Canada is creating an inclusive society
Nevertheless, there is still work to be done.
AccessAbility Week in Canada is over. Accessibility, or AccessAbility is an opportunity for people with physical disabilities to fully realize themselves in society, not to feel "on the sidelines," to play a prominent role, to receive an education.
David Lepofsky, chairman of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, says the province is behind on its goal of making Ontario fully accessible by 2025.
Lepofsky, as head of the Alliance, is critical of the provincial government. It seems to him that the province is not doing enough for people who need help from others.
"We need politicians at all levels to do more than make flowery speeches about how committed they are to the needs of people with disabilities," he said. "We need them to actually do something, and if they do nothing, then the week becomes a hollow exercise."
In 2005, the Ontario government unanimously passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The Act calls for the province to be fully accessible by 2025.
Alliance chairman, however, authoritatively states that the province still has a lot to do to really create the most comfortable environment possible.
"We are way behind schedule and the Ford government does not have a plan to get us to that goal by 2025," Lepofsky commented critically.
Lepofsky wants Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility to meet with his organization. He says he's already been asking for a meeting for at least two years and that the minister's office has not responded to his emails.
In response to Lepofsky's criticism, a ministry spokesperson said the province has made "unprecedented investments in infrastructure, health care, education and other services to make Ontario more accessible."
The response also stated that the province is spending CAD 6.5 million to help people with disabilities find jobs.
This weekend Canada switches to winter time
A new era for Canadian athletes
Canada celebrates its National Day and reflec...
Rising inflation in May threatens rate cuts i...
Canada Prepares for a Sharp Increase in the E...
High Auto Insurance Rates for Immigrants Spar...
Canadian intelligence raises alarm: China's i...
Canada continues to attract skilled professio...
How the food supply chain in Canada works and...
The mysterious disappearance of a taxidermy g...
The remains of a mysterious ship have been fo...
Saskatchewan raises age limit for tobacco pur...
One of the programs benefiting from that money is the Canadian National Institute for the Blind Foundation's Come to Work program.
According to Thomas Simpson, the institute's executive director, the program helps people who are blind, visually impaired or deaf-blind acquire the skills they need to get a job.
roughly 1.5 million Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, 31.5 per cent have a full-time job. But the biggest barrier to employment for them is unconscious stigma. It is precisely this that the institute is working to eliminate.
