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ODA COMMITTEE'S
GETTING READY FOR NEW BILL
ACTION KIT
March 1, 1999
| The Message | How You Can Help |
| Sample Letter to the OLA Clerk |
| Sample Letter to the Premier |
| Sample Letter to the Citizenship Minister |
| Sample Letter to Conservative MPPs |
| Links |
UNITED TO ACHIEVE A BARRIER-FREE ONTARIO
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
GETTING READY FOR NEW BILL ACTION KITWhat can we expect to happen in the next few weeks regarding the Ontarians with Disabilities Act? The Ontario Legislature is expected to come back around March 23. The Ontario Government has said it will re-introduce the weak and toothless Bill 83 which they called the Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
The Government has not given any reason to believe that they will improve that bill to comply with the resolution passed unanimously in the Legislature last October 29. The Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee has asked the Ontario Government to make a commitment to hold full, open, and accessible public legislative hearings across Ontario on this bill, to ensure that everyone who wants to will get a chance to make a presentation to those hearings. We are also asking the Government to allow amendments which will strengthen the Bill to make it comply with the October 29 resolution.
The Harris Government has not responded to any of these requests.
As has been the case in the past, the Government will probably not give us any prior notice of when the Bill will be reintroduced in the Legislature. If the Government does hold legislative hearings on the bill, we should be prepared for the possibility that the Government plans to hold these hearings only in Toronto, to hold them on very short notice, and to allow only a few short days to hear from the public.
We therefore encourage everyone, both individuals and organizations, to take as many of these steps as possible, as quickly as possible:
- Write to the Clerk of the Ontario Legislature, to formally apply to make a presentation to any hearings held on the bill when it is introduced. You can find the address below in a sample letter.
- Write to Premier Harris and to Citizenship Minister Isabel Bassett to let them know that you want the Government to commit to full, open and accessible hearings, at which all interested people will get a chance to present. Let them know you are applying to make a presentation.
- Write your nearest Conservative MPP. Ask them to help you get a chance to make a presentation at the hearings. Their addresses can be found at the ODA Committee's web site at www.odacommittee.net/pc-mpp.html.
- Encourage as many other people and organizations as you can to do the same. If you are connected with an organization interested in this issue, get this material circulated to your staff, volunteers, board memebers and clients/consumers, and to any and all regional offices.
We would really appreciate it if you would send the ODA Committee copies of any of your letters. It would be great if you could send copies of your letters as well to the leaders of both Opposition parties. To reach the ODA Committee, use the above address, or you can send copies by e-mail to: oda@odacommittee.net.
Sample letters are set out below to help you. Feel free to use them or to express yourself in your own words.
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE CLERK OF THE ONTARIO LEGISLATURE
To: Clerk of the Ontario Legislature
Room 1405
Whitney Block , Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A2
Telephone: (416) 325-3519
Fax: (416) 325-3505CC: The Hon. Michael Harris
Rm. 281 Legislative Building
Queens Park
Toronto ON M7A 1A1
Fax: (416) 325-7578Mr. Dalton McGuinty
Leader, Liberal Party
Room 325, Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A4
Fax: (416) 325-9895Mr. Howard Hampton
Leader, New Democratic Party
Room 381, Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A5
Fax: (416) 325-8222Dear Clerk,
The Ontario Government has announced its intention to re- introduce Bill 83, which it calls the "Ontarians with Disabilities Act", when the Legislature resumes. This is a formal application to make a presentation to legislative hearings on that bill. I also wish to request that the Legislature take all steps needed to ensure that the hearings on that bill will be fully open and accessible to all people with disabilities. This includes, for example, using physically-accessible buildings for the hearings, providing information about the hearings in alternative formats, and providing sign interpreters, real-time captioning, or any other accommodation requested.
Sincerely,
SAMPLE LETTER TO PREMIER HARRIS
Hon. Premier Mike Harris
Room 281, Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto, ON M7A 1A1
Fax: (416) 325-7578Dear Premier Harris
Your Government has indicated that it intends to re-introduce Bill 83 when the Legislature resumes. I want to urge you in the strongest terms to make sure that there are full public hearings on that bill. Those hearings should be fully accessible to all people with disabilities. They should not just be held in Toronto, but across Ontario. Anyone who wants to make a presentation should be assured an opportunity to do so. There should be an open announcement of the hearings to give all a good chance to learn about them and to apply to participate in them. This should be done far enough in advance of the hearings to make sure that the public gets a full and fair chance to participate in them. The hearings should be barrier-free. I have written the Clerk of the Legislature to apply to make a presentation to the hearings on the bill.I especially want to make sure that these hearings are not like the "consultation process" your Government held last summer into this issue, which was closed, invitation-only, and held on short notice during summer months when so many are away on holiday.
I ask that you respond directly to this letter, and not just refer it to Citizenship Minister Isabel Bassett. People with disabilities in Ontario number at least one and a half million. They deserve a strong and effective law to remove the barriers they now face.
Sincerely,
SAMPLE LETTER TO CITIZENSHIP MINISTER ISABEL BASSETT
Ms. Isabel Bassett
Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation
77 Bloor Street West, 6th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2R9
Fax: (416) 314-4965Dear Ms. Bassett,
You have indicated that you intend to re-introduce Bill 83 when the Legislature resumes. I want to strongly urge you to make sure that there are full public hearings on that bill. Those hearings must be fully accessible to all people with disabilities. They should not just be held in Toronto, but across Ontario. Anyone who wants to make a presentation should be assured an opportunity to do so. There should be an open announcement of the hearings to give all a good chance to learn about them and to apply to participate in them. This should be done far enough in advance of the hearings to make sure that the public gets a full and fair chance to participate in them. The hearings should be barrier-free. I have written the Clerk of the Legislature to apply to make a presentation to the hearings on the bill.
I want to make sure that these hearings are not like the "consultation process" you held last summer into this issue, which was closed, invitation-only, and held on short notice during summer months when so many are away on holiday. It is especially important that these hearings be full, fair and open, since it is clear that the Government did not listen to people with disabilities last summer during your consultation process. Your Bill 83 did not require a single barrier facing people with disabilities to be removed anywhere ever. People with disabilities deserve much better, especially in this, an election year. People with disabilities in Ontario number at least one and a half million. They deserve a strong and effective law to remove the barriers they now face.
Sincerely,
SAMPLE LETTER TO OTHER CONSERVATIVE MPPS
Follow this link for names and addresses of Conservative MPPs at www.odacommittee.net/pc-mpp.html.
To:
Dear _
Your Government has indicated that it intends to re-introduce Bill 83 when the Legislature resumes. I have written to Premier Harris and Citizenship Minister Isabel Bassett to urge them in the strongest terms to make sure that there are full public hearings on that bill. Those hearings should be fully accessible to all people with disabilities. They should not just be held in Toronto, but across Ontario. Anyone who wants to make a presentation should be assured an opportunity to do so. There should be an open announcement of the hearings to give all a good chance to learn about them and to apply to participate in them. This should be done far enough in advance of the hearings to make sure that the public gets a full and fair chance to participate in them. These hearings should be barrier-free. I have written the Clerk of the Legislature to apply to make a presentation to the hearings on the bill.
I want to make sure that these hearings are not like the "consultation process" your Government held last summer into this issue, which was closed, invitation-only, and held on short notice during summer months when so many are away on holiday.
I am writing for your help. Will you support the holding of full, open and accessible legislative hearings into this bill? Will you help me make sure that I will get an opportunity to make a presentation before those hearings? Will you also help make sure that the hearings are held across Ontario, with ample prior notice, and that all who want to will get a chance to present to those hearings?
In this, an election year, it is important that I get your help, and that you answer this letter as soon as possible. I ask that you respond directly to this letter, and not just refer it to Citizenship Minister Isabel Bassett. It is your personal help I am seeking. People with disabilities in Ontario number at least one and a half million. They deserve a strong and effective law to remove the barriers they now face.
Sincerely,
Addresses of Conservative MPPs
Regional Contacts of the ODA Committee
previous Action Act re: Bill 83
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Last updated Thursday, March 18, 1999
