Raise Your Voice

By Raymond D. Cohen

This past June, the Government of Canada hosted a Roundtable Discussion on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). As one of the many who attended, it felt, to me, for all the world like a disability jamboree – the list of invitees basically read like a Who’s Who of Disability in Canada.

Virtually every major disability organization was represented, as well as appropriate personnel from the Government of Canada. The pervasive spirit, throughout, was one of keen interest in the UN Convention – and the over-arching question was what, exactly, it would take for Canada to ratify this historic international agreement. It quickly became clear that this roundtable was one step in a series of consultations that was to occur before Canada would move ahead to ratify the CRPD. While members of parliament were conspicuous by their absence during this two-day collaboration, the Honourable Diane Finlay, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, did make it known, through her colleague, the Honourable Royal Galipeau, member of parliament for Ottawa-Orleans (who was, in fact, present to wind up the proceedings), that an online consultation, open to all Canadians, had been launched and would be active until July 31. In the interim, the United Nations, in its newsletter, the UN Enable, provides a Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This enlightening online newsletter is available at www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=212.  Abilities readers are encouraged to give this a read. Why not forward the website address to your member of parliament to let him or her know that you support the Convention and encourage Canada to do the same?
But hey, don’t take my word for it… become involved! And a great first step would be to read Steve Estey’s article “A Call to Action” (p. 33). Steve has spent many years working for disability rights in Canada. He is the chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities’ International Committee. Steve was also a member of the committee that drafted the Convention in the first place. To borrow Steve’s words, “Continued failure to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities calls into question Canada’s standing as a global leader on the human rights of persons with disabilities, and indeed our standing as a leader in human rights overall.” Heed this call to action – and make sure that our prime minister and your member of parliament are aware of your sentiments. Make your voice heard!

The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is still gathering momentum in the hearts and pocketbooks of Canadians with disabilities, but it is already doing a lot of good, both in terms of material well-being and in helping Canadians with disabilities gain a greater sense of prosperity in a more general sense. Within this issue of Abilities, some of our major financial institutions, as well as Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), promote the availability of this important tool. I also talked to Ontario’s Minister of Community and Social Services, the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, about this opportunity (as well as many other matters) for our “In Conversation” feature (p. 36). Plus, we are delighted to bring you insights from Gilles Ouellette, President and CEO of BMO Financial Group’s Private Client Group, and Yasmin Meralli, BMO’s Vice-President of Diversity and Workplace Equity (p. 39). While the importance of the RDSP as a tool cannot be overstated, the broader issues of diversity and financial literacy follow close on its heels. It is our hope that the ripple effects of this new movement will be felt far and wide for some time to come.