|
CODE
BLUE for CHILD CARE
A Canada wide campaign to protect child care
Click on the image for more information
To sign
on to the open letter, click
here
Pour signer la lettre ouverte, cliquez
ici
Follow
this link to Suggest an Addition
View
the actual regulatory changes on e-laws:
September
15, 2005
|
Human
Rights Redress --
Seeking your
support in calling for a humanitarian parole for a federally
sentenced native woman prisoner
We
are seeking your support in calling for a humanitarian parole
for a federally sentenced native woman prisoner, Sandy
Paquachon, who has served over twenty consecutive years
in prison -- an extraordinary length of time, in light of
the "crimes" for which she was convicted. Sandy
Paquachon is presently hospitalized in the ICU at the Royal
University Hospital in Saskatoon, after being "committed,'
and involuntarily transferred to the Regional Psychiatric
Center (RPC) in Saskatoon. <sniped> Sandy
has been illegally restrained both with shackles and
with medication during her hospitalization at the ICU.
It took legal intervention to force the CSC to have the
shackles removed, despite the fact she is heavily sedated
at the time of this writing. It is illegal to
shackle a patient in an ICU ward without cause, a situation
Sandy has been faced with many times before. Read
More - Take Action
July 10, 2005
|
ODSP
Research Study Seeks Participants in the London area
A
McMaster University Student is seeking participants
for a study on the Ontario Disability Support Program
(ODSP) and the advocacy process. The study is seeking
people to participate in a study to learn about their
experiences at the ODSP hearing. In particular, the
study hopes to determine how the role of advocates influences
the ODSP appeals process. Read
More
May
25, 2005
|
|
|
|
DAWN
Emergency Contraception Watch Project
Monitoring
Women's Experiences Accessing
Plan
B, the Emergency Contraception Pill
Today
Women have a second chance to prevent an unintended pregnancy
with the Emergency Contraception Pill. It's safe and effective,
if taken in the first few days after sex. But
for EC to work, Women need to know about it - and be able
to get it in time. So prepare yourself. Read
More
May 10, 2005
|
New
era of accessibility begins in Ontario - Legislature
Approves New Accessibility Law
The
Ontario legislature today passed a historic law that
will make Ontario a world leader in breaking down barriers
for people with disabilities. "This landmark legislation
marks the start of a new era of accessibility in Ontario,"
said Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Dr. Marie
Bountrogianni. "The Accessibility for Ontarians
with Disabilities Act will create an accessible, inclusive
society where every Ontarian has the opportunity to
work, play, learn and otherwise participate to their
full potential." The act will take effect on
royal assent and will require government to work with
partners to jointly develop standards to be achieved
in stages of five years or less, leading to a fully
accessible Ontario in 20 years. Standards will be set
in both the public and private sectors to address the
full range of disabilities - including physical, sensory,
hearing, mental health, developmental and learning.
Read More
May 10, 2005
|
Allergic
Living Magazine Makes Its Debut
Allergies
are an exploding phenomenon: the incidence of food allergy
alone has tripled in five years and today affects 1.3
million Canadians. Now some good news for the millions
coping with allergies - a new national magazine, Allergic
Living, launches today. In its debut issue,
Allergic Living features articles on: the quest
for a peanut vaccine; dating and allergic teens; spring
allergies; the mystery of sulphite reactions; and the
lobby for a unique law to protect anaphylactic students
in Ontario.
Read
More
May
10, 2005
|
A
Mother's Day Message to Parliament from Canadian Women Doing
Politics Differently
As
women of Canada, grandmothers, mothers, daughters and sisters,
many of us have remained silent far too long. It is time
to speak. Mother's Day, May 8, 2005 seems a most appropriate
day to start. We are calling attention to the appalling
behaviour that dominates the Parliamentary Sessions, especially
Question Period. Mr. Valeri, Honourable Leader of the
House, and Mr. Belanger, Minister Responsible for Democratic
Reform, and all Party leaders, we find the conduct in
the house is acrimonious, disrespectful and ultimately counterproductive.
The House is dysfunctional and is not an effective forum
for expressing Canadian interests. The lack of respect for
diversity within The House makes many wonder how members
regard the concerns of their diverse constituents. Read
More
May
7, 2005
|
|
|
An
Open Letter to Stephen Harper & Peter MacKay - by Marjaleena
Repo
You ceaselessly point your fingers at
the Liberal government members in the House of Commons and
pontificate about their ethical misdeeds, alleged and real.
You demand that they come clean, confess to their malfeasance
and accept punishment, long before the Gomery Commission
is able to present its recommendations and sanctions. Now
you want to force the whole country through an early and
expensive election because of the ethical failures of the
Paul Martin government! But who are you two to talk about
ethics and "moral authority"? Are you not staring
yourself blind at the speck in the government's eye, while
ignoring — and hoping that no one else would notice
either — the beam in your own? Let's take a quick look
at your own documentable lack of ethics: ... Read
More
April 27, 2005
|
Coalition
for Women’s Equality Applauds Committee Efforts &
Urges Action
The
Coalition for Women’s Equality (CWE), a strategic
alliance of national equality-seeking groups, commends
the Standing Committee on the Status of Women for its
historic report on Gender-Based Analysis (GBA). The federal
government adopted a Gender based analysis strategy in
1995 in order to meet its equality commitments under the
Beijing Platform for Action. Despite the government’s
commitments to GBA, the committee found that- a decade
later - its application was, at best, uneven. Read
More.
April 22, 2005
La
CÉF applaudit les efforts du comité et préconise
une action immédiate
La
Coalition pour l’égalité des femmes
(CÉF), alliance stratégique de groupes nationaux
qui revendiquent l’égalité, applaudit
le Comité permanent de la condition féminine
pour son rapport historique sur l’analyse comparative
entre les sexes (ACS). Le gouvernement fédéral
a adopté, en 1995, une stratégie sur l’analyse
comparative entre les sexes, afin de répondre à
ses engagements en matière d’égalité
selon le Programme d’action de Beijing. Malgré
les engagements gouvernementaux envers l’ACS, le
comité a souligné que, une décennie
plus tard, sa mise en œuvre avait été,
au mieux, irrégulière. Read
More
le
22 avril, 2005
|
My
Second Child by Michelle E.M. Funk
This
article started as a request from a friend who is an Educational
Psychologist. She wanted me to write something from a
parent's perspective as an opening piece to a presentation
she was giving on ADHD to teachers. She wanted them to
remember that these are someone's children - not just
data. ~
Michelle
Excerpt: He
flashes me one of his big, beautiful, bright smiles and
he's gone - another 5 laps around the yard. He's a great
runner - lots of energy and loves to be outdoors. Some
kids from the neighbourhood come by and join in the fun.
You can look closely but you won't find anything. There
are no telltale signs, no physical markers. He looks just
like everyone else. My second child is so full of life.
He's very creative, sensitive, resourceful and independent.
He loves to wear costumes and play "pretend".
One minute he's "Mr. Incredible" and the next,
he's a zombie from the "Scooby-Doo " movie.
My second child loves music - and loves to sing in the
car - at full volume. Oh, someone fell down - he rushes
over to help him up. I smile. Most people don't expect
that but I have seen him do this many times. He asks if
the boy is hurt. The other shakes his head "no"
and all is well.
Read
More
April
21, 2005
|
McGuinty
Government to Help Small Business Grow and Succeed
Government
Launches New Agency to Give Voice to Small Business
The Ontario government is establishing the Small Business
Agency to allow small business owners to focus their
energy and resources on the work of running a business.
The agency will help small businesses grow and succeed by:
Including small business representatives to give them an
opportunity to speak directly to government decision-makers;
Looking at ways to cut down on paperwork required to run
a small business, saving owners time and money; Reviewing
key existing regulations as well as examining proposed new
regulations with the goal of making compliance as easy as
possible, while protecting health and safety; Making sure
government is aware of how each new regulation could affect
small business costs and competitiveness. The agency will
also work with small business groups such as the Ontario
Chamber of Commerce and other community business organizations
to see where improvements need to be made. Read
More
April 21, 2005
|
Emergency
Contraceptive Pill (ECP) Public Awareness Initiative
The Ontario
Women's Health Council (OWHC) is funding a public awareness
initiative with Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada
(PPFC) in support of Health Canada's decision to
make Plan B, an emergency contraceptive pill (ECP), a non-prescription
drug.... The public awareness initiative, ECP-INFO
Ontario, will provide information about ECP in a confidential
and respectful way, using tools and resources commonly used
by Ontario women - such as print materials, toll-free phone
lines and web information. The project will also help women
understand the change in regulatory status of Plan B and
identify where they can access the drug.Read
More
April
20, 2005
|
Ontario
Gov't to launch pilot program to help people leave Welfare
for Work
TORONTO,
April 20
- The McGuinty government is launching an innovative pilot
project that will help people move from working for welfare
to working for a living, Minister of Community and Social
Services Sandra Pupatello announced today. JobsNow
will provide ongoing, individualized employment counselling,
job placement and retention support to help people find
jobs so that they can leave welfare for good. ... WCG
International, in cooperation with municipal Ontario
Works offices, will run the JobsNow pilot in six pilot communities:
Peel Region, Durham Region, Hamilton,
Windsor, Ottawa and Nipissing.
Through their employment partnership with the government
of British Columbia, WCG has helped 30,000 social assistance
clients return to the workforce by providing one-on-one
support and leveraging partnerships with local businesses
and employers. Read
More
April
20, 2005
|
Women
Enabling Health Services: A National Workshop
for Urban Women with Disabilities
by Gail Lush, National Network on Environments
and Women’s Health (NNEWH)
Excerpt: ...
In
the past decade, research related to the health status of
women with disabilities has been carried out by the women
themselves, and is beginning to bring to light the ways
in which health care providers and policy makers can meet
the full range of their needs & concerns. Women with
disabilities living in urban environments are particularly
concerned about how the organization of city spaces (where
they live, work & seek services) affect their health
and wellbeing. While well-populated communities can offer
greater options for employment, entertainment, education
& health services, discriminatory attitudes toward women
with disabilities have a disappointing impact on their ability
to benefit from these opportunities and fully participate
in urban life. In a recent consumer survey by the Council
of Canadians with Disabilities, Canadian women with disabilities
indicate that they face a range of physical, environmental,
attitudinal, communication and structural barriers to health
services. Read More
April 20, 2005
|
Canadian
Women's March Committee 2005
Event Update for May 1st
- 7th, 2005
Exciting
progress has been made by the Canadian Women March Committee
to celebrate the reception of the Global Charter
for Humanity. Events are planned in Vancouver, Yellowknife,
Winnipeg, Ottawa, Moncton and Quebec City as the Charter
travels across Canada. Read More
April
20, 2005
|
Patricia
Deegan: A Day On Recovery & Its Practice
Where: Metro
Hall Council Chamber, 55 John Street
|| When: May 10th
from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Hosted by the Leadership Project, Patricia Deegan
speaks from the view of an activist in the consumer/survivor/ex-patient
movement in the US. She will give two morning lectures.
The first, "Recovery: The Experience, the Evidence,
and the Practice." The second "A
300 Year History of Consumer/Survivor Advocacy."
Finally, Pat will offer a workship entitled "A
Recovery-Based Approach to Client Choice and Shared Decision-Making."
Fees are on a sliding scale. The facility is wheelchair
accessible. Sign interpreters will be present throughout.
Contact: Brian McKinnon at Alternatives. (416) 285-7996,
extension 227, bmckinnon@iprimus.ca
April 19, 2005
|
|
|
TIME
TO PUT EQUALITY BACK ON CANADA’S AGENDA
Press
Release: April 14, 2005 - On
the 20th anniversary of section 15 of the Charter, equality
rights groups are urging politicians and judges to renew
their commitment to achieving equality in Canada. On April
17, 1985, the equality guarantee in Canada’s new Charter
of Rights & Freedoms came into force. “The constitutionalization
of this equality guarantee was a huge step for Canada,”
said Andrée Côté, speaking for the 20th
Anniversary Committee, a broad coalition of equality-seeking
organizations. “Many equality-seeking groups contributed
to the wording of this section – through parliamentary
hearings – making it a model worldwide for constitutional
equality guarantees. For example, it was one of the first
to include a guarantee of equality for persons with disabilities.
This is something to be proud of,” said Côté
at a news conference on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill today.
April
14, 2005
|
L’ÉGALITÉ
DOIT ÊTRE AU CŒUR DU DÉBAT NATIONAL
Communiqué
- le 14 avril, 2005 - À
l’occasion du 20e anniversaire de l’article
15 de la Charte, des groupes qui travaillent en faveur
de l’égalité exhortent les leaders
politiques et les juges à réitérer
leur engagement en faveur du respect et de la promotion
des droits à l’égalité. C’est
le 17 avril 1985, que la clause garantissant l’égalité
de la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés
est entrée en vigueur. L’enchâssement
de la garantie à l’égalité a
marqué un point tournant pour notre pays »,
a déclaré Andrée Côté,
au nom du Comité du 20e anniversaire, une coalition
de groupes travaillant en faveur de l’égalité.
« Plusieurs de nos membres ont contribué
à la rédaction de cette clause, grâce
à leur participation aux comités parlementaires,
et en ont fait un véritable modèle universel
pour le droit fondamental à l’égalité.
Par exemple, ce fut l’une des premières constitutions
à garantir les droits des personnes souffrant déficiences
», a dit Madame Côté au cours d’un
point de presse sur la colline parlementaire d’Ottawa
aujourd’hui.
April
14, 2005
|
Every
minute a woman in Canada is abused
That
is why Canadian Women's Foundation, Hudson's Bay Company
(Hbc) and Rogers are asking Canadians not to wait another
minute. These three organizations have joined forces in
a national partnership of unprecedented scope to launch
the Start to Stop Violence Against
Women campaign supporting the violence prevention work
of the Canadian Women's Foundation and 274 shelters for
abused women across Canada. Read
More
April
12, 2005
|
Al
and Tipper Gore to help raise $1 million for women's health
research
At
one of Toronto's largest fundraising events of the year,
the Honourable Al Gore, former Vice-President of the USA,
and Tipper Gore will address more than 1,500 of Canada's
business and opinion leaders in a talk entitled A
Nation Divided: Global Implications. Organized
by the Sunnybrook & Women's Foundation in support
of The Centre for Research in Women's Health, An
Evening with Al and Tipper Gore
will be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 at the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre. The event hopes to raise $1 million for
women's health research. Read
More
April 12, 2005
|
Disabled
should be banned before TV watershed: The Caydare Centre
by
Ouch! staff (BBC)) dd Friday 1 April, 2005
Excerpt: A leading think
tank has concluded that disabled people should not appear
on
our TV screens before the 9.00 pm watershed. In a paper
published today, The Caydare Centre outlines a 10 million
pound plan which recommends that "instances of disability"
are not positive images fit for our living rooms. In
a press launch this morning, the chairman of the group,
Lord Swaleside, shot a warning signal across the bows of
broadcasters who may be thinking of including disabled people
in their TV programmes. "Almost
76 per cent of people surveyed felt that the grittiness
and dirt of a handicapped existence has no place on television
during family viewing time. "If
a child were to see images of dribbling, gurning, mania
or sensory loss regularly, it could lead to disrupted sleep
and behavioural difficulties in the playground. We urge
all broadcasters to look at our code and make sure that
they uphold taste and decency for the sake of our children."
Read
More
April 12, 2005
|
Disability
Tax Credit benefits Canadians with diabetes
Some
Canadians who use insulin to manage their diabetes may be
eligible for a federal tax credit worth up to $1,055
when they file their 2005 tax returns next year, the
Canadian Diabetes Association announced today. Since
May 2004, Canadians using an insulin pump have been eligible
for a tax credit. Announced as part of the recent federal
budget, the criteria for the Disability Tax Credit will
be expanded for 2005 to include Canadians with diabetes
who inject their insulin, in addition to those who use an
insulin pump.(1)
The Association expects these amendments to allow those
Canadians living with diabetes, particularly children, who
spend at least 14 hours per week testing their blood glucose
levels and taking multiple daily insulin injections or programming
an insulin pump to be eligible for the disability tax credit.
Read More
Disability
Tax Credit and People with Diabetes Frequently Asked Questions
April 11, 2005
|
Religious
Coalition to Present Multi-Faith Statement In Support of
Same-Sex Marriage Legislation
Representatives of a broad range of faith groups,
including Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims,
Quakers, Sikhs, and Unitarians, will meet with reporters
on Monday, April 11th at 10:00 a.m. to present a joint statement
in support of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Tomorrow's news conference will follow a weekend of events
happening in cities across Canada, organized to demonstrate
faith-based support for same-sex marriage. It will also
precede the anticipated vote in the House of Commons on
Tuesday, April 12, 2005 of an amendment to Bill
C-38 [The Civil Marriage Act], which has
been proposed by Conservative party leader, Stephen Harper.
Read More
April
10, 2005
|
Save
the Women, Save Ourselves - Terror, inside and out
by Michael Ledeen, contributing editor, National Review
Online writes on Iran & Women
Excerpt:
Two summers ago, a middle-aged Iranian-Canadian
journalist named Zahra Kazemi was arrested in Tehran while
taking photographs of regime hoodlums beating up young people
who were demonstrating for freedom. A few days later she
turned up dead in a local military hospital. The regime
denied requests from the family and the Canadian government
to examine the body, insisted that she had fallen in her
prison cell and died of injuries to her head, denied that
anyone had beaten her, and hastily buried her without any
proper autopsy. Read
More
April 8, 2005
|
|
|
Terri
Schiavo: It's Not Just About Terri Any More
A perspective from a 17-year
survivor of ALS
by David Jayne, CEO - Homebound Solutions LLC, www.RespiteMatch.com
"... The tragedy
of Terri Schiavo should scare the Hell out of all Americans,
because our courts have now established what level of human
impairment is worth living.
Mark my words, this benchmark will not remain static."
Read More
April 7, 2005
|
|
|
Conservative
Response to McGuinty Government's Appeal of Autism Court
Ruling
Frank
Klees, MPP Oak Ridges: Statement in the Ontario Legislature
Excerpt:
Speaker, Dalton McGuinty made this unqualified promise to
autistic children and their parents: "The Ontario
Liberals support extending autism treatment beyond the age
of six." That same Dalton McGuinty said, and
I quote "I…believe that the lack of government-funded
IBI treatment for autistic children over six is unfair and
discriminatory." Those promises were made while
Dalton McGuinty was scratching for votes in every corner
of the province and behind every issue. So desperately did
he want to be Premier, that no promise was with-held, and
no issue was beyond his political ambition.
Read More
April 6, 2005
|
|
|
Autism
Court Ruling
McGuinty
Autism Policy Violates Charter of Rights: NDP
Release - Apr 4, 2005
Questions Raised
in the Ontario Legislature on April 4, 2005
Questions
raised by Howard Hampton, MPP
and NDP Leader
Questions
by Peter Kormos, MPP Niagara Centre, and Michael Prue, MPP
Beaches-East York
Questions
by Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton East and Children's
Issues Critic, and
Rosario Marchese, MPP for Trinity-Spadina and Education
Critic
Questions
raised by Shelley Martel, MPP and NDP Health Critic
April
5, 2005
|
|
|
The
Tragedy of Terri Schiavo: A Nurse's View
by Sheila M Blanchet RN
Excerpt:
...
As if these things were not bad enough, a trip to the
American
Nurses' Association (ANA) website shows just how
much support Ms. Schiavo received from so-called nursing
leaders. The association states, falsely, that this was
an "end of life" issue, when any nurse
would know that prior to the withdrawal of enteral nutrition
and hydration Ms. Schiavo was nowhere near the "end
of life". In fact, just the opposite was true and
that was the problem so far as the husband was concerned.
She wouldn't die on her own. Her
death had to be brought about by starvation.
... The ANA did have good news to share on its site,
though. It seems the girls have received a letter from
Donald Rumsfeld regarding their concerns about the nursing
care of prisoners in Iraq. Poor Terri Schiavo. Her
plight would have garnered more sympathy and attention from
the American Nurses' Association if
she had only been an imprisoned terrorist.
But, no. Terri Schiavo's
"crime", in the eyes of the ANA, was to be profoundly
disabled and unwanted by her guardian. For that
she got the death penalty, with the blessings of the ANA.
Despicable. Read More
April
4, 2005
|
People
with disabilities have their say
Canadians
with disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication
devices (AAC) to communicate will be in Toronto from April
8 -10 to attend the second ICE Canada Conference.
ICE
Canada 2005 is the much-anticipated follow-up to the
inaugural ICE Canada Conference in 2002, which brought together
users of augmentative devices together to learn from each
other, share ideas and create new friendships. "For
those who rely on AAC devices, the ability to simply connect
and communicate with others can be challenging," says
Angela VanAlstine, recreation and integration services manager
with Ontario
March of Dimes, whose organization is helping organize
the conference. "This event promises to be a life-changing
experience where participants will gain important information
and make lasting friendships." Read
More
April
4, 2005
|
Ontario
providing more autism therapy to young children
according to Ministry of Children & Youth Services
The
Ontario government has expanded its autism program for preschool-age
children by more than 25 per cent in the past year, Children
and Youth Services Minister Marie Bountrogianni reported
today. "With over 110 new therapists hired, our autism
program is providing behavioural therapy to more than 25%
more preschool-age children than one year ago," said
Bountrogianni. "We exceeded our 20% target since announcing
our new autism strategy in March 2004, and continue to improve
the supports the government provides to children with autism."
As a result of the govt's new initiatives, the number of
children with autism waiting for assessment has decreased
by 72% - from more than 1,000 in March 2004 to 287 in March
2005. Read More
April
4, 2005
|
Court
Rules Treatment for Autistic Children a Provincial Government
Responsibility
In
her ruling today, Madam Justice Frances Kitely identified
the Ontario Provincial Government
as the body responsible for the provision of treatment for
autistic children, not school boards. The Government
must now determine its course of action in response to the
judgement before any action can occur at the School Board
level. In February of this year, the Ontario Human Rights
Commission (OHRC) decided that school boards are not responsible
for providing autistic children with costly intensive behavioural
intervention therapy. The decisions signed by chief commissioner
Keith Norton, the human-rights agency said it will not allow
the matter to proceed to a public hearing before a tribunal
because the treatment falls under the jurisdiction of the
education, health and long-term care, and children and youth
services ministries, not under the jurisdiction of the school
boards. Read
More
April
4, 2005
|
Groundbreaking
report on health care wait times released
Seven
national medical organizations have united to release an
interim report examining the problem of wait times for health
care in Canada and to establish new benchmarks for medically
acceptable wait times for care. The Wait Time Alliance
of Canada (WTA) released an interim
report today.
The Report outlines evidence-based benchmarks for medically
acceptable wait times for access to care in: heart, cancer,
diagnostic imaging, joint replacement and sight restoration.
The report is a direct response to the commitment made by
First Ministers in September 2004 (10-Year Plan to Strengthen
Health Care) to establish evidence-based benchmarks for
medically acceptable wait times in the five priority areas.
With the deadline fast approaching (December 31, 2005),
Federal-Provincial-Territorial governments have commissioned
research on this issue, but have yet to come forward with
a process to develop national benchmarks. Read
More
April
3, 2005
|
No
Guts No Glory
by Ingrid V. Tischer
[This piece by Ingrid Tischer,
first published in Oct. 2003, still says it best!]
"The
women's movement doesn't know how to be revolutionary anymore."
Excerpt:
I
suspect most women, however enlightened, do not accept Terri
Schiavo is a woman. Not really. Her medical condition too
easily eclipses her humanity. I can certainly understand
(and share) the deep emotions and fears this case raises.
What I cannot understand is the silence. The unwillingness
of nondisabled women to try to see beyond their own narrow
perspective on what constitutes a "meaningful life."
So much for that cornerstone of the women's movement, prizing
the voice of the person with the experience. Don't ask me,
a woman who's been disabled all of her life. By all means,
ask a doctor. I'm waiting to hear from long-time feminists
who told male doctors that radical mastectomies weren't
the answer to every lump, that hysterctomies weren't the
cure for the common cold; who told male police officers
that no means no, even when it isn't spelled out in a contract.
I'm waiting to find out to know why they're so quiet now,
the women who kept hammering the message that women's lives
are valuable even when they aren't gestating a child, pleasing
a man, or wrapped in skin of a certain color. Is it because
you see Schiavo less as a woman and more as a disability?
Read More
April
2, 2005
|
 Kimberly
Nixon v Rape Relief: the appeal
The
B.C. Court of Appeal will hear the appeal in Nixon v
Rape Relief on April 4, 5, and 6 in Vancouver.
At issue in the appeal are two questions. Can and should
a women’s service organization decide who is a woman?
And whether there is a new and more stringent test for proving
discrimination in human rights cases. The
case has attracted attention at every step of the previous
three hearings. Women’s organizations across the country
have followed the case closely. Vancouver Rape Relief
is in a minority among B.C. women’s organizations in
turning away a transwoman. A 2002 study found that most
B.C. women’s organizations have developed trans-inclusive
policies. Read More
April
1, 2005 |
You
Too Can Lose Weight & Keep it Off: the Terri Schiavo
Success Story
by Zeynep Toufe -- If
it hadn't been for that moment when the potassium imbalance
brought about by her bulimia caused Terri's heart to stop,
she might have been the woman in the television ad I just
watched, selling the latest weight-loss method. "I
lost a hundred pounds," declares the svelte looking
woman on TV, "you too can lose weight and keep it off."
If we had any amount of decency in our culture, weight-loss
ads would have been hastily pulled off the air this week,
as Terri Schiavo's body died from lack of water. There is
much to be angry about the indignant, callous manner the
right-wing has exploited the plight of this family. They
have taken hypocrisy to new levels, and much ink has been
spilt on that. But I am disappointed that the progressive
community has not seized upon the publicity generated by
this tragedy to do more on two very important moral issues.
Read More
April
1, 2005
|
|
|
Parkinson's
disease: more than just tremors
Parkinson's
disease is generally associated with tremors. In most cases,
this is not an untrue assumption. However, this disease
is characterized by several other symptoms. Parkinson
Society Quebec (PSQ) is using the Parkinson's Disease
(PD) Awareness Month to demystify this hardship which
affects approximately 25,000 Quebecers, 20% of whom are
under 50 years old, 5 to 10% of whom have not yet celebrated
their 40th birthday, and some of whom are in their 20s.
Read
More
April
1, 2005
|
Stem
Cell Network appoints new leaders
Renowned scientists Dr. Michael Rudnicki and Dr. Janet
Rossant to lead national network of stem cell researchers.
The Stem
Cell Network brings together more than 70 leading
scientists, clinicians, engineers, and ethicists from universities
and hospitals across Canada with a mandate to investigate
the immense therapeutic potential of stem cells for the
treatment of diseases currently incurable by conventional
approaches. Headquartered
at the University of Ottawa, the Stem Cell Network is one
of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence funded through
Industry Canada and its three granting councils. Read
More
April 1, 2005
|
Terri's
Death was Euthanasia rather than Natural Death
April 1, 2005by Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director,
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
The death of Terri Schiavo - Euthanasia or Natural Death?
The
tragic death of Terri Schiavo has reignited the Euthanasia
debate in the United States and Canada. Everyday we witnessed
new media reports about Terri Schiavo. We heard conflicting
commentary from bio-ethicists, physicians, & religious
leaders as to whether dehydrating Terri was euthanasia or
simply allowing natural death to occur. To intentionally
dehydrate and starve Terri Schiavo to death was euthanasia
and I will clearly explain why. Read
More
March
31, 2005
|
New
book on history of blindness in Canada sure to open eyes
It
wasn't easy for Euclid Herie to write objectively
about the proposed sterilization of blind married couples
in the 1930s. The first-time author who lost his vision
to congenital cataracts when he was 16 was understandably
angered at the suggestion presented to The Canadian National
Institute for the Blind (CNIB) that steps should be taken
to ensure blind couples could not bear children. Nor was
it easy to withhold bias to chronicle the struggle for information
materials in alternative formats, the struggle for gainful
employment with visually impaired workers moving from sheltered
workshops to mainstream offices, and the struggle for changes
in government policy. But his goal in writing Journey
to Independence: Blindness - The Canadian Story was
not to criticize or judge, but clearly tell the history
of blindness in Canada. Read
More
March 30, 2005
|
Lady
Liberty dying with Terri Schiavo
by Chuck Baldwin
How
is it possible? How could it happen in the United States
of America? We could understand it if this happened in Nazi
Germany or in Stalin's Russia or in Mao's China, but how
could it happen in America? How can a nation whose core
principles protect the rights of life and liberty for every
citizen allow (even condone) a woman to be slowly and painfully
starved to death? This is beyond comprehension. There are
so many elements to this story that it is very difficult
to deal with them all, especially in one column. Let me
try to highlight a couple of the more glaring lessons that
come out of this tragic story. Read
More
March
28, 2005
|
A
new approach to Violence against Women & Girls
Overcoming
Violence against Women and Girls:
The International Campaign to Eradicate a Worldwide
Problem
by
Michael L. Penn and Rahel Nardos
[Book Review] Why is it
that although women compose half the world's population
and put in nearly two-thirds of the world's work hours,
they receive just one-tenth of the world's income and own
less than one-hundredth of the world's property? It does
not take much reflection to realize that part of the answer
to this question boils down to the capacity and willingness
of men, throughout history and into modern times, to use
violence to enforce and uphold their superior position.
For if all men had somehow restrained themselves, if wife
beating, rape, and other forms of violence against women
had been inconceivable from the start, is it likely that
half the human race would have for so long remained in an
inferior position? Overcoming Violence against Women
and Girls: The International Campaign to Eradicate a Worldwide
Problem outlines the vast scope of this continuing
problem -- and also offers a new and insightful interdisciplinary
approach to remedying it. Read More
March 28, 2005
|
Vancouver
Status of Women launches updated Welfare Resource Guide
for Women - 2nd edition
Press
Release dd March 24th, 2005: "Vancouver Status
of Women (VSW) launched its 2nd Edition of the Welfare Resource
Guide for Women this week. This guide provides updated general
information to women about British Columbia's welfare system
or Employment and Assistance Regulations within a feminist
framework. This Guide is meant to help women apply for welfare,
disability, and child benefits, and offers guidance in application
or appeal processes. The Guide especially focuses on the
needs of single mothers."
Welfare
Resource Guide for Women in BC http://www.vsw.ca/EntireWelfareBooklet.pdf
(565
kb, 57 pgs)
March 25, 2005
|
Beijing + 10: Position Paper on Women with Disabilities
Disabled Peoples' International -
There are at least 300 million disabled women living in
all countries of the world. 82% of these live in the developing
world. Disabled women and girls are much more marginalizes
and mostly invisible to policy makers. Read
More
March 24, 2005 |
An
Interview with Dinah Radtke
Disabled
women's rights are women's human rights: Dinah Radtke reminds
the Commission for the Status of Women & international
women's movements
"Our
most urgent goal is to make disabled women and girls visible,
heard, respected and included in all the critical areas
of Beijing plus ten, the CSW and the Beijing Platform for
action. Until now, disabled women were said to be mainstreamed
within these agendas. But we have become increasingly invisible
through mainstreaming. In part this is because disabled
women are not seen as women first and foremost." [Dinah
Radtke is the Vice Chair of Disabled Peoples International
(DPI - www.dpi.org)
and the chair of the DPI Women's Committee.]
March 24, 2005
|
|
From
the Ashes of My Dreams - by Ed Smith
... a frank critique of spinal
cord injury rehabilitation
"If
you have ever pondered what it's like when bad things happen
to good people this is the book for you. The unimaginable
happened to Ed Smith, a prominent Newfoundland educator,
columnist and humourist. The aftermath, described in his
words and also those of his wife and youngest daughter who
survived unscathed the car accident that left Ed a quadraplegic,
makes fascinating reading. This story is a testament to
the triumph of the human spirit over the kind of adversity
most of us meet only in our worst nightmares. Ed's humour,
Marion's courage and their family's determination to have
their father back shine in the face of tragedy, bureaucratic
stupidity & often callous disregard for humanity displayed
by people in our stressed and overworked Canadian health
system. I laughed, I cried, I got angry but most of all
I felt better about my status as a human being after I finished
this book. Read this, you'll be glad you did!" ~ Review
by Carrol Ann Smith Read More
March
23, 2005
|
Against
the killing of the light
by Ed Smith: "Given the politicization of the Terri
Schiavo case it's easy to lose sight of the real issue,
which is that a determination has been made that a brain-damaged
person does not deserve to go on living. A judgment has
been made on the quality of this person's life, and since
that quality does not meet the standards of those involved,
it has been decided she should cease to be." Read
More
March
22, 2005
|
Inquiry
Into Psychiatry - 2005 : Historic Public Hearings
On
or been on psychiatric drugs? Undergone
electroshock? Do you have concerns?
Come
give personal testimony. Make an appointment to testify
or just turn up
Where:
Council Chambers, City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.
Toronto
Psychiatric Drugs Public
Hearings:
April 2 and 3, 2005 -- 1:00 pm
to 5:00 pm
Panel: Dr. Bonnie Burstow, Leah Cohen, Dr. Ernie Lightman,
Dr. Shahrzad Mojab, Michael Valpy
Electroshock Public Hearings:
April 9 and 10, 2005 -- 1:00 pm to 5:00
pm
Panel: Don Weitz, Cathy Crowe, Catherine Dunphy, Dr.
Roy Moodley, Chris Rahim Read
More
March
22, 2005
|
|
|
Name
Change: National
Federation of the Blind: Advocates for Equality (NFB:AE)
is now Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC)
"Our
new name better reflects our distinctly Canadian advocacy
organization," says John Rae, AEBC president. "People
confuse us with a US-based advocacy group and we've even
been mistaken for the National Film Board of Canada."
The not-for-profit group of blind, deaf-blind and partially
sighted people wants the Canadian government to install
technology for independent voting, provide more audible
signals at intersections and would like both government
and businesses to build more accessible web sites, bank
machines and household products. Read
More
March
22, 2005
|
|
| |
