Inclusion Matters: News from CACL

September 2017

Header_ Inclusion Matters News from the Canadian Association for Community Living

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Press Release: Canadian Mental Health Association Says No to Medical Assistance in Dying Solely on the Basis of Mental Illness

CACL welcomes the release of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) "Position Paper on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)", which concludes that Canada's current law should be maintained, restricting MAiD to persons who are already dying.

Following a careful review of evidence from Belgium and the Netherlands, CMHA concludes that medical assistance in dying where mental illness is the sole underlying medical condition "does not have a place in the current Canadian context".

UN Committee Adopts General Comment on Living Independently & Being Included in the Community

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recently adopted its General Comment N°5 on Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on living independently and being included in the community.

Article 19 of the CRPD recognizes the equal right of all persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community, with the freedom to choose and control their lives. General Comment

N°5 provides guidance to countries in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention by providing an interpretative definition of the right to independent living and other key concepts such as "being included in the community".

CACL Annual general meeting 2017_ Saturday_ December 2 at the Marriott Ottawa Hotel_ Ottawa. To RSVP email jbutler_cacl.ca.

CACL in Action!

Highlights of our recent national and international work.

CACL EVP Krista Carr participated in The Alliance for an Inclusive and Accessible Canada's disability expert panel, "What Should Canada's Promised National Accessibility Law Include? Cutting-edge Ideas from Experts from Around the World" in Toronto, ON.
IRIS staff Michael Bach and Doris Rajan were recently in Zambia to deliver a train-the-trainer workshop to project teams on advancing legal capacity for persons with an intellectual disability.
CACL EVP Krista Carr was pleased to receive a call from newly appointed Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities Hon. Kent Hehr to discuss CACL priorities around persons with an intellectual disability and their families.

Don Gallant, National Director of Ready, Willing & Able, met with representatives of the Nunavummi Disabilities Makinnasuaqtiit Society in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

CACL EVP Krista Carr spoke about CACL's Strategic Priorities to local members at the Community Living Ontario AGM and Conference "Spark Change: Raising Awareness and Advancing Solutions" in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON.

IRIS staff were in Victoria, BC for a national meeting of the Working Together initiative and to attend the S'tenistolw: Indigenous Education Conference. IRIS Director of Social Development Doris Rajan's doctoral research on solidarity learning was presented at the conference by the Working Together Indigenous partners.

Two employees from CircleK Subway smiling.

A Business that Reflects the Community: Circle K-Subway's Commitment to Inclusion

Community has always been at the heart of how Circle K-Subway does business, because it is the basis of where Circle K-Subway does business.

As such, the company understands the value of inclusion and employing people who directly reflect the communities that they service. For Circle K, inclusion equals success.

Inclusion International Launches Catalyst for Inclusive Education Website

Inclusion International, of which CACL is a national member, is mobilizing its global networks and technical expertise to build Catalyst for Inclusive Education, a global knowledge network for inclusive education. With the capacity to respond in real time to issues and opportunities identified by member organizations, Catalyst includes a platform of resources for strengthening inclusive education as well as direct support to projects, training, and consulting at a country level.

Check out the website!

Brock Welton smiling at the camera in a costume.

Brock Welton Shines Like a Star

Submitted by Tom & Jo-Anne Welton.

When Jo-Anne discovered her son Brock's love for theatre, she enrolled him in a North Bay, ON theatre company. TOROS, an inclusive community theatre, became like a second home for Brock. He worked hard through a demanding rehearsal schedule and made genuine, close friendships along the way.