If you are reading this, you probably have a job. But in Canada, for the 2,457,350 potential labour force participants with disabilities (ages 15 to 64), employment is fraught with barriers and uncertainties.
Every day, millions of Canadians board a plane, train, bus or subway car. Yet for people with disabilities, the lack of accessible transportation has long been a flashpoint.
From time to time, an ETFO member on long-term disability will be approached by the insurance company with an offer of a one-time lump sum payment in settlement of her or his ongoing claim for monthly LTD benefits. This may seem like an enticing offer, and you may want to leap at the
Though an ETFO member living with multiple sclerosis or depression may beg to differ, there are signs that as a society our collective awareness of disability issues has risen. One reason is the simple fact that we have far better information today than we did a decade ago.
1. Current practice
On a hot, cloudless day in June, 200 special needs students in the District School Board of Niagara took part in their first track and field day.
Every now and then, the long journey toward an inclusive Ontario gets just a bit shorter, and the following story illustrates how that can happen. It features two protagonists, and at first glance the power imbalance between the two appears insurmountable.
As the 2007–08 federation year gets into full swing, both the provincial office and ETFO locals will begin planning and holding numerous conferences and meetings.
Members who self-identify as living and working with a disability – whether it is visible or nonvisible – are becoming more active in ETFO, and it is therefore important that our organization continues to raise awareness about issues of accessibility and inclusion. One way in which we are do