AccessibilityElectionCoverage2006

Ah, that youthful ideal-ism and hope. But makeno mistake: Warren ismore than hopeful. Hehas a mission, a verypractical one. He aimsto achieve accessibility.Why? Because, in hiswords, “AccessibilityRocks!”

During the 2006 FederalElection Warren andfilm crew will be visitingrandomly selectedoffices of the candidatesrunning in Toronto tolearn of their commit-ments to accessibility.

A 22-year old RyersonUniversity studentstudying real-worldadvocacy and govern-ment relations atOntario March ofDimes’ Toronto headoffice, WarrenRupnarain also happensto use a motorizedwheelchair (necessary toincrease his mobility asa result of the effects ofCerebral Palsy).

“The wheelchairreplaces my legs. It gets

me where I need to go.But unlike my legs, it’s alittle bulkier, so some-times there are chal-lenges in getting intodifferent facilities,”explains Warren. “Butpeople have to realizethat accommodatingsomeone who uses awheelchair only givesorganizations greateraccess to more talent,

more volunteers, morepeople who want to helpout and contribute.”

“Can he get into theelection offices?” will bethe test Warren’s Worlduses on the campaigntrail. Will he be accom-modated? Will candi-dates agree that creatingnational disability legis-lation is the right way to

go? True advocacy inaction.

But this is more than theusual “will you support”exercise. Warren’sWorld will be filmingthe experiences ofWarren and Co. in theirentirety – reality TV. Or,web TV, that is. Eachday’s experience, or“episode”, will be posted

to the special ElectionCoverage section of theOntario March of Dimesw e b s i t e(www.dimes.on.ca).

And what happens if hecan’t get into an electioncampaign office? “If wecan raise the bar ofawareness during theformidable stages of pol-icy formation, that is

Coming to an ElectionCampaign Near You He’s young, bright and energetic. His name is Warren.He’s also determined to change the world.

right at the grassrootslevel of campaigningduring an election, andwe get the ear of the can-didates out there, thenwe have to giveapplause,” explainsGovernment RelationsCoordinator StevenChristianson. “Our goalin this exercise is todemonstrate to those inelected circles that wewant to work with you increative ways, that thereis always a workablesolution.”

Budding WebTV star,Warren, agrees.“Accessibility is morethan a word or tag-line.It’s something thataffects me everyday,something that affectsanyone with a disability,at any age. That’s got tochange. So we’re goingto have some ‘advocacyfun’.”

Watch for Warren’sWorld and completeElection Coverage ondisability issues over thenext few weeks.

Winter 2005 - 06

Toronto City

Council and

Mayor David

Miller have

proclaimed

January 2006

as Ontario

March of

Dimes Month.

Be part of this specialcelebration atToronto City Hall onJanuary 6– which offi-cially launches thekick-off to the 2006Annual Door-to-Door Campaign. TheD o o r - t o - D o o rCampaign raisesmoney to helpincrease the inde-pendence and com-munity participationof people with physi-cal disabilities.

MarkYour Calendar

In 1996, the federal gov-ernment established atask force to examinethe roles and responsi-bilities of theGovernment of Canadain the area ofdisability. The“Scott TaskForce”, as itb e c a m eknown, pre-sented manyrecommenda-tions toParliament – anumber ofwhich havebeen imple-mented andhave effecteds i g n i f i c a n ti m p r o v e -ments in the coordina-tion of federal disabilitypolicies and programs.

One recommendationthat has not been putinto action we feel ismore critical than ever:the introduction of aCanadians withDisabilities Act.

National legislationwould complementexisting human rightslegislation, as well asn e w l y - i n t r o d u c e dprovincial models(AODA), to create acomprehensive frame-work for inclusion, equi-ty and the eliminationand prevention of barri-ers for people with dis-abilities.

A Canadians withDisabilities Act wouldprovide for the appoint-ment of a Ministerresponsible for disabili-ty issues, and require the

federal government toset out the powers,duties and functions offederal institutions –including private sectororganizations deliveringpublic services, on dis-ability issues.

Therefore, consistentwith the recommenda-tion of the Scott TaskForce, we recommendthat the Government ofCanada introduce aCanadians withDisabilities Act toensure consistentaction, coordinationand accountability atthe federal level for allCanadians with a dis-ability. We further rec-ommend that the best

National Disability ActIt was in 1996 that the recommendation was made.Ten years later, it is time for commitment and action.

The Advocate repre-sents not just a newname and look for ourquarterly periodical. It’sthe next step in our con-stant evolution of refin-ing and improving ourwork with governmentand elected officials, ourrole in public policydevelopment, whilealways linking back toour mission of creating asociety inclusive of peo-ple with physical dis-abilities.

Since the early 1970s,Ontario March of Dimeshas been a leader in thedisability field as anadvocate for improvedintegration of peoplewith disabilities in com-munity life. The priori-ties and structures (andchallenges) of govern-ment have changedsince that time. Buttoday’s reality in govern-ment (at all levels) onlyreinforces the need tocontinually identifyopportunities, developpolicy solutions, andfind new and innovativeways for us to con-tribute.

The Canadian Oxforddictionary defines an

advocate as “one whopublicly supports or rec-ommends a particularcause or policy.” What itdoesn’t spell out is thatadvocacy is central inhelping transform goodideas into good publicpolicy. Advocacyremains central inensuring that good pub-lic policy leads to sus-tainable, meaningfuland effective practices.So we feel The Advocateis an appropriate reflec-tion of what we’re doingand what now definesthe essence of workingwith government.

Ultimately, of course, wehope The Advocate willtweak your creativityand help you discovernew ways of partneringwith us, reinforce howand where your donordollars are put to use, orsimply inform andadvise you on the con-stantly changing legisla-tive and regulatory envi-ronment in the non-profit and charitablesector – and, mostimportantly, how wecreate a Canada inclu-sive of people with dis-abilities.

Here WeGrow AgainWelcome to The Advocate, Ontario March of Dimes’ newest voice of communicating our work in government affairs and advocacy.

way to advance thisobjective is to designatea Minister responsiblefor Canadians with dis-abilities – both for rep-resentation and

account-ability aswell assecuringa voice atthe fed-e r a lC a b i n e tTable.

W h i c hpoliticalp a r t i e sa n dw h i c hc a n d i -d a t e s

endorse the introduc-tion of a Canadians withDisabilities Act? Visitwww.dimes.on.ca forOntario March ofDimes’ ElectionCoverage and learnwhat you can do to helpget the politicians tocommit.

Ask your candidates during thiselection -- Willyou commit tointroducing aCanadians withDisabilitiesAct?

In predece ored ion o heAdvoc e (thenc ed theG o e m e nRela ion llet n),we reminded re de s th t no inority fede l goverme t in Canada haeve la ted oretha twentymonth So a leaD es Reade s a enot urp i ed thawe are in e m do a tio al elect on campa gn,with E D y et forJ n ry 23, 2006

What ma e thie ec ion unique ithe ct th t a ocon idence motione ec ed he l ofthe gove mewithout the present tion o budgeo othe money bi lA other di erenfea u e bout the ectio i the cthat the capai ning period”wil e ec ve y h ppen in wo pha ePhase O e co

ume December,up un i a few dayp io to Chri t

Then a e nearlyte day b e ,P e T o come ce at he t rto J ua y

How i o ersrea thi t ea ou d? I addition to he plethoo i e h t ypically bea on vote minds, we hopetha , if you re e ding th s editionyou’ l be me urpe fo mance dp atfo s o ommit e o progre ve d bilitypol cy. You l findelectio updatand re ou ce ono web ,www.d me o cto ee which o thepart es me suresup But in theme ntime, yo c nbecom ac ive bydoin o e ver simp e a k k threeo her people tobecome aw e ofthe i po a ce ofd abil ty po icy nthi electio , tocomp re wh chp rt e re comm tt d to doing wha ,and ote cco dingly

Election 2006Make it Yours

After months of consul-tation and receivingfeedback from stake-holder groups, includingseveral Ontario Marchof Dimes representa-tives, OntarioTransportation MinisterHarinder Takharannounced onDecember 1, 2005, thatthe government is mak-ing significant improve-ments to the DisabledParking PermitProgram.

The Program, which isbeing renamed theAccessible ParkingPermit Program,includes the followingkey revisions:• New measura-ble and observablemobility criteria thatwill make it easier for

medical practitioners toevaluate a person’s eligi-bility and ensure thatonly qualified appli-cants receive the newAccessible ParkingPermit• A p p l i c a t i o nand processing timeswill be cut in half, toapproximately fourweeks• New permitsecurity features thatwill reduce misuse andfraud• The introduc-tion of a new TravellerPermit for use atOntario airports, thatwill allow permit hold-ers to take their regularpermit with them andaccess designated park-ing at their destinations• The addition ofnurse practitioners that

will be added to the listof those who canauthorize the medicalneed for an AccessibleParking Permit• Eliminating theneed for people withpermanent disabilitiesto renew their permits• The introduc-tion of a CompanyPermit, that will alloworganizations to trans-port people with disabil-ities.

The permit program’simprovements repre-sent the first majoroperational change inthe provincial govern-ment following the pas-sage of the Accessibilityfor Ontarians withDisabilities Act, 2005.

Disabled PersonParking Permit Program Becomes “Accessible”

As a provider of volun-teer and caregiver sup-port, we are delightedthat our drivers will bebetter able to assistclients. The revisionsto the program go along way toward help-ing achieve this. Thisnew permit program

also signals an oppor-tunity to advocate atthe municipal level tobring in province-wideconsistency in localenforcement by ensur-ing that accessibleparking spaces areused only by those whoneed them.

Andria Spindel, P si e & CE

Accessible parking spaces only forthose who need them.

“The year 2005 heraldedthe 15th anniversary ofthe Americans withDisabilities Act, whichwas intended to providegreater access for thedisabled to jobs, publicservices and to publicareas,” explains MikeO’Sullivan, BureauChief for the Voice ofAmerica. In a recentstory on the ADA’simpact, he points outthat much more is need-ed.

“Hollywood actors saythe law has had a posi-tive impact, but that theentertainment businessstill offers too few rolesto disabled performers,”O’Sullivan said.

Professor Olivia Raynorof UCLA’s National Artsand Disability Centeraggrees. The co-authorof a recent study on theADA’s impact onCalifornia’s arts andentertainment industry,Professor Raynor saysthat barriers still remainfor disabled actors andadvocates must contin-ue their efforts.

Some industry repre-sentatives openlyacknowledge this.William Schallert, whois 83, walks with a canetoday, the result of anage-related disability. Aformer president of theScreen Actors Guild anda disability advocatehimself, he says anongoing larger effort isneeded to break downthe barriers that the laws[such as the ADA] are

designed to accomplish.“It’s about a larger socialpurpose, which is toshow the diversity of oursociety especially to thechildren who spendmore time watching tel-evision than they do inschool.”

Advocacy helps identifythe shortfalls, the bestpractices and the les-sons learned as part ofthe process of strength-ening, amending andimproving legislation.

In June of 2005,Ontarians could pridethemselves in the factthat one of the mostsocially progressive billspresented to theLegislative Assembly ofOntario (at least moreprogressive in thisregard than many haveseen in a generation)was passed into law.The Accessibility forOntarians withDisabilities Act, 2005,passed with unanimousconsent, paving the wayfor what many view asthe foundation for

removing and prevent-ing barriers in Ontario.The provincial govern-ment, itself, issued pressreleases describing thenewly passed legislationas “hallmark”, “historic”and “ground-breaking”– all accurate descrip-tions, to be sure.

But what now?

Let’s switch back to TheADA: 15 Years Later.“What now?” is precise-ly what American dis-ability advocates askedthemselves after thepassing of theAmericans withDisabilities Act fifteenyears ago, in 1990. Thatlegislation, too, wasregarded almost univer-sally as “hallmark”, his-toric” and “ground-breaking”. Interestingly,these very same adjec-tives can be used todescribed not only theADA, but its overallimpact in America’sworkplaces and societyin general. If – and sig-nificant emphasis mustbe placed on this con-junctive – if state legisla-

tion and community-based, organized advo-cacy complement thelaw. Herein is the realmeasure and success ofthe ADA.

Advocates realized theneed for complementa-ry state legislation toaffect workplaces,building codes,employment, schools –in other words, thespectrum of policyspheres that lay outsidefederal jurisdiction.

The result in Californiawas the FairEmployment andHousing Act (FEHA).California has fairlystringent civil rightsstatutes, most of whichare contained in theFEHA – which breatheslife into state-levelimplementation for thenearly 6.6 millionCalifornians with a dis-ability. As a result ofFEHA, governed by theCalifornia Departmentof Fair Employment andHousing (the stateagency charged withenforcing the ADA),California today isresponsible for investi-gating and prosecuting25% of the UnitedStates’ total number ofdisability complaints. Infact, FEHA is consid-ered by most disabilityand public policy advo-cates as broader in itsprovisions than theADA.

In Ontario, advocacywas central in gettingthe AODA passed intolaw. It will be more so asthe law gains definition

and the factors of imple-mentation are inkedinto regulation. As theA c c e s s i b i l i t yDirectorate and theStandards DevelopmentCommittees take shape,implementation andsustainable compliancewill be key issues. So,too, will those areas notyet covered by the legis-lation (where comple-mentary laws may beneeded) and in identify-ing barriers that stillprevent anyone in anysector from fully partici-pating in society.

Advocacy efforts such asthose of the formerODA Committee, once adriving force in helpingchange the course ofmuch legislation forOntarians with disabili-ties, are relevant andneeded perhaps nowmore than ever. Thenewly-minted AODAAlliance – the post-AODA advocacy organi-zation – will certainlyhave its work cut outwhen advocating forappropriate implemen-tation of the law, all thewhile remaining mind-ful that the critical roleand function of any gov-ernment is govern firstand foremost for thosewithout a voice. Theemployees ofCalifornia’s biggestindustry, Hollywood,send a unique messageabout barriers and dis-crimination, and one weshould all remember aswe forge ahead on thepracticalities of theAODA.

Advancing Accessibility: Green Light Forward

Bill 36, an Act to providefor the integration of thelocal system for thedelivery of health servic-es, received First Read atQueen’s Park onNovember 24, 2005.

Introduced by Healthand Long-Term CareMinister, GeorgeSmitherman, the Billoutlines the legalities ofhow Local HealthIntegration Networks(LHINs) will carry outtheir responsibilities asthey plan, fund and inte-grate local health sys-tems in 14 areas of theprovince.

Each LHIN will operateaccording to the priori-ties identified in eachnetwork region. Inother words, each net-work is different, and so,too, will be each LHINand how it plans, fundsand integrates services.

Once the legislation ispassed, the powers ofthe Act will allow for thecreation, integration ordissolution of service

provider arrangements.LHINs will not be aprovider of clinical serv-ices, but rather willcoordinate servicedelivery.

This move by theProvince represents thenext step in transform-ing Ontario’s healthcaresystem toward a morepatient-centered, inte-grated system thatreduces wait-times anddelivers care more effec-tively and efficiently.

Will CCACs have a role?They will remain fornow. They might notexist in some LHINs inthe future. Until furtherlegislative amendmentor introduction, CCACsmay or may not be one ofthe entities throughwhich a LHIN mightdeem appropriate tooperate.

Bill 36 references theCommunity CareAccess CorporationsAct, 2001, and explainsthat “the current desig-nated community careaccess corporations are

continued.”However, once Bill 36becomes law, theLieutenant Governor inCouncil may make regu-lations amalgamating,dissolving or dividingcommunity care accesscorporations.

What else does the legis-lation propose?Integration may alsooccur through theMinister. Under Section28 (1) of the Bill, afterreceiving advice fromthe LHIN involved, theMinister may, if theMinister considers it inthe public interest to doso, order a health serviceprovider that receivesfunding from a LHIN,and that carries on itsoperations on a not-for-profit basis, to do any ofthe following:• To cease oper-ating, to dissolve or towind up its operations• To amalgamatewith one or more healthservice providers thatreceive funding from aLHIN• To transfer allor substantially all of its

operations to one ormore persons or entitiesthat carry on operationson a not-for-profit basis

For some, this is all tech-nical and policy jargon.For others, the proposedlegislation encapsulateswhat has been issued bythe Province in the formof discussion and con-sultation papers, andwhat has been con-tributed by stakehold-ers, like Ontario Marchof Dimes, at the consul-tation and planningtables. And for othersstill, this process evolv-ing around healthcaretransformation hasforced organizations toinspect themselves tolook for efficiencies,forms and potential forintegration and partner-ship, and, essentially,how we can improvewhat we’re doing.

Ontario March of DimesChief Operating Officerand Vice President RonKelusky explains howLHINs has affectedOMOD and our sector.

“We’re alwayslooking forways toincrease efficienciesthat provideeven higherquality services to ourconsumers.Our organiza-tional struc-ture willadapt to thechanging reality ofhealthcarefunding.We’re alreadywell on ourway. The consumermust alwayscome first,and we lookforward toworking withthe Province,with the individualLHINs andthrough possible inter-organi-zational partnershipsto play ourpart in mak-ing this work.”

Bill 36 still must gothrough Second andThird Readings, andRoyal Assent, beforeit becomes law.

The “In” on LHINsQueen’s Park introduces integration Bill 36

In November 2005,Minister of HumanResources and SkillsDevelopment Canada,Hon. Belinda Stronach,issued the officialresponse to the reportby the StandingCommittee on HumanResources, SkillsDevelopment and theStatus of Persons withDisabilities.

The report, DevelopingNew Approaches toFunding Results, was theresult of working withthe Joint ServiceC a n a d a / Vo l u n t a r ySector Work Group rec-ommendations – whichevaluated the many rec-ommendations to theStanding Committee inearly 2005. TheStanding Committee atthat time was consider-

ing how to improve thefederal directives thatgovern contributionagreements and calls-for-proposals for select-ed programs on behalfof HRSDC.

The recommendationsthat Minister Stronachhas instructed her staffto work with for imple-mentation purposesinclude the following:• that the newadministrative costframework comes intoeffect for all renewalsand new agreements asearly as January 2006,but no later than May 1,2006. Service Canadacommits to completingthe full training for staffno later than May 1,2006; • that multi-yearfunding be considered

and that with respect tointegrating multi-yearfunding into new agree-ments (including agree-ments which emergefrom any remaining Callfor Proposals for the2005-2006 fiscal year),and recommends thatService Canada proceedon a regional basis aslong as redress optionsfor unsuccessful incum-bent applicants are inplace. Additionally, withrespect to multi-yearfunding and existingagreements, ServiceCanada mayextend/renew theseagreements to multi-year funding on aregional basis, as long asthe following conditionsare met:• that incumbentagencies who were

unsuccessful throughrecent Call for Proposalsmay discuss withService Canada theirtransition issues andservice delivery gaps,until the next Call forProposals is launched intheir area/region; and• that all newCall for Proposals beimplemented on aregional basis in accor-dance with the nationalroll-out and readinessstrategy, once improve-ments to the assessmentgrid have been made, aswell as administrativechanges and associatedinstruments imple-mented in accordancewith what ServiceCanada has committedto in the Joint WorkingGroup. This implies fulltraining of project offi-cers to understand andimplement the changeseffectively. This alsoimplies that agencies aregiven full informationand adequate notice ofthese changes.

“I have instructed myofficials to fully explorethe issues raised in thereport and make thenecessary improve-ments based on the rec-o m m e n d a t i o n s , ”Minister Stronach stat-ed. The Minister con-tinued by describing therecommendations as “asubstantive contribu-tion towards improvingthe delivery of employ-ment services toCanadians.”

OMOD’s main recom-mendations, presentedin Ottawa to theStanding Committee(April 2005) by VicePresident of ProgramDelivery, Jerry Lucas,and GovernmentRelations Coordinator,

Steven Christianson,were fourfold:1. Clearly articu-late measures and mutu-ally agreed outcomesthat can form the basisof program evaluation;2. Organizationswith limited administra-tive capacity should beprovided with assis-tance, including trainingand funding in estab-lishing, monitoring,measuring, evaluatingand reporting perform-ance;3. In circum-stances where an exist-ing provider is meetingor exceeding all per-formance indicators,HRSDC should have theauthority to renew exist-ing agreements; and4. Budgets shouldbe multi-year, and pro-vide an opportunity forproviders to earn andretain a surplus if per-formance goals are met.

Ontario March of Dimeshas consistently pointedout that the key to thesuccess of implementingthe recommendationscontained in DevelopingNew Approaches toFunding Results (or anynew directives in man-aging calls-for-propos-als), will be a smoothtransition to new policydirectives. We are gladto report that the rec-ommendations to theMinister, which may befound online atwww.servicecanada.gc.ca, incorporate our workand deal substantivelywith transition issues,and recognize theimportance of a strongand dynamic partner-ships with the voluntaryand charitable sector indelivering employmentservices.

Federal Funding:HRSDC Responds

“I haveinstructed myofficialsto...make thenecessaryimprovementsbased on therecommenda-tions.”MinisterStronach

During this pastsummer City ofToronto Parks,Forestry andRecreation staffheld a number ofpublic consulta-tions and admin-istered a surveyto serviceproviders andusers of theAdapted andIntegratedPrograms andServices in thecity to find outhow to:

• Create morewelcoming environments forpeople with dis-abilities

• Improve accessibility ofindoor and outdoor facilities

• Develop newprogram ideas

• Increase oppor-tunities for people with disabilities

Getting ServicesRight forTorontonians withDisabilities

The survey will help the

department to optimize

the programs and serv-

ices that are offered to

persons with disabilities

by building a baseline of

those that use the serv-

ices and offer the oppor-

tunity for respondents

to say what services they

would like to see.

A total of 19 focus

groups were held

throughout the city as a

follow up to the

“Reactive Toronto” con-

sultations that were held

in the summer of 2004.

The results of the survey

and the focus groups

will be available as a

final report by the end of

January. According to

Sheila Casemore of the

Ontario March of Dimes

Government Relations

Department who sits on

the Parks, Forestry and

Recreation Steering

Committee chaired by

Lorene Bodiam,

Disability Advocate for

the department, “this is

a big step forward and

we are excited about this

project. We look for-

ward to getting the

results and creating an

action plan.”

“When you look at theissues involved in advo-cating for accessibletransportation inToronto, there’s a worldof opportunity. We sim-ply need the conver-gence of will to turnideas into action,”

according toGovernment Relationsrepresentative, SheilaCasemore.

The City of Toronto'sMunicipal Licensingand Standards Divisioncurrently licenses 75accessible vehicles andis considering licensinganother 10 accessiblevehicles this year and 10more for each of the fol-lowing two years, tomake a total of 105.

These licenses are sepa-rate from the ones thatcab companies currentlyhave for contracts withWheelTrans.

In terms of current serv-ice provision, there aremultiple issues to con-

sider: cost, availability,driver awareness andsensitivity, access to anon-demand service, toname a few.

Of equally importantconcern is the type ofvehicle that the city isconsidering licensing.The city currentlylicenses the side-loadingvans. These vehiclestypically cost $65,000each. At issue is whetheror not the City shouldswitch to the rear-load-

ing cabs, that run from$40,000 -$50,000.

The rear-loading vanloads the passengerfrom the rear of thevehicle from a ramp thatextends onto the road-way.

However, not everyoneagrees with the use of arear-loading van.Consumers and disabili-ty advocates point outseveral pitfalls to thistype of vehicle:

• The passengeris loaded and unloadedfrom the road which is ahazard especially inheavy traffic• Once the pas-senger is on the roadthey have a find a cut in

the sidewalk to be ableto access the sidewalk,which can sometimespose a challenge • In the winterthe passenger will beloaded and unloaded inthe snow and will havesnow banks to consider

when trying to accessthe sidewalk• With this typeof vehicle the passengerhas to ride on the rearaxle which is uncom-fortable at best andpainful at worst• Once in thevehicle there is very lit-tle room to maneuver • In the event ofrear-end collision thepassenger is trapped

But this process reallyserves as a starting point

to elicit feedback fromusers and advocates onall the issues.

Licensing officials previ-ously met with cab own-ers to solicit their views.It's abundantly clear,”Sheila Casemore

explains, “that unlessthe business environ-ment exists (that is,making a profit in pro-viding accessible trans-portation), the servicewill not serve those whoneed it.”

Consultation sessionson accessible trans-portation options inCanada’s largest citycontinue, with the goalof identifying solutionsfor implementationsometime during 2006.

AccessibleTransportation in Toronto

Year In ReviewIncreasingly organi-zations are seeingpeople with disabil-ities as part ofmainstream hiring.More students withdisabilities aregraduating frompostsecondaryinstitutions, andthere are more sup-port stuctures inworkplaces for peo-ple with disabilities.So we have a con-siderably expandedlabour market ofpotential employeswith disabilities,who tend to have alonger view towarda particular organi-zation or position.But we have toencourage organi-zations to go outand find thesepotential employ-ees, and developsupporting mecha-nisms to facilitateorganizations to tapinto this market.The AODA willcertainly helpadvance physicalaccessibility -- mak-ing it possible forfuller particiaptionof people with dis-abilities in theworkforce.J m BirdDirector ofHumanRe ource

Canada Post issuescommemorative stamp

“We have a considerably expanded labourmarket of potentialemployees with disabilities”

Premier MGuinty, OMOD’s SheilaCasemore and volunteer KristenCalis at AODA reception

Ron Kelusky and Minister Bountrogianni atMinister’s Consultation

Rae Report released - contains severalOMOD recommendations

City of Toronto 2005 Human Rights, Access & EquityAwards - OMOD reps on Selection Panel

Year In ReviewRenowned journalist, disability advocate anddear friend ofMarch ofDimes, CityTV'sDavid Onleywas recentlyappointed asChair of thenewAccessibilityStandardsAdvisoryCouncil ofOntario.

CongratulationsDavid!Pictured with Hon.Marie Bountrogianni

The way the envi-ronment for peoplewith disabilities inCanada haschanged dramati-cally over the last25 years, particular-ly from the point ofview that thingsthat were not readi-ly accepted (such as

people with disabil-ities being full par-ticipants in allaspects of life), areno longer debatedor questioned onprinciple or effica-cy. It’s likewomen’sissues...there’s nodebate or question

over whether or notwomen should havejobs or enter cer-tain professions (it’scrazy to think thatthere ever was).

So we’ve certainlymoved a long way,with improvedservices and struc-

tures, and the pas-sage of the AODA.Now we’re up tothe point of figur-ing out how wemake things hap-pen in a structuredway. So at leastwe’re beyond theprinciples. They’reaccepted now.

Certainly in thisrespect there couldn’t be a bettertime to introduce anational Canadianswith DisabilitiesAct.erry uca

Vice Pre dent Progr mDevelopmentChie R kOf icer

VP Ron Kelusky and GRCoordinator StevenChristianson appear beforeBill 118 hearings

On behalf of all of usat Ontario March ofDimes and theG o v e r n m e n tR e l a t i o n sDepartment, have asafe and enjoyableholiday seasons and

Happy New Year. And try to find amoment this season toconsider your broadercommunity – thosewho, with a bit of assis-tance, help make ourcommunities evenstronger.

SeasonsGreetings

The Advocate is produced & published by Ontario March ofDimes’ Government RelationsDepartmentCo-EditorSteven Christianson

Co-EditorSheila Casemore

Art Direction & Design4NPC

ContributorsAndria Spindel, Ron Kelusky, Jim Bird, Jerry Lucas

Student InternWarren Rupnarain

Contact The Advocate at:Ontario March of DimesGovernment Relations10 Overlea Boulevard, Toronto, ON M4H 1A4Phone: 416.425.3463Email: theadvocate@dimes.on.ca© Ontario March of Dimes 2005

All rights reserved. No Part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Ontario Marchof Dimes, or expressly permitted by law. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of theabove should be sent to Government Relations Department, Ontario March of Dimes, at the aboveaddress.