~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
URGENT & CURRENT CWDO News
November 14, 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
(CWDO) actively promotes the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of persons with disabilities through community development, social action, and member support and referral. Our primary activity is public education and awareness about the social and physical barriers that prevent the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ontario.
CWDO is proud to be Ontario's representative at the Council of Canadians with Disabilities since June, 2009.
|
Follow CWDO on Twitter at
Join the CWDO community on Facebook at
|
|
Community Attendant Services in Scarborough: Udo Franz' Legacy
~ excerpted and adapted from an article by George Gamester, Columnist, The Toronto Star, originally published October 11, 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the story of how a severely disabled Torontonian made a $35 million dream come true... and left a legacy in Scarborough.
 | Udo Franz
|
It begins one autumn evening at York University in 1984. Thirty-something Udo Franz, born with muscular dystrophy, is waiting for the Wheel-Trans bus to get him home to his North York apartment. He is joined at the bus stop by another student in a wheelchair, Helen (Bobby) Sarlina. Udo and Bobby have killed a lot of time together, waiting for Wheel-Trans.
Conversation turns to the high cost and poor quality of personal services available to people with disabilities; to the problems of finding adequate housing with wheelchair access, and to the stultifying institutional atmosphere in the places they live.
"You know what we ought to do?" declares Udo. "Put up our own building, designed for our needs - then bring in our own staff to help us."
"Yes," says Bobby. "That would be a dream."
A dream that was born that night in the heart and mind of Udo Franz. A dream inflated, debated, propagated, embellished and refined by seven other York students with disabilities who often get together with Udo while waiting for the Wheel-Trans bus.
After graduating with a degree in public policy administration that leads to a banking job, Udo stays in touch with the group from the bus stop, proposing they make a pitch to the Ontario government for a project which would combine housing and support services to the disabled, with tenants running the place.
The Aldebrain group is born. Now the battle begins.
With Udo, a wheeler-dealer on wheels leading the fight, it takes six years of proposals, rejections, turmoil, politics, anguish and bureaucratic delays. Finally, in 1990, Bob Rae's NDP government guarantees $35 million in bank loans for design and construction.
And guess who's in charge? Udo, of course. Udo insisted on temporary ramps being built to give him total access to the building throughout the construction phase. And they did. Zooming around the Scarborough construction site in his wheelchair and hard hat, Udo accompanies the builders every step of the way to ensure every possible accessible amenity is installed - from extra-wide hallways (so two people in wheelchairs can pass) to drive-in bathroom showers.
Today, the 12-storey, 243-unit Aldebrain Tower at Lawrence Ave. E. and Birchmount Rd. in Scarborough is a state-of-the-art operation, accommodating 850 residents (speaking 20 languages) in a harmonious mix of able-bodied and physically disabled tenants living independently. Attendant Services are provided by Access Independent Living Services.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People with disabilities now wait up to eight years for accessible housing with attendant services. What legacy could you bring to life to address this excessively long waiting time?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please share YOUR stories of legacy makers in your own community. Email them to CWDO c/o Tracy Odell, at my-universe@rogers.com and we will publish them in future newsletters.
|
| Government Consultation on Cellphones and Other Mobile Devices
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) launched a public consultation to obtain Canadians' views on a new code for retail wireless services, such as cellphones and other personal mobile devices. Following this consultation, a public hearing will begin on January 28, 2013, in Gatineau, Que.
CRTC's News Release
Wireless devices include cell phones, smart phones, PADs, Tablets, etc. Issues include access for persons with disabilities with recognition that access to a person who is blind is different from that of a person who is deaf, which is different to that of a person with limited or no dexterity or fine motor skills, etc.
Canadians are invited to share their views on:
- The terms and conditions that should be addressed by a code for cellphones and mobile devices
- to whom the code should apply
- how the code should be enforced, and
- how the code's effectiveness should be assessed.
DEADLINE December 4, 2012.
|
|
Accessibility Training Resources
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The Accessibility Directorate of Ontario has launched a new website providing comprehensive training resources to support the new accessibility regulation. A few resources are already posted, and many others are coming soon. Sign up for updates at: http://www.accessforward.ca/
- Also coming soon: Ontario Human Rights Code - Working Together training module. The training module on the Code as it relates to people with disabilities was developed to address the requirement under section 7 of the IASR. It will soon be available at the Ontario Human Rights Commission website.
|
| Getting Back to Work: The Challenges of Succeeding, Striving and Disclosing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OTTAWA: Come join Reach Canada for an information "Brown Bag Lunch and Learn" on Tuesday, November 27th as we look at the challenges of managing a disability in the workforce. A few hot topics of discussion include:
- What and how much do I need to disclose?
- Does my employer have a duty to accommodate? That does that mean practically?
- Do I have a right to time off/leave? Do I have a right to my job on my return?
- How should I plan for my return to work? What happens if I have a set-back?
- And more...
This event will be held at the Jack Purcell Community Centre, 320 Jack Purcell Lane in Room 201, which is fully accessible. ASL Interpreting provided. Please request by November 19th. If you would like to register or want more information, please contact Paula at: (613) 236-6636,
fax: (613) 236-6605, email: paulaagulnik@reach.ca
More info at Reach Canada Lunch and Learn.
The registration fees are $10 for Seniors/Students; $20 for general admission; $50 for Social/Health Services Agencies; $75 for Government/Corporate Lawyers.
About the Speakers:
David Yazbeck is a partner at Raven, Cameron, Ballantyne and Yazbec LLP. David's practice includes labour relations and human rights, Charter litigation and employment law.
Lisa Mannimen is a registered occupational therapist with over 10 years experience serving clients with neurological, psychological, physical and cognitive disabilities and injuries. Lisa provides services to people in many settings including the automobile insurance sector, private and public employers and the WSIB system.
Chaudry Semalulu started work in the Federal public service in 2009 as a project officer in Diversity/Employment Equity at Health Canada.
Chaudry was diagnosed with Lupus in 2007. He was absent from work for a period of 18 months and returned to work on Sunlife's gradual return to work program in September of this year.
|
| Employers Needed for Online Consultation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
| Aging with a Disability Conference
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Maintaining Independence Our Way" is a Conference for both consumers and service providers sponsored by the Center for Independent Living in Toronto.
- Thursday November 29, 2012
- 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- 49 McCaul Street, Toronto, OCAD Building, Red Lab
For more information, contact Carling at 416-599-2458, ext. 270,
by TTY at 416-599-5077, or email carling.barry@cilt.ca
|
| SPIN Conference
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Strength-Based Parenting Initiative, SPIN, is having a conference for parents, prospective parents with disabilities and service providers.
- Wednesday November 29, 2012
- 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- 49 McCaul Street, Toronto, OCAD University
To register please contact Melanie at 416-599-2458. |
| Recruitment Begins for Committee to Review the Customer Service Standard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ontario Government is looking for individuals who want to play a leadership role in improving accessibility for people with disabilities and help organizations meet the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and accessibility standards.
In response to recommendations made by Mr. Charles Beer in the first independent review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the government is streamlining and strengthening the standards development process.
To do this, the role of the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council will be expanded to include the work of the standards development committee. This one body will advise the Minister on issues related to accessibility and will develop proposed accessibility standards and review existing ones.
Recruitment for new members will begin in October 2012 and the committee will be up and running in 2013. Individuals are encouraged to apply for membership on the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council through the Public Appointments Secretariat website. Members of the Council will be cross-appointed to the standards development committee responsible for reviewing the Customer Service Standard.
|
| Ideas Worth Copying!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- The Canadian Hearing Society in Toronto offers a offers Walk-In Employment Service every Wednesday morning. Simply show up at 271 Spadina Road, Toronto. First come first served. Bring your resume and SIN card.
|
| Inclusive Education Webinar Series
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 2012-13 Inclusive Education webinar series is being hosted by
Community Living Ontario's Community Inclusion Initiative. The second webinar series starts October 10th, 7:30-9pm EDT.
These free webinars are on the subject of inclusive education from the international perspective all the way down to practical tools that can be employed in trying to advocate for children and students with intellectual disabilities.
The webinars are free of charge and space is limited to 100 people.
Learn how to participate at
|
| OAD's 60th Biennial Convention
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ontario Association of the Deaf is Canada's oldest Deaf non-profit consumer organization. The convention is called "working together" and will be held on Saturday, October 13, 2012 in Mississauga.
Congrats, OAD, on turning 60!
|
21 Apartments Available for Deaf Consumers
(Greater Toronto Area)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One- and two-bedroom apartments are available at Victoria Park and Sheppard.
It is a 20 story high rise building that is currently being built and will be ready for occupancy in January 2013. The landlord has made 21 apartments available for Deaf consumers at affordable prices.
If you are interested in knowing more information, please contact Chris Geobey at: cgeobey@bobrumball.org or phone at (416) 449-2728 (TTY)
Please note some income restrictions do apply for these units.
|
|
|
|
|
Your Contributions are Needed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CWDO does not currently charge any membership fees. We have no staff, and all our activities are carried out by volunteer board members and individual CWDO members.
We have grown to the point where we could use some paid, staffing support to do administration related to our activities. We need to raise our own funds to do this.
Please consider funding CWDO.
CWDO is not a charity, so tax receipts can not be issued.
Time and talent are valuable contributions, too! Please get involved with one of our committees. Details on committee activities can be found on our website.
Together we are stronger. |
| Quick Links...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
| Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
|
|
