October 2019
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Over 65 Allied Organizations Sign Open Letter Seeking Appeal of Truchon & Gladu Decision

On October 4, 2019 an open letter was sent by members and supporters of the disability community to Attorney General David Lametti, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Minister of Accessibility Carla Qualtrough. The letter calls on the Attorney General to appeal the Quebec Superior Court decision in the case of Truchon & Gladu, which threatens the medical assistance in dying safeguards designed to protect persons with disabilities. 

Over 65 organizations from across the country, including CACL, our provincial-territorial members, and People First of Canada, among others - signed the letter and express our deep concern regarding the decision and the urgency of an appeal. 


Inclusion BC and People First of Canada Launch #IAmVoting Campaign

Inclusion BC has partnered with People First of Canada to encourage self advocates and persons with an intellectual disability to vote.

#IAmVoting provides a plain language toolkit of what to expect during your first time voting. The guide covers questions about voting, information about political parties, the importance of voting, and questions to ask your local candidates before making a decision. The guide also includes a helpful glossary of terms. 

Learn more about the #IAmVoting campaign and download the toolkit.
CACL in Action!
Highlights of our recent national and international work. 
  • Ready, Willing & Able National Director Don Gallant presented at the Deputy Ministers Responsible for Social Services disability thematic meeting in Regina, SK, on October 9-10th. 
     
  • CACL's national staff team recently met in Toronto, ON for a two day organizational development meeting. Together staff and consultants developed a results-based management framework across CACL's strategic priorities, strengthened communications messaging, and created an action plan to enhance CACL's internal processes. 
  • The Ready, Willing & Able (RWA) Phase II delivery team met in Toronto on Sept 30 - Oct 2. The agenda included an initial orientation session for new Labour Market Facilitators, followed by a 2-day meeting of the entire RWA national team. With the start of Phase II, RWA is now once again active in all provinces and territories in Canada, in 20 primary communities. 
     
  • The Revitalization Task Force met in Toronto from Oct 15-17 to finalize their recommendations to be presented to the CACL Board of Directors in December 2019.
Why Safeguards are Critical in Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying Legislation

Over the past month, CACL and other allied organizations have been engaged in a media campaign to bring awareness to a recent ruling in the Quebec Superior Court. The decision, in the case of Truchon and Gladu, overturns important safeguards around access with respect to Canada's current federal legislation on medical assistance in dying. 

Why is this so critically important? Safeguards in the current federal legislation provide protection against institutionalized stigmatization and discrimination for vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities. 
My Home, My Community: The RDSP & Homeownership

In May 2019, we shared our goal of finding ways to make the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) more useful for people with a disability and their families when it comes to housing security. Specifically, we are exploring ways the RDSP can be used to help people with a developmental disability but their own homes. We know that for many people, homeownership provides physical and financial stability and security. 

To help us understand how RDSPs are being used now and explore ways they could be used in the future, we went straight to the experts - individuals with a developmental disability and their families. We organized Canada-wide focus groups and spoke to people about their experience, hopes, concerns, and suggestions.  Learn more about what we heard and what that means for our work in building inclusive communities. 
October 21 - 43rd Canadian Federal Election - Your Vote Matters!
November 11 - Remembrance Day
November 24 & 25 - Belonging: The International Conference of AKIM Israel & Inclusion International. Registration now open.


Our work to strengthen families, defend rights, and transform communities could not be achieved without the financial support of our dedicated donors and partners.  If the stories in this newsletter resonate with you, we  hope you will continue to support CACL through your generous donations.  Thank you.
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