English

BOLD FEASIBILITIES: A NEW POLICY SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE FOR CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES

SUBMISSION
TO
SENATE SUB-COMMITTEE ON CITIES
THE SENATE OF CANADA

BY

MICHAEL J. PRINCE
LANSDOWNE PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL POLICY
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA
mprince@uvic.ca

 22 June 2009

 OVERVIEW

30 June 2009: School’s out and the summer season officially begins! Before we all get too consumed by our summer activities, I have one piece of business for you to consider—the CCD Summer Report Card, which summarizes our accomplishments during the first six months of 2009. CCD has performed in an excellent manner in a number of critical areas: Membership Development, Promoting an Inclusive and Accessible Canada, Organizational Sustainability and Honouring Community Leaders.

CCD Summer Report Card

Membership Development

May was an extremely busy month for transferring knowledge about disability, increasing awareness about our issues, joining other communities and celebrating accomplishments. CCD’s volunteers and staff presented our message of full citizenship, inclusion, and access to a wide variety of audiences, ranging from the BC Court of Appeal, the Senate, and community advocates focused on poverty. Some CCD volunteers joined the decision-making structures of other organizations. Working on the inside of an organization is another way to affect change.

April 17 was Equality Day—the 24th anniversary of the coming into effect of Section 15, the Equality Rights Section, of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The other sections came into effect on 17 April 1982. Governments were given a grace period to bring offending legislation into line with the equality requirements of Section 15. Unfortunately, the legislative reforms put forward by the Federal Government did not result in substantive equality for persons with disabilities.

While I have not raised the National Action Plan with you in some months, I want to assure everyone in the CCD network that we continue to pursue the Plan’s objectives and that we are moving forward with planning for another End Exclusion event. First, I will share with you what CCD has been doing this month to advance various Plan recommendations and then I will bring you up-to-date on plans for the next End Exclusion function.

June 19, 2009

An Open Letter to Members of Parliament

RE: C-384 AN ACT TO AMEND THE CRIMINAL CODE (RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY) (FRANCINE LALONDE)

Fast Facts About Bill C-384

What does Bill C-384 do?
Bill C-384 would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada.

How does it do this?
It amends two sections of the Criminal Code of Canada—Section 222 and 241.

Who could avail themselves of the intent of Bill C-384? The Bill makes euthanasia and assisted suicide available to:

People at least 18 years of age

Experiencing physical or mental pain without prospect of relief or
Suffering from a terminal illness.

Press Release

Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) Opposes Bill C-384

18 June 2009 For Immediate Release

Winnipeg—The COUNCIL OF CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES (CCD) believes that everyone who supports disability rights should oppose Bill C-384 which would legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide and put Canadians with disabilities at risk! CCD is a national human rights organization of persons with disabilities working for an accessible and inclusive Canada.

Volume 27, Issue 2

31 March 2009—Today, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women and called upon the Federal Government to make EI more accessible and inclusive to women with disabilities by expanding eligibility criteria and expanding its coverage.