D’AMATO: Is a School a Public Place? Question Affects Boy and His Service Dog

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.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/damato-is-a-school-a-public-place-question-affects-boy-and-his-service-dog/

The Wynne Government’s Current Online Survey of Disability Barriers in Ontario’s Education system Leaves out Many if not the Majority of Barriers Impeding Students with Disabilities in Ontario’s Education System

The AODA Alliance Offers Ways to Fix That Survey.

On June 21, 2017, the AODA Alliance wrote Ontario’s Minister of Accessibility Tracy MacCharles, Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter, and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development Deb Matthews. In that letter, set out below, we identify problems with the Government’s online survey about disability accessibility barriers in Ontario’s education system. The Government launched that survey on May 25, 2017. We offer 10 constructive recommendations to improve the survey and related Government efforts on developing the promised Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/the-wynne-governments-current-online-survey-of-disability-barriers-in-ontarios-education-system-leaves-out-many-if-not-the-majority-of-barriers-impeding-students-with-disabilities-in-ontarios/

Employees With Disabilities Need More Than a Government Strategy, Say Advocates

Advocates and service organizations welcomed the announcement, but the lack of details in the strategy tempered their enthusiasm.

Tobi Muntaz, adult services coordinator at Autism Ontario, said the strategy addresses “fantastic and necessary work.” But she stressed the importance of people finding meaningful and sustainable jobs. “It’s great that we’ve created jobs,” she said, “but are they jobs that people are happy in?”

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/employees-with-disabilities-need-more-than-a-government-strategy-say-advocates/

Mother of Two Disabled Daughters Concerned About Lack of Accessibility at New Foldens Playground

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.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/mother-of-two-disabled-daughters-concerned-about-lack-of-accessibility-at-new-foldens-playground/

We Invite Schools, Colleges, Universities, Early Learning Programs and Job Training Programs in Ontario to Use These Tips for Holding a Public Event to Gather Feedback from Your Organization and the Public on Disability Accessibility Barriers in Our Education System

It is commendable that the Government is encouraging schools, colleges and universities to convene public community events to gather information on the accessibility barriers that students with disabilities face in Ontario’s education system. Recent AODA Alliance Updates explained that the Ontario Government is asking the public to tell it about the disability accessibility barriers that create problems for students with disabilities in Ontario’s education system. Public forums or meetings that educational organizations might organize can really help the Government get public feedback on these education disability accessibility barriers.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/we-invite-schools-colleges-universities-early-learning-programs-and-job-training-programs-in-ontario-to-use-these-tips-for-holding-a-public-event-to-gather-feedback-from-your-organization-and-the/

Ontario’s Deaf-Blind Lack Support, Intervention Options

George Brown College Offers Only Training in Province, Leaving Families with Little Aid Scott Wheeler
The Toronto Star , June 17, 2017

When Serena Reynolds became an intervener for the deaf-blind a decade ago, she stumbled into her career by accident.

Like many, Reynolds didn’t know that thousands of children and adults in Ontario live with the dual disability, made famous by Helen Keller and recognized since 2015 in June, during National Deafblind Awareness Month.

Reynolds went to school to become a child needs worker and struggled to find a job until she came across a listing for interveners.

Toronto Needs New Plan to Be Barrier Free as Accessibility Becomes Law, Says Advocate

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.

Maayan Ziv is the founder of AccessNow, an app that finds and rates accessibility of restaurants and stores, found out a place where she used to buy shawarma on Spadina Avenue is no longer barrier free.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/toronto-needs-new-plan-to-be-barrier-free-as-accessibility-becomes-law-says-advocate/

Accessibility News June 17,2017 Update

Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/acnewsca

Inclusive Media and Design Inc is a proud supporter of Accessibility News.

Inclusive is ready to caption and video describe all your video for web, DVD, and computer desktop. They can also assist you in understanding and implementing Ontario’s AODA Integrated Standards’ media requirements. Consider having them check that any of your new web site content is compliant with an Accessibility Audit.

Visit http://www.inclusivemedia.ca to find out more.

The AODA Clock is Ticking

There are 7 years, 28 weeks, 3 days until a fully Accessible Ontario! Will you be compliant?

In this Issue

Before July 14, 2017 Please Fill Out the Ontario Government’s Survey of Disability Accessibility Barriers that Hurt Students with Disabilities in Ontario’s Education System – Here Are Great Tips to Help You

We strongly encourage you to fill out the Wynne Government’s online survey on accessibility barriers facing students with disabilities in Ontario’s education system, by the July 14, 2017 deadline. Please fill it out whether you are now or have ever been a student with a disability in Ontario, a parent or friend of a student with a disability, a teacher or other staff member in Ontario’s education system, a disability professional who has worked with students with disabilities, or if you have in any way have knowledge about the disability accessibility barriers that students with disabilities face in Ontario’s education system.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/before-july-14-2017-please-fill-out-the-ontario-governments-survey-of-disability-accessibility-barriers-that-hurt-students-with-disabilities-in-ontarios-education-system-here-are-great-tips-t/

Supreme Court Rules on the Application of Human Rights Protections to Persons with Addictions Disabilities in Safety-Sensitive Employment Contexts

CCD/EC made submissions regarding the barriers in the workplace faced by persons with addictions disabilities including the challenges of disclosing their disability-related needs for accommodation. CCD/EC also made arguments regarding the scope of the employer’s duty to accommodate including in circumstances where the employee’s failure to disclose their disability is itself disability-related.

Read more at
http://www.aoda.ca/supreme-court-rules-on-the-application-of-human-rights-protections-to-persons-with-addictions-disabilities-in-safety-sensitive-employment-contexts/