Last updated on June 29th, 2023 at 10:34 am
Hi everyone! Welcome to the first issue of the People with Disabilities and Allies newsletter. You can register on our website pwdandallies.ca if this was forwarded to you or you are reading it online.
This newsletter will be published weekly and cover topics of interest to Canadian people with disabilities, including updates on legislation, petitions, and other developments; news and events for people with disabilities around the world, and an advice column for people who have questions about what it is like to live with a disability in Canada today. If you have events, if you would like to write an op-ed, advertise a job or business, or submit an article or press release, you can do all of that for free. Just submit to us at jen@b2bnn.com and we will get it out next issue.
IN THIS ISSUE
- NEW: low cost higher speed internet coming!
- Twitter Spaces recordings with Brent and Neal
- Updates from Queen’s Park and Ottawa
- Call for Proposals
- Masks masks masks! (and mutual aid)
- Food banks rating system
- New GLBI (guaranteed liveable basic income) discussion forum
- Write for us!
- NEW CHEAP INTERNET: From Twitter: 14 Internet Providers will start offering $20 a month high-speed Internet services with 50 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload, & 200 GB usage per month. “Eligible households will receive a letter” from the feds with an “access code” See more of this breaking news on Twitter.
- TWITTER SPACES WITH BRENT AND NEAL Have you been to one of Brent and Neal‘s Friday night Twitter spaces yet? If not, make sure you are available on Friday afternoon and connect with your community! Twitter Spaces are a way to conversationally connect with others on Twitter and Brent has been hosting these spaces with Sonija, Joannie and Neal since January. In that time he’s had MP Leah Gazan, Senator Kim Pate, MP Peter and others on to discuss everything from basic income to the federal disability benefit. You can access recordings of old episodes via Neal’s YouTube channel and look for updates on his twitter feed!
- UPDATES FROM THE LEGISLATURES The Green Party’s Mike Morrice recently presented a petition and asked for an update on the Federal Disability Benefit. Watch Mike present. See the response from Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister Qualtrough. There is still no timeline. What can you do to help expedite this benefit, so desperately needed by so many? Write your MP + the PM. Call their offices. Demand immediate rollout of the federal disability benefit to anyone below the poverty line. A provincial election is coming up in Ontario on June 2. How can you best help move forward the agenda of people with disabilities? Vote for the leading candidate in yourcriding who is not Conservative. Write your candidates, your current MPP + the party leaders. Call their offices. Demand they double the disability benefit. Organize others to do the same!
- CALL FOR PROPOSALS for INCLUSION PROGRAMS: A call for proposals under SDPP-D national operating funding stream has launched. Funding will support the capacity of national organizations to increase the social inclusion of persons with disabilities. Details: ow.ly/mhRY50IubfP Learn more about this on Twitter:
5. MASKS MASKS MASKS and mutual aid! It may seem like a lot of people think the pandemic is over but no one knows better than us that it is not! If you are a person with disabilities who needs masks, you have a few options to get them – free! You can order from the Twitter Team, who will send you out 5 masks for free, see Hollie Pollard on Twitter to get on the list + for more information. You can also order free masks from Mekki and the amazing folks at donatemask.ca. And for mutual aid, If you currently are unable to afford groceries bills or rent, contact Brenda Potter and she may be able to help match you to a donor who may be able to help.
6. FOOD BANK RATING SYSTEM FOR GTHA. Love your food bank? Hate it? Looking for information on food bank ratings across the GTHA. We’d like to publish them in this newsletter. If you’ve seen a food bank rating app or website please let us know!
7. NEW GLBI DISCUSSION FORUM LAUNCHES Interested in talking about all things basic income? Who isn’t these days; initiatives are starting to move into action phase around the world and several new programs have been launched globally. And in Canada, a new discussion forum has been launched by Joseph and the team at Canada Basic; check it out at glbi.ca. Congratulations on the launch! Questions about basic income? Here’s a great FAQ from basic income guru Scott Santens.
8. WRITE FOR US: We are looking for contributors and writers on everything from photography and art to personal essays to op-eds and news items. We are also looking for an editor! Got something to say? Email jen@b2bnn.com with a pitch!
