Important events that impact people with disabilities in the news
Michelle McQuigge, The Canadian Press, CBC News, March 8, 2019 The accessibility law that took effect in Ontario 14 years ago and has served as a blueprint for similar legislation in other parts of Canada has fallen well short of its goals and continues to leave disabled residents facing daily, “soul-crushing” barriers, a former lieutenant…
Rosa Marchitelli, Edmonton, CBC news, February 24, 2019 A woman with disabilities is fighting back after she was told not to return to a popular No Frills grocery store unless she brought help – because she couldn’t pack her groceries fast enough. When Linda Rolston complained to head office, Loblaw offered the Alberta woman $100…
Manitoba Disabilities Issues Office, February 20, 2019 In January 2018, The Manitoba Government appointed Theresa Harvey Pruden to conduct a mandatory review of the effectiveness of The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA). The independent review focused on the processes, structures and activities undertaken in carrying out the purposes of the AMA, such as the accessibility…
Martin Regg Cohn, Ontario Politics Columnist, The Toronto Star, February 8, 2019 We all complain, habitually and self-pityingly, about punishing snowfalls. Especially lately. But for David Onley, the snow banks and other barriers never truly melt away. Last year, he was appointed to conduct a formal review of accessibility in Ontario and he has just…
Victoria Bibson, The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2019 Both the Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance (AODA) called on Education Minister Lisa Thompson to hold a summit of key stakeholders – including parents, teachers, principals, school boards and students – where they can discuss possible legislation and…
Shachi Kurl, Executive Director, Angus Reid Institute, January 22, 2019 Seven-in-ten Canadians say universal accessibility should be the goal for newly constructed buildings. A new study from the Angus Reid Institute, conducted in partnership with the Rick Hansen Foundation, finds more than two-thirds of Canadians expressing concern that someone in their lives will face such…
Greg Thomson, Author at Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, January 18, 2019 Pervading this brief is a fundamentally important question: Why is Ontario so far behind schedule for becoming accessible by 2025? How did Ontario find itself in this predicament over 13.5 years after the AODA was enacted, and less than 6 years before…
Carlos Sosa, member of the Board of Inclusion Winnipeg, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Manitoba Office, January 17, 2019 Recently the Manitoba Government made a decision to reject a core funding application from the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) for the 2018-19 fiscal year. It can be very difficult for an organization to…
Karina Brown, Courthouse News Service (CNS), January 15, 2019 Guillermo Robles, a blind man, filed a federal lawsuit against Domino’s in September 2016, claiming the company thwarted him twice when he attempted to order a customized pizza. Its website and mobile app didn’t work with screen-reading software, which vocalizes visual information on websites. The company…
Caroline Alphonso, Education Reporter, The Globe and Mail, January 6, 2019 A Globe and Mail analysis found that families with children who have intellectual and developmental disabilities are increasingly being asked to pick up kids early, start the school day later or simply keep them home for days. Most school districts don’t formally track these…
