Disability Rights, and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast

Advocacy Is a Team Sport - How to Successfully Navigate Coalitions with Wendy Porch - Pt 1

Disability rights advocacy is often not something you will do on your own. You frequently work with others. Naturally, differences in opinion happen. That’s why learning to successfully navigate coalitions and build common ground are crucial for anyone involved in advocacy. Today’s guest, Wendy Porch, the executive director of CILT, the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto, has extensive experience doing this. She teaches us how to find common ground and circumnavigate pitfalls. As always, this episode includes practical, actionable tips on how to apply what we learn from our guests. this is part 1 of 2 of David’s conversation with Wendy Porch. Learn more about CILT the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto: https://cilt.ca/ Watch The Agenda with Steve Paikin - Demanding Disability Rights Amid COVID-19. Ontario’s flagship public affairs TV program, TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, Steve Paikin interviewed both David Lepofsky and Wendy Porch, the executive director of CILT, the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto. The panel addressed the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities, and the heightened barriers they face during the pandemic, especially in access to health care and education. This interview took place less than two months into the pandemic. The issues it raised persisted for months afterwards. Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmMlTrNbud8 Learn more about the City of Toronto’s Task Force on COVID Vaccines at https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/di/bgrd/backgroundfile-167074.pdf About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Advocating for Livable Homes - With Accessible Housing Activist and Raging Granny, Kate Chung - Pt 2

There is a critical lack of accessible housing in Canada. 1 in 5 Canadians have a disability and our population is aging. This problem isn’t going away; it’s going to get worse. With so much recent talk of country building projects, especially around addressing the wider housing crisis, accessible homes cannot be neglected. Kate Chung is a grassroots advocate for accessible housing. She organizes with the Raging Grannies, a collective of activist groups of older women who use humor and satire to protest social justice issues. In part 2 of this conversation with Kate Chung, David learns about the importance of accessible housing and what we can do about it. About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Advocating for Livable Homes - With Accessible Housing Activist and Raging Granny, Kate Chung - Pt 1

There is a critical lack of accessible housing in Canada. 1 in 5 Canadians have a disability and our population is aging. This problem isn’t going away; it’s going to get worse. With so much recent talk of country building projects, especially around addressing the wider housing crisis, accessible homes cannot be neglected. Kate Chung is a grassroots advocate for accessible housing. She organizes with the Raging Grannies, a collective of activist groups of older women who use humor and satire to protest social justice issues. In this episode, David learns from Kate about the importance of accessible housing and what we can do about it. About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Milestone Fight for Including Disability Rights in Canada’s Charter of Rights - With Yvonne Peters - Pt 2

In 1981, the then Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre-elliot Trudeau was dead set on repatriating the constitution of Canada. At the time, our constitution was effectively under the control of the British parliament. Repatriating it meant that Canada would finally have the power to amend it without British approval. In the process, Trudeau also wanted to introduce a charter of rights and freedoms, which would enshrine the rights of protected groups directly into our constitution. The problem? Canadians with disabilities were not included in the list of protected groups. This is part 2 of 2 of the story of the advocates who successfully lobbied to have disability rights included in the new Charter of Rights and Freedoms. David Lepofsky, fresh from law-school, was among them, along with fellow disability rights advocate and lawyer, Yvonne Peters. The two share their perspectives of this landmark victory in disability advocacy. David Lepofsky’s memoir: Swimming Up Niagara Falls! The Battle to Get Disability Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms” is Available online for free download at https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/swimming-up-niagara-falls-the-battle-to-get-disability-rights-added-to-the-canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms-by-aoda-alliance-chair-david-lepofsky-now-available-as-free-audio-book-ms-word/ in pdf, MS Word, e-pub formats and as a free audio book, or for purchase as a hard copy book from Amazon or as a Kindle e-book from Kindle. Watch David Lepofsky’s December 12, 1980 presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons ofCanada on the Constitution of Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBdYFUtAslc David Lepofsky’s January 29, 1981 Interview on CBC Radio This Country in the Morning re the Disability Amendment to the Charter of Rights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnqNpeGhWP0 David Lepofsky’s November 26, 1981 Interview on CBC Radio This Country in the Morning re the Disability Amendment to the Charter of Rights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcn6mZcJeLc September 16, 2024 Interview with AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky on TVO’s “The Agenda With Steve Paikin” on His Memoir About the Battle in 1980 to Get Disability Equality Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rELGQu2ulSI About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Milestone Fight for Including Disability Rights in Canada’s Charter of Rights - With Yvonne Peters - Pt 1

In October 1980, Canada’s Prime Minister, Pierre-elliot Trudeau was dead set on repatriating the constitution of Canada. At the time, Canada’s constitution was under the control of the British parliament. Repatriating it meant that Canada could finally amend it without needing British approval. Trudeau also wanted to add a charter of rights and freedoms to Canada’s Constitution, which would create a set of new constitutional rights that no government could violate. The problem? The new constitutional right to equality to be included in the Charter of Rights did not protect people with disabilities from discrimination. This episode tells the story of the advocates who successfully lobbied to have disability rights included in the new Charter of Rights. David Lepofsky, fresh from law-school, was among them, along with fellow disability rights advocate and social worker , Yvonne Peters. The two together, both now retired lawyers who are blind, share their perspectives on this landmark victory in disability advocacy. Yvonne Peters became a lawyer after these events, and devoted her career to human rights issues. David Lepofsky and Yvonne Peters did not meet each other or learn about each other’s efforts in support of the disability amendment until years later. David Lepofsky’s memoir: Swimming Up Niagara Falls! The Battle to Get Disability Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms” is Available online for free download at https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/swimming-up-niagara-falls-the-battle-to-get-disability-rights-added-to-the-canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms-by-aoda-alliance-chair-david-lepofsky-now-available-as-free-audio-book-ms-word/ in pdf, MS Word, e-pub formats and as a free audio book, or for purchase as a hard copy book from Amazon or as a Kindle e-book from Kindle. Watch David Lepofsky’s December 12, 1980 presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons ofCanada on the Constitution of Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBdYFUtAslc David Lepofsky’s January 29, 1981 Interview on CBC Radio This Country in the Morning re the Disability Amendment to the Charter of Rights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnqNpeGhWP0 David Lepofsky’s November 26, 1981 Interview on CBC Radio This Country in the Morning re the Disability Amendment to the Charter of Rights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcn6mZcJeLc September 16, 2024 Interview with AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky on TVO’s “The Agenda With Steve Paikin” on His Memoir About the Battle in 1980 to Get Disability Equality Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rELGQu2ulSI About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.