Chair of non-partisan group wants commitments from Ford
Posted May 30, 2022 07:07:09 PM.
The chair of a non-partisan group that campaigns for disability and accessibility reform wants Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford to make commitments to tear down barriers for the over 2.6 million Ontarians with disabilities.
David Lepofsky, a blind lawyer and the chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, told The Sam Laprade Show on Monday, May 30 that three of the four major parties in Ontario – the Liberals, the Green Party and the New Democratic Party- have all made commitments to his organization regarding the plea to remove the many barriers that impede people with any kind of disability from getting competitive employment, access to education, housing, health-care and public transit.
The only major party that has not made any commitments to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, said Lepofsky, was the Ontario Progressive Conservatives and their leader, Doug Ford.
“Why is Doug Ford not answering our concerns,” he asked. “There's no reason he should be writing us off.”
Lepofsky said the group fought hard to have the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act passed in 2005, with a deadline to be met in 2025.
“Right now, due to inadequate government action, progress is slow and we are not on track to meet that deadline,” he said.
Lepofsky noted that during the recent campaign, promises have been made to fund schools and hospitals, but there has been no mention of accessibility plans for people with disabilities.
Listen to the full interview with David Lepofsky below:
