ODA Update
March 19, 2001

With only 249 days remaining until the Legislature's November 23, 2001 deadline for enacting the Ontarians with Disabilities Act into law, lots has been going on around Ontario on the ODA front. Here's a quick sampling: 1. The Parry Sound Muskoka by-election is three days away. ODA supporters have been active in that riding, raising the ODA issue. It has been raised in the "All Candidates' Debates" setting. All three parties have been contacted about this issue. In last fall's Hamilton by-election, the Conservative candidate refused to even meet with ODA supporters. The Conservative candidate in Parry Sound has undoubtedly learned from that mistake, and met today with ODA supporters. 2. One week ago, on March 12, Ottawa's para-transit system went on strike. ODA supporters have been bringing to the media's attention the need for a strong, mandatory ODA so that persons with disabilities can have, among other things, accessible public transit. The lack of an ODA, combined with downloading public transit onto the cities, contributed to the horrible problems which persons with disabilities in Ottawa now face during this strike. 3. A Kingston suporter of the ODA was coverd in a recent article in the Kingston Whig Standard. See this article below. 4. One of Toronto's best-known alternative newspapers, "Now," featured a large, two-page spread on the barriers facing persons with disabilities in Toronto and the need for the ODA to be enacted. It featured another strong ODA supporter. See below. 5. Finally, and in dramatic contrast, Premier Harris's office has written us, again deflecting our efforts at meeting with him to discuss the ODA. His office refers us to the new Citizenship Minister Cam Jackson. Mr. Jackson has not yet responded to our letter to him written almost four weeks ago. See the letter from Premier Harris's office below. ***** Kingston Whig-Standard Saturday, March 17, 2001 Disability motivates dad to push for change Genevieve Behara Michael Lea, The Whig-Standard James Stinson, at his home north of Sydenham, recently graduated with a degree in environmental studies from the University of Waterloo. James Stinson is a resourceful man. Where some might see the onset of multiple sclerosis as a crushing blow, Stinson saw it as an opportunity to complete his education. Now that he's done that, Stinson is turning his attention to the problem of accessibility. He hopes his perspective will help him speed up improvements that have often been slow to occur. ACCESSIBLE SERVICES "Some businesses volunteer to make their services accessible for people in wheelchairs but unless you have legislation they won't have to," he says. Stinson, 47, has used a wheelchair for the past three years. As a passionate blues fan, Stinson attended the Limestone Blues Festival last summer, but couldn't get into all the venues. For Stinson and his family, long trips are even more frustrating. To plan their last vacation, Stinson's wife spent hours on the phone finding accessible accommodation, transportation, and places to go sightseeing. In Ottawa, his family stayed at a 300-room hotel where only two rooms were deemed wheelchair- accessible, but Stinson found them restrictive. While the washroom was designed for disabled people, he had a hard time moving in the room because of all the furniture. "I just wanted to be with the girls," said Stinson. He and his wife have two daughters, 11 and 14 years old. "It's hard for them. I can accept my disability but they have to live with it, too," Stinson said. UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO Don't bet against Stinson being successful in his quest for universal accessibility. Last fall, the Sydenham man graduated from University of Waterloo with a degree in environmental studies. Stinson began his studies through distance education 20 years ago while working for the Ministry of the Environment. When work and family commitments became too much, he put aside his education until he went on disability leave. The day of his convocation was his first time on campus. It was also the first time he came face to face with his professors, whom he called often to talk about course work. PROFESSOR REMEMBERS Dr. Trudi Bunting, a professor of geography and urban planning, remembers her former student. "He worked really hard and did a solid job," Bunting recalled. Bunting guided Stinson in his thesis on urban accessibility. This last course he took was an elective to his environmental studies major. Stinson researched how accessible housing is designed, how it is concentrated in urban centres, what it costs and what government financing might be available. His research and personal experiences have moved him to write letters to government seeking more stringent laws on accessibility. Stinson and other accessibility advocates want the province to pass an Ontario disability act. Such an act, which the Conservatives promised to bring forward in 1995, would make the province barrier-free. It may help people like Stinson, who are physical disabled but mentally capable of doing their jobs from home. "I'd rather not be in this situation, but now that I am, I have to figure out how I can smooth things over," Stinson said. "That's why we really need an Ontario disability act."   ***** Now March 15-21, 2000 Page 21 Newsinsight: Access denied A Five-inch step between her and lunch By Greg Konstantinidis Try shopping and dining in T.O. if you use a wheelchair or scooter and you'll quickly learn that there's one city for those who walk on their own and another for those who are mobile by other means. And you'll get no help from the province -- there's still no legislation to equalize access. Here's a small sampling of services blocked to thousands of our neighbours. When are shopkeepers going to get it? it should be easy for anyone to buy clothes, food or just a coffee in Toronto. Unfortunately, it's not. For someone like music festival organizer Ann Kennedy, who has spina bifida and uses a scooter, many businesses are simply off limits, as a trip around town reveals. We start our tour at the Body Shop on Queen West. As Kennedy in her vehicle goes through the glass doors, the salesperson seems edgy. Thump! Kennedy raps into the soap-bar stand because her scooter can't squeeze past a stool. With a horrified look, the rep scampers over, saying, "Here, let me get that." She slides the offending stool over so Kennedy can pass. But that's not the only obstacle. The three steps leading to the next section, a feature the company must consider a cute marketing touch for its high-end products, stop Kennedy. The hemp-enriched and Ayurvedic health products are above and out of her reach -- unless, that is, she asks the rep to get them from the far corner. The rep, feeling some guilt, admits, "This isn't the best-designed store," and awkwardly chuckles. (No kidding.) Kennedy pulls a three-point turn to leave. At least she got into the Body Shop. The three semicircular concrete steps outside the Bata store at the corner of King and Peter are a barricade. In these situations she usually has to wait until a clerk notices her just to find out if there's a way in. But there isn't a clerk on the main floor, so she waits outside. But even if she could get in, six more steps come between her and the area where hiking boots, just like the ones she has on, are displayed. Nothing pisses Kennedy off more than the two side-by-side shops on Spadina south of Queen. The Subway and the Great Canadian Bagel Company both have single 5-inch steps beneath new logo-plastered doors. "It's ridiculous! Why is there one step?" she fumes. Stopped by a solitary riser. How hard can it be to blast them down and make a ramp? "___!" she says. "There are, like, 5 inches between me and a Subway sandwich. No one gives a ____." One person who does is David Lepofsky, chair of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee. He helped create the proposed act, similar to the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, that would improve accessibility for the 1.5 million disabled Ontarians. His committee's biggest obstacle has been the Harris government. "In May 95, Harris (in a letter) said they would enact this act in his first term, and he would work with us," Lepofsky says. Since then the premier "has refused to speak with us. He's broken every promise he's made to us." Lily Weedon, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Citizenship, doesn't want to talk about Harris's past commitments to the ODA committee, but says, "We are working on legislation at this point," although those details can't be revealed. "There was a commitment made on November 23, 1999, that the disability act will be passed by November 23, 2001." If an act, which may not be like the ODA's proposal, is passed by that time, fixing the 8 1/2-inch step barring Kennedy from the Pizza Pizza at Bathurst and Queen could be mandatory. The clerk's answer to why she can't get in? "I dunno," she shrugs, and dashes to the oven to shift some pizzas around. The customer at the counter shakes her head. "That's rude. They should have a ramp." On the Bathurst side of Honest Ed's, it seems that at least one of the seven locked ground-level doors could be made into an accessible automated door. At the main entrance on Bloor, there's a wheelchair-access sticker and a sign that says, "For assistance please ring buzzer." Buzz. A while later, a woman inside unlocks the door and pushes it open a short arm's length, as if we've disturbed her. Like, sorry for bugging you. Getting through the aisles isn't that hard for Kennedy as long as her scooter keeps going straight. When she tries to turn, it gets more difficult. And it's not hard to get trapped in a tight corner. Crash! Her scooter knocks into the chip stand. Then she has to pull a four-point turn and reverse just to get out. In the east building, a clerk tells her it's OK to use the elevator to get to another floor -- the same one that says "freight elevator only." But Kennedy finds there's no way to get to the west building except for a small section in the basement. So -- no prescriptions, CDs or videos for Kennedy. No cheesy rugs or towels. No chance. "I have a right to junk," she says. But even if she could buy the stuff, she couldn't get through any of the six cash lines in her scooter. "What if I bought something?" she wonders before heading out through the narrow manual door. At the McDonald's and Starbucks on Yonge just south of Bloor it's a similar scene, same attitude. The McDonald's has four steps that need climbing, the Starbucks three. And the clerks inside don't have a clue about how a person in a scooter can get into the store. Kennedy knows these responses all too well. It's just like the endless ignorant scooter speed jokes she's heard. "Hey, that's a sharp scooter," the waitress shot out with a wink at JJ Muggs, where Kennedy used the washroom. "This Starbucks is just another place where there's no way of even asking for help -- there's no doorbell, no buzzer. I'll take my money elsewhere, because apparently they don't want it here." ***** Office of the Premier Legislative Building Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1 March 15, 2001 Mr. David Lepofsky Chair Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee 1929 Bayview Avenue Toronto, Ontario M4G 3E8 Dear Mr. Lepofsky, Thank you for your letter requesting a meeting with Premier Mike Harris to discuss the Ontarians with Disabilities Act. I understand that you have also written to the Honourable Cam Jackson, Minister of Citizenship. As the issues you wish to discuss are within his area of responsibility, you may wish to follow up directly with the minister's office at (416) 326-9326. Sincerely, Landon French Tour and Public Events c: The Honourable Cam Jackson

 

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Last updated March 20, 2001