Foldens Park. Chloe, however, couldn’t make it to the playground equipment because of her wheelchair.
Some accessibility advocates say they’re concerned barriers going up not coming down By Philip Lee-Shanok, CBC News Posted: Jun 19, 2017
Maayan Ziv, founder of Access Now remembers Arruda for his warmth but also his contrasting sharp jokes about living with a visible disability.
As the city seeks to renew its accessibility plan, those who want to eliminate barriers say some Toronto small businesses are putting them up instead of tearing them down.
The Supreme Court of Canada released its judgment today in the case of Brent Bish on behalf of Ian Stewart v. Elk Valley Coal Corporation, Cardinal River Operations, et al., 2017 SCC 30. ARCH Disability Law Centre lawyers, Karen R. Spector and Mariam Shanouda, represented the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) and the Empowerment Council (EC) as joint interveners before the Court.
National Organizations and Corporate Leaders Convene to Discuss Workplace Inclusion
Originally Posted May 10, 2017 09:50 ET | Source: National Disability Institute
Pittsburgh, PA, (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — National Disability Institute (NDI), in partnership with Kessler Foundation and Poses Family Foundation, today assembled corporate leaders and community providers at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh for the event: Disability at Work, a Conversation with Randy Lewis.
Kallang Trivista, a public housing development comprising three blocks of 808 homes, was also awarded the Universal Design award (Gold PLUS), with facilities and spaces that catered to all age groups. By Joey Chua Xue Ting
joeychua.xueting@mediacorp.com.sg
Published: 11:49 PM, May 15, 2017
SINGAPORE Wheelchair-friendly weight machines at the gymnasium, staggered platforms with handrails at the swimming pool, extensive braille indicators, step-free entrances to units and bathrooms.
May 25, 2017 1:00 P.M.
Accessibility Directorate of Ontario
The David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility was created in 2014 to recognize Ontarians who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to improving accessibility for people with disabilities.
This year’s award recipients are:
Role Model Award: John Draper, Oshawa
John Draper is committed to creating inclusive communities. In 2006, he founded the socially responsible business, ‘Together We Rock!’ —
dedicated to inspiring learning and promoting inclusion for people with disabilities.
The University of Illinois has long been a leader in accessibility for persons with disabilities. This tradition continues with a new web app called “Access Illinois” created by MS student Mark McCarthy and his team members Matt Arensdorf (undergraduate student, computer science) and Emily Chen (PhD student, computational linguistics). The app earned the team first place in HackCulture, a humanities-focused hackathon held at the University Library from April 8-23.
Observer staff
Wednesday, May 17, 2017 2:32:15 EDT PM
The City of Sarnia and the County of Lambton are being recognized provincially for installing mobility device charging stations at public spaces in Sarnia and Point Edward.
An innovative local pilot project that has created publicly-available mobility device charging stations is being recognized provincially.
The City of Sarnia and the County of Lambton are set to receive the Municipal Accessibility Award by the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA), a non-profit made up of consolidated municipal service managers and district social services administration boards.
Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act received Royal Assent on April 27, 2017. Nova Scotia becomes the third Canadian province to enact accessibility legislation. The Nova Scotia Accessibility legislation aims to achieve accessibility in the whole province by 2030.
Ontario (2005) and Manitoba (2013) are the first two provinces with in force accessibility legislation. The federal government is working on a national accessibility law to be introduced in Parliament by the end of 2017.
The Universal Design Kitchen features design principles and appliances intended to accommodate people with a range of physical and cognitive abilities.
Muted colors and matte finishes create a soothing environment for children with autism. A slate-gray cooking surface on a cream porcelain countertop provides contrast for those with impaired vision. And a low, shallow sink eases kitchen work from a wheelchair.
People with disabilities will be in the spotlight at Torontos second annual ReelAbilities Film Festival (RAFFTO).
The event, which runs from May 10 to 18, will screen 17 films that will showcase disability and deaf cultures.
The goal of the festival is to promote awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different abilities, says Liviya Mendelsohn, artistic director of RAFFTO.
By Tyler Kula, Sarnia Observer
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
In two to three years, every sidewalk corner in Sarnia will likely have a ramp on it.
So says Robert Williams, construction manager with the City of Sarnia.
Nearly $525,000 has been earmarked for concrete repairs in the city this year, including swapping out about 65 inaccessible curbs, Williams said, and putting in 130 concrete pads at city bus stops.
By Cecilia Nasmith, Northumberland Today
Monday, May 1, 2017
COBOURG – Cobourg council has accepted the recommendation in municipal clerk Lorraine Brace’s report at last week’s council meeting, and brought back Intellivote Systems Inc. to make the arrangements for Internet and telephone voting in the 2018 municipal election.
Their support was whole-hearted, Brace reported afterwards, and the record of success with Intellivote is solid.
Nova Scotia has set a goal to be accessible by 2030 under the Accessibility Act, passed today, April 27.
Nova Scotia is only the third province in Canada to pass accessibility legislation. The passage of Bill 59 will start the process of removing barriers for persons with disabilities.
“We are proud to have worked with people with disabilities and business to take this historic step toward an accessible Nova Scotia,” said Justice Minister Diana Whalen. “This act commits us to a timeline to make the province an accessible place to live, work, learn and play.”
