ODA Action Tip
June 3, 2001

Make The Ontarians With Disabilities Act
A Prominent Issue In The June 28, 2001
Provincial By-Election In Vaughan King Aurora

 

A provincial by-election has just been called in the York Region
riding of Vaughan King Aurora, just north of Toronto. It will be held
on Thursday, June 28, 2001. We expect a lot of media attention
on this by-election.

The ODA Committee wants to make the Ontarians with Disabilities
Act a prominent issue in this by-election. We need your help no
matter where you live in Ontario.

As a non-partisan coalition, we do not seek to elect any particular
person. As we did in the 1999 provincial election and the two
subsequent by-elections, we have three goals here:

(1) to get clear commitments from as many candidates as possible
to support a strong ODA;

(2) to let the public know about the records of the three parties
on the ODA issue; and

(3) to encourage voters to make the ODA issue a major factor in
their decision when they vote in this by-election.

Here is what you can do to help. You are encouraged to bring to
the attention of voters the need for a strong and effective ODA,
and the record of the three parties on this issue. The
Conservatives promised to enact the ODA in their first term,
but have still not kept that promise, even though they are well
into their second term. The Liberals and NDP both have actively
supported a strong and effective ODA, and have repeatedly pressed
the Harris Government to keep its broken promises to us.

To help, you can:

* contact Ivy Henriksen, one of our ODA Committee regional
contacts in York Region, who will be working on coordinating our
by-election efforts there. Offer your help. Your help will be
welcome either if you live in the riding, or if you are somewhere
nearby, especially if you might be able to get to the riding on
occasion. You can reach Ivy Henriksen at: 1-800-290-8939 ext. 9
or by email at: ivy.henriksen@tdsb.on.ca

* download, print up and widely distribute our new ODA by-
election fact sheet. This pamphlet can be printed on both sides
of one page. Organize people to hand these out in public places,
or leave them where public information is generally distributed.
If you print it on two sheets, you can also post it on general
bulletin boards. If you get it in an electronic format, you can
email it widely to people in the Vaughan King Aurora riding. You
can get this by-election fact sheet from:

http://www.odacommittee.net/by-election_factsheet.html

or by sending us an email request at oda@odacommittee.net

We also have a longer, more detailed general factsheet on the
ODA, which is not tied to the by-election itself, at:

http://www.odacommittee.net/factsheet.html

* publicize the ODA issue in your local media. Inform reporters
about this by-election issue. Write guest columns and letters to
the editor. Phone in to radio call-in shows. Call or visit your
local news media and urge that they give this issue real profile
now and during the campaign.

* talk to people in the riding about this issue. Let other voters
know how important this issue is to you, and encourage them to
take it into account when deciding how to vote. You can do this
at public meetings or even one-on-one by word of mouth.

* find out when all-candidates debates are. Attend them, and
raise the ODA issue with the candidates. Let us know when and
where these debates will occur so we can pass the word on to
others. Urge that these all-candidates' debates be held in
accessible locations. Consider organizing your own all-
candidates' debate on disability issues.

* insist that this by-election be fully barrier-free.

* visit our web site http://www.odacommittee.net. There you will
find more ideas for election action, posted during the 1999
election campaign.

* circulate this action tip on the internet, and print it up to
distribute to others in hard-copy form.

* if you are part of a province-wide community organization,
notify your offices in or near the Vaughan King Aurora riding.
Urge them to distribute this action tip and our by-election
factsheet. Any help with making copies of this action tip and the
by-election factsheet is especially appreciated. Also, ask them
generally to do what they can to get the word out on the ODA
issue. Encourage them to do whatever they can to help ensure that
all voters with disabilities will be able to get to the polling
booths and to vote without facing barriers.

This is not just a good opportunity for those who live in the
Vaughan King Aurora riding. You can really help even if you live
elsewhere. People who live outside this riding can plan to come
there to hand out our ODA factsheet and to raise our issue with
local voters. You can also contact people you know in this riding
and urge them to take the ODA into account when deciding how to
vote.

Let us know what you can do!

Website maintained by Barbara Anello

Please email your feedback on the website.

Last updated June 21, 2001