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Abilities Magazine
| September 29th, 2004 | |
The ForumCouncil Of Canadians With DisabilitiesFall 1995. Issue 24: p.29 Forum...We�ve been hit! One of the results of a 15 per cent reduction to the Council of Canadians with Disabilities� core funding is that our space in ABILITIES has gone from six pages to what we hope will amount to just a temporary arrangement of only one page per edition. That we have anything to show here at all is courtesy of ABILITIES publisher, Ray Cohen. Many thanks, Ray. So, for the immediate future, readers requiring further background and/or information regarding anything appearing in the CCD segment under its new format are encouraged to write to us at: CCD, 926-294 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3C 0B9. You can also call us at (204) 947-0303, fax us at (204) 942-4625, or send e-mail to: [email protected]. EVALUATING THE FIVE-YEAR NATIONAL STRATEGY Last winter, Human Resources Development (HRD) Canada compiled a comprehensive report (about the size of a phone book!) evaluating the five-year National Strategy for the Participation and Integration of Disabled Persons. The $154-million initiative, scheduled to wind down by March 31, 1996, was the Tory government�s major contribution in recognition of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons. The HRD�s overall study is a supplement to evaluations carried out independently by several of the original 14 participants, consisting of departments and crown corporations. There was a lot of initial criticism. First, it turned out that only a portion of the money was really "new." The remainder was re-allocated A-based funds -- in other words, dollars already earmarked for departments� operational spending. Then it took considerable time before the germination process amounted to anything visible. But once it got rolling, many positive things came out of the effort. And that leads naturally to the question: What will happen to federal leadership in the area of disability issues when the sun sets on the various programs next March 31? The National Library of Canada�s very popular grants program for accessible equipment is a case in point. Libraries of all kinds throughout the country have used this program to avail themselves of equipment such as scanners which, as it has often proved, benefit not only clientele with print disabilities, but the general public as well. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) was notable for projects it financed providing supportive housing for persons in transition between psychiatric institutions and independence within the community. Industry Canada set up an Advisory Committee to the Minister. Among its diverse activities, Industry Canada provides project funding for innovative products and systems that show real evidence of augmenting the access and independence of persons with disabilities. One project it co-sponsored was the well-publicized electronic Globe and Mail, which illustrated the practicality of sending daily newspapers over the phone lines of customers with print disabilities. The unconditional budget-cutting of recent months is likely to give very short shrift indeed to the fate of programs that are in the process of finishing up. Between the tendencies to first dispense with the relatively small and the relatively new, and to cover all sins of neglect these days with the baleful whine, "We just can�t afford that," the concern is that the son of the national strategy will nickel-and-dime to death work that is just getting underway. In the context of public policy, the last 18 months have seen a degeneration from the idea of spending money smarter, to the holus-bolus slashing of all budgets any-old-how. If what follows turns out to be the mere ghost of the five-year strategy, among the big losers will be the current Party in power�s long-standing reputation for providing solid, sensible government. And as for all the work that went into the strategy�s evaluation... AIRING VIEWS ON EUTHANASIA AND ASSISTED SUICIDE "The power of public pressure strikes again." That�s how a number of CCD folk with an interest in euthanasia and related matters reacted to the controversial recommendation of the Senate Committee�s Report. The report suggested that a lesser penalty for murder be allowed "where there is the essential element of compassion or mercy." You might be wondering why CCD has not put emphasis where we and the committee agree. The committee�s report did say, after all, that no consideration should be given to de-criminalizing deaths involving assisted suicide or any of the categories (involuntary, non-voluntary and voluntary) of euthanasia. Fair enough, except that the good effect of such a high-profile body�s taking a year to investigate the subject -- and then opting for the maintenance of criminal penalties at the end of the day -- is ultimately negated and undermined by its call for what amounts to a two-tiered system for murder, where people with disabilities get the short end of the stick. So let�s be clear: We summarily reject any changes to laws, criminal and otherwise, that would serve to validate assumptions that the lives of some people with disabilities are not worth living. It may be true, as some hold, that there is no way a court could interpret the "equal protection of the law" provision of Canada�s Charter of Rights to sanction a different standard regarding murder that could adversely impact on persons with disabilities. But supposing they�re right, and a Senate Committee report stood no chance of influencing the ultimate course of constitutional law, CCD would be just as perturbed about this report. That such an eminent panel, charged with the duty of looking out for the interests of all this country�s citizens equally, should be sidetracked by -- let�s call a spade a spade -- baby-boomer fears about loss of control in the face of an increasing capability to keep life going artificially, seems to us a breach of good faith, an opportunity lost to stand up for the rights of vulnerable people. The ultimate security interests of all Canadians would have been better served had that one essential fact been emphasized. CCD is developing a complete response to the Senate Report. It will be available this fall. ?? MEL GRAHAM COUNCIL OF CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES 926-294 PORTAGE AVENUE WINNIPEG, MANITOBA R3C 0B9 TEL: (204) 947-0303 FAX: (204) 942-4625 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: http://www.pcs.mb.ca/~ccd/
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