July 19, 2000

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

Dear Minister,

Re: Ontarians with Disabilities Act

I contacted your assistant Ronald Bowers on July 17, 2000 to request dates for a meeting with you. While his June 26, 2000 letter to me proposed that we meet during the last week of August, I have asked for earlier dates.

It is crucial that we meet with you as soon as possible. This is especially so because your Government has now broken its most recent commitment to 1.5 million Ontarians with disabilities regarding the Ontarians with Disabilities Act. In last October's Throne Speech, your Government committed to have an "action plan"
concerning the Ontarians with Disabilities Act announced during that session of the Ontario Legislature. That session ended in June. Yet no action plan has been announced.

Your assistant Mr. Bower's June 26, 2000 letter to me includes inaccuracies about our efforts to meet with you, and related discussions with your staff. We made serious but unsuccessful efforts to meet with you in May, prior to my departure near the end of that month. We enclose another copy of our April 24, 2000
letter to you. We trust that by now you are well familiar with its contents. That letter was faxed to you on April 24. It was immediately posted on our web site. It was also copied to the Premier, your Government's House Leader, and several Opposition MPPs. It was also referenced in our May 11, 2000 letter to you. You certainly have been aware since well before April 24 that we wanted a chance to work with you to move forward in this area.

We look forward to receiving dates from Mr. Bowers as soon as possible. We also would appreciate your encouraging the Premier to attend this meeting with us as well.

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
Howard Hampton 325-8222
David Christopherson 325-7111
Marilyn Churley 325-7111

Enclosure: April 24, 2000 letter to Minister Johns from David
Lepofsky

 

ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMMITTEE

c/o Marg Thomas
1929 Bayview Avenue, Toronto ON M4G 3E8
Tel: (Voice direct) 416-480-7686 Fax: 416-480-7014
Voice mail: 416-480-7012
email: thomasm@east.cnib.ca
TTY: c/o Susan Main 416 964-0023 ex. 343
Web site: www.indie.ca/oda

April 24, 2000

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

Dear Minister,

I am writing on behalf of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Committee to request a meeting with you as soon as possible to
discuss your Government's plans with respect to the Ontarians
with Disabilities Act. We are making this request on the
recommendation of the Premier's office. We hope you will treat
this as a matter of priority.

We are particularly concerned about statements you are quoted as
having made in a Toronto Star article on April 22, 2000 about
public consultations on the ODA. You are quoted as saying that
there will be no public hearings because "Isabel (Bassett) held
public meetings. We have that information,".

As you are aware, when Minister Bassett held her secret, closed-
door invitation-only consultations in 1998, there was a
widespread outcry across the province asking for true public,
open and accessible consultations. Months later, in your
Government's pre-election April 1999 Throne speech, there was a
tacit acknowledgement by your Government of the inadequacies of
those consultations and a commitment to do better. We are very
concerned that there now appears to be a change in your
Government's position.

As you know, we are anxious to see your Government move forward
as quickly as possible with a strong and effective Ontarians
with Disabilities Act. It has now been five years since the
Premier made his promise to enact this legislation. Many new
barriers impeding people with disabilities have been created
during that time.

We hope that we will be able to get a clear picture from you at
our meeting about the Government's plans that will lead towards
the enactment of a strong and effective Ontarians with
Disabilities Act as soon as possible. Please have your office
contact me to arrange a meeting time.

Yours 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
Howard Hampton 325-8222
David Christopherson 325-7111
Marilyn Churley 325-7111