Remembering Onley’s Life and Advocacy for Accessibility, The Agenda TVO

The Agenda with Steve Paikin, host of TVO’s flagship current affairs program, February 3, 2023
The Honourable David C. Onley left a lasting impression on those he met as a friend, as an accessibility advocate, and as a former lieutenant-governor of Ontario. Ontario’s former lieutenant governor, David Onley, left the world at the age of 72. In late 2019, David was rushed to the emergency after a brain scan revealed a tumor at the front of his brain. David is survived by his wife, Ruth Ann, and children, Jonathan, Robert, and Michael. Records show the former governor used a motorized scooter throughout his life after contracting polio as a child and frequently drew on his lived experience when highlighting existing accessibility barriers in all facets of society. David emerged as a champion of disability rights during and after his stint as Ontario’s 28th lieutenant governor. David Charles Onley served as the 28th lieutenant governor of Ontario for seven years till 2014. Before being appointed lieutenant governor, Onley served as the chair of the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council and was a member of the Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centre’s accessibility councils. As the province’s first Lieutenant Governor with a disability, he utilized his vice-regal position to help remove physical barriers to Ontario’s 1.5 million people with disabilities and focus on other issues affecting the disabled, including obstacles to employment and housing. David made history throughout his seven years in office, the advocacy group Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Alliance and helped Campaign for AODA Alliance to give testimony on Bill C-22, the proposed Canada Disability Benefits Act. Records show during his tenure; the governor channeled his passion for access to opportunities into expanding literacy and education programs for Indigenous people in Ontario while emphasizing the importance of reconciliation.