Welcome to Citizens with Disabilities - Ontario (CWDO)

Citizens With Disabilities - Ontario (CWDO) actively promotes the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of persons with disabilities through community development, social action, and member support and referral.  Our primary activity is public education and awareness about the social and physical barriers that prevent the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ontario.

 

CWDO is proud to be a full member of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

Current & Urgent!

Upcoming CWDO Events

Captioning, ASL and intervenor accommodation for these Webinars is available upon request, thanks to funding from the Office for Disability Issues, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

• TAXWISE WEBINAR - Thursday, January 28 at 7:30 pm EST Auditorium 1

  Are you aware of all your tax benefits?  Are you paying too much tax?  Have you missed out on a benefit available to persons with disabilities? Not sure whether or not to claim something?  Join in to this informative session and learn what you need to know to pay the taxes you should while claiming all the benefits you are entitled to. Register for TaxWise. 
  

• CWDO Survey: Self-Managed Attendant Services (Direct Funding)

  People with disabilities who need attendant services face extremely long waiting times to get those services, especially if they wish to self-manage their service through Direct Funding. People who have Direct Funding have also raised some issues they would like to have addressed. CWDO's Attendant Service Quality Committee (ASQC) has developed a survey get more information. Your responses will help us have more accurate, up-to-date information to inform our proposals to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. 
  Please complete our confidential survey by clicking on the link below. ASQC Survey link.

   

• Sexuality and Access Project Survey

  The Sexuality and Access Project is looking for people who use attendant services as well as attendants to participate in an anonymous survey.   The survey is part of this two-year project, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The goal of the project is to give Ontarians with disabilities greater control over their lives by providing them and their personal service attendants with the skills and knowledge to protect and develop their sexual health and safety. There are two surveys.  One is for persons with disabilities who use attendant services.  The other is for attendants. If you are in either of these categories, or you know someone who is, please complete the survey or pass the information along. To take a survey online, please follow one of the links below. Each link will take you directly to the survey named: Sexuality and Access Survey for persons with disabilities Sexuality and Access Survey for attendants
  DEADLINE:  January 31, 2010

         New!

• Archived Webinars - we have added links to all online webinars.  Find out what you missed!
• Planned Webinars - with links to register for the above Webinars and many others being planned.
• Technology Committee - Jeffrey Stark is the new Chairperson for this committee.  Welcome Jeffrey!
• Technology news - YouTube is launching auto-captioning technology
• Recreation news - Check out new travel opportunities
• Service Quality news - A new section on fashion and adapted clothing
• Human Rights page - A new easy to read guide to the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities
• Mental Health Issues page
• News: The final proposed accessibility standard for Employment has been posted.
• Toronto Local News - Participate in a research study on HR Professionals and Persons with Disabilities 

Upcoming Consultations

1. Federal government consultations about modernizing copyright law in Canada. For more information about these consultations please visit: http://copyright.econsultation.ca/.
   
   
2. Ontario housing consultations are taking place over the next couple of months.  Try to attend the one in your area.  Tell your story with their online questionnaire.  There's more information at http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page6395.aspx.   Submissions will be accepted until December 31, 2009.
   

CWDO News

• Our newsletter archive is now up to date.  Missed some old news?  Now's your chance to catch up.
  
  
• CWDO Members voted in favour of amendments to the CWDO Bylaw.  78% of those voting voted in favour of proposed amendments to Article 35, and 89% in favour of amendments to Article 56.  The updated Bylaw will be posted shortly.
  
  
• CWDO Committee News – Check out the Committee link on the menu on the left.  Recently updated:  Accessibility Standards, Creative Arts & Recreation, and Technology Resource Committee.  While you're there, consider getting more involved in a committee that interests you.  Much of what CWDO does is accomplished through our committees.  Together we are stronger!
  
  

• CWDO became recognized as Ontario's representative on the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) in June, 2009.  We're honoured and proud to represent our members at this table.
  
  

• CWDO held its 3rd Annual General Meeting on June 11, 2009. Meet our board members.  Get involved in our committees! Click here for board members' biographies.

Last updated January 11, 2010