# data[].attributes.body
Are Canadians with various abilities being accurately represented in the media?

# data[].attributes.headline
Government of Canada helps Canadians with Disabilities 

# data[].attributes.subject
Government of Canada helps Canadians with Disabilities 

# data[].attributes.body
Why is it important for people with various abilities to gain job skills?

# data[].attributes.headline
Saving for Rebecca’s Future with the RDSP

# data[].attributes.subject
Saving for Rebecca’s Future with the RDSP

# data[].attributes.body
Canada Offers People with Disabilities a Registered Disability Savings Plan

# data[].attributes.headline
Air Canada Turns Away Passenger with Wheelchair

# data[].attributes.subject
Air Canada Turns Away Passenger with Wheelchair

# data[].attributes.body
Should a wheelchair be compared to luggage?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TORONTO - A Toronto man is accusing an airline of discrimination after he says he was barred from a flight because his wheelchair is about 13 centimetres too tall for the plane's cargo area.

Tim Rose, 31, said he was told he wouldn't be able to fly on an Air Canada flight this September to Cleveland, where he'll be speaking to a large corporation about rights for people with disabilities.

Rose said he felt dehumanized when a representative from the airline told him that his wheelchair was akin to oversized luggage.

"I said, 'This is discrimination,' and they said, 'No it's not, it's the same thing as if you had an oversized bag. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit.' So essentially, she just compared me to luggage.''

The Canadian Transportation Agency says that transportation service providers must "ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to federal transportation services'' and accommodate people with disabilities up to the point of "undue hardship.''

It's unclear, however, whether that applies to Rose's case. The agency, a quasi-judicial tribunal mandated to ensure that Canada's national transportation system is accessible to everybody, has not weighed in.

Rose, who works as an advocate for people with disabilities, said that while there are laws protecting the rights of people with disabilities, this situation is a bit murky because Canadian laws don't explicitly mention mobility devices.

Rose said that since he posted about his situation on social media, all the airline has done to get in touch with him is post publicly on Facebook.
Air Canada said they offered him options
A representative from Air Canada said the plane that travels between Toronto and Cleveland - a CRJ regional jet - has a cargo hold door that is too small for Rose's wheelchair.

The representative said the airline contacted Rose and presented him with two options: to take an indirect flight on planes that have a larger cargo door or to have the wheelchair transported on a different flight and sent to him when he arrives in Cleveland.

But Rose denied receiving any such offers.

"They have not presented me with any options. They haven't even spoken to me (since posting on social media),'' he said.

"Essentially, she just compared me to luggage.''

Rose said that taking a connecting flight isn't a good option for him anyway because he also has a service dog, and transferring between planes takes extra time for him. In this case, he said it would be quicker for him to get a ride to Cleveland rather than take a flight with a layover.

In a video posted to Facebook, which now has more than 14,000 views, Rose said that there are no other carriers that offer direct flights between Toronto and Cleveland.

The Air Canada representative also said that the airline is looking at doing tests to see if there's any way Rose's wheelchair could be made to fit through the cargo door without causing damage.

Rose said all he wants is the same access to services as people who don't need mobility devices. He said he's not asking for special treatment - just the same access that everybody else gets.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Air Canada Turns Away Toronto Passenger Tim Rose Because His Wheelchair Is Too Big

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TORONTO - A Toronto man is accusing an airline of discrimination after he says he was barred from a flight because his wheelchair is about 13 centimetres too tall for the plane's cargo area.

# data[].attributes.headline
Work Barriers for People with Varying Abilities

# data[].attributes.subject
Work Barriers for People with Varying Abilities

# data[].attributes.body
Should all Canadians have the right to work?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
While Canada has made great strides in equal opportunity employment, companies might still be inadvertently discriminating against disabled individuals.

Many firms continue to engage in practices that shut out individuals with disabilities, often right from the application process, according to experts. And, observers note, disabled people's marginalization in the labour market is compounded by the fact that Canada's public system for disability benefits is essentially a confusing patchwork of programs.

"If we think about labour force productivity, it's contingent upon being able to access work," said Emile Tompa, a labour and health economist at the Institute for Work & Health, speaking at a recent webinar on disability.

And most disabled Canadians do want to access the labour market, said in an interview Diana McCauley, manager of employment services at Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, a non-profit organization.

"The people that come into our service, it's typically someone who's receiving [government] income support. And they want to get off those supports-they want to be able to get a job," McCauley explained.

But as many as 54% of the country's working-age disabled population-about 3.8 million individuals-are unemployed, according to the Canadian Survey on Disability released by Statistics Canada. Some see this as a conservative estimate, however, because it doesn't capture the number of those who have given up on their job search. In comparison, the country's general unemployment rate is 6.9%.

Canada's small employers, for example, have been slow to hire disabled people. A recent survey by BMO Financial Group reveals that in 2013, only three in 10 small business owners recruited people with disabilities, the same as the previous year.

Access denied
One reason for the high unemployment rate among people with disabilities are employer practices which essentially exclude them from the workforce-and many of these practices happen as early as the application process, experts note.

For example, a number of companies insist on accepting only online applications. But people with a vision disability may not have the right software to complete the online process, said McCauley.

Also, she added, some employers phrase vacancy announcements in a manner that makes disabled people feel unwelcome. That includes failure to insert statements that the company is an equal opportunity employer as well as the use of phrases such as "must be able to drive," McCauley said. But often, a person can still do a job by taking public transportation instead of driving, she explained.

The interview process can also be a barrier for disabled individuals. Phone screening, for instance, is an issue for people with conditions such as cerebral palsy. "You have to be more patient to hear them out," McCauley explained, adding, however, that recruiters often don't want to bother.

"And we have people who have skills and can do the job, but are not good at interviewing," she added.

Another obstacle for people with disabilities is that some companies can be inflexible about job requirements, refusing to consider candidates who don't meet all of them, McCauley said.

Yet another barrier are the assumptions that many employers have about the skills of disabled people, their absence rates and the insurance costs they would pay if they hire those individuals. But many of these assumptions are erroneous-and often, the accommodations an employer has to make are not onerous or costly at all, said Ellen MacEachen, a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, who also spoke at the webinar.

Instead, companies should focus on creating an "accepting environment," explained MacEachen. That involves educating not only managers but also co-workers about the experience of disability, she added, explaining that a disabled individual often spends more time with co-workers rather than a manager.

Observers point out that disabled people actually bring a lot of positive traits to the table. Some of the main ones are loyalty and diligence, since they're willing to go the extra mile in order to keep their jobs, given that finding work is hard for them, McCauley explained.

Patchwork of policies
Another major reason why Canada's disabled community is largely on the margins of the labour market is the country's incoherent set of disability support programs, according to experts. Unlike some other advanced nations, Canada has no uniform, national disability policy. What it has is a number of policies that vary across provinces and territories.

"In fact, there is a patchwork of legislation, regulations, programs, providers and entitlements that requires considerable probing to reveal, and considerable patience to understand," according to a 2013 Queen's University academic paper called A Review of Disability Policy in Canada. "Disability policy in Canada has been described as conflicting, fragmented, incoherent, not user-friendly, a 'hit-or-miss' affair."

Currently, Canada has seven programs that offer benefits to disabled individuals. Examples of federal programs include the Canada Pension Plan-which in addition to retirement income also provides income in the event of disability-and the Registered Disability Savings Plan, a long-term savings program delivered by the Canada Revenue Agency. The provinces also offer disability benefits. Provincial workers' compensation agencies administer benefits, too.

All of these seven programs operate separately from each other, without any coordination, Tompa said. Each has a different definition of disability, eligibility criteria and generosity of benefits. Some are for work-related injuries; others are not.

As a result, two people with the exact same injury can end up being covered by different programs that offer different levels of support. A 2010 briefing by the Institute for Work & Health, A patchwork quilt: Income security for Canadians with disabilities, illustrates the point: "Consider the following scenario. On a weekday morning, three separate motor vehicle accidents result in identical spinal cord injuries to three male drivers. Each driver is permanently disabled as a result of these injuries.

"One of the men is a self-employed construction worker driving to his worksite; the second is an insurance company manager with 10 years of employment tenure; the third is a commercial truck driver employed by a transportation company."

"As the third driver had an injury arising in the course of employment, he would be eligible for workers' compensation benefits. The second driver would very likely have an employment-based long-term disability plan. The first driver would not be eligible for workers' compensation, and as a self-employed construction worker, may not have a long-term disability plan."

Navigating this kind of complex system often causes people to fall through the cracks, according to observers.

"One of the things we're seeing is people going in circles because of the patchwork of policies," said MacEachen. So, "someone who had a problem that wasn't that complicated can find themselves in a spiraling process," she said, adding that people often end up losing their jobs in the process.

Apart from being impenetrable and incoherent, Canada's policies are also based on a narrow view of disability, MacEachen said. "The policy is often focused very strongly on functional ability, which is a very limiting way to understand these issues," she explained, adding that understanding the social component of disability is also key. This is where employers can play a role, she said.

"A lot of the programs are based on training the individual to have more skills," she said. "[But] we may [also] need programs to encourage employers to take a chance on people and actually hire them, too."

But in order to better integrate disabled individuals in the workforce, it's also important establish links between Canada's disability programs, rather than bringing them into one system, said Tompa.

"The timing is right to bring [these programs] together-they're starting to look at each other anyway," MacEachen said.
Related articles:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While Canada has made great strides in equal opportunity employment, companies might still be inadvertently discriminating against disabled individuals. Many firms continue to engage in practices that shut out individuals with disabilities, often right from the application process, according to experts.

# data[].attributes.headline
Timeline of Historical Events for People with Varying Abilities

# data[].attributes.subject
Timeline of Historical Events for People with Varying Abilities

# data[].attributes.body
Are you surprised by any of the things Canada did in the past to people with varying abilities?

# data[].attributes.body
What implications might this funding cut have on kids diagnosed with Autism, given that the average age a kid is diagnosed with Autism is 4 years old?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ontario children with autism aged five or older no longer qualify for government-funded intensive therapy, a move critics say is leaving many families in the lurch.

The Liberal government announced a new Ontario Autism Program with $333 million in funding, but changes include limiting Intensive Behavioural Intervention to children between two and four.

Children and Youth Services Minister Tracy MacCharles said advice from experts was to focus on children in that developmental window.

"I know it's a transition, I know it's challenging," said MacCharles, whose son has special needs.

"The research has said before and most recently with our clinical expert committee that the best window for IBI is those younger years, the two to four, and we're also going to be launching four early intervention diagnosis pilots so that kids are showing markers, not necessarily being diagnosed, can potentially get that diagnosis earlier."

Families with kids five and older on the IBI wait list will get $8,000 to pay for treatment as they are cut off the wait list.

Lisa Meunier, a Brampton, Ont., mom whose nearly five-year old daughter has been on the IBI wait list for almost three years, said that amount will only pay for a few weeks of therapy.

"I'm disappointed that the government would do that to our children," she said. "There's so many kids that it's crucial that they need this therapy to help them. It's sad enough that our children were born with this and having to struggle and there is a therapy out there that can help our children and now they're just taking that away from them."

Jacques Sturgeon's son turned five in November and was supposed to start therapy in July. The Ottawa father said he doesn't understand why those few months mean the therapy is less likely to be successful for his son.

"He's not getting this intensive behaviour intervention at a time when he needs it," Sturgeon said. "He's low-functioning and he has a very hard time with integration."

'Rug pulled out from under them'

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she is very concerned for the children who have "had the rug pulled out from under them."

"Do you reduce the wait time by kicking people off the list? Is that the game?" she said. "This government likes to game things in their favour, things that make them look good, without very much attention whatsoever to the impact is has on real people."

Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown said the government's move is disappointing.

"The notion that the government's now saying that that treatment is not needed when you're five - autism doesn't end when you're five," he said. "I think this was a short-sighted decision and I hope the government will correct course and will acknowledge they made a mistake."

The changes to the program mean that 16,000 more children will get access to services, mostly Applied Behaviour Analysis, a less intensive form of therapy, the government said.

The new program combines both types of therapy into a single program, which the government says will lead to faster and more individualized services. It hopes to cut wait times at least in half, on average, within two years and to have average wait times of six months or less by 2021.

In 2005-06, there were 753 kids waiting for IBI and as of last year there were 2,192. In 2011-12, when ABA funding began, there were 2,784 kids on the wait list and now there are 13,966, though some children may be on both lists.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Children 5 and older in Ontario with autism no longer qualify for government-funded intensive therapy | CBC News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ontario children with autism aged five or older no longer qualify for government-funded intensive therapy, a move critics say is leaving many families in the lurch. The Liberal government announced a new Ontario Autism Program with $333 million in funding, but changes include limiting Intensive Behavioural Intervention to children between two and four.

# data[].attributes.headline
Part 2 - Sick Kids Ad: Illness Isn't a Battle

# data[].attributes.subject
Part 2 - Sick Kids Ad: Illness Isn't a Battle

# data[].attributes.body
The author of this article believes that that the new SickKids ad betray children with disabilities. What's your opinion?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
D isability is personal. It's part of one's identity. When your child has significant disabilities, it becomes part of your identity, too. Perhaps that's why the Hospital for Sick Children's new ad SickKids vs-which depicts doctors and patients fighting heroic battles against cancer and autism, and includes an image of a girl standing defiantly atop a smouldering heap of wheelchairs-feels like a betrayal.

Our journey with SickKids began twenty-two years ago when my son Ben was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. He's had close to twenty surgeries since. A number were to remove bone tumors, including one that knocked his hip right out of the socket. When the pain is bad we've pushed him in a wheelchair or carried him on our backs. He uses sign language and is the size of a seven-year-old. In the last year his spine began to bend. It's agonizing to watch, and to be told surgery to correct it is too risky. He's also remarkably happy. Years ago, when asked if he could be anyone in the world, he signed the letter 'B' to his chest-his sign name for Ben.

"We're on the front line every day," reads the copy on the SickKids foundation page. "And we're winning." Indeed, in the video, patients join a simulated battle line with armed 'Fort York' soldiers, hop in a boxing ring to fight cancer and smash apart a kidney dialysis machine with a bat. I get why it's appealing. Viewers are encouraged to choose a "fight" online and donate. Who doesn't want to be a "winner?" From a fundraising perspective, I'm sure this ad has hit the ball out of the park. It's trending now on YouTube with more than 300,000 views.

But what about the messages it sends to kids and families who aren't on the winning side?

When you define things in simple terms, you also imply that those who don't beat their illness or disability are "losers." Were they not as tough as the kids wearing the super hero costumes in the video? The ad begins with the line, "Sick doesn't mean weak." In the video, the word "defeat" flashes. Does that mean some kids "surrender?" Do we really want to suggest that children have that much control over their medical conditions? And at some point, don't images of boxing and blowing things up conflict with ideas about health and healing?

In her 2015 book Malignant Metaphor: Confronting Cancer Myths, science writer Alanna Mitchell writes about why the battle metaphor isn't helpful to cancer patients and their families (she also writes about why it's not a great analogy for the latest clinical treatments). "A main concern is that when someone dies of cancer," she writes, "the message that remains is that that person just hasn't fought hard enough, was not a brave enough soldier against the ultimate foe, did not really want to win."

Many children, like my son, have congenital disabilities or complex medical problems that can't be defeated. Did they, or their parents, not try hard enough?

A recent study found that parents of 263 Canadian children with disabilities didn't differ from those raising nondisabled kids in how positive and consistent they are in their interactions with their child. Yet, "they experience themselves as more ineffective," according to co-principal investigator Lucy Lach, an associate professor in the school of social work at McGill University. They feel chronically inadequate.

The way disability is viewed in our culture-as a deficit, failure, or something to be "overcome"-sets parents up to never feel good enough. When my son was only days old, a clinician told me: "You have every chance of having a 'perfect' baby-next time."

In the genetics field, babies are categorized as "perfect" or "abnormal"-there is no grey area. This dichotomy-like the idea of winning or losing against disease-is simplistic and destructive. We need a much more creative and flexible way of thinking about things. When your child has a disability, you start out trying to "fix it" through intensive therapy. Over time, you push back. You learn that "fighting" is not a good model for living. Instead of making the child change to fit the world, you want the world to change to fit your child-to accept your child as a full human being.

And is it really so easy to define "the enemy?" The inclusion of autism in the SickKids video as something to be battled against is surprising given our current understanding of the condition. Autistic adults tell us that accepting and valuing their differences is the better option. To them, eradicating autism isn't possible without eradicating who they are as people. Most people in the disability field don't believe autism can be "cured," any more than sexual orientation can be changed. Even Autism Speaks just removed cure as an objective from its mission. The focus now is on helping people live good lives that they can value.

An ad that feeds into the idea that autism is "bad" and needs to be conquered will also likely influence how other children perceive those with disabilities. Numerous studies show that kids with autism-and other disabilities-are bullied at higher rates than typical kids. Last week a ten-year-old boy in Texas doused another boy, who had hearing loss and "spoke funny," in gasoline, then set him on fire. Some news outlets said the victim was suspected of having autism, but hadn't been formally diagnosed. He's now on life support. As a hospital, raising money can't come at the expense of marginalizing a group of children you serve.

I honour and respect the families who participated in the SickKids video. I understand why viewing their kids as warriors is empowering. I certainly think of my son, and our family, as warriors, but as fragile ones. From a health organization, however, I expect a more complex, nuanced depiction-one that includes all kids, whether their condition is cured or not. One that shows that there are many rich, meaningful ways of living-and dying.

In the video, all of the triumphant patients stand on two feet. I'd like to see one rocking a wheelchair, because that's how she'll get around for the rest of her life. A device that frees children to move should not be placed in a post-apocalyptic scene where a child survivor triumphs over it. The wheelchair is a universal symbol of disability. Kids who use one need to feel pride and agency, not failure. And it's dangerous to blend images of life-threatening illness with livable disability, suggesting both should be wiped out.

I'd like to see more images of kids who look different, like my son, due to their genetic conditions or disabilities. These kids are SickKids patients as well. I'd like to see a video that blows our minds open and expands our conception of human value, beauty and diversity.

We are fierce, but we are also afraid. As parents, we often feel inadequate to the enormity of our child's illness or disability. And that's okay. We don't need to buck ourselves up with flashing neon lights that say: "Sick isn't weak." For one, who ever said that patients and families were weak? And for two, what is wrong with weak? Weak just means vulnerable. It's who humans are. My dad served for almost six years in World War II. "You never knew when a bomb might land at your feet," he told me. I always imagined that he somehow inured himself to the fear of death, moved pass it, switched it off. Then just before he died he recalled going out at night to fix communication lines on Pegasus Bridge in Normandy. During the D-day invasion, the allies needed to hold this bridge to get their equipment over the canal. The Germans were shelling it day and night, he said. One time Dad got back to his jeep and the engine had been blown out. Another time, one of his men was hit and died on the drive back. "You learned to live with fear," he said. And I got it. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's much messier than that, and much more beautiful.

A year ago, Ben needed a surgery and we couldn't find an orthopedic surgeon in the adult system to do it. That's what happens to youth with disabilities when they move into the adult world of health care (our kids don't "grow out" of their conditions).

So I asked our SickKids' surgeon for help. He advocated for special permission to do the operation at SickKids. Then, he came to see us just before Ben went into the OR, to make sure Ben got a sedative that would knock him out (this isn't protocol, but I'd e-mailed him to explain about Ben's traumatic experiences being put under). After the surgery, he came to tell us that things went well. Just before 8 p.m. he walked into Ben's hospital room upstairs. He'd spent the day in back-to-back surgeries. His face was pale, his scrubs dishevelled and his shoulders slumped. He sat down on the side of my son's bed, and he spoke to him, ever so gently. He made our son, and by extension, us, feel important, valued.

Recently, I e-mailed that surgeon, now retired, when I was told surgery to fix my son's spine wasn't appropriate. Did I need a second opinion? I asked. He didn't mince words. "Paralysis is a huge risk with Ben's problem, as is even postoperative death. [The doctor] is being appropriately cautious." As a parent, I needed honesty and wisdom, not war paint and bravado.

SickKids' creative team has been quoted saying they are trying to move the hospital from a charity brand to a performance brand in the likes of a Nike or Under Armour. But kids aren't products. They aren't soldiers. Their lives are priceless-no matter how they perform. I asked Alanna Mitchell, author of Malignant Metaphor, what she thought of the SickKids ad. "Yeesh!" she wrote back. "Imagine if they had those patients dancing, instead of fighting."

The idea is that metaphor is the lens through which we see things. It plays a powerful role in shaping how we see ourselves and how others see us. At the end of her book, she asks readers if dance, rather than battle, might be a more apt metaphor for cancer. "If cancer is described as a battle then it is one, with a winner and loser," she wrote me in an e-mail. "If it is described as a dance, then it becomes that, with all the individual artistic expression and process that implies."

"Not a win or a loss," she writes, "but a pirouette."
Adapted from an article published October 17 on Bloom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
D isability is personal. It's part of one's identity. When your child has significant disabilities, it becomes part of your identity, too. Perhaps that's why the Hospital for Sick Children's new ad SickKids vs -which depicts doctors and patients fighting heroic battles against cancer and autism, and includes an image of a girl standing defiantly atop a smouldering heap of wheelchairs-feels like a betrayal.

# data[].attributes.body
Is Canada finally creating a Canadian with Disabilities Act?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The federal budget unveiled this week includes a promise to eliminate barriers for Canadians living with disabilities by introducing a national disabilities act - a document advocates have long said is needed.

Organizations that support adults and children with disabilities say several items in the fiscal document, especially the creation of a Canadians with Disabilities Act, signal the Liberal government is committed to consulting people with disabilities to build an inclusive and accessible country.

"We haven't had a cross-Canada consultation with the disability community in an awfully long time," said Michael Bach, executive vice-president of the Canadian Association for Community Living, an organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

"We're hopeful. The budget sends some good messages."

From a revamped Canada Child Benefit, which increases funds for low- and middle-income families that have children with significant disabilities, to an investment in the Youth Employment Strategy, with a particular focus on youth with disabilities, Bach said the 2016 budget has left his organization hopeful.

"There's opportunity here, and that's what's new," he said. "There hasn't been opportunity to have these national discussions about these issues in a very long time."

There is currently no national legislation protecting the rights of Canadians with disabilities.

The budget earmarked $2 million over two years for engagement that will result in the introduction of a Canadians with Disabilities Act.

"That commitment is a key signal," said Jeff Dyer, executive director at Accessible Housing Calgary. "It remains to be seen right now what (the act) will look like, but if it mirrors something along the lines of what we see in the U.S. or Ontario, there's great hope it will have a levelling effect for people with disabilities."

In 2005, Ontario introduced the Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities Act and more than 25 years ago, the United States introduced a civil liberties law known as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Enacted by Congress in 1990, the document acknowledged millions of Americans with disabilities faced discrimination and exclusion in areas including employment, housing, education, transportation, health services and recreation. The act provided a national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against people with physical or mental disabilities.

In a statement, Rick Hansen, CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation, said promising money to the creation of a Canadians with Disabilities Act is a positive step to remove "visible and invisible barriers."

"An act itself won't solve everything right away, there are still many physical and attitudinal barriers to find solutions for, but by working together we can start to address this urgent need and make sure that people with disabilities are living to their full potential," said the Canadian Paralympian, philanthropist and activist.

Dyer said in addition to the money set aside for the act, he's hopeful about $4 million allocated in the budget over two years for the Enabling Accessibility Fund to support the costs of construction and renovations for improving accessibility.

"It's a recognition that there are people excluded from basic infrastructure as it relates to recreation or community activities that the government notices and has to make some changes towards," he said.

To eliminate barriers and ensure equality of opportunity, #Budget2016 will create a Canadians with Disabilities Act.
- Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 22, 2016

Cindy Neufeld with Between Friends, a Calgary organization that provides opportunities for people with disabilities, welcomed the various funds promised in the Liberal budget that will make life easier for people with disabilities.

"We're pleased (the funds) should make it easier for families to access programs that are in the community to help their children," she said.

"Having a child with a disability comes with a real economic cost, as well as a social cost, and anything that can be done to make it easier, is great."

AKlingbeil@postmedia.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Federal budget commits to creating a Canadians with Disabilities Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The federal budget unveiled this week includes a promise to eliminate barriers for Canadians living with disabilities by introducing a national disabilities act - a document advocates have long said is needed.

# data[].attributes.body
Is it surprising to you that the United States has had written literature for over 25 years to prevent discrimination of people with disabilities, while Canada still doesn't in the year 2016?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. adopted a momentous civil liberties law, the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The purpose of the law was four-fold:

to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

to provide clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

to ensure that the federal government plays a central role in enforcing the standards; and

to regulate commerce, in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day-to-day by people with disabilities.

In short, the ADA gave people legal rights to be full participants in everyday life, and it has had a revolutionary effect.

The most visible impact is the tearing down of physical barriers: Schools, stores, sports stadiums, government buildings, public transit that are accessible to people with mobility-impairments are now the norm.

The law has been used by thousands with psychiatric, development and physical disabilities to leave institutional care in hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities and receive care in the community.

Discrimination against those with disabilities is no longer tolerated in the workplace, and employment rates have improved, though the jobless rate among people with disabilities remains stubbornly high with about two-thirds out of work (compared to about one-quarter of those without disabilities.)

This is a reminder that anti-discrimination laws, while important, are not enough; a supportive social safety net is also required to ensure inclusion and full citizenship.

But back to the law: As the U.S. celebrates the ADA, it's worth reflecting how Canada compares.

In this country, there is no comprehensive legislation protecting the rights of people with disabilities. What we have instead is a mish-mash of vague principles and tame enforcement bodies.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees persons with disabilities the right to "equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination based on ... mental or physical disability." The Canadian Human Rights Act also prohibits discrimination, as do provincial human rights codes.

The fundamental difference in approaches is that, in the United States, the ADA was proactive - it forced governments and private businesses to tear down barriers or face punishing sanctions, and it gave people with disabilities legal tools to demand change.

In Canada, we continue to treat inclusion of people with disabilities as a privilege rather than a right.

That needs to change.

It's well past time for a Canadians with Disabilities Act.

The non-partisan group Barrier-Free Canada is calling on all the federal parties to make a commitment to this approach. And despite some high-profile support, such as that of disability activist Rick Hansen, the campaign has not received attention in the mainstream political discourse.

What better time is there for our political leaders to take a stand for a barrier-free and inclusive Canada than during a federal election campaign?

There are roughly four million Canadians now living with a physical, psychiatric or developmental disability. That number is expected to rise to about nine million by 2030. (Let's not forget that aging - not injury or genetics - is the principal cause of disability.)

The barriers people with disabilities face are many: physical, legal, bureaucratic, communication, technological and, above all, attitudinal.

We don't have an inclusive society because of deep-rooted fears about those who are "different." We also tend to have erroneous beliefs that accommodation is expensive when, in fact, the biggest economic and social cost comes from excluding people from participating in society to the full scope of their abilities.

Change has happened in Canada but it has been painfully slow.

The purpose of a Canadians with Disabilities Act would be essentially the same ones as laid out in the ADA a quarter century ago - to speed up the march toward equality and inclusion.

What Barrier-Free Canada is calling for, in a nicely articulated statement of principles, is legislation that moves beyond the rhetoric of breaking down barriers to creating a structure in which plans to do so will actually be devised and implemented, and the rules enforced.

Aspirations, values and bons mots - like those in our cherished Charter of Rights and Freedoms - are not enough. There needs to be concrete action to give values life.

As Barrier-Free Canada states: "The Canadians with Disabilities Act must be more than mere window-dressing. It should contribute meaningfully to the improvement of the position of persons with disabilities in Canada. It must have real force, effect and teeth."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
It's well past time for a Canadians with Disabilities Act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. adopted a momentous civil liberties law, the Americans with Disabilities Act.

# data[].attributes.body
Is it fair to categorize people with disabilities and people who are sick in the same category?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Sick isn't weak:' SickKids' bold new advertising campaign | The Star

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This new SickKids TV ad is a departure for the hospital, highlighting the bravery of its patients vs. heartstring-tugging. 'Anthem' hits screens during the Toronto Maple Leafs home opener on Saturday.

# data[].attributes.body
Did the Ontario government make a wrong decision and now are righting their wrong or were they pressured into change their minds because of the backlash they experienced from the Ontario public?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Ontario government has backed away from a controversial age limit it imposed earlier this year on funding for intensive therapy for children with autism, and has introduced a new program for therapy funding in the province.

Minister of Children and Youth Services Michael Coteau made the announcement shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET Tuesday in Toronto.

In March, the province announced $333 million in funding for autism programs over five years, but also eliminated government-funded intensive therapy for children aged five years and older.

The move was widely criticized by affected families and advocates, and the ministry said in a media release Tuesday that it "has listened closely to experts, stakeholders, service providers and families" since then.

The government's new autism plan adds another $200 million over four years to speed up program delivery and provide $1,000 per week for therapy for children five years old and up while they're on the wait list.

The transition to the new program will begin in June 2017 instead of 2018, the ministry said.

"The new program will provide all children, regardless of age, with more flexible services at a level of intensity that meets each child's individual needs, significantly reduce wait times for service, and increase the number of treatment spaces available to serve more children and accommodate the rising prevalence in autism diagnoses," the province said.

Additional supports announced Tuesday include:

A choice of direct funding or immediate and continuous access to applied behaviour analysis (ABA) services and supports for children five and over who were on the intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) waitlist, to provide access to continuous service until children are able to enter the new program next year.

Strengthened autism supports in schools to help children transition to and continue in full-time school.

Increased access to diagnostic assessments to allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Greater access to information and direct supports for families to help them transition to the new program.

'It was a real shock'

Ottawa resident Heather Bourdon's son Jacob was nearly a month away from turning five when the March announcement to cut funding was made.

"I think it was a real shock to some people because they put all their hope in their children being in this program," Bourdon said. "For families, it was just a huge blow for their children's upbringing and ability to participate in society."

Bourdon said families with less financial resources were hit even harder than her own because intensive therapy costs thousands of dollars every month. Two months of therapy for Jacob, from May 1 to June 30, cost $11,500.

The cut-off sparked months of protests, letter-writing campaigns and social media advocacy by parents as well as advocates, including Bruce McIntosh, president of the Ontario Autism Coalition.

"We had parents from Windsor to Ottawa, and we had them from Sudbury to Niagara. You name a town or city and they were there," McIntosh said.

'It's going to take care of all of them'

McIntosh had seen the ministry's announcement before Tuesday morning and said he was excited about what it means for the province.

"It is a complete sea change for the autism program from what was announced in March and what was going on beforehand," McIntosh said. "They have stepped forward in a major way and it's going to meet the needs of every kid touched by autism in Ontario. Whether they've been on the wait list, whether they've been in the [Intensive Behavioural Intervention] program, it's going to take care of all of them."

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services said Tuesday's announcement was the result of work with advocacy groups such as the Ontario Autism Coalition, families and therapists.

Premier Kathleen Wynne had signalled her government might change its position on the autism policy and recently replaced the minister responsible for the change, Tracy MacCharles, with Coteau.

Committee will help guide transition

"What the parents are looking for more than anything is a clear statement that if their kid is over the age of five and has a severe diagnosis, that they're not going to get thrown under the bus, that they will get intensive intervention," said Anne Jovanovic, who speaks for the Alliance Against the Ontario Autism Program.

Stakeholders said the province would announce a "direct funding" model to give parents more choice over where children receive services. That would involve a clinician and the family determining the appropriate level of intervention for each child, and a funding envelop from the province that would be used towards that treatment.

Jovanovic said advocates had been calling for a direct funding system for children with autism.

The Ontario Autism Coalition says it will be participating in a 12-member implementation committee to guide the transition under the new policy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ontario government backtracks on autism therapy funding change | CBC News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Ontario government has backed away from a controversial age limit it imposed earlier this year on funding for intensive therapy for children with autism, and has introduced a new program for therapy funding in the province. Minister of Children and Youth Services Michael Coteau made the announcement shortly after 9:30 a.m.