Thumbs up…to the Vaccine Hunters, volunteers who used social media to relay info and connect millions of us to vaccine availability faster than the gov’ts. @VaxHuntersCan has over 260,500 followers.
Source: vaccinehunters.ca
Thumbs up…to cab companies and partners who stepped up to assist communities with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Lockerby Taxi in Sudbury provided over 360 free rides to vaccination clinics as a way of thanking their passengers for making their city safer. Project GoVax in North Bay, partnered with Sun Life and U-Need-a-Cab, giving $10,000 in free cab rides to vaccine appointments. Sault Ste. Marie also offered a similar service through their PUC Services.
Source: cbc.ca
Thumbs up…to the Garth Homer Society for launching LifeStreams to support adults with developmental disabilities within Greater Victoria. The online platform offers accessible opportunities to enhance skills, learn, connect, and attend live events.
Source: vicnews.com
Thumbs up…to ASOS, a UK fashion retailer who received praise for simply showing an earring worn by model, Natasha Ghouri, who just happened to be wearing her cochlear implant.
Source: asos.com
Thumbs down…to The Source sales team for unethical sale of products to an 85-year-old Ross Miller who lives with Alzheimer’s Disease. Ross entered The Source with the intention of purchasing a new television. Upon leaving the store, he had signed two Bell contracts for a Fibe TV and a new cell phone, as well as purchasing a landline, tablet, and high-speed internet. Miller has no recollection of these purchases, as he already owns a cell phone and rarely uses the internet. The Source has launched an internal investigation.
Source: cbc.ca
Thumbs down…to the Quebec Human Rights Commission for not recognizing service dogs for those living with mental health conditions. Damino Raveenthiran who suffers from severe insomnia, obtained a Doberman puppy as suggested by a mental health counsellor to help regulate his routine and provide emotional support. However, Raveenthiran, and his wife, were denied an apartment when the landlord didn’t recognize the dog as a service animal and deemed him too big and a potential disturbance to others.
Source: ctvnews.ca
Thumbs down…to Walmart for its “Autism Advocate Doll” that utilizes a puzzle piece bracelet as an identifying accessory. Meant to be an inclusive toy, the doll received mixed reviews from parents of children with Autism who felt the puzzle piece connoted a “missing piece” of the child and represented a problem that needs solving instead of celebrating a neurodiverse way of being.
Source: themighty.com/2021/01/walmart-autism-advocate-doll-backlash
Thumbs up…to the Jays Care Foundation and the City of Toronto for creating the Roy Halladay Field, the city’s first fully accessible baseball diamond. Located in Highview Park, the diamond features vulcanized rubber and traction features that allow players in wheelchairs to maneuver more easily on the field. The field will host a Challenger Baseball League, a variation of the sport that appeals to children with cognitive and/or physical disabilities.
Source: sportnet.ca
Thumbs down…to the disturbing rise in Anti-Asian hate crimes in Canada highlighted by reports of physical and verbal assaults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hats off to those who are standing up
#StopAsianHate
Lead photo: ANTHONY SHKRABA production, Pexels.
