From: Patricia.Bregman@f24.n3602.z1.fidonet.org (Patricia Bregman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Help with advocacy group
Date: 31 Jul 92 04:33:15 GMT
Reply-To: Patricia.Bregman@f24.n3602.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3602/24 - ADAnet One (tm) Net, Pinson AL

Index Number: 23451

RAA>From: ronald@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Ronald A. Amundson)
   >Organization: University of Hawaii at Manoa

RAA>Index Number: 23223

RAA>We in Hilo, Hawaii, are in the process of forming a "consumer- based"
   >advocacy group for disability rights.  We've finally realized that
   >government committees and most private agencies have too much inertia
   >and bureaucracy to engage in much activism at the local level.

RAA>I know that there are lots of other organizations of this kind
   >out there.  Does anyone have the bylaws, statements of purpose,
   >etc. for such an organization?  If so, I would appreciate it if
   >you could post or email them to me so we can use them as samples.

             I will send you by-laws, etc. on surface mail. This is
             really encouraging.

             Are there specific issues that you are concerned about?  I
             am asking because I work closely with ARCH (Advocacy
             Resource Centre for the Handicapped), a legal clinic
             dealing on with disability-related issues, and PUSH (People
             United for Self-Help) on a number of issues which may be of
             interest.

             There is alot of activity in Ontario right now including:

             -Reform of the Human Rights Process which currently
             discourages people from filing complaints and has been
             largely ineffective.  We submitted a lengthy brief and
             there was a recently released report making
             recommendations to the government.

             -Reform of the Long-Term Care system. With government
             insurance health care issues are quite different at the
             moment (I am an American health care exile - I have a
             chronic illness and can't return to the US where my family
             lives because I can't get insurance there).  The government
             is currently considering recommendations made during
             extensive consultation to transfer more services to the
             community.  The disability community presented a brief and
             I am currently working on a follow-up report. The issues of
             particular concern are direct funding of attendant care
             services. They are now paid for by the government, but the
             individual is not considered the employer, the government
             or an agency is; abuse issues, access to information about
             services and consumer involvement in planning.

             -There are also several consultations going on about reform
             to the Public Hospitals Act, health planning, etc.  The
             Ont. government says that its policy is to include
             consumers in the planning of health care and services.  We
             also have a proposal in for a large-scale consumer health
             advocacy coalition to work with the disability groups.

             -Ontario just introduced employment equity legislation
             which should be in place by the fall, Advocacy legislation
             which is also expected to be in place by the late fall and
             have asked ARCH to prepare a proposal to develop
             legislation similar to the ADA.

             Sorry to ramble, but if any of those areas are of interest,
             I can send you information if you think it would be helpful
             to see what other jurisdictions are doing.

             Good luck -- it really does make a difference. This year,
             the city of Toronto made major budget cuts across the
             Board.  As a result of TRANSACTIONS, a transportation
             coalition formed under the auspices of PUSH, which lobbied
             hard and publically to eliminate the cutbacks to the
             wheelchair-accessible part of the transit system - the
             Council changed their mind.  This cutback and the police
             budget cutbacks were the only two parts of the budget that
             the Council decided should not be cut!  That is true
             advocacy at its best.

 * QNet3 * ADANET:41/62/19:Ability OnLine - Toronto Canada - 416/650-5411

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