OPINION: Canada has set an ambitious goal to become a “barrier-free society” by 2040. A new approach could help us get there Written by Sunil Johal
Sep 14, 2023

According to the World Health Organization, around 16 per cent of the world’s population – just over 1 billion people – are living with a disability. In Canada, research shows, up to 30 per cent of Canadians are living with a disability. That includes people with mental-health conditions, mobility issues, and loss of sight or hearing. It also includes people who may not fall under traditional definitions of disability, such as those with autoimmune or other chronic conditions.

How Canada Can Make Better Progress on Disability Inclusion full article

European Commission

When people’s disability status is not recognised abroad, they cannot access the special conditions and preferential treatment, such as free and/or priority access, reduced fees or personal assistance, while visiting other Member States. To address this issue, the Commission proposes the creation of a standardised European Disability Card.

The European Disability Card will serve as recognised proof of disability throughout the EU, granting equal access to special conditions and preferential treatment in public and private services, including for instance transport, cultural events, museums, leisure and sport centres, or amusement parks. It will be issued by the national competent authorities and complement existing national cards or certificates.

EU Commission Proposes Universal Disability, Parking Card full article

The bricks, which were previously only available through organizations that work with kids with visual impairments, roll out on Sept. 1 for $89.99. By Emily Price
Updated August 26, 2023

Just in time for Blind Awareness Month, Lego is launching a new line of bricks that include something a little different-braille.

The Lego Braille Bricks – Play with Braille kit includes 287 bricks in five different colors: red, white, yellow, green, and blue. The studs on each brick are designed to correspond to the letters and numbers in the braille system. A printed version of each braille letter or number is then included below the studs.

Lego Launches New Line of Braille Bricks full article

By MOLLY HAYES
Staff

With the rollout of the Canada Disability Benefit believed to still be a year and a half away, social assistance recipients and advocates are calling for emergency interim support from the federal government.

Jeffrey Salisbury, 39, has received assistance through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for more than a decade.

But in the midst of a housing and affordability crisis, he is finding it more and more difficult to get through each month.

Amid Delays on Federal Disability Benefit, Advocates Call for Interim Emergency Aid full article

Some told they could be bumped from an accessible room if it’s booked for a longer stay CBC News
Posted: Aug 18, 2023

People with disabilities are raising concerns over the lack of accessibility in Halifax hotels, and an apparent policy that can bump them out of an accessible room if someone books a longer stay.

These problems became clear to Elaine Murray and her husband Gordon, who live in the Clayton Park neighbourhood, after they tried to book an accessible room in the city while their roof was being repaired this spring.

Gordon has a rare neurological disorder that affects his mobility and uses a walker.

People With Disabilities Face Barriers Trying to Book Accessible Hotel Rooms in Halifax full article

The challenges of parenting a 5-year-old with infantile-onset Pompe disease by Keara Engle | August 15, 2023

I’m sure most people in the U.S. have heard of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination in all areas of life. It became law in 1990, and its sole purpose is to ensure that people with disabilities are given the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

While this law is fantastic and has allowed our country to become more accessible, we still have a long way to go. My 5-year-old son, Cayden, has disabilities, and in recent years, I’ve faced situations that have opened my eyes to how hard this world is to maneuver for someone who can’t walk.

Raising a Child With Disabilities Amid Accessibility Shortcomings full article

This Women’s World Cup, FIFA is trying to reverse that trend Elizabeth Wright
Posted August 4, 2023

Going to cheer on your favourite sports team should be fun and easy to do, but when you have a disability it’s rarely that simple.

At a recent sports event I attended my friend and I had our ‘accessible’ seats given away before we arrived.

The couple sitting in them had mobility issues and had struggled to access their own seats, which were down several stairs.

The usher’s solution was to grab two portable chairs and squish my friend and I next to the pair who had our ticketed seats.

Major Sporting Events are Rarely Accessible to Disabled Fans full article

Aug 8, 2023 NEWS

A quadriplegic Canadian woman is considering euthanasia because she says it is more readily available than state disability support, even though she does not want to die.

Rose Finlay is a 33-year-old quadriplegic mother of two children who have disabilities. She has released a video on social media in which she explains that she has applied for Canada’s euthanasia and assisted suicide program and why she has chosen it.

Quadriplegic Mother Applies for Euthanasia Because She Says It’s Easier to Access Than Disability Support in Canada full article

By Nathalie Sturgeon Global News
Posted July 31, 2023

Disability advocate Haley Flaro says a plan to create accessibility legislation by the New Brunswick government will help take persons with a disability off the sidelines.

In the second part of a report, the Premier’s Council on Disabilities announced it would be moving forward with the development of legislation long sought by the disability non-profit sector.

“We are especially encouraged by the interim report of the Select Committee on Accessibility, which recommended the province move forward with the development of accessibility legislation,” said the council’s executive director, Christyne Allain.

N.B. Disability Advocates Applaud Province’s Move to Draft Accessibility Legislation full article