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Rachel Aiello
Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter
Published April 17, 2024
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland revealed that the Liberals were finally ready to roll out funding for this federal income supplement.
The government has allocated $6.1 billion over six years and $1.4 billion ongoing, including the costs to deliver the benefit. This funding would provide for a maximum benefit amount of $2,400 per year.
Disappointment Widespread Over Budget’s Proposed $200-Month Disability Benefit Funding full article
Alana Pickrell
CTVNewsAtlantic.ca Journalist
Published April 16, 2024
Starting Tuesday, passengers inside the Greater Moncton Romeo LeBlanc International Airport will see more than just boarding passes and luggage thanks to a new worldwide initiative aiming to put accessibility at the forefront.
The airport has opted into the hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard program, an initiative that started in England in 2016, and officials are hopeful it will make a big impact for people travelling with hidden disabilities.
New Initiative Aims to Make Moncton Airport More Accessible full article
Daniel Castro, vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said the U.S. Department of Justice’s rule on government content “… obligates state and local governments to ensure their online services are accessible.” April 10, 2024 News Staff
The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) new final rule on government content accessibility is likely to stimulate change, a leader of a science and tech policy think tank said Wednesday.
The DOJ on Monday outlined a final rule laying out the technical requirements to ensure content on government websites or mobile apps “is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.” This includes text, images, sounds, videos, controls, animations and electronic documents.
DOJ Mandates Accessibility on State, Local Gov Websites full article
By Brooke Kruger Global News
Posted April 7, 2024
Regina’s mayor said the city will be adding an elevator to an aquatic centre design to make the new facility’s waterslide accessible.
The new aquatic centre is currently in the design phase and will be built in the Taylor Fields land behind the Lawson Centre.
“It will be put into the design phase and so it won’t be an add on after the fact,” Regina mayor Sandra Masters said. “We know that it’s going to have a very high ceiling and so the idea is that you put an elevator in there to access the second level which will then be able to access the high waterslide.”
Elevator Planned for Accessible Waterslide at New Regina Aquatic Centre full article
Canine Companions is proud to introduce our groundbreaking CanineAlert Device, a patented wearable technology designed to provide essential support. Developed in-house, this innovative technology represents a significant advancement in assisting people with disabilities.
How It Works:
The CanineAlert Device monitors the wearer’s heart rate, leveraging cutting-edge technology to wirelessly communicate with the dog’s collar device. Upon detecting irregularities in the wearer’s heart rate, the device triggers a gentle vibration, prompting the service dog to intervene; the service dog is trained to perform a specific task, based on the needs of the wearer, for example to awaken them from a nightmare and aid in their recovery.
New Patented Wearable Technology Provides Support full article
Mitchell Consky
CTVNews.ca Journalist
Published April 8, 2024
As Canada’s Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland prepares to deliver the federal government’s budget next week, new data suggests overwhelming support for the Canada Disability Benefit, a form of financial support for people living with disabilities signed into law last June.
According to a survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 91 per cent of respondents claim to support the proposed Canada Disability Benefit.
Such support spans the political spectrum, the research suggests, with 83 per cent of past Conservative voters and 98 per cent of past Liberal voters in favour of the benefit. Up to 99 per cent of past NDP voters and 98 per cent of Bloc QuebAcois voters also share support for disability resources being factored into the federal budget, according to the survey.
‘Overwhelming Support’ for Disability Benefit Complicated by Slow Implementation, Survey Finds full article
By LAKEN GREENE lgreene@sixriversmedia.com
April 5, 2024
Currently, 13 Tennessee state parks have all-terrain wheelchairs available, increasing the parks’ accessibility for those with mobile issues.
As part of a statewide initiative to increase park accessibility, Warriors’ Path and Rocky Fork state parks each received an all-terrain wheelchair to offer to park guests free of charge.
The introduction of all-terrain wheelchairs to various state parks is funded by the $1.2 million appropriated by Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General
Assembly and supported by the additional $1.6 million appropriated to making improvements on trail accessibility.
Local State Parks Receive All-Terrain Wheelchairs to Increase Accessibility full article
Nicole Ireland
The Canadian Press
Staff
Published April 3, 2024
Mental health and addictions experts are slamming the federal government’s decision to shut down an online service where people could find free counselling and peer support over the last four years.
Health Canada announced in February that it would stop funding the Wellness Together Canada website and PocketWell app on April 3.
Despite a public plea from an alliance of 18 mental health and addictions organizations for the government to reconsider, the service ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT Wednesday.
Advocacy Groups Decry Federal Government’s Shutdown of Mental Health Website, App full article
While some Lower Mainland school districts have publicly released accessibility plans, Vancouver’s is still in “formative stage” 18 months past legislated deadline. Author of the article:Dan Fumano
Published Mar 30, 2024
Parents of children with disabilities say new playgrounds at Vancouver elementary schools are inaccessible for their kids.
Wheelchair users are finding the thick, slippery artificial turf surface recently installed at some schools difficult or impossible to navigate, parents say.
It has been frustrating Laura Van Doormaal, who has a son at Dickens Elementary in east Vancouver and a daughter, who uses a wheelchair, expecting to go there next year. Van Doormaal hopes that by the time her daughter starts kindergarten, the inaccessible play surface installed in December will have been replaced.
Vancouver Schools Lag on Playground Accessibility, Parents Say full article
Stairlift to basement classroom now expected to be in place by end of May, HRCE says Gareth Hampshire, CBC News
Posted: Mar 28, 2024
A Halifax student who launched a petition calling for a stairlift to a basement classroom in her school is frustrated the installation has been delayed.
“It’s disappointing that they didn’t get it done, but it’s not surprising,” said Lux Melanson, who is in Grade 9 at Fairview Junior High School. “There was absolutely no work done on the stairs throughout this entire month.”
Melanson started the petition in February, because she was upset that some students are unable to access the school’s technology-education classroom.
Halifax Student Disappointed at Delay in Work to Improve School’s Accessibility full article
