May 9,
2005
additions to the site:
DAWN
Emergency Contraception Watch Project
Monitoring
Women's Experiences accessing
Plan
B - the Emergency Contraception Pill (ECP)
Today
Women have a second chance to prevent an unintended pregnancy
with the Emergency Contraception Pill - ECP for short. 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 7,
2005
additions to the site:
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 6,
2005
additions to the site:
Menopause
Study for Women with Spinal Cord Injury - University of Michigan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
The
University of Michigan is recruiting women and men for a study
about menopause in women who have a spinal cord injury. The
study involves filling out a survey. Participants are paid a
small amount for each survey. Other guidelines for eligibility
include non-smoking status, injury level and others. Read
More
April
27, 2005
additions to the site:
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
22, 2005
additions to the site:
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.
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
April
21, 2005
additions to the site:
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 E.M. Funk
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
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
20, 2005
additions to the site:
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
Read
the CWHN release from May 18, 2004 urging that measures be taken
to ensure equitable access to EC by making it available "over-the-counter"
without pharmacist assistance)
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
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 and concerns. Women with disabilities living in
urban environments are particularly concerned about how the
organization of city spaces (where they live, work and seek
services) affect their health and wellbeing. While well-populated
communities can offer greater options for employment, entertainment,
education and 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
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
19, 2005
additions to the site:
PATRICIA
DEEGAN: A DAY ON RECOVERY AND 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 the event.
Contact: Brian McKinnon at Alternatives. (416) 285-7996, extension
227,
bmckinnon@iprimus.ca.
April
17, 2004
Announcement
20th Anniversary of Section 15, the Equality Clause, of the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
April
17, 2005 marks the 20th anniversary of the entry into force
of section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
which guaranteed the right of Canadians to equality. The Charter
itself came into force in 1982. The three-year delay of section
15 allowed federal, provincial and territorial governments time
to bring their legislation into line with its provisions.
20e anniversaire de l’article 15,
la clause sur l’égalitéde,
de la Charte Canadienne
des droits et libertés
Le
17 avril 2005 marque le 20e anniversaire de l'entrée
en vigueur de l'article 15 de la Charte canadienne des droits
et libertés, qui garantit l'égalité des
Canadiens et des Canadiennes. La Charte elle-même est
entrée en vigueur en 1982. Le délai de trois ans
pour l'article 15 a donné aux gouvernements fédéral,
provinciaux et territoriaux le temps nécessaire pour
aligner leurs lois avec ses dispositions.
April
14, 2005
Addition to the site:
Press
Release: April 14, 2005
TIME
TO PUT EQUALITY BACK ON CANADA’S AGENDA
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.
Communiqué
- le 14 avril, 2005
L’ÉGALITÉ
DOIT ÊTRE AU CŒUR DU DÉBAT NATIONAL
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
12, 2005
Addition to the site:
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
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
Disabled should be banned before TV watershed: The Caydare Centre
by
Ouch! (BBC) staff 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
11, 2005
Addition to the site:
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
10, 2005
Addition to the site:
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, of an amendment
to Bill
C-38 [The Civil Marriage Act], which has been proposed
by Conservative party leader, Stephen Harper. Read
More
backgrounder:
Bill
C-38 - Civil Marriage Act
Civil
Marriage & the Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Unions
April 8 , 2005
Addition to the site:
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
Commission
on Human Rights hears from Special Rapporteurs on Violence against
Women, Trafficking in Persons, UN Adviser on Gender Issues
Documents
on Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective
Presentation
by Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
Response
by Concerned Countries
Interactive
Dialogue
Presentation
by Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons
Response
by Concerned Country
Interactive
Dialogue
Presentation
of Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues
and Advancement of Women
General
Debate on the Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the
Gender Perspective
April
7 , 2005
Addition to the site:
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
6 , 2005
Addition to the site:
Report
finds gov't supports increasing for low income families
The
National Child Benefit (NCB) Progress Report: 2003 released
today by Federal/ Provincial/ Territorial Ministers Responsible
for Social Services(1)
confirms that government investments for low-income families
with children continue to increase. Federal support tolow-income
families in 2002-2003 had risen from $5.6 billion in 2001-2002
to $5.7 billion in 2002-2003. It is projected to reach $6.4
billion in 2004-2005. The report further shows that provincial
and territorial governments and First Nations have increased
their expenditures for low-income children and families through
the National Child Benefit initiative to $764.2 million in 2002-2003.
This funding supports programs and services, including child
benefits and earned income supplements, child/day care initiatives,
early childhood services and children-at-risk services, youth
initiatives, and supplementary health benefits. Read
More
en
français: D'après
un rapport, l'aide gouvernementale aux familles à faible
revenu augmente
The NCB
Progress Report: 2003
The
NCB Progress Report: 2003 
The
NCB Progress Report: 2003 - Pamphlet
La Prestation
nationale pour enfants - Rapport d'étape: 2003
La
Prestation nationale pour enfants – Rapport d'étape
2003
La
Prestation nationale pour enfants – Rapport d'étape
2003 - brochure
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
Canadian
Centre on Disability Studies Small Grants Awards - April 2005
Goals
Value
CCDS
Research Priorities 2004-2006
Participatory
action research methodologies
Applications
must include
Project
Time Lines
Number
of Awards
Deadline
April
5 , 2005
Addition to the site:
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
by Howard Hampton, MPP
& NDP Leader
Questions
by Peter Kormos, MPP Niagara Ctre, & Michael Prue, MPP Beaches-East
York
Questions
by Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton East & Children's Issues
Critic, and Rosario Marchese, MPP for Trinity-Spadina &
Education Critic
Questions
by Shelley Martel, MPP & NDP Health Critic
McGuinty
Government To Appeal Autism Ruling
Media
Coverage on Autism Ruling
Take
Action
April 4 , 2005
Addition to the site:
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.
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
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 per cent more
preschool-age children than one year ago," said Bountrogianni.
"We exceeded our 20 per cent 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 government's new initiatives, the number
of children with autism waiting for assessment has decreased
by 72 per cent - from more than 1,000 in March 2004 to 287 in
March 2005. Read More
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
3 , 2005
Addition to the site:
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
2 , 2005
Addition to the site:
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
1 , 2005
Addition to the site:
You
Too Can Lose Weight and 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
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
DPI - Calling All Youth with Disability!
Disabled
Peoples' International (DPI) is looking for two youth who
would like to work with the disabled community by experiencing
a six-month overseas internship, as well as an orientation
and de-briefing session. Read More
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
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
March
31, 2005
Addition to the site:
Terri's
Death was Euthanasia rather than Natural Death
by 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, and 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 30, 2005
Addition to the site:
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
29, 2005
Addition to the site:
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
Addition to the site:
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
25, 2005
Addition to the site:
Vancouver
Status of Women launches 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 - March 2005
http://www.vsw.ca/EntireWelfareBooklet.pdf
(565
kb, 57 pgs)
Chapter
1: Welfare and Employment Assistance
Chapter 2: Disability Benefits
Chapter 3: Federal and Provincial Child Benefits
Chapter 4: Reconsiderations and Appeals
Chapter 5: Welfare Advocacy Resources
March
24, 2005
Addition to the site:
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
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
23, 2005
Addition to the site:
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
22, 2005
Addition to the site:
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
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
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
Brief to the Ontario Legislature's Standing Committee on Social
Policy on Bill 118, the Proposed Accessibility for Ontarians
With Disabilities Act
Public
Hearings on Bill 118
Proposed Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities Act
February
8, 2005 - Day 6 of 6 days of the Public Hearings on Bill 118
February
7, 2005 - Day 5 of 6 days of the Public Hearings on Bill 118
February
3, 2005 - Day 4 of 6 days of the Public Hearings on Bill 118
February
2, 2005 - Day 3 of 6 days of the Public Hearings on Bill 118
February
1, 2005 - Day 2 of 6 days of the Public Hearings on Bill 118
January
31, 2005 - Day 1 of 6 days of the Public Hearings on Bill 118
March
21, 2005
Addition to the site:
The
case of Terri Schindler-Schiavo
Key
Quotes following announcement of Terri Schiavo's death
Published
Commentary from Disability Community
Links
to Recent Media Coverage - News & Commentary
Excerpts
of emails/letters from the Public
Terri
Schiavo Timeline (CBC vs Associated Press)
FAQs
about Terri Schiavo
Common
Myths about Terri's situation
