Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee: Letter from Steve Peters, Liberal Disability Critic to Howard Hampton, NDP Party Leader dd March 1, 2000; The ODA Committe: is a voluntary coalition of individuals and community organizations who have united to secure the passage in Ontario of a new law which would achieve a barrier-free society for persons with disabilities.

OPEN LETTER

from the Marilyn Churley,
MPP, Broadview/Greenwood

to The Honourable Helen Johns,
Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

MARILYN CHURLEY
MPP/DÉPUTÉE PROVINCIALE
Broadview-Greenwood
OPEN LETTER

May 12, 2000

The Honourable Helen Johns
Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation
400 University Avenue, 6th Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M7A 2R9

Dear Minister,

It is absolutely appalling that you refuse to make time to meet with the chair of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee to discuss an action plan to bring in the Ontarians with Disabilities
Act (ODA) that this committee has been begging for.

David Lepofsky, the chair of the ODA Committee, has worked tirelessly on behalf of his committee to bring this Act into motion. It is bad enough that your government has sat on its fingers for five long years since Premier Mike Harris promised to bring in the ODA and then did nothing to fulfill that promise.

Since then, your government has started the ball rolling on new building projects that have no guarantee of ever being barrier free. Your government's SuperBuild Fund, in particular, is a $1
billion commitment to build new infrastructure that Ontarians with disabilities will never be able to access - because without the ODA in place, there is nothing in the law ensuring these buildings will
be barrier free.

Minister, if your government is truly planning to bring in an Ontarians with Disabilities Act, you owe it to the disabilities community to do proper consultation and ensure the Act will truly meet their needs.

The New Democratic Party of Ontario urges you to make time in your schedule to meet with Mr. Lepofsky before May 24 so that he can be properly consulted about your plans.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Churley
MPP Broadview Greenwood
NDP Disabilities Issues Critic

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