HARRIS GOVERNMENT'S PLANS ON ODA LEAKED TO THE PUBLIC

A secret Harris Government Cabinet document was leaked to the Ontario Liberal Party which reveals the Government's secret plans for the ODA. They plan another do-nothing bill to be introduced this fall. It would include no new rights and no new enforcement methods. About the only thing new in it are increased fines for people who park in disability parking spots without a permit.

According to a public opinion poll which the Government apparently conducted, they believe that the public is not interested in the ODA. The Government hopes to avoid negative publicity by slipping this through. No doubt with the federal election looming, they will hope that the media will be so busy that they will not give the ODA issue much coverage.

From the leaked Cabinet document, which is now posted on the ODA Committee's web site, the Government would have decided on these plans over a week before Citizenship Minister Helen Johns met with the ODA Committee delegation on September 8, 2000. At that meeting, Ms. Johns said she wanted to keep consulting with the public, was open to all options, and wanted the ODA Committee to publicize her openness to consult. It turns out that they had already decided in detailed on their plans - plans which are cold, calculated and cruel.

 

In response to these developments, the ODA Committee has launched a new public campaign. The next 4 to 8 weeks are absolutely critical for us. We have to be ready for a new do-nothing bill to be introduced at any time.

The purpose of our new campaign is to directly respond and to show strong public support for us. We want to show that Ontarians do care about the needs of persons with disabilities, and about having a strong law to make Ontario barrier-free for us. It's the Harris Government that does not care.

We are calling this our "Ontarians Do Care" campaign. Our goal
is to get as many members of the public as possible to show
Premier Harris, and the public, that they do care and they do
support us. We want to get as many people without disabilities,
as well as persons with disabilities, to join in this campaign as
possible.

On our web site you will find a series of action tips over the next days with ideas on how you can participate in this campaign.
If you want hard copies, contact Marg Thomas at the above
address. We encourage you to use these tips, to come up with
your own, and to share them with us. Our first action tips are
included here.

 

TAKE PART IN ODA ACTION WEEK

As part of this campaign, we are declaring the week from Friday
November 3, 2000 to Friday November 10, 2000 as an official "ODA Action Week" across Ontario. Our goal is to get the Harris
Government to reject its plans for introducing a do-nothing ODA
this fall, and to show that the public does care about having a
strong and effective ODA.

During that week, the Ontario Legislature will not be sitting.
Members of the Ontario Legislature will be back in their home
communities in their constituency offices. We encourage you to
make plans now, either with your local ODA Committee Regional
Contact, or with your own organization, or with friends and
family, or on your own, to:

* Get this message directly to your local MPP. Make an appointment to see him or her. If unavailable, talk to their staff, in person or on the phone. Get others to do the same.

* Come up with ways to get a clear, strong public showing that the public does care about persons with disabilities having a barrier-free Ontario during that week. Involve as many people as you can. Bring this message to your local media.

* Ask your local MPP to hold a public meeting on the ODA during that week in your community, to give members of the public a chance to show that they care about a strong ODA.

* Let us know what you are planning, and about any other ideas you come up with.

To find out who your local ODA Committee Regional contact is, and how to reach them, visit our web site or contact Marg Thomas at the above address. If there is no ODA Committee region in your part of the province, why not help get one started?

 

JOIN US AT THE UPCOMING MAJOR EVENT AT QUEEN'S PARK

The Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee invites you, your friends and family, to come to Queen's Park to show your support for a strong and effective Ontarians with Disabilities Act to achieve a barrier-free Ontario for 1.5 million Ontarians with disabilities.

Come to Queen's Park to show that Ontarians do care! Come and show that people with disabilities deserve better than the "do-nothing" bill that the Harris Government plans for us!

Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2000

Time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Location: Queen's Park, Toronto

More details to follow. Please circulate this announcement far
and wide.

If possible, please let us know if you plan to attend, and how many people you may bring with you. RSVP's are not necessary but are really appreciated. Also let us know if you could volunteer to help with this event.

E-mail to oda@odacommittee.net or leave a voice mail message at (416) 480-7012.

 

COLLECT NOTES AND LETTERS TO PREMIER HARRIS

Please prepare a list or diary of barriers which you face, or
which people near and dear to you face because of their
disability. You might even keep a "Barrier Diary." Also prepare
a note to premier Harris stating that you and other Ontarians do
care about the needs of persons with disabilities, and about a
strong and effective ODA. Get as many others as possible to do
the same.

Once you have these prepared, you can:

* Send these to the ODA Committee to deliver to the Premier at
our November 15 Queen's Park event.

Email them to oda@odacommittee.net or mail them to Marg Thomas at the following address.

ODA COMMITTEE
c/o Marg Thomas
1929 Bayview Avenue,
Toronto ON M4G 3E8

* Also, deliver them to your local MPP during ODA Action Week Nov. 3 to 10, and ask your MPP to deliver them to the Premier for you. Ask for a report back on what the Premier says about them.

* Deliver them to your local media. Ask the media to report on the fact that Ontarians do care!

 

CALL MIKE!

Please expand on our successful, ongoing "Call Mike" action. Many people have already called Premier Harris at his Toronto office at (416) 325-1941 to ask why the ODA is taking so long. We encourage you to call him now, and if you have called before, to call again.

* Tell him or his staff that Ontarians do care about persons with disabilities, and about the need for a strong Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

* Tell him to reject his Cabinet's leaked plans for a do-nothing ODA.

* Tell him not to introduce the toothless bill they plan to present this fall.

* Ask whoever answers the phone for a direct answer. Don't let them transfer you to Citizenship Minister Helen Johns.

* Get as many people as you can to call the Premier, including
people without disabilities as well as persons with disabilities.

* Arrange a "Call Mike" party where friends can call. Tell us how
it goes!

 

GET YOUR CITY OR REGIONAL GOVERNMENT
TO PASS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE ODA

Another way to show that Ontarians do care about the ODA is to
get your local municipal or regional government to pass a
resolution supporting the ODA. Over 15 councils have done so.
Among the latest are Kingston, Guelph, St. Thomas and Kitchener, just to name a few. All resolutions passed to date may be viewed by following this link.

Contact us if you would like a sample resolution to take to your local council representative or mayor.

Let us know when a resolution is passed so we can publicize this.

 

NOTIFY US OF CHANGES OF ADDRESS

Please notify us of any changes of your regular mailing address. Send them to Marg Thomas at our mailing address. If you want to be added to our ODA Committee Email information list, send your request to oda@odacommittee.net

Also, be sure to let us know of any changes to your Email address.

 

Links

Email Premier Harris directly

List of MPPs by Riding

Regional Contacts of the ODA Committee

Action Kit July 24, 2000

Action Kit May 24, 2000

Action Kit Spring 2000

Action Tip November 1999

Action Kit re: ONTARIO ELECTION ACTION KIT dated August 12, 1999

Action Kit re: ONTARIO ELECTION ACTION KIT dated April 15, 1999

Action Kit re: GETTING READY FOR NEW BILL ACTION KIT dated March 1, 1999

Action Kit re: NEW YEAR'S

Action Kit re: BILL 83