This was a very momentous year for the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), because in March the Canadian government ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). CCD was involved in the drafting of this international human rights treaty at the United Nations and kept the CRPD on the federal government's agenda prior to ratification. In the coming years, CCD plans to work with the government on implementation and monitoring. With ratification, Canada has made a commitment to live up to an international standard of conduct in a wide range of areas. CCD will be using the CRPD to guide our work in our six priority areas of human rights, transportation, social policy, access to technology, international development, and ending of life ethics. This report provides examples of the significant work undertaken by CCD on our priorities. (For a monthly report on CCD's activities, please refer to the publication CCD Chairperson's Update which is available on CCD's website www.ccdonline.ca.)

Human Rights—CCD has been working to eliminate barriers that prevent people with disabilities from having access to justice. Two good examples of CCD's work on access to justice are: our intervention in the Caron case and our work with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Because it is very costly to take a case to court, CCD, along with other groups, became an intervener in the Caron case. The Caron case addresses the court's ability during a proceeding to level the playing field by ordering that funding be provided to an under-resourced party in a court action. Since the termination of the Court Challenges Program, which provided funding for Section 15 test cases, equality seekers have been hard pressed to find the resources to launch court cases that have the potential to eliminate barriers.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission is a less costly way for people with disabilities to rectify discrimination. CCD has been working with the Commission to assist them in understanding the unique issues of people with disabilities. CCD has been providing advice to the Commission on work they could undertake to address systemic barriers experienced by people with disabilities. By removing systemic discrimination, equality improvements can be created for large numbers of people with disabilities.

Transportation—Since the terrorist attacks which took place on 9/11, all travelers have been concerned about safety in the aviation system. People with disabilities are also concerned about security. However, we do not want security measures to reduce access. CCD has been working with Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency to ensure that Canada's security measures, such as body scanners, are usable by people with disabilities in a safe, dignified and accessible manner.

Social Policy—For some time now, CCD has been deeply concerned that the federal government does not have a strong social agenda. CCD draws attention to this problem by saying that social policy is “homeless in Canada”. We have been trying to correct this shortcoming at the federal level by promoting the disability community's National Action Plan on disability. In the Plan, there are short and long term measures to address disability-related supports, employment, poverty, access and inclusion. The plan also encompasses issues in provincial/territorial jurisdiction. CCD brings community members together in Ottawa at an event called End Exclusion where community members share ideas and strategies on how to develop support in the mainstream community and in federal /provincial/ territorial governments for the Plan.

International Development—CCD is also concerned about the issues of people with disabilities around the globe. CCD works in solidarity with the international community of people with disabilities through Disabled Peoples' International and CCD is the Canadian member of DPI. Following the earthquake in Haiti, CCD was very concerned that the barriers facing Haitians with disabilities not be forgotten. Working through the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC), CCD worked to ensure that the international donor community was aware of the unique barriers facing Haitians with disabilities and called upon donors to follow the principles of universal design during the reconstruction of Haiti.

Access to Technology—The Winter Olympics and Paralympics were a source of great pride and enjoyment for all Canadians. Unfortunately, the media coverage of these events was less than perfect for some members of the disability community. CTV's web site coverage of the events was not accessible to people using screen reading technology or people who use closed captioning. CCD made a complaint to CRTC about this barrier. In the coming months, CCD will be undertaking a research project about the evolution of access, which will be looking into the disability community's current vision of access. We suspect that new information and communication technologies will be a significant concern.

Ending of Life Ethics--The Committee worked to raise awareness about the dangers presented by Francine Lalonde's Private Member's Bill, Bill C-384, an Act to amend the Criminal Code (right to die with dignity). The intention of the Bill was to amend the Criminal Code to allow a medical practitioner to provide an assisted death to a person experiencing severe physical or mental pain without any prospect of relief or suffering from a terminal illness. The Bill was voted on in the spring and defeated. As a result of the Committee's work, CCD wrote to all Members of Parliament and encouraged them to vote against the Bill. CCD also shared its concerns with its member groups, so that they and their members could also communicate with Members of Parliament on this issue.

CCD was concerned about the Bill's focus on suffering as a criterion for ending the lives of Canadians. Longstanding social practices and beliefs have misled many people without disabilities to conflate disability with suffering. Unlike nondisabled people, people with disabilities do not consider themselves to be suffering because they have a disability. They are as satisfied with their quality of life as nondisabled people are with theirs. If the Bill was passed, CCD was concerned that negative cultural perceptions regarding disability would result in people with disabilities being pressured to accept deaths that they did not want.

CCD appreciates the support of MLPD over the years and continues to benefit greatly from the strong leaders among the League membership. Currently, CCD is reaping the rewards of Terry McIntosh's in-depth knowledge of the independent living philosophy. MLPD appointed Terry to the CCD Council. Dean Richert, also with the MLPD, is the Chairperson of CCD's Human Rights Committee while Rhonda Wiebe co-chairs CCD's Ending of Life Ethics Committee.

April d’Aubin
CCD