Disability Alert

By Stephen Pate

While Canada prides itself on being champion of human rights, the United States under Presidents George H Bush and George W Bush has done more to advance disability human rights. Canada continues to harass the weak and disabled with a system from which other groups such as the gays have broken free.

Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. President George H.W. Bush (center) is flanked by Evan Kemp, Chairman, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (left) and Justin Dart, Chairman President

When President George Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1991, Jean Chrétien said Canadians didn’t need the ADA in Canada. He was wrong. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was not enough to protect gays and it’s not enough to protect Canadians with disabilities.The cost of pursuing legal challenges to the Supreme Court is too daunting for people with disabilities who tend to be poor and unorganized.

The organizations that support the disabled prosecute a few high profile cases but for the main have not advanced the human rights of the disabled. Gays have been better served by their organizations.

On PEI our Human Rights code is so weak that employers, private and public agencies abuse Islanders with disabilities every day with impunity. The PEI Human Rights Commission is underfunded and cases take five years to determine which is about the same as court.

How does UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan take away disabled parking on the UPEI campus and get away with it. He’s above the law, an example of a lawyer gone to the dark side. Law is all about power not justice and MacLauchlan knows that well.

UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan, not a champion of human rights

Except for PEI Disability Alert, no one is calling for the return of accessible parking at UPEI. Why not? There is a conspiracy of silence. Despite funding UPEI, Premier Robert Ghiz doesn’t rock the boat. We wrote him asking for his assistance. Silence.

Premier Robert Ghiz, silence on UPEI disability abuses

We wrote Mayor Clifford Lee since the City of Charlottetown controls parking within the City. Silence.

So far none of the disability non-government agencies have been willing to stand up to Wade MacLauchlan. Are they bought off by government dollars and no longer representing the disabled? The silence is deafening.

Charlottetown Mayor, Clifford Lee, silence on UPEI disability human rights abuses

The Guardian, CTV, Journal Pioneer, Easter Graphic and West Prince Graphic have reported the story. The CBC is pretending the problem doesn’t exist. They only want happy-talk stories on disabilities. Oh look there’s another cripple cycling across Canada for some cause. Give that full air play. A real need on PEI – oh too hot to handle.

17 years later, the US Congress and Senate are about to pass the Americans With Disabilities Amendment Act. It’s 1,000 pages of new rules to tighten up how Americans with disabilities are treated. George Bush Jr. is going to sign the bill into law. Isn’t that ironic? George Bush Jr. is a champion of disability rights yet despised by many Canadians.

"By reducing barriers and changing perceptions, the ADA has increased participation in community life and given greater hope to millions of Americans." President George Bush

What have we got in PEI? A lame-duck Premier who doesn’t give a hoot for the disabled. Ghiz fronts a money-grabbing Liberal Party that leaves Islanders in need out in the cold.

His imperial majesty Wade MacLauchlan is at UPEI abusing as many disabled people as he can.

Boy do we need a Canadians with Disabilities Act; however the greedy and the perverse won’t let it happen. They have other plans.