Plan to Make a Difference

By Raymond D. Cohen

Every so often an event takes place in our country that touches all Canadians with disabilities, no matter what their individual priorities, interests and concerns. Often, the event brings with it opportunity for meaningful change, with the level of impact of that change depending on the reactions and decisions of citizens like you.

In this case, it’s a federal election!

Within a handful of days, we will have the chance to participate in selecting our country’s leaders for the next four years. Will these leaders include disability issues on their agenda? That is largely up to you.

The Council of Canadians with Disabilities has produced a number of issues of its "Election Monitor." Highlighted are the platforms of the various parties, with commentary on how matters of specific concern to people with disabilities are addressed. At the time of this writing, the promises made by the Liberals during the last campaign have been examined, plus one issue of the Election Monitor on each of the NDP, Alliance and Conservative party platforms has been produced. Neither the Liberals nor the Bloc Qu‚b‚cois have as yet released their platforms.

All of CCD’s background material is available on its website, www.pcs.mb.ca/~ccd. Visit the site and get informed, before going to the polls. Act now -- the election is only days away!

Hopefully, the federal election will result in greater opportunities for empowerment of people with disabilities. And there are other initiatives too, some of which are developing in close partnership with the Canadian Abilities Foundation.

I’d like to encourage our readers to visit "Strengthening our Communities" by Sam Sullivan (page 44). This important article introduces the Philia Project, a dialogue on citizenship developing across the country. Philia presents an opportunity to take stock of the incredible qualities existing within our emerging disability community -- and to participate in fostering its growth in the years ahead.

And there are other developments...

Visitors to EnableLink (www.enablelink.org), over the weeks and months ahead, will find our website clearer, more accessible -- and even richer in terms of information and connections. Be sure to check it out.

Similarly, Daryl Rock’s book "Making a Difference" will soon be available in both paper copy and Internet versions. Daryl’s firsthand interviews with people with disabilities who have truly made a difference across this country, interspersed with 14 years of fascinating profiles previously published in ABILITIES magazine, is bound (no pun intended) to be fantastic reading.

"On My Own: A Resource Guide for Living Independently" contains advice from eight adult professionals with significant disabilities who have established fulfilling lifestyles for themselves. The book offers guidance to people with disabilities making ready to strike out on their own -- and offers the very best advice on establishing a meaningful and secure life of independence.

The third edition of our "Directory of Disability Organizations in Canada" is now available and in great demand. This invaluable reference source offers the most comprehensive listing of disability organizations to be found anywhere (outside of EnableLink!).

Finally, we are very gratified to bring you "Good Lifetimes," news and views from the Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), pages 29-32. The strength of ABILITIES magazine has always been in providing information, inspiration and opportunity to individuals with disabilities. We are delighted that our partnership with PLAN will allow us to extend our reach to families having disability as a lifestyle and lifetime consideration.

Among PLAN’s many priorities is ensuring that family members with disabilities have enough money to live on, have a place to call home, have opportunity to contribute to community life, have genuine choices and enjoy the same opportunity to be surrounded by family and friends as non-disabled family members. PLAN members recently wrote a paper seeking changes to the tax system in order to more securely protect their disability-related interests. The paper, "Family Tax and Trust Initiatives," is available online at www.heartsandsoul.org/Tax_and_Trust/index.htm. This opportunity is the first of many that we anticipate bringing to you through our affiliation with PLAN!

So, there you have it. The last issue of the first year of the new millennium is in your hands. The future of disability issues in Canada remains a big question. Let’s pull together and put the most positive spin on it possible. See ya next year!