Candidates for All Three Major Parties in the Scarborough Sept. 1 Ontario By-election Have Now answered the AODA Alliance's Accessibility Questionnaire

Below is a copy of an email I received outlining the responses from the three major party candidates in Scarborough-Rouge River to the AODA's questionnaire.




1. August 30, 2016 Email to the AODA Alliance  from the Liberal Candidate in
the Scarborough-Rouge River By-election, Piragal Thiru



Hi there,

In response to your survey, please find below a statement from Piragal.

I apologize for the delay in response.

Thank you and kind regards.

"Having had personal experience with accessibility policy, regulations, and
advocacy, I greatly appreciate the contributions of our community's
passionate and knowledgeable accessibility advocates. For a number of years,
I worked as a Planner for Accessible Services for York Region, where I led a
department in the implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with
Disabilities Act ("AODA").

"An accessible Ontario is one where every individual who resides in or
visits the province can participate in our society. If elected, I will take
my professional expertise to Queen's Park to help this government achieve
its goal of an accessible province by 2025, and I pledge to be responsive to
community advocates who are helping to make Ontario a better, more inclusive
place for persons with disabilities.

"I fully support the AODA and the goal of an accessible Ontario by 2025.
Like our government, I am committed to improving enforcement and compliance
efforts as an important contribution to this goal. I pledge to work to
assist organizations in removing barriers for people with disabilities and
to help prevent the imposition of new barriers. I am proud of the
government's work to date, but I know there is more work to be done to
improve compliance among obligated organizations and ensure that all public
facilities and projects help us fulfill our goal. Enforcement efforts and
public education are both critical to this effort.

"Premier Wynne's government has begun work to develop a health accessibility
standard. With stakeholders and impacted organizations, the government is
working to identify and correct barriers within the health care system and
make our public system more accessible for all Ontarians. While our
education system is not perfect, I know many students are very well served
by existing accessibility and special education services. We are committed
to continuous improvement of these services going forward.

"At our campaign office, we continue to make every effort to accommodate
everyone, regardless of ability, and our dedicated team is on hand to offer
accessible customer service to everyone who enters the office.

"I would also like to recognize the contributions of the AODA Alliance and
their ongoing commitment to working alongside the provincial government.
Much progress has been made, but there is of course more to be done. While
Ontario faces both challenges and opportunities in reaching its
accessibility goals, I look forward to the opportunity, if elected, to
advocate on behalf of the residents of Scarborough-Rouge River in my role as
MPP."

--Piragal Thiru, Ontario Liberal Party Candidate, Scarborough-Rouge River



2. August 29, 2016 Response to the AODA Alliance from Progressive
Conservative Candidate Raymond Cho



AODA Alliance Questionnaire

Ontario PC Candidate Raymond Cho

August 29, 2016



1.         The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires
the Ontario Government to become fully accessible to people with
disabilities by 2025. Do you support that law, and its goal of full
accessibility by 2025, and will you oppose any efforts to weaken it or
measures under it?



The Ontario PC Party believes that every Ontarian has the right to lead his
or her life to its fullest potential - regardless of their abilities or
disabilities. Whether addressing standards for public housing, health care,
employment or education, we have a responsibility to remove the barriers
that prevent those with disabilities from participating more fully in their
communities.



As a result, we support the goal of the AODA to make Ontario fully
accessible by 2025. As the Official Opposition, our goal is to hold Premier
Wynne accountable to her commitment to make Ontario fully accessible by
2025.



2.         Will you support the call by people with disabilities for the
Ontario Government to develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, to make Ontario's
education system fully accessible to students, parents, and education staff
with disabilities, including the 334,000 students with special education
needs in Ontario-funded schools?



The Ontario PC Party is currently undergoing the largest and most inclusive
policy consultation process in our Party's history. We want to hear from
those involved on the ground floor - including the AODA Alliance - about how
to build a better province. We are open to any and every idea to bridge
society's gap regarding persons with disabilities, and better employ and
support persons with disabilities.



3.         Will you support the call by people with disabilities for the
Government to act now to keep its promise to effectively enforce the
Disabilities Act, and to reveal its plans for enforcing this important law?



The Ontario PC Party supports the push for an Ontario that is accessible for
persons with disabilities. We hope the government takes this matter
seriously and leads by example by ensuring that all government buildings and
institutions are accessible. As the Official Opposition, our goal is to hold
Premier Wynne accountable to her commitment to make Ontario fully accessible
by 2025.



4.         Will you support the call by people with disabilities for the
Government to now implement effective action to ensure that public money is
never used to create new barriers against people with disabilities, or to
perpetuate existing barriers?

The Ontario PC Party believes that no new public money should be used to
create new barriers against people with disabilities, or to perpetuate
existing barriers. As MPP, I would work tirelessly to ensure the Liberal
Government is not creating further obstacles for my constituents in
Scarborough-Rouge River.



Ontario's New Democrats strongly support the principle that public money
should never be spent to create additional barriers for people with
disabilities.



5.         Will you promise not to attend any all-candidates debates unless
they are in an accessible location for voters with disabilities to attend
and take part?



All-candidates debates are an important forum for the exchange of ideas, and
serve an important purpose in informing voters about the important ballot
issues.  We believe that everyone, regardless of their disability, should
have the right to participate in important community town hall discussions.
If an Ontario PC Party candidate is informed that a town-hall location isn't
accessible to those with disabilities, we will take appropriate action to
ensure they can still participate in the discussion. We commit to raising
concerns about any debate locations that are not accessible and will push to
have them moved to other locations that meet accessibility requirements.



6.         Have you ensured that your campaign office has full disability
accessibility?



Unfortunately the rented space where our office is located does not have an
automatic door opener. With that said, we do permanently leave the campaign
office door open during office hours to ensure sufficient access. We believe
the office to be accessible in all other ways.



3. August 25, 2016 Response to the AODA Alliance from New Democratic Party
Candidate Neethan Shan



1. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires the
Ontario Government to become fully accessible to people with disabilities by
2025. Do you support that law, and its goal of full accessibility by 2025,
and will you oppose any efforts to weaken it or measures under it?



Ontario's New Democrats and I fully support the Accessibility for Ontarians
with Disabilities Act and its requirement that the Ontario Government become
fully accessible to people with disabilities by 2025. Kathleen Wynne's
Liberals have been dragging their feet when it comes to fully implementing
and enforcing all aspects of the Act and even ensuring that the government
itself complies with this legislation. Ontario's New Democrats and I fully
understand how important enforcement and compliance are when it comes to
removing barriers faced by people with disabilities.



Ontario's New Democrats and I also strongly support the principle that
public money should never be spent to create additional barriers for people
with disabilities. The government should immediately and fully enforce and
comply with the AODA and any public contracts, particularly for those
related to infrastructure, should come with a guarantee of accessibility and
at the very minimum they should not perpetuate existing barriers. I am
committed to do everything in my power to ensure that this happens.



2. Will you support the call by people with disabilities for the Ontario
Government to develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, to make Ontario's
education system fully accessible to students, parents, and education staff
with disabilities, including the 334,000 students with special education
needs in Ontario-funded schools?



The need for universal, equitable, public education is at the core of the
values that Ontario's New Democrats and I most strongly believe in.  The
education system must be truly accessible to all Ontarians and that includes
doing the hard work to remove systemic barriers faced by people with
disabilities.  The Wynne government has failed to prioritize making
education accessible and New Democrats will continue to fight for compliance
with the AODA.



3. Will you support the call by people with disabilities for the Government
to act now to keep its promise to effectively enforce the Disabilities Act,
and to reveal its plans for enforcing this important law?



Andrea Horwath and Ontario's New Democrats have repeatedly called on the
Wynne government to implement and enforce all aspects of the AODA.  The
Wynne government has failed to comply with its own legislation and continues
to delay on the very important goal of making Ontario truly accessible. As
your MPP I would be committed to doing everything in my power to push the
Liberal Government to action on this important issue.



4. Will you support the call by people with disabilities for the Government
to now implement effective action to ensure that public money is never used
to create new barriers against people with disabilities, or to perpetuate
existing barriers?



Ontario's New Democrats strongly support the principle that public money
should never be spent to create additional barriers for people with
disabilities. The government should immediately and fully enforce and comply
with the AODA and any public contracts, particularly for those related to
infrastructure, should come with a guarantee of accessibility and at the
very minimum they should not perpetuate existing barriers. I am committed to
do everything in my power to ensure that this happens.



5. Will you promise not to attend any all-candidates debates unless they are
in an accessible location for voters with disabilities to attend and take
part?



While we cannot make specific promises about individual debates without
detailed information about those debates Neethan and Ontario's New Democrats
believe that debates must be held at locations that are fully accessible for
all Ontarians.  We fully commit to raising concerns about any debate
locations that are not accessible and will push to have them moved to other
locations that meet accessibility requirements.



6. Have you ensured that your campaign office has full disability
accessibility?



Unfortunately the building where our office is located does not have an
automatic door opener however all of the team members in the office have
been alerted to this issue in order to ensure that they are consistently
checking to see if someone needs help to enter the building. In addition we
do have several regular volunteers who use wheelchairs and they have been
able to access the office with little to no difficulty. We believe the
office to be accessible in all other ways.

0-2

I've taken the last few days to look back on my second time as a candidate for the office of Trustee for Ward 5 - York Centre at the Toronto District School Board. Those that have come up to me in the days following the election to inform me that I had their vote have left me in awe. Thank you, all.I ran a campaign that did not receive the organizational support of a single political party, labour union or incumbent local politician. Perhaps that is why my vote total dipped to the degree that it did. Josh Donaldson could not do what he does without Edwin Encarnacion hitting behind him. And it is very difficult for any would be politician to get themselves elected without those heavy hitters behind them.

I set out to speak to four particular points:

(1) Excellent education for all. The TDSB has failed to meet the many special needs of students. My daughter is not the only student being failed by our public system. I endeavoured to put her issues on the proverbial table. I did. Our Trustee elect had reached out to me and expressed an interest in working together going forward.

(2) Reviewing pathways and catchments. This perhaps became the most controversial of my campaign promises. But I do stand by it. Choice in education is necessary. With a total of fifteen new trustees and new Board Chair since the last general election the TDSB has a greater opportunity than ever before to address a solution to this problem.

(3) Fiscal responsibility. While the issue did garner me some attention it will be up to the new trustees and Chair to address the necessary reallocation of funds. If her campaign was any indication this will be a priority for our trustee-elect.

(4) Accountability. With new mandates in Wards 1 and 5, trustees are being given an opportunity to prove they can be trusted. I pray they do not disappoint.

I want my supporters to know I do know I do not see my result as the proverbial end. We ran a campaign that maintained integrity in an effort to a give a voice to the voiceless. To that end I believe we achieved.

I will allow Trustee-Elect Lulka to do her job during the course of her mandate. However, I have been to doors across my community. I can no longer turn a blind eye to a failure of representation. Trustee-Elect Lulka has been given as opportunity to do better than her predecessor and we should all respect the decision of the electorate and allow her to do that.

I do want to acknowledge that our incoming Trustee has reached out to me following the campaign. And this is a tremendous start. As I remain the representative for our area at the TDSB's special education advisory committee (SEAC), I believe this demonstrates she is prepared to make children with special needs a priority. There is still so much to be done and the next two years are already under way.

Jordan Glass Parent in TDSB Ward 5 - York Centre

Why Governor Kasich is the LGBT Republican choice

Governor John Kasich came out on Monday (no pun intended) as the only viable choice for LGBT Republican. And he did it by doing what LGBT conservatives have been asking for spanning years now. He asked his own party to just move on.

While other popular candidates play into the meme portrayed by the left Governor Kasich was demonstrating that conservative leaders do not have to pander to the social conservative minority.

During a campaign stop at the University of Virginia the Governor did not shy away from a question pertaining to equality in marriage. The Governor responded that his personal religious beliefs do not allow him to support marriage between same-sex couples. However, the court has ruled and as such he has "moved on". He suggested social conservatives in his own party do the same.

Front runner Donald Trump, possibly Canadian Ted Cruz, and establishment choice Marco Rubio have all expressed disagreement wih the Governor's position.

In praise of LGBTory

Listen people, everyone knows the Conservative Party of Canada is late to the proverbial Pride party. But that does not mean they should not be invited to it.

This previous summer LGBTory was almost shut out of Capital Pride in Ottawa, but such a prospect never should have been on the table, because this issue of equality should never have been a political one. I think most Conservatives would accept that it was their party that had initially most this issue political. It was the leadership of Stockwell Day and (yes) Stephen Harper that fought against equality for the LGBT community. (Note: To Mr. Harper's credit, he does carry a record of fighting for the international LGBT community with former Member of Parliament John Baird at his side; especially for a party who once boasted a prominent MP who stated, "Why do gays have to be out there in public, always debating that they want to call it marriage? Why are they dressed up as women on floats?")

But those days seem to be in the past. The record of the Harper government is unmatched in fighting for LGBT rights (an argument can be made for Pierre Trudeau's removal of homosexuality from the criminal code). And with a party now in opposition and heading toward a leadership election, Rona Ambrose, the Party's interim leader, and Michelle Rempel, who is rumoured to be considering a bid for the Party's 'permanent' leadership, are proudly marching at the front of the pack with LGBTory to bravely entrench same-sex marriage in the party's official policy.

There will be those who identify with other parties that will be intent on a knee-jerk response to paint the Conservative Party as 'johnny-come-latelies' (perhaps they may be), but that misses the point; that being the necessity to allow opposition to equality in marriage for the LGBT community to be swept into the dust bin of history.

It should also be noted that Patrick Brown, leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, demonstrated his support by being the first sitting PC leader to walk with a Conservative delegation of this size in Toronto Pride. Potential federal leadership candidates Michael Chong and Kellie Leitch have also expressed their support.

I ask people to join me. Commend the Conservative Party of Canada for accepting this movement by LGBTory. They have earned it.

The Ombuds query

During my campaign I advocated for a TDSB ombuds. I continue to believe the Board would benefit greatly. So I must express some confusion as to how this how not an issue that has arisen during the ongoing TDSB by-election in Ward 21 - Scarborough--Rouge River.

The reality of such a position is that it only comes with advantages to students, parents, and the Board. A specific ombuds would centralize a role that is currently a patchwork of bureaucrats; allowing for consistent responses to similar issues. The Board would also give families a clear route once an issue is not satisfactory to them with the additional charge of reporting to the Board.

I am supportive of an Ombudsman role. I know some of the current trustees are, as well.

However, if students and parents truly want to advance this agenda it is necessary to speak up. There has been no better time outside the current by-election. Yes, Scarborough--Rouge River, this one is on you. You alone, have the ability to speak up for students and parents across Toronto. Do not waste it.

Information: Additional P.A. Day

An additional Professional Activity Day (P.A. Day) that has been added to the calendars of all schools in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).

All TDSB schools will have a newly designated P.A. Day on Friday, April 15, 2016. This additional P.A. Day has been mandated by the Ministry of Education as a result of provincial labour negotiations.

All TDSB schools will be closed to students on Friday, April 15, 2016. On this day, teachers will be taking part in professional development on provincial education priorities identified by the Minister of Education.

Most Before-and-After School Programs will offer full-day care for children currently registered in their program on the P.A. Day. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to speak to their local child care provider for further details.

The remainder of the 2015-2016 school year calendar remains unaffected. As always, details on the school year calendar can be found on the TDSB website at:
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/AboutUs/Calendar

National Inclusive Education Month

Inclusive education means that all students attend and are welcomed by their neighbourhood schools in age-appropriate, regular classes and are supported to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of the life of the school. Inclusive education is about how we develop and design our schools, classrooms, programs and activities so that all students learn and participate together.

Community Living Toronto is proud to sponsor the “Fifteenth Annual Awards for Inclusive Education”. This award is given to recognize outstanding practices in inclusion within the school system. Awards will be given to both the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board.

This year awards will be given to educators who demonstrate a belief in inclusive education by:

¨       Promoting the rights of all children in the neighbourhood, including those with an intellectual disability, to attend their local school and receive a quality education

¨       Supporting, encouraging and facilitating the inclusion of children with an intellectual disability within an appropriate grade classroom

¨       Assisting the student to achieve their full potential by ensuring necessary classroom accommodations and curriculum modifications occur

¨       Providing and modelling a welcoming, accepting environment that ensures the student does not remain or become socially isolated

¨       Valuing the unique contribution of all students

¨      Welcoming and encouraging the involvement of parents and/or others knowledgeable about disability issues

For further information please contact:

Mia McGowan at 416-438-1165 ext 222 or mmcgowan@cltoronto.ca

http://cltoronto.ca/15th-annual-award-for-inclusive-education-call-for-nominations/