April 10, 2001

The Honourable Cam Jackson
Minister of Citizenship
400 University Avenue, 6th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2R9

Dear Minister:

Re: Ontarians with Disabilities Act

Thank you for your March 21, 2001 letter, including your offer to meet. Please have your office get in touch with me to arrange a time to meet. We are eager to have this meeting as soon as we can. Since receiving your letter, I promptly called and spoke once with one of your staff and left two follow-up voice mail messages in an effort to arrange a meeting time, but have not heard back.

In the meantime, we want to emphasize that many people with disabilities across Ontario, as well as their families and friends, will be closely watching the Throne Speech on April 19. They will be looking to see if the Throne Speech includes a clear commitment that a strong and effective Ontarians with Disabilities Act will be introduced and passed into law during this upcoming session of the Legislature, and whether there will be public hearings on the bill.

The purpose of the Throne Speech is to set out the Government's agenda for action during the new session of the Legislature. As you know, back on November 23, 1999, the Ontario Legislature unanimously passed a resolution which sets November 23, 2001 as the deadline for a strong and effective Ontarians with Disabilities Act to be enacted into law. That deadline falls in this upcoming session of the Legislature. The Throne Speech will give an important indication of the Government's plans regarding its commitment to meet the November 23, 2001 deadline.

We look forward to hearing from you, and to meeting with you.

Sincerely,

David Lepofsky, C.M.
Chair, Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee

cc: Hon. Mike Harris 325-7578
Norman Sterling 326-2913
Dalton McGuinty 325-9895
Dwight Duncan 325-2201
Steve Peters 325-7262
Ernie Parsons 325-4757
Howard Hampton 325-8222
David Christopherson 325-3189
Marilyn Churley 325-3252
Tony Martin 325-3720