Contents
Access
Invitation to participate in the review of Ontario’s Accessibility Standards for Customer Service 
Announcements 
Relaunch! The New Society Institute (formerly IRIS) 
Canada Disability Benefit 
PLAN: Announcing our new Canada Disability Benefit website and additional support for Disability Tax Credit applications! 
Human Rights 
Concluding Observations from Canada’s 10th CEDAW Review 
Why Are So Many Alberta Indigenous Youth Receiving Government Support Dying? | The Tyee 
Global Alliance of National Human Rights Organizations (GANHRI) a special review of the CHRC’s A-status compliance with the Paris Principles. 
Medical Aid In Dying 
Disability & MAID: Three-in-five concerned lack of adequate care may push vulnerable to consider assisted dying -Newsletters 
Canadian Mental Health Association – Saskatchewan 
Co-operation Canada Newsletter 
Disability Alliance BC | Transition Magazine 
Disability Without Poverty 
EASPD Newsletter 
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition 
Fighting Blindness Canada 
Global Leadership Exchange 
Ontario Human Rights Commission Newsletter 
On the Agenda: An SDG Bulletin 
Rick Hansen Foundation |December 3, the Rick Hansen Foundation presents “The Power of Inclusive Decision Making,” 
Seniors for Social Action 
Social Development Goals 
Seeking Your Impact Stories for the 2025 SDG Annual Report 
Transportation 
Porter breaks its own rules by kicking deaf woman and her service dog off a flight 
American Airlines fined 50 million dollars for abusing people with Disabilities. 
Opportunities 
Graduate/Law Student Job Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities 

Access

Invitation to participate in the review of Ontario’s Accessibility Standards for Customer Service

I am writing to provide you with information on the work of the Customer Service Standards Development Committee and to invite you to participate in the review process.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) requires accessibility standards to be reviewed to determine whether the standards are working as intended and allows for adjustments as needed.

In October 2023, a Standards Development Committee began the second review of the Customer Service Standards. Based on its review, the committee has developed an initial recommendations report.

The committee’s report can be found here: 

https://www.ontario.ca/page/improving-accessible-customer-service-standards-2024-initial-recommendations-report

https://www.ontario.ca/fr/page/ameliorer-les-normes-daccessibilite-pour-les-services-la-clientele-rapport-sur-les-recommandations-initiales-2024

The committee is currently seeking public feedback on the report. There are two ways to share your feedback:

Complete the online survey here:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-improving-accessible-customer-service-standards

https://www.ontario.ca/fr/page/consultation-ameliorer-les-normes-daccessibilite-pour-les-services-la-clientele

Send an email to CSreviewSDC@ontario.ca

The public consultation will last for 60 days and end on January 9, 2025.

If you need an alternate format or have any questions, please call us at 1-877-300-4024 or 1-888-335-6611 (TTY).

Following the committee's consideration of the public input, it will finalize its recommendations and submit its final report to the government.

Thank you,
Meenu Sikand
Assistant Deputy Minister  
Pronouns: she|her|hers
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Division (AODD)
Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility (MSAA)
777 Bay St., 6th Floor, Suite 602
Toronto, ON  M7A 2J4
Meenu.sikand@ontario.ca
Cell: (416) 272-6261

Announcements

Relaunch! The New Society Institute (formerly IRIS)

We are pleased to announce the New Society Institute – redesigned and relaunched from its predecessor IRIS – Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society.

The New Society Institute (NSI) is a non-profit research, social development, and design organization that supports systemically marginalized people and communities to create systems and structures that work for them. Our work focuses on bringing the voices that have been pushed to the edges to the center, to achieve equality and inclusion.

Over our history we have been rooted in the experiences of people with intellectual, mental health and other disabilities, and now use a holistic, strength-based, trauma-informed, and culturally grounded approach to create spaces that are ethical and inclusive for all.

Our main areas of work, include “Convening Communities,” “Reimagining Public Policy,” and “Redesigning Access.” Through our law and policy research, social development, training, information services, and digital tools we use an intersectional, anti-oppression, and decolonial perspective. The Institute aims to build common ground by respecting, listening to, and valuing diverse experiences of systematically marginalized peoples.

Clovis Grant, Chair of NSI, said, “We are proud to be re-launching this venerable organization at a time when so many communities are reeling from division, polarization, and exclusion. We look forward to its continued excellence in research and development.” Doris Rajan, Managing Director, said, “The Institute has a long history of being at the forefront of thinking and working through what it means to reach new horizons of equality and inclusion. With the huge diversity of communities we now partner with we understand more than ever that we need a solidarity-building approach that learns from and is guided by the multitude of voices at the margins of our society.”

For more information about the New Society Institute and current initiatives, please visit us at www.newsocietyinstitute.ca (new website coming in 2025), or contact Bianca Okine, Manager, Social Development at bokine@newsocietyinstitute.ca. You can still access IRIS resources through our new landing page.

Canada Disability Benefit

PLAN: Announcing our new Canada Disability Benefit website and additional support for Disability Tax Credit applications!

Click on the following link to access the information: Canada Disability Benefit

Contact PLAN’s Disability Planning Helpline for help with the Canada Disability Benefit and the Disability Tax Credit: Tel: 1-844-311-7526, Email: helpline@planinstitute.ca

Human Rights

Concluding Observations from Canada’s 10th CEDAW Review

On October 16, 2024, Canada presented its 10th Report on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in Geneva. We received 54 Concluding Observations (COs) from the CEDAW Committee (available in English only), along with over 70 recommendations.

Key Areas Addressed in COs:

• Employment (7 recommendations)
• Health (6 recommendations)
• Participation in political and public life (5 recommendations)
• Indigenous women and girls (5 recommendations)
• Gender-based violence against women and girls (4 recommendations)
• Effectiveness of initiatives for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls and for promoting gender equality (4 recommendations)
• Nationality and Citizenship Rights (4 recommendations)
• Education (4 recommendations)
• Social and Economic Empowerment of Women (4 recommendations)
• Marriage and family relations (4 recommendations)
• Extraterritorial State obligations under the Convention (3 recommendations)
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (3 recommendations)
• Trafficking of women and girls and exploitation of prostitution (3 recommendations)
• Temporary special measures (3 recommendations)
• Stereotypes and harmful practices (2 recommendations)
• Women and girls with disabilities (2 recommendations)
• Ratification of other treaties (1 recommendation)
• Sustainable Development Goals (1 recommendation)
• Parliament (1 recommendation)
• Visibility of the Convention, the Optional Protocol thereto and implementation of international recommendations (1 recommendation)
• National machinery for the advancement of women (1 recommendation)
• Refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant women and girls (1 recommendation)
• Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1 recommendation)
• Dissemination (1 recommendation)

We are eager to hear your thoughts on these COs and in the coming weeks we will share further details about the planned post-review engagement sessions on the COs and the leads involved.

We hope you will participate, as these sessions aim to inform the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Senior Officials’ Committee Responsible for Human Rights (SOCHR) and subject matter experts about actionable steps that governments could take to address the COs, as well as to highlight your priorities and concerns.

Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Canada’s COs will be tabled in Parliament and the Senate, raising awareness among Members of Parliament nationwide.

With kind regards,
Engagement Unit
Human Rights Program
Canadian Heritage
FPTRightsEngagementDroitsFPT@pch.gc.ca

Why Are So Many Alberta Indigenous Youth Receiving Government Support Dying? | The Tyee

Click on the following link to access the information online: https://thetyee.ca/News/2024/10/22/Alberta-Indigenous-Youth-Receiving-Government-Support-Dying/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=231024

Global Alliance of National Human Rights Organizations (GANHRI) a special review of the CHRC’s A-status compliance with the Paris Principles.

Click on the following link: mailcoach.chrc-ccdp.ca/webview/campaign/f8f728e7-478c-43f3-b50a-049b93cd6f00

Medical Aid In Dying

Disability & MAID: Three-in-five concerned lack of adequate care may push vulnerable to consider assisted dying

Click on the following link: https://angusreid.org/disability-maid-health-care-canada-medical-assisted-death/

Newsletters

Canadian Mental Health Association – Saskatchewan

Click on the following link to access the information online: National Housing Day

Co-operation Canada Newsletter

Click on the following link to access the newsletter online: Cooperation Canada Newsletter | Infolettre Coopération Canada

Disability Alliance BC | Transition Magazine

Click on the following link: TransitionFallWinter24_CDB.pdf

Disability Without Poverty

Click on the following link to access the information online: Oct 2024 newsletter / Infolettre d'octobre 2024

EASPD Newsletter

Click on the following link to access the information online: EASPD Newsletter

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Click on the following link to access the information online: Assisted dying for disabled and depressed people.

Fighting Blindness Canada

Click on the following link: Join the Raising Our Sights Townhall

Global Leadership Exchange

Click on the following link to access the information online: Global Leadership Exchange Update (November))

Ontario Human Rights Commission Newsletter

Click on the following link to access the information online: Combatting anti-Indigenous discrimination in healthcare | Ontario Human Rights Commission

On the Agenda: An SDG Bulletin

Click on the following link to access the information online: On the Agenda: an SDG Unit Bulletin

Rick Hansen Foundation |December 3, the Rick Hansen Foundation presents “The Power of Inclusive Decision Making,”

Click on the following link: Webinar Registration - Zoom

Seniors for Social Action

Click on the following link to access the information online: POLICY STATEMENT – AGING IN PLACE - NON-PROFIT ASSISTED LIVING OPTIONS FOR OLDER ADULTS

Social Development Goals

Seeking Your Impact Stories for the 2025 SDG Annual Report

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is pleased to invite you to contribute to Canada’s 2025 Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Unit has noticed the work your organization does in advancing SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth. This is one of the SDGs under review this year at at the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). 

For this reason, we wish to ask for your support to contribute an impact story on how you have made progress on SDG 8 in your own community this past year. Stories should focus on activities that took place in 2024 to advance SDG 8, focusing on the experiences of individuals or groups and providing a human-centered perspective. Show us how your work made a difference in the lives of the people you serve! 

Feel free to share your SDG story through one of the following methods:

Respond to the online questionnaire available online from October 30, 2024 to January 31, 2025 on the Canada and the SDG web page that includes similar guiding questions.

Submit your story directly to the SDG Unit by email by December 20, 2024. 

Schedule an online meeting with the SDG Unit where they can interview you to capture your story. Book a time to meet with us through this link before December 20, 2024.

Please note that while we hope to include as many contributions as we can in the Annual Report, due to space limitation we will not be able to include all. In addition, to fit formatting, design and accessibility requirements the SDG Unit might also slightly amend contributions received during the finalization of the Annual Report.

We invite you to spread the word through your network to help raise awareness of this questionnaire and information sessions. Thank you in advance for joining us in our commitment to highlight the work being undertaken across Canada to support the 2030 Agenda.

Warmest regards,

Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson

Senior Policy Analyst | Analyste principale des politiques
UN SDG Unit | l’Unité des ODD
Employment and Social Development Canada | Emploi et Développement social Canada
isabelle.levertchiasson@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Transportation

Porter breaks its own rules by kicking deaf woman and her service dog off a flight

Click on the following link to access the information online: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/porter-airlines-deaf-service-dog-1.7363838?cmp=rss&utm_source=press.coop

American Airlines fined 50 million dollars for abusing people with Disabilities.

Click on the following link to access the information online: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/american-airlines-fined-50m-allegedly-violating-disability-laws-rcna176717

Opportunities

Graduate/Law Student Job Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities

I am the Manager of the Government of Canada’s annual flagship recruitment program, the Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL), and I am excited to announce that we will be accepting applications starting November 12! We are seeking accomplished persons from diverse backgrounds with the potential to lead positive change and develop creative solutions to Canada’s most pressing policy issues, such as the fight against climate change, reconciliation, food security, criminal justice, health, international trade, and more. This program places successful candidates into a fully qualified pool for mid- to senior-level policy analyst roles (EC-05 through EC-07 levels). Successful candidates also receive mentorship and networking opportunities across the federal public service.

RPL strives to have a diversity of representation and takes an inclusive-first approach. Part of these efforts includes hosting a Persons living with disabilities stream. This stream has a longer application period and is assessed at every stage by individuals who have lived experience and/or additional cultural competency training.

Persons living with disabilities and Indigenous applicants are invited to apply from November 12 until December 10, 2024. All other applicants are invited to apply from November 12-26, 2024.

I am available to speak to applicants about this program, if you think that that would be beneficial, and offer them the opportunity to ask questions. Otherwise, I am hoping that you may be able to distribute the attached poster, which provides a high overview of the program as well as information about application dates.

Note that RPL requires a Master’s degree or PhD in any discipline OR a law degree plus an undergraduate degree in any discipline. The perspectives of persons with disabilities are essential in policy, where recommendations and decisions on important issues are made daily for Canadians. By increasing the voices of persons living with disabilities in these processes, we strongly believe that better decisions will be made for communities.

Interested applicants can also learn more about RPL by following us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. You can also visit our GCwiki page, which contains links to recorded presentations and video profiles of alumni, as well as information for webinars taking place in November and December.

Thank you very much for the consideration,

Chandra Giroux, BA, MA2, PhD (elle/she/her)
Manager, Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) | Gestionnaire, Recrutement de leaders en politiques (RLP)
Department of Fisheries and Oceans | Pêches et Océans Canada
Tel: 343-596-0177
chandra.giroux@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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