Even though Ontario is required by law to become fully accessible to all people with disabilities by 2025, less than eight and a half years from now, Ontario's publicly-funded education system is still full of barriers that can impede 334,000 students with special education needs. The Wynne Government still has no plan in place to ensure that Ontario's education system becomes fully disability-accessible.
What is the Government doing about this? On August 8, 2016, the Wynne Government announced that it would not close any of Ontario's provincial or demonstration schools for students with learning disabilities, students who are blind, low vision or deaf-blind, or students who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. This came after the Government held a consultation on the future of the schools for children with learning disabilities or who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. The Government had made it clear from the outset that it was not going to consider closing the W. Ross Macdonald School for children with vision loss.
As the AODA Alliances news release shows, the Government's August 8, 2016 announcement helps illustrate the need for much more comprehensive reforms to Ontario's education system, which is full of barriers impeding hundreds of thousands of students with special education needs. the Government's announcement commendably commits to a new Government initiative to explore better supports for students in local schools who have learning disabilities, or who are deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing.
Learn all about our campaign for a fully accessible Ontario by visiting http://www.aodaalliance.org
Will an accessible education standard help you or your
family?
If you are interested
in learning more about Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural
part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @
416-579-1035 orsandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment