We all LIVE under the same SKY! WE all LIVE under the same LAW!

(April 28, 2000) — An able-bodied person murders an able-bodied person...

MURDER

is cried from the rooftops!

An able-bodied person murders

a disabled person...

Mercy killing?

is whispered in the streets.

Murdering of Disabled Citizens

cannot be condoned!

The Tracy Fund has been set up to ensure that the Council of Canadians with Disabilities can speak out on cases where people with disabilities have been murdered. Support us by sending a donation to the Tracy Fund.

Tracy Fund
C/O CCD
926-294 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB. R3C 0B9

A Chronology of CCD Activities to Support the Fundamental Human Rights of Canadians with Disabilities

1995

January 1995—CCD and the Saskatchewan Voice won intervenor status in Latimer's appeal to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.

February 1995—Bob Richards, counsel for CCD and the Voice, explained to the Court of Appeal why it would be discriminatory for Latimer to receive a reduced sentence.

November 1995—CCD hosted a community meeting to plan a litigation strategy to protect the fundamental human rights of people with disabilities.

1996

February 1996—The CCD Council agreed to work toward developing a book which would present the Latimer case, from a disability rights perspective, and would reach Canadians outside the disability rights movement.

February 1996—Eric Norman, Chairperson CCD, circulated an open letter to Canadians seeking support of CCD's position that a murder of a person with a disability be treated the same as any other murder.

1997

November 1997—CCD Human Rights Committee member Catherine Frazee was present in the Court when Latimer's appeal was heard by the Supreme Court. Ms. Frazee was available to the national media to present the disability rights perspective on the case. Some CCD member groups organized events to commemorate Tracy's life.

February 1997—Following the Supreme Court's decision in Latimer's appeal, Irene Feika, a past CCD Chairperson, appeared on Mike Duffy's television show, Sunday Edition to present the disability rights perspective. The Globe and Mail also covered CCD's perspective.

December 1997—CCD and its member groups spoke out against a constitutional exemption for Latimer.

1998

May 1998—Six disability rights organizations (CCD, Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL), DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN), People First, Saskatchewan Voice, and People in Equal Participation (PEP)) sought intervenor status in Latimer's appeal to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. CCD served as the secretariat.

November 1998—Members of CCD's Human Rights Committee provided a disability perspective to the national media.

December 1998—CCD published a booklet of writings by people with disabilities on the Latimer case. This booklet was made available to libraries, so that the general public has access to the disability rights perspective on the case. CCD also shared its information with Ruth Enns, a journalist with a disability, writing a book on the case to be published in 1999.

1999

February 1999—Robert Latimer filed leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada and through the Latimer Watch, CCD informed the community of the grounds of the appeal. The six disability organizations involved in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal intervention (CCD, CACL, DAWN, People First, Saskatchewan Voice, PEP) agreed to seek intervenor status in the Supreme Court appeal. The intervention was granted by the Court.

2000

19 March 2000—Dr. Gregor Wolbring, a member of CCD's Human Rights Committee, established an internet discussion group on the Latimer case to provide a world-wide forum for information sharing on the Latimer case. To subscribe or view the archives go to

http://www.egroups.com/group/TracyLatimer.

20 March 2000--CCD Human Rights Committee Chairperson Hugh Scher presented to the Senate Subcommittee to Update "Of Life and Death" of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. He presented the disability rights arguments against amending the Criminal Code to create a third degree of murder for cases of so-called "compassionate" homicide.