July 2018
Inclusion Matters_ News from CACL
To ensure you stay up-to-date, please make sure to add inform@cacl.ca to your allowed emails list.

Close-up of person_s hand opening door to home.
You Can Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Thanks to the support of some incredible people, we are close to our goal of $30,000. We need just $5,125 more to launch the first steps of a program that will create inclusive housing options so people with an intellectual disability can build a life of their own in a home of their choosing.

CACL supporters have stepped up to show how much it means to people with an intellectual disability to have the same choices and opportunities as everyone else when it comes to where and how they live. 

Parliament Hill_ Ottawa.
PRESS RELEASE: Pardon for Robert Latimer Would Condone Murder and Disregard the Lives of Persons with Disabilities  

Toronto, ON - CACL strongly urges Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, and the Government of Canada to do what is right: deny convicted murderer Robert Latimer's recent application for a pardon. In 1993, Mr. Latimer murdered his 12-year-old daughter Tracy, who had cerebral palsy, by piping exhaust fumes into the cab of his truck. Despite his appeals, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld his conviction for second-degree murder.


Ready, Willing & Able's Partnership with Subway Canada is a Slam Dunk

From the basketball court to working at Subway Canada, Ready, Willing & Able (RWA) hire, Matt is a team player. 

"Matt joining the team at Subway has been an incredible experience and he's really proven that he can add value," says RWA Coordinator, David Paterson.

RWA is a national partnership initiative of the Canadian Association for Community Living and Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance.

Canada flag
PRESS RELEASE: Accessible Canada Act & Enhancement to the Opportunities Fund Offers Significant Progress for Persons with an Intellectual Disability & Their Families   

Toronto, ON - The Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) is greatly encouraged by the introduction of the Accessible Canada Act (Bill C-81). The Bill has many promising components, and CACL looks forward to participating in the legislative review to ensure strong and effective legislation that makes real progress in building an inclusive and accessible Canada for all persons, including people with an intellectual disability and their families.


CACL in Action!
Highlights of our recent national and international work.

  • Ready, Willing & Able (RWA) bridge funding period was extended to July 31st, which allows for continued project delivery as RWA awaits a decision on approval of a Phase 2.
     
  • An IRIS Global Study on Legal Capacity is underway. IRIS is funded by the Open Society Foundations to undertake a global study on progress on advancing the right to legal capacity - or the right to decide. IRIS' international research team is looking at progress in eight countries, including: Canada, the U.S., Chile, United Kingdom, Hungary, Bulgaria, India, Zambia, and South Africa.
  • In Fredericton, NB, Inclusive Education Canada Director Gordon Porter welcomed a team from Australia to discuss moving towards a model on inclusive education and to showcase New Brunswick's model.
     
  • IRIS has adopted a new 2018-2020 strategic plan and mission statement. The 2018-2020 plan focuses on three of the main priorities CACL has been working on, including: the right to legal capacity; safe and inclusive communities; and, robust safeguards for medical assistance in dying.

Read the Report
New Report: "Breaking Down Barriers"

The Senate of Canada has released a report entitled "Breaking Down Barriers: A critical analysis of the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan". Canada should do more to help the 3.8 million people living with disabilities, particularly, the 1.8 million who live with significant disabilities and incur costs that other Canadians do not face. In this report, The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology urges the Government of Canada to reform two of its principal support programs that are intended to give Canadians living with disabilities and their families tax relief and help them save for the future. Brendon Pooran, CACL Advisor, and other disability organizations presented and helped inform the report.

Data graphic
Data Can Help Create a Powerful Picture 

This blog is part of "Monitoring Matters", a special series of guest blogs by Advisors from the Vulnerable Persons Standard,

I have spent my 62-year career dealing with data-designing, collecting, analyzing and disseminating it. My first 40 years were at Statistics Canada, where I was mentored by some of the world's leading survey methodologists and statisticians. During the last 13 years of my tenure with Statistics Canada, I had the privilege of leading the design, implementation and dissemination of the findings from the first and second national disability surveys.


Upcoming Dates and Events  
August 6 - CACL offices closed for Civic holiday  

CACL in the News  

STAY CONNECTED: