ODA Update
May 24, 2001

Today Marks the
Sixth Anniversary of Premier Harris's
Unkept Promise to Enact the
Ontarians With Disabilities Act

Six long years ago today, on May 24, 1995, in the heat of a hotly-contested provincial election campaign, Mike Harris promised in writing that he would enact the ODA in his first term, and that he would personally work together with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee to develop that law. Six years later, Ontarians with disabilities still face far too many barriers, created before 1995, and many more barriers, created since 1995. We still have no ODA, and Premier Harris keeps on refusing to even meet with us. In the face of this, the past six years have witnessed an extraordinary new development for Ontarians with disabilities, never before seen in this province. We have seen the growth of the biggest, broadest, most united and most effective grass-roots disability rights movement in this province's history, rallying around our shared goal of achieving a barrier-free province for all 1.5 million Ontarians with disabilities through the enactment of a strong and effective ODA. We have blossomed from 20 people meeting in a room in November of 1994 to start this movement, to a tenacious province-wide ODA Committee organized in 22 regions of this province. We have all brought together people with disabilities, people without disabilities, and disability organizations, working together. We have brought our message to the public like never before. We have won the unanimous passage of three resolutions supporting the ODA in the Ontario Legislature, and over 20 resolutions supporting the ODA by local municipal councils in communities across Ontario. We have secured amazing, relentless, positive media coverage. Public opinion polls conducted for the Government of Ontario and conducted for the ODA Committee each show strong public support for the kind of legislation we seek. Both the opposition Liberal and New Democratic Parties have been convinced to fight for a strong, effective ODA. Many opposition MPPs have raised the ODA again and again, day after day in the Ontario Legislature, whether or not we are present in the Legislature building to bring attention to this issue. When the Ontario Government offered us a three-page, toothless bill in November of 1998, we rallied across Ontario, and got that bill killed within a mere 17 days. When a leaked Cabinet document revealed in fall 2000 that the Government planned to sneak through another weak bill that fall, we swung into action and drove the Government off its plan and its timetable. We have criticized when necessary, but also have brought forward a powerful, positive message of what a strong and effective ODA would do to benefit all Ontarians, as well as Ontario business. How have we done it? All of this is the result of the hard work of dedicated ODA supporters in their local communities working on their own or together. They have blitzed away using their phone, their TTY, their fax machine, their computer, their Braille printer, their Email, or whatever they can muster They have talked up this issue to politicians, to reporters, to local business- people, or to friends and family. they have convinced others to join the effort. They have brought their nearest disability organization on board. They have identified the barriers in their own lives and shared with one and all why they need a strong ODA to get rid of those barriers. And of great importance, they have worked together on the shared needs of people with all kinds of different disabilities, while bringing to public light the needs specific to their own disability. No matter what the odds, and no matter how the Ontario Government has reacted, they have remained optimistic and have stayed dedicated to the goal of an ODA which is strong, effective and mandatory. Let's take today, and the upcoming period through National Access Awareness Week up until June 2, 2001, to celebrate our progress. We still have much to do, but we have so much progress on which to build. Let's each phone, visit or fax your nearest Conservative MPP today or over the next week to let them know how important a strong and effective ODA is to you. Let them know what six years of inaction on the ODA promise has meant to you and your family and friends. To show just a fraction of the amazing efforts that are going on in support of the ODA across Ontario now and around the time of this Sixth Anniversary of Inaction, here is a sampling. No doubt this list inadvertently leaves lots out. For example, it does not list the numbers of calls and visits to MPPs that have been going on throughout this period. It does not show the efforts going on right now to distribute our ODA by-election pamphlet in the Vaughan King Aurora riding even before an upcoming provincial by- election is called there. Just look at what has been happening and what is about to happen: * May 11, 2001: Windsor - ODA Committee Windsor-Essex Region hosts a public birthday party to mark the Harris ODA pledge's sixth birthday. * May 15, 2001: Niagara Falls - ODA Committee Niagara Falls - St. Catharines Region holds a public forum on the ODA, with the help of the local chapter of the MS Society. * May 24, 2001: - London 1290 CJBK Radio has interview on ODA just after 10 a.m. * May 25 and 26, 2001: Sault Ste. Marie - ODA supporters will be building a "barrier wall" at the Station Mall. ODA supporters will explain to shoppers about the need for the ODA and to get them to contribute their own ideas to the barrier wall. * May 26, 2001: Parry Sound - ODA presentation with local MPP invited during RISE annual general meeting. * May 31, 2001: London - During London Access Awareness Committee Empowerment Day for National Access Awareness Week at Carling Heights Community Centre, presentations on ODA planned. * June 1, 2001: Ottawa - Open news conference on ODA hosted by Ontario Association for Community Living including presentation by a Congressional sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Tony Coelho * June 2, 2001: Toronto - Ontario Association of Social Workers major conference includes presentation on ODA. * June 2, 2001: London - ODA Committee London Region has been invited to have an information booth at the Gathering On The Green in Old South London. More than 2000 people are expected to attended this event. Premier Harris - why not make this the last anniversary of inaction on your May 24, 1995 promise!

 

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Last updated May 24, 2001