A Year Of Challenge Lies Ahead

Well dear readers, it's a whole new year, but for people with disabilities and those who care about them, it looks like the struggles of 1998 are here to stay. In fact, I expect we will finish out this millennium in a very stressful manner (I realize the next millennium begins January 1, 2001, but I plan to celebrate it 01/01/2000 like everyone else).

First on the agenda, there is the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA). If you follow the link, don't be surprised when you click on Bill 83, Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 1998 and find yourself looking at nothing more than a couple of paragraphs. It's not a mistake. That's all there is.

The ODA, such as it is, came about thanks to some effective lobbying by various groups representing persons with disabilities. It is now becoming clear that this election promise was not embraced out of concern for persons with special needs, given that the ODA offers nothing to improve their situation. This is not an editorial opinion, read this so-called "Act" and you will see that it cannot possibly act as an effective agent of change for persons with disabilities.

The push for an Ontarians with Disabilities Act derives in large measure from activities south of the border. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a powerful piece of legislation, with real legislative teeth. While we Canadians are known to be a little less litigious than our American friends, the ODA and the ADA are worlds apart. I guess it would be foolish to suggest that it would be better to go back on a campaign promise, rather than come out with token legislation that is seen by most as an insult to the very people who requested it, but that's just not the way things are done these days.

Speaking of the way things are done, maybe the strategy is to keep people with disabilities busy on so many fronts that they will just give up.

Cuts to Special Education programs in our public schools is also a serious concern. As a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee for the Ottawa-Carletion District School Board, I have just received documents indicating that Special Education programs will be drastically cut to deal with new budgetary demands.

It came as no surprise to me or others in the field that the bulk of the pain is slated for students with developmental disabilities. This will be accomplished by closing specialized schools and eliminating or reducing specialized programs. I have no doubt that this will be celebrated by some as a great victory for integration/inclusion, but please excuse me if I remain skeptical. "Mainstreaming" of children with special needs without careful planning and proper support is not inclusion, it is "dumping".

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