Disability Rights, and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast

In this second half of the conversation David had with former Premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, they combine forces to offer tips for advocates on a range of topics. This includes how to get through the door if you don’t already have a relationship with the person/office you’re looking to reach, how to compose compelling emails and even how to actually handle yourself during crucial meetings.   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 [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our hope as disability rights advocates is that the messages of our campaigns reach the desks of the decision makers; the CEOs, organization presidents and high level politicians. But what does our labour and messaging look like from the other side of the desk? Today, we share a conversation David had with former premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne about what we can do to get into the busy agendas of people in high level positions. This episode is the first of two parts with Kathleen Wynne. Kathleen Wynne’s December 3, 2022 letter to the AODA Alliance stating what she committed to do if she were elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party: https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/new2012/kathleen-wynne-is-second-ontario-liberal-leadership-candidate-to-make-disability-accessibility-commitments/ Breaking News –Premier Wynne has Just Announced in the Legislature that the Ontario Government Agrees to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/breaking-news-premier-wynne-has-just-announced-in-the-legislature-that-the-ontario-government-agrees-to-develop-an-education-accessibility-standard-under-the-accessibility-for-ontarians-with/ Learn more about our advocacy on accessibility for students with disabilities www.aodaalliance.org/education 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 [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Getting media attention is an invaluable tool for disability rights advocates. Whether you’re trying to pressure your provincial/state government or a private company, the public scrutiny a high profile media piece can provide is often the decisive factor that turns an advocacy battle in your favour.In this episode, David talks to Michelle McQuigge, a Canadian Press journalist of nearly 20 years. She is very familiar with the processes within news organizations that dictate whether or not a potential story gets published. It has to be understood that news outlets receive dozens, if not hundreds of emails with potential stories every single day. Michelle shows us how to cut through that noise by telling us how journalists think and what editors are looking for.With the information found in this episode, disability rights advocates fighting disability barriers can confidently approach the media with compelling stories that they’ll actually want to cover. About AMIAMI 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 @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Bruce MacIntosh about a remarkable disability advocacy campaign he helped organize in the 2000s. It centered around hugely problematic, arguably unconstitutional, age cutoffs for crucial government funded therapies for Ontarian children with Autism. The 26 events they put on directly lead to the government backing down. While this was only one small chapter in a much larger advocacy battle, this moment showed that successes can be had when a motivated group of advocates utilize smart strategies and clever messaging. It's great to hear disability advocacy stories that lead to real progress but this episode is about extracting the specific elements that made the campaign successful, like creativity, a practical organizational structure and precise messaging, among many others. About AMIAMI 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 @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Builders and architects are overwhelmingly misinformed on the realities of what it takes to make our shared spaces accessible. Why is this?One of Canada’s top built environment accessibility experts, Thea Kurdi, makes it clear that a few persistent misconceptions continue to counter efforts to make our shared spaces fully accessible. Those misconceptions are:- Building codes insure accessibility- Accessible buildings will be more expensive- Accessible buildings will be uglyIn this episode, you’ll learn why all three of these ideas are misguided and what you can do to make our shared spaces more accessible. About AMIAMI 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 @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaIncEmail [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.