English

Dear Colleagues,

As you are aware Parliament is presently holding hearings on Bill C-81 (The Accessible Canada Act).  The CNIB has undertaken to provide brief daily summaries of these hearings, and they have generously agreed to allow CCD to have them translated for circulation across the country, in both English and French.  Therefore, please find attached the CNIB summary for the hearing on October 4, 2018.  We will continue to translate and share these summaries as quickly as we are able.  Meantime thanks to the CNIB for this collaboration! 

Dear Colleagues,

As you are aware Parliament is presently holding hearings on Bill C-81 (The Accessible Canada Act).  The CNIB has undertaken to provide brief daily summaries of these hearings, and they have generously agreed to allow CCD to have them translated for circulation across the country, in both English and French.  Therefore, please find attached the CNIB summary for the hearing on October 2, 2018.  We will continue to translate and share these summaries as quickly as we are able.  Meantime thanks to the CNIB for this collaboration! 

October 30, 2018

Dear Minister Qualtrough and HUMA Committee Members:

We the undersigned commend the Federal Government for committing to enact national accessibility legislation.  As provincial and national disability rights organizations, we write to express significant concerns regarding Bill C-81. The following highlights our key concerns and reflects the concerns raised by our communities before the HUMA Committee. Amendments are essential to effectively remedy these concerns.

October 24, 2018 – On the 25th anniversary of the tragic murder of Tracy Latimer, a young Canadian girl with Cerebral Palsy, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) announces it will be establishing the virtual Tracy Latimer archive and Facebook page. 

The goal of the archives and Facebook page are three-fold:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, September 4th, 2018

Toronto, ON - The Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) strongly call on the federal government to strengthen the monitoring system for medical assistance in dying (MAiD). As they stand, the just-published MAiD regulations to come into effect November 1, won’t safeguard people who could be vulnerable under the system. They don’t meet the objectives of the MAiD legislation for robust protections. More work needs to be done.

OTTAWA (August 14, 2018) - At a press conference in Ottawa advocates released an open letter to Prime Minister Trudeau signed by over 170 organizations and prominent Canadians urging the Prime Minister to make good on his commitment to the right to housing by enshrining that right in upcoming National Housing Strategy legislation.

There has been a staffing change at the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), with James Hicks no longer occupying the position of national coordinator. CCD wishes James all the best in his future activities and thanks him for his contribution to the advancement of disability rights in Canada.

During this time of change, Steven Estey (steven@ccdonline.ca) will hold a temporary contract with CCD to provide transition support.

Background: On June 21, 2108 the Federal Government tabled Bill C-81, An act to ensure a barrier-free Canada, or the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), to make our country more accessible and inclusive!  This paves the way for committee review in both the House and Senate and eventual passage into law.  Below are the Council of Canadians with Disabilities’ (CCD) initial observations concerning the Bill.

This spring, the membership of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) elected and appointed new people to serve on the National Council of Representatives, CCD’s governing body.

Meet the New CCD Executive - At its June Annual General Meeting, the CCD National Council elected a Executive Committee that will be in office for the next two years.  The members are:

On June 21, 2108 the Federal Government tabled Bill C-81, An act to ensure a barrier-free Canada, or the Accessible Canada Act, to make our country more accessible and inclusive!  People with disabilities have shared their views on how accessibility legislation could make Canada more accessible and inclusive.  This information is available to help Canadians determine whether or not Bill C-81 presents a realistic roadmap that will successfully move Canada toward being a barrier-free country.