All posts by Lisa Kovac

There’s a Business Case for Accessibility Legislation

Marie Bountrogianni
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published September 7, 2018

Dean, G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, Ryerson University, Toronto

First and foremost, national accessibility legislation is an act of human rights and inclusion. Nobody wants to live in isolation or feel forgotten by society. Through my research on employment trends, I found that a large majority of people with disabilities have a strong desire to work and pay taxes. Unfortunately, these individuals still make up a disproportionate number of people working in jobs below their skill level, a trend called mal-employment.

There’s a Business Case for Accessibility Legislation. Read full article.

Student-Led Mental Health Initiatives Across Ontario Shifting How Schools Provide Supports

By Olivia Bowden The Canadian Press

As Canadian universities and colleges face increasing pressure to provide better mental-health services on campus, students are looking to give schools fresh ideas on how to tackle the issue.

Thats how 24-year-old Ryan Golt became involved with working alongside Montreals McGill University to support students. But before he got there, he faced his own mental-health crisis.

Student-Led Mental Health Initiatives Across Ontario Shifting How Schools Provide Supports. Read full article.

Accessibility at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan

Tokyo, Japan is hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics. As usual, the Paralympics will follow. It is expected that forty million people will travel to Japan to watch the Olympics and Paralympics. As a result, Japan is examining accessibility at the 2020 Summer Olympics. While Japan is accessible in some places already, the country will be making improvements between now and 2020. The goal is to ensure accessibility for everybody at the 2020 Summer Olympics so that athletes and fans of all abilities can enjoy the Games without facing barriers.

Accessibility at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan. Read full article.

Disabilities on Screen: Representation in Hollywood

Many actors have played the role of a mother, pilot, or doctor. Yet, they are none of those things. However, they convince viewers that they are what they pretend to be. But does the usual way of casting actors hinder inclusive representation? When it comes to disabilities on screen, there’s a lack of portrayal in Hollywood. As well, there is an ongoing debate about whether roles should be given based on representation or acting skills. This article will look at that debate and attempt to break it down.

Disabilities on Screen: Representation in Hollywood. Read full article.

AODA Alliance Presses the Ford Government to Immediately Lift Its Freeze on the Work of Standards Development Committees, Appointed under Ontario’s Disabilities Act To Make Recommendations on Needed Accessibility Standards

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities http://www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance

August 29, 2018

SUMMARY

The AODA Alliance today wrote the Ford Government’s Minister for Accessibility and Seniors, Raymond Cho. It urges the Government to now lift its freeze on the mandatory work of advisory committees which have been appointed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to advise the Ontario Government on needed reforms to tear down accessibility barriers that 1.9 million Ontarians with disabilities suffer from in the areas of access to education, to employment, to health care and to information and communication.

AODA Alliance Presses the Ford Government to Immediately Lift Its Freeze on the Work of Standards Development Committees, Appointed under Ontario’s Disabilities Act To Make Recommendations on Needed Accessibility Standards. Read full article.