This is CWDO's Notice to Members of our 11th Annual General Meeting on Monday, June 20, 2016 at 7:00 p.m., EDT. The meeting will be held on-line, in our accessible conferencing system.

 

How to join the AGM

 

Meeting Materials:

 

• Agenda (Word)
• Draft minutes for last year's AGM (Word)
• Financial Statements (Word) - COMING SOON!
• Proposed By-law Amendments (Word)
• CWDO's 5-year Strategic Plan (Word)

• How to nominate yourself or someone else to the CWDO board

 

Notice posted on (date)

A Vulnerable Persons Standard campaign has been launched in support of assisted dying safeguards that will protect vulnerable people from harm.  It is being endorsed by organizations across the country - including CWDO.
 

Endorse the Vulnerable Persons Standard

 

Write your member of Parliament to express your concerns:

 

• Use CWDO's template letter to MPs on safeguards for physician-assisted suicide, including the vulnerable persons standard, or write your own.
• Find your Member of Parliament by postal code
• Contact information for all federal MPs

 

 

In anticipation of our 11th Annual General Meeting on June 20, CWDO is inviting talented and passionate people with disabilities to consider joining CWDO as a member of our Board of Directors to drive change that will impact on our quality of life.

 

As a board member, you will attend monthly meetings, lead one or more working groups that support our mandate, contribute content to our webpage, organize informative webinars, help develop position papers/submissions, interact with our members and more. Read our new, 5-year Strategic Plan to find out more about what CWDO will be doing.

 

Ontario needs your active involvement to make our province a leader in accessibility, inclusion and participation of people with disabilities. Please consider completing a nomination form for yourself or an individual that you would recommend to join CWDO as a board member.

 

• Nomination form (Word format)
• Nomination form (plain text format)
• Membership Form 2016 (Word format)
• Membership Form 2016 (plain text format)

 

 

 

Tribute To An Angel

 

 

A Respected Leader with a Gentle touch,

The future ever in her sight,

Always Giving to others so much.

But God called an Angel home tonight.

 

 

A Listener both Patient and Kind,

Seeing everyone in a Positive light,

Making sure all had their say,

But God called an Angel home tonight.

 

 

A Champion for many causes,

An Advocate for what was right;

Now smiling down from up above,

Because God called an Angel home tonight.

 

 

No more waiting for things to be done,

Nor difficulties to keep in sight;

The battle over physical pain has been won,

Because God called an Angel home tonight.

 

 

"So wipe the tears from your eyes,

For me, Continue the Fight;

To your heart I will whisper and guide,

Because God called me home tonight."

 

 

Written In Memory Of Sousan Zaribaf

 

 

Author Friend And CWDO Board Member

Pat Seed

January 2016

I first met Sousan when I moved into Aldebrain Tower in Scarborough. Very quickly I learned what a powerful presence was housed in that petite figure of hers. Sousan had a tremendous amount of self-respect and joy of life. I think this was probably a defining trait for her and powered many of her life decisions.

 

 

Sousan fought very hard to have attendant services brought into Aldebrain Tower – a totally accessible apartment building that she helped to design. The building reflected her elegant taste and the services her desire to see people with disabilities live in the community on their own terms. A few years ago I invited her to join the Board of Directors of Citizens with Disabilities Ontario (CWDO), an organization which board members of Aldebrain founded. She agreed to join in honour of her ex-husband, Udo Franz, a founding member who had passed away. In her role as a board member I had the great joy of working together with her on a number of issues. This deepened our friendship as I got to know Sousan better as we worked on common goals. Sousan dove in wholeheartedly to a number of CWDO's projects. She was passionate about our work to provide advice for stronger accessibility standards, protections for attendant services and physician-assisted suicide.

 

 

She wrote: “The only way persons with disabilities can have the opportunity to live with respect and dignity is to have the services and supports they need.” Even though she had never done it before, she led two online webinars, facilitating consultations between officials who were reviewing accessibility legislation and members of CWDO. Sousan took her role as a board member seriously, faithfully attending CWDO’s online meetings, supporting our telephone blitzes to contact members across Ontario and treated everyone with respect. She volunteered for every committee and working group we had going, made positive contributions and never forgot to thank other board members for their efforts.

 

 

Board members past and present shared their memories of Sousan when they learned she passed away. She made a profound impact on us. I would like to take a moment to share with some of the comments board members made at the time:

 

 

• “Sousan was a wonderful Board member and held CWDO's best interests close to her heart.”
• “There are some board members who are like family to me. She was definitely one.”
• “To me, Sousan was like a breath of fresh air. She was thoughtful in her contributions to discussions. She had an insight into issues that was unique. She was compassionate about what she did and most often had hidden abilities that needed just a little encouragement to come out."
• "I am certainly going to miss her as we move forward and do our best to implement what she was so emotionally driven to see put in place for all Ontarians."
• "This is such heartbreaking news for CWDO and her family and friends. I didn't know her very well, just from our [online] meetings, but from what I learned through those, she was an amazing person with a great passion for CWDO and helping people with disabilities."
• “I only had the pleasure of working with her for a short time. I joined [the board] just recently and yet I truly count Sousan as one of the kindest and most welcoming people I'd ever worked with.”
• “I may have only heard her voice through digital means but that was more than enough to convey the stellar person she was – such a positive and driven human who was so well-liked and so dedicated. I wish I could say that I met her in person. I wish I could say I told her how welcome she made me feel. In the end there are no words that can sum up such a loss of someone so incredible.”
• "My sincerest condolences and sadness go out to all of you in CWDO, those of you who knew her as a personal friend, and her family." 
• And finally: “I hope we can forge on and help to honour Sousan’s memory and determination in all that we do together.”

 

 

Sousan left us far too soon. But she left knowing that she was loved by her husband, Jack, that she was capable of working as a professional, making and keeping a strong circle of friends and she left us knowing she had done good things for her community and for people with disabilities.

 

 

Sousan lived well and her life was well lived. She was a good friend who was always willing to listen and make gentle, practical suggestions whenever she saw a need. May she be an example for all of us and inspire us to make more room in our lives to help others – even if it means stepping outside our own comfort zone at times, like Sousan did.

 

 

God bless you, Sousan. Rest in peace. ~ Tracy Odell

The following was printed in the booklet distributed at Sousan's Memorial Service held January 9, 2016 at The Cathedral Church of St. James, Toronto, Ontario .

 

 

Sousan was positive, passionate, and courageous.  Her zeal for life inspired those around her and her optimism was infectious.  She contracted juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as an infant, which impaired her mobility, yet her ability to bring joy to those around her and to achieve her dreams was never curtailed by her physical limitations.  Born in Tehran, Iran on August 25, 1956,  she was the youngest in her family.  In the fall of 1974, at the age of 18, Sousan emigrated with her parents to the United States.  They settled in Miami, Florida, where her brother Khosrow had established a home some years earlier.  Nine years later she moved to Los Angeles and then, in 1990, to Toronto.

 

 

Sousan was determined from a young age to gain her independence and to live as abundantly and passionately  as any able-bodied person could.  As we have all observed, she achieved this objective fully.  In Miami, Sousan obtained a degree in psychology and learn to drive (her first car was a Ford Mustang).  She moved to California with her parents to be part of the larger Iranian community in Los Angeles.  There, she worked for the Internal Revenue Service and moved into her own apartment in Covina.  At this time she also became very involved with the Little People of America, an organization that works to improve the quality of life of, and celebrates the contributions and diversity that little people bring to society.

 

 

In 2000, Sousan adopted her beloved African Grey parrot, Plato, who would become her inseparable companion and a great source of joy.  It broke her heart when she acquired a rare chronic allergy in 2011,  which compelled her to move Plato to a bird sanctuary and bring him home only for short infrequent visits.  She continued to love him with her characteristic passion until her final days.

 

 

Sousan had a keen interest in fashion and interior design.  She loved to decorate and make the world around her more beautiful.  Sousan was also a talented gourmet cook.  She enjoyed cooking French dishes and also teaching those around her about her favorite Persian dishes, especially ghormeh sabzi.

 

 

in Toronto, Sousan contributed to realize her goal of working to help people with disabilities by assisting to bring the Aldebrain Tower project to reality in 1993.  Aldebrain is a residential apartment building in East Toronto, which incorporates units that remove barriers to independent living for disabled tenants.  A high quality attendant care services providing organization is also located onsite.  In addition, Sousan worked actively with Citizens with Disabilities Ontario, a not for profit organization promoting quality of life for disabled persons.

 

 

For the last 10 years, Sousan worked at TD Canada Trust, where she was recognized as an exemplary customer experience enabler.

 

 

Sousan met her second husband, Jack, in 2005 and they were married in 2011.  She and Jack shared similar interests: travel, entertaining, spending times with friends and family, cooking, fine dining and film.  They committed themselves to their work and serving others.

 

 

Sousan is survived by Jack, two brothers Khoshrow and Saeed, half-sister Mavash, stepdaughters Erica and Andrea, and grandsons Henry and Callum.   She has nine nieces and two nephews, 3 grand nephews and 4 grand nieces.

While in University, Sousan began advocating for increased accessibility on campus for students with disabilities. She formed a union for students with disabilities and facilitated opportunities for students to meet with faculty and administrators to secure sign language and special tutorial services for deaf students as well as negotiating wheelchair accessibility around campus. Sousan received her Bachelors in Psychology in 1987.

 

 

Later, she served on the Board of Directors of Aldebrain Attendant Care Services of Toronto and participated in negotiations with the Ontario Ministry of Housing to secure funding for construction of an apartment building with wheelchair accessible units designed by people in wheelchairs. Sousan met with the Minister of Health to discuss funding the project for attendant care services. Securing funding for supportive housing allowed many people with disabilities who were waiting in hospitals and other institutions to live in their own home, reunite with their families, and gain independence in the community.

 

 

Sousan has served on the board of directors of The Canadian Cancer Society as Chair of The Health Promotion Committee, which creates awareness on cancer prevention through healthier lifestyles. She organized a breast cancer forum to raise public awareness and fundraise. Sousan has served on many panels at events organized by her employer, Toronto Dominion Canada Trust to raise awareness for employers from many private sectors to explain the economic advantages in hiring more persons with disabilities.

 

 

Sousan served on the CWDO board from June 2012 - December 2015 including Vice-Chairperson 2014-15.

Sousan Zaribaf joined CWDO's Board of Directors in June 2012. In that time, Sousan immersed herself in most of our work: saving door-to-door mail delivery for people with disabilities; protecting people with disabilities who need attendant services or who might be coerced to request assisted suicide. 

 

 

Her main passions were transportation and employment  and she took every opportunity to connect people with disabilities to jobs.

 

 

Sousan facilitated two webinars bringing CWDO members together with officials who were reviewing accessibility legislation to bring our ideas forward.  She planned Annual General Meetings for our organization and sought out new talent to join our board. 

 

 

Sousan left us too soon on December 15 when she passed away due to respiratory difficulties. All of us at CWDO thank you for your many contributionsto our board and on behalf of people with disabilities. We will miss you.

 

 

• Read Sousan's biography for CWDO
• Celebrating the life of Sousan Zaribaf
• Read Board Member Remembrances of Sousan
• Remembrance Poem by Pat Seed

 

Today, December 3rd, people and organizations around the world are celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

 

Celebrations of this day, with various themes, have taken place since 1992. All of the yearly themes, however, have had a universal theme within the descriptive words for the day: the inclusion of ALL peoples and the respecting of the rites and dignity for ALL Persons, enAbling them to participate fully in their communities, country, society and the world.

 

Instead of providing Historical or "nice to read" information, CWDO is asking you to search your own thoughts today, discovering your own answers to these questions about disability.

 

• Can you name five physical disabilities?
• Can you name five invisible disabilities?
• If you were to become temporarily disabled for one month, what disability would you be willing to accept?
• If you were to become permanently disabled for the rest of your life, what disability would you be willing to accept?
• If you were to become temporarily disabled for one month, what disability do you fear the most?
• If you were to become permanently disabled for the rest of your life, what disability do you fear the most?
• What daily living activities would upset you to have help in doing?
• Is there a possibility that you will ever become temporarily or permanently disabled?

 

There is an important positive word within the word disability. It is the word "Ability". Maybe we should be talking about Persons with disAbilities today.

 

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Please read our IYPD issue of our CWDO Newsletter for today. Follow the progress and get involved in working towards a Barrier-Free Canada!

CWDO has been actively engaged in promoting safeguards for people with disabilities when new legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide becomes law in the new year.

 

 

Read our submission to the federal government's External Panel on Legislative Options in Response to Carter vs. Canada.

 

• Letter to all MPS in Ontario Ridings
• Response to federal panel
• Response to provincial panel

 

Read the results of CWDO's members' survey on physician-assisted suicide.

 

 

Read Bakerlaw's proposed legislation on physician-assisted suicide (Accessible PDF).

Please join us on October 4 for our second webinar on assisted suicide. There are a number of important questions to be asked and answered as the government moves forward to create legislation. Be part of the discussion!

 

 

This time, we will be joined by an expert panel of disability rights lawyer David Baker, and health law expert Gilbert Sharpe in a webinar to be held October 4, 2015 at 2:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

 

• Promo for the October 4th for webinar on assisted suicide
• Draft Federal Legislation on Physician Assisted Dying by David Baker and Gilbert Sharpe (accessible PDF document)
• Panelists' presentation (check back soon!)
• Registration form for the webinar
• How to participate in the webinar

CWDO is preparing a submission to an independent panel on physician-assisted dying.

 

 

We want to hear from you!

 

 

Please respond to our survey by September 21st to let us know your views on what safeguards need to be in place when physician-assisted dying becomes legal in February.

 

 

• Member Survey on Physician-assisted Dying – Survey Monkey
• Member Survey on Physician-assisted Dying – Word version

 

For more information go to CWDO's Cross-Canada Webinar on Assisted Suicide (April 26, 2015) – notes, transcripts and presentation documents available.

 

Coming soon! CWDO Webinar on Assisted Suicide (April 26, 2015)

Please go to our bio page for information about our board members' interests and backgrounds.

It's 2015 and National Access Awareness Week is here again. Started in 1988 at the request of Rick Hanson following his Man in Motion World Tour, the week provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the value and contributions of people with disabilities in the community, the workplace and the arts as well as the ongoing need to pay attention to and address accessibility.

 

After more than 25 years of raising awareness, things have certainly started to change for the better. Accessible transportation and curb cuts (ramps) are more commonplace. An increasing number of elevators have braille marked buttons and audio call-outs for floors. With accessibility legislation in Ontario (the AODA), both the public and private sectors are required to pay attention to planning, and large organizations must publish accessibility plans and follow standards for customer service, employment, information & communications, transportation and the built environment.

 

While these changes are encouraging, there is still much more to do before we are universally accessible for people with mobility, vision, hearing, and other disabilities. 27 years of awareness has brought us this far. But before we can become fully accessible, it will take much more than awareness.

 

It will take action!

 

We think it’s time to re-create the week as National Access ACTION Week and challenge individuals, businesses and organizations to take specific action to address accessibility barriers. That might bring us further, and faster toward full accessibility.

 

Let us know what YOU think. E-mail us at cwdo@tbaytel.net.

CWDO hosted a cross-Canada webinar on assisted suicide on April 26, 2015, moderated by Michele Gardner, CWDO

 

 

Summary:  Scott Allardyce provided an Ontario perspective and the current position of Citizens With Disabilities Ontario.  Amy Hasbrouck, presented a global overview.  Jim Derksen gave us the Canadian context, and Catherine Frazee, spoke about the vulnerability of people with disabilities and critical factors for resilience.

 

 

Real-time captioning provided by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (Thank you, CCD!)

• Webinar Notes (Word document, 9 pages)

• Transcript: Assisted Suicide webinar (Word document, 94 pages)
• Archived assisted suicide webinar (audio and slides) to be posted by June 30, 2015

• Presentation by Scott Allardyce, CWDO and Founder, Canadian Disability Alliance
  • Refer to transcript pages 8-18
• Presentation by Amy Hasbrouck, Founder and Director of Toujours Vivant/Not Dead Yet, a project of CCD
  • Refer also to transcript pages 18 - 31

  Presentation: Jim Derksen, CCD, Advocate, Canadian disabilities movement on life-and-death issues

  • Refer to transcript pages 31 - 40

  Presentation: Catherine Frazee, former Chief Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission

  • Refer to transcript pages 41 - 52

  Discussion: Refer to transcript pages 52-94

Thanks to funding from Service Canada, CWDO will be able to hire a student in Thunder Bay for 8 weeks this summer to assist us with public education projects such as planning webinars and assessing how welcoming local businesses and organizations are for people with disabilities.

 

Application deadline: extended to June 22 (was May 29), 2015.

 

Read the job description.

Please join us for our Annual General Meeting at 7:00 PM on Thursday, June 18. Keynote Speaker: David Lepfosky. The meeting will take place in our accessible, online conferencing center in Auditorium 1.

 

• CWDO's 2015 AGM Agenda
• Draft Minutes from the 2014 AGM
• 2014-15 Accomplishments Report
• Financial Report (Word version)
• Financial Report (PDF version)
• Proposed Bylaw Amendments
• How to join our online meeting
• CWDO Membership Application Form (Word version)
• CWDO Membership Application Form (Plain Text version)
• CWDO Nomination Form (Word version)
• CWDO Nomination Form (Plain Text version)

Training Sessions

If this is new to you, please come to one of our training sessions:

The Conference Training times will be as follows, all Eastern Daylight Time, (EDT)
 

• April 19th, Sunday, 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• April 21, Tuesday, 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
• April 22, Wednesday, 7:00 pm - until 10:00 pm
• April 23, Thursday, 7:00 pm - until 10:00 pm
• April 25, Saturday, 11:00 am -1:00 pm
• April 25, Saturday, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• April 26, Sunday,  2:00 pm until Webinar begins at 3:00 pm

How to join the Training Session:

1. Go to https://www.ideal-group.org/cwdo  
2. Scroll down to Auditorium 1 and click on it.
3. If you are a first-time participant, click the "download" link.  Choose “Run” from the dialogue box that pops up.  After it loads, choose “Run” again.  
4. Click “Finish” when a box pops up saying the conference room is ready.
5. Choose Auditorium 1 again if necessary.
6. For your User Name – enter your first and last name and location (for example, Pat Seed in Thunder Bay)
7. For Password – just leave it blank.
8. Click “Log on” and you will be in the conference room.

To speak as on a teleconference, use your computer microphone/headset.  If you do not have a microphone, you will need to type your comments in the text box (like IM applications).  You will be able to hear others speaking through your headset or your computer speakers.  There are sliding bars to adjust your microphone volume (how we will hear you) and speaker volume (how you will hear us).  These are in the lower right-hand area of the screen.

 

If you need alternate instructions (for vision or hearing impairment) please let Pat Seed know.  The site has a number of useful features built in that can be helpful if you know how to access them, such as a built-in text reader.  Pat can be reached by e-mail at pat.seed@tbaytel.net or by phoning (807) 473-0909.

Here are the instructions for entering CWDO Accessible Conferencing Auditorium 1:
 
 
Go to Link:
 
www.cwdo.org   
 
Click on the link for
Ideal Conference Centre.
 
Then click on the link for
Go To Conference Rooms
 
 
Other notes:
 
* Using a PC with Windows is best. Second to that is a Mac with bootable Windows. You can use an IPhone or Mac as well.
The instructions for Apple products will be below the PC instructions.
 
* Using Internet Explorer is best, and you do not have to have the most up to date version. Using other browsers will also work.
 
* Having a wired in connection to the internet is best, rather than using a wireless connection. We will adjust our speaking to accommodate internet delays.
 
 
*** PC Instructions:
 
 
1. Having arrived at the Accessible CWDO Citizens With Disabilities Ontario conferencing page, you will see various conference rooms. Go down to (Auditorium 1, (one)and click on it or press your enter key.
 
 
2. Look down the page and you will see a place to download the plug-in. Whether or not you have entered our conferencing system before does not matter. You Must download the plug-in which you will find part way down the page. There are always updates to the CWDO Conferencing System, so downloading the small plug-in is Definitely Important.
(Please Note, Apple instructions are different.)
 
 
3. You will be instructed, as the plug-in downloads, to click on the two run buttons that you see, and then click on the finish button.
 
 
4. Now, go back up to the top of the Auditorium 1 page, and look for the place that says,
(Enter the room), and click there.
 
 
5. You will be presented with an edit field to enter your name. Please enter your (REAL) first and last name, and where you are geographically located.
Example: Pat Seed in Thunder Bay
 
 
6. Leave the password field blank.
Note: you do not need a password to participate in this meeting.
 
 
7. Click on the log in button which should put you in Auditorium one.
 
 

*** Apple Instructions:
1. Go to your APP Store and download the TC conference application.
 
2. Once you have it, open your Internet browser and
Type in the link
 
www.cwdo.org  
 
 
3. Click on the link for
Ideal Conference Centre.
 
4. Then click on the link for
Go To Conference Rooms
 
 
5. Choose your specified room,
In this case,
Auditorium 1.
 
 
6. Then click on the link to enter the room.
(Note: Apple users do not download anything additional other than the application they have already installed for the specific device they are using.)
 
 
7. Enter your name. (No password is needed),
and click on connect.
 
 
 
*** Talking and Texting:
 
* In order to talk, press the control key and hold it down, begin to talk. When you are finished talking, continue to hold the control key down for a second, and then please let go of the control key so that others can talk.
 
Alternatively, you may have a (talk) button or can click on the microphone. You may need to release your talk button or microphone in order for others to talk.
 
(Only one person can talk at a time.)
 
 
* Using a headset is best. However, you can use a microphone and listen through your computer speakers.
 
 
*** Texting:
 
If you do not have a headset or microphone, or your headset or microphone seems not to be working, you may send text messages in the small space on the screen.
 
 
You can type your complete message on the screen, (the text wraps around), ending with the letters ga which means for others to (go ahead) and have their turn to speak or text. We will see the message and respond to you.
 
 
* Note: Please do not text while other people are speaking, and please do not speak while other people are texting.
 
 
If, for some reason, the web page does not work for you, you can directly go to:
 
www.ideal-group.org/cwdo   
 
 
We look forward to your participation.
 
 
Pat Seed
 
 

Pat Seed
Chairperson Citizens With Disabilities Ontario (CWDO)
Phone: (807) 473-0909

Email:
cwdo@tbaytel.net   

Website:

www.cwdo.org  

• Current & Urgent January 8, 2015
• Current & Urgent December 17, 2014
• Current & Urgent November 17, 2014
• Call to Action! CWDO October 18, 2014
• Current & Urgent September 17, 2014
• Current & Urgent, July 9, 2014
• Reminder! Stories from Disability Leaders: Community Activism & Engagement Webinar July 1, 2014
• Invitation: Stories from Disability Leaders: Community Activism & Engagement Webinar June 24, 2014
• Current & Urgent, June 1, 2014
• Current & Urgent, May 1, 2014
• Current & Urgent, April 1,2014

CWDO has been offering a newsletter to over 1,000 subscribers since 2009. Please sign up!

 

Wheel-Trans is currently in the process of restructuring its service, based on the Toronto Auditor General's 2012 report, "Review of Wheel-Trans Services - Sustaining Level and Quality of Service Requires Changes to the Program."

 

Solomon Fagan, a local independent artist and human rights activist, is networking with other Wheel-Trans users interested in contributing to Wheel-Trans' restructuring. He is especially interested in Wheel-Trans users who have ideas for improving Wheel-Trans service.

 

One of his primary goals is to improve Wheel-Trans' eligibility process. He believes the mandatory eligibility interview locations may not be very accessible to applicants who use walkers, crutches, or canes.

 

At present there is significant distance from the drop and pick-up points to the actual rooms in which the mandatory eligibility interviews are held, as well as significant curb-side wait time for the return ride from the assessment locations. Solomon believes this can make attendance at these interviews painful and risky for applicants who are not yet in a wheelchair full time, and have limited endurance for standing and walking.

 

Therefore he is advocating for the following concrete changes to Wheel-Trans' assessment process:

1. Better information regarding the conditions of these interview locations, so that applicants will at least know beforehand exactly how far they will be expected to walk and how long they will have to stand curbside in order to attend these assessments.
2. At least one eligibility assessment location where there is ergonomic seating immediately at the drop and pick-up point, so applicants who use canes, crutches and walkers will not have to walk significant distances to get to the interview room, or stand curbside for a half an hour or more for the return ride. For some applicants it can be very difficult to walk even a few hundred feet, and can be painful and injurious to stand for an extended period even with a mobility device.
3. Applicants who have fluctuating mobility (for example, due to arthritis or musculoskeletal disorders which can be effected by the weather and other factors) should automatically be informed of their right to reschedule missed interviews based on clear criteria outlined beforehand.
4. The ability and right of applicants to make their own electronic record of the assessment interview, in the interest of objectivity and transparency.

If you share these concerns and think these changes would improve Wheel-Trans assessment process, or if you have ideas of your own or information you believe may be relevant, please contact Solomon at solomon.fagan@gmail.com.

 

The Auditor General's recommendation for changes to Wheel-Trans eligibility policy and Wheel-Trans' response begins on page 67 of the PDF for report.

CWDO submitted recommendations to the Independent Reviewer on the AODA, 2014. We also enabled consultations to take place across Ontario using our online web conferencing system.  Following a survey of our members, CWDO made recommendations on municipal accessible advisory committees; AODA reporting and compliance mechanisms; suggested ways to strengthen the customer service. employment, information & communication and transportation standards. We recommended new standards in healthcare, education and elections. standard; and made recommendations regarding new legislation.  Thank you to all our members who contributed comments. A number of our recommendations found their way into the Independent Reviewer's report.

• Read CWDO's full submission.

CWDO Submission to Minister of Finance PDF

CWDO Submission to Minister of Finance (Word document)

CWDO has offered budget priorities to the Minister of Finance for their 2014-15 Pre-budget Consultation. Read our submission:

 

• CWDO's submission to the Minister of Finance (Word document)
• CWDO's submission to the Minister of Finance (PDF document)
• Attachment 1 (Word document)
• Attachment 1 (PDF document)
• Attachment 2 (Word document)
• Attachment 2 (PDF document)