ODA Committee Update
dated Oct. 18, 2004
posted Nov. 22, 2004

ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMMITTEE UPDATE ODA Committee Writes Leaders Of The Conservative And New Democratic Parties Asking For Them To Support Bill 118, The Proposed New Disability Accessibility Bill October 18, 2004 SUMMARY Today the ODA Committee wrote new Conservative leader John Tory and NDP leader Howard Hampton. We asked each to support Bill 118, the proposed Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. See the text of these letters below. We urge you to contact your nearest MPPs from these parties, and to urge them to support this bill. Send us your feedback at: oda@odacommittee.net If you change your email address, be sure to let us know at the above email address, so we can ensure that you keep receiving ODA Committee updates. _______________ 18 October 2004 Mr. John Tory Office of the Leader Progressive Conservative Party Legislative Building, Room 381 Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A8 Dear Sir: Re: Bill 118 the Proposed Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act I am writing on behalf of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee. We are the province-wide, non-partisan voluntary coalition that has led the charge for the past decade for the enactment of a strong and effective disability accessibility statute. We want to congratulate you on your recent leadership contest and on your assumption of the position of leader of the Ontario PC party. As you know, on October 12, 2004, the Ontario Government introduced into the Legislature for First Reading Bill 118, the proposed Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It did so to act on its 2003 election commitment to strengthen the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001 so that it is consistent with the 11 principles which the Ontario Legislature unanimously adopted by a resolution on October 29, 1998. We are writing to meet with you to seek your party's support for this legislation. Many within Ontario's disability community found that the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001 was insufficient to address the many barriers faced by persons with disabilities. Indeed, Cam Jackson, who was the Citizenship Minister under the previous Conservative Government who authored the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001, has himself brought forward a private member's bill to strengthen the ODA 2001. We hope that there will be all-party support for the Government's new legislation in this area and that this matter will be dealt with in the Ontario Legislature in a spirit of bi-partisanship that will best serve the people of Ontario. We would welcome an opportunity to meet with you to discuss this. We look forward to hearing from you, and congratulate you again on assuming leadership of your party. Sincerely, M. David Lepofsky, C.M. Chair, Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee ***** 18 October 2004 Mr. Howard Hampton, MPP Leader, New Democratic Party Legislative Building, Room 114 Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A5 Dear Sir, RE: Bill 118 the Proposed Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act I am writing on behalf of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee. We are the province-wide, non-partisan voluntary coalition that has led the charge for the past decade for the enactment of a strong and effective disability accessibility law. We are writing to ask the New Democratic Party to support the passage of Bill 118, the proposed Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act which the Government introduced into the Legislature for First Reading on October 18, 2004. We have very much appreciated the New Democratic Party's ongoing support of our cause. We hope that this support will be maintained over the upcoming weeks and months as Bill 118 comes before the Legislature again. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this issue. We look forward to working with you. We would also appreciate it if you could let us know with whom we should work within your Caucus and within the NDP staff for day to day issues surrounding Bill 118. Yours sincerely, M. David Lepofsky, C.M. Chair, Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee

 

Top of Page

 

Website maintained by Barbara Anello

Please email your feedback on the website.

Page last updated Nov. 22, 2004