Lack of concerted action from governments and health authorities is putting the lives of people with disabilities at greater risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC).
Monthly Archives: May 2020
Ford Government Acknowledges Ontario Students with Disabilities Face Added Hardships Trying to learn at Home During COVID-19 But Announces No Comprehensive Plan to Remove the Added Disability Barriers that Online Learning Creates for Them
Today, as the first media question at Premier Doug Ford’s Queen’s Park COVID-19 briefing, the Toronto Star told the premier that parents of special needs children have told the Star that they are particularly struggling at this time and that the Government needs to take a leading role in making sure that their children are being served during the school shutdown. Since schools are now closed until the end of the school year, the Star asked what the Government is doing to help these families and to ensure that school boards are meeting these students’ needs.
Bond Head Residents Frustrated with Dilapidated Sidewalks
While Bond Head resident Dave Morton is glad to see the town taking action to ensure the safety of pedestrians in the downtown core, he is left wondering why, after years of complaints and letters to council, the rough-looking sidewalks in Bond Head have never been replaced.
In a letter to Mayor Rob Keffer and Coun. Ron Orr earlier this week, he attached three photos of the dilapidated sidewalks in Bond Head, and asked why they were not included in the town’s Road Safety and AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) audit, which was presented at the May 19 council meeting.
Read more at
https://aoda.ca/bond-head-residents-frustrated-with-dilapidated-sidewalks/
Qualifying for the CERB Can Put Ontarians With Disabilities in a Tricky Financial Spot
Confusion around the Ontario Disability Support Program during the pandemic put writer Meagan Gillmore in a financial bind.
Recently, the Ontario government has made it even more difficult for them to self-isolate and afford basic needs, even if they qualify for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
Read more at
https://aoda.ca/qualifying-for-the-cerb-can-put-ontarians-with-disabilities-in-a-tricky-financial-spot/
Accessibility News May 16,2020 Update
Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/acnewsca
AbleDocs Inc. is excited to be joining the Accessibility News team to ensure all documents are made accessible and compliant.
AbleDocs is the only organization to guarantee the compliance of the files we produce and back that up with a $10,000,000 guarantee.
We look forward to working with you and Accessibility News for years to come. For more details, please come to https://www.abledocs.com for more information about our revolutionary approach to document accessibility.
The AODA Clock is Ticking
There are 4 years, 32 weeks, 6 days until a fully Accessible Ontario! Will you be compliant?
Why Coronavirus May Make the World More Accessible
With millions under lockdown, many non-disabled people are experiencing, for the first time, how it feels to have external barriers preventing you from participating in everyday life.
But although countries around the world have put policies and practices in place to make public spaces, workplaces and other aspects of society more accessible, many barriers still exist for people with disabilities.
Read more at
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com/why-coronavirus-may-make-the-world-more-accessible/
The ARCH Disability Law Centre Sends the Ford Government An Excellent Analysis of the Government’s Seriously Flawed March 28, 2020 Medical Triage Protocol
Hasn’t The Government Already Held Its Promised and Overdue Public Consultation on Replacing That Problem-Ridden Protocol?
Remote Workers with Disabilities After the COVID-19 Pandemic
In the post-COVID-19 future, more employers may learn how job performance improves when workers’ diverse needs are met. Consequently, more employers may continue to use diverse work strategies and hire workers with disabilities.
Read more at
https://aoda.ca/remote-workers-with-disabilities-after-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Premier Ford Pledged to Protect the Most Vulnerable During the COVID-19 Crisis
Watch Online and Widely Circulate the May 8, 2020 Interview on TVO’s “The Agenda with Steve Paikin” Showing How Premier Ford is Repeatedly Failing to Protect Vulnerable Ontarians with Disabilities
Read more at
https://aoda.ca/premier-ford-pledged-to-protect-the-most-vulnerable-during-the-covid-19-crisis/