DISABILITY RIGHTS- TORONTO:

DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF DISABLED ACTIVIST THIS FRIDAY:

Molly has blogged last March on the subject of disabled rights activist Aaron Shelbourne and his dispute with the Toronto Everest Restaurant. The dispute is ongoing, and this Friday Aaron, his friends, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) and the disabled rights activist group DAMN2025 will be holding a demonstration in front of the Everest Restaurant to demand an apology and assurance that the discrimination will not be repeated. Here's the skivvy from OCAP.

................................

FRIDAY: SUPPORT DISABLED ACTIVIST BANNED FROM RESTAURANT‏:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8TH

DEMONSTRATION: SUPPORT DISABLED ACTIVIST BANNED FROM RESTAURANT REFUSING TO SERVE WHEELCHAIR USERS

Friday, August 8th

11 am

Everest Restaurant

232 Queen St W (at John)

Support Aaron Shelbourne: demand that the Everest Restaurant publicly apologize to Aaron for banning him, drop its policy that wheelchair users are not welcome, and become physically accessible!

DAMN2025 calls for disabled people and supporters to join us on Fri Aug 8 at 11am in front of the Everest Restaurant at Queen & John,where Aaron and his supporters will publicly confront the broad systemic ableism that played out in the Everest Restaurant's repeated abuses against Aaron:

In mid-March, Aaron Shelbourne - a disability rights activist and a member of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) - went to the Everest Restaurant & Lounge with one of his assistants. Mr. Shelbourne has Cerebral Palsy and uses Alternative Augmentative Communication(AAC), which involves using his eyes to communicate and the facilitation of an assistant. They had a meal, and at one point he had to use the washroom. It was not accessible and he nicked the door with his wheelchair going in.

As Mr. Shelbourne and his communication assistant were leaving the restaurant, after paying for their meals, the restaurant manager pulled Mr. Shelbourne's assistant aside and informed her that they were not welcome back. She said that the restaurant was newly renovated and "wheelchairs" aren't welcome because they cause damage.

"I am a person," says Mr. Shelbourne. "The worker at the restaurant didn't even come to tell me all of this herself but went to my assistant instead. I was angry because I am a human being and I have rights."

On March 28th, with the help of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty(OCAP) and DAMN2025, Mr. Shelbourne returned to Everest Restaurant to seek redress, to send a loud message to management, its customers and the public that people who use wheelchairs have rights and this type of treatment is discriminatory and unacceptable! Mr. Shelbourne entered Everest asking to speak with restaurant manager Karma Sanchok who had previously told him they don't serve people in wheelchairs.

Mr. Shelbourne sought a public apology from Ms. Sanchok and the restaurant, and a promise that this kind of blatant discrimination would not continue. Ms. Sanchok refused to speak or engage with Aaron in any way, speaking only to his non-wheelchair-using supporters and quickly retreating behind the counter refusing to apologize or speak directly to Mr. Shelbourne as a fellow human being. Ms. Sanchok proceeded to call the police to forcibly remove Mr. Shelbourne and his supporters from the restaurant.

This Friday, August 8th, we are asking for allies to join Aaron, DAMN2025 and OCAP as we seek to confront Everest's blatant ableism and demand a public apology and renovations to make their space accessible.

Contact DAMN 2025 at (416) 889-3037 or damn2025@gmail.com for more information. **Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

10 Britain St. Toronto, ON M5A 1R6

416-925-6939

ocap@tao.ca

http://www.ocap.ca/ **

CANADIAN POLITICS:

OCAP DENOUNCES ONTARIO GOVERNMENT "SHAM CONSULTATIONS":

How would you define a Canadian "liberal". Answer: a conservative who isn't presently in power. The converse is true as well. A Canadian "conservative" is a liberal in power. This has been proven true over and over, and nowhere near as much as in the province of Ontario where the present Liberal government is holding sham "consultations", by carefully selected invitation, to give an illusion of caring about poverty while doing its best to reduce the incomes of poor people. A recent mistake, however, on the part of the minister of Child and Youth services in which she claimed that the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) had taken part in this PR exercise has raised the ire of OCAP. Here is their statement.

.............................

For Immediate Release:

OCAP Not Participating in Sham Consultations:

Minister Matthews lies to legitimize secret 'poverty meetings'‏
As you likely know, the Provincial Liberals are currently touring the province with a consultation scam to make it seem like they care about poor people while they do nothing for us. We are going to go to the Toronto closed-door consultations and tell Minister Matthews and the government that we don't need more talk, we need action!

June 18th

3:30 pm

meet at PARC - 1499 Queen Street West

We have been unable to get a bus so if you have one (or a car or van)please let us know at the OCAP office as we are scrambling to make sure we have enough space for people to get there.

Accessibility - call or e-mail to make arrangements.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCAP Not Participating in Sham Consultations: Minister Matthews lies to legitimize secret 'poverty meetings'

(June 11, 2008) Yesterday, during an interview with CBC's Metro Morning,the Minister of Children and Youth Services, Deb Mathews, claimed the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) was invited to and attended a secret poverty consultation.

In reality, these meetings have been designed expressly to avoid interacting with anti-poverty groups like OCAP and with poor people in general. OCAP has never received an invitation to attend these private consultations. These meetings make no attempt to address systemic poverty in this province, rather they seek to allay the public's concerns"within existing resources."

"We don't need to waste our time in secret consultations. We need a government that is actually going to do something about poverty," says A.J. Withers, an OCAP Organizer. "We know what the problems are. Welfare and disability rates are too low, we need a livable minimum wage now, we need more affordable housing and we need the housing we do have to be in decent repair."

The Liberal government would like the public to believe it will make real and substantial changes in people's lives. Instead, this government continues to quietly chip away at crucial money and services. "While they talk about reducing poverty, the Liberals continue to let welfare and disability rates lose ground to inflation. They slashed the Special Diet supplement that let thousands of people eat healthier food, and they introduced the confusing Ontario Child Benefit that means parents probably won't be able to buy coats for heir kids this winter," says John Clarke of OCAP. "This is not a government that actually cares about poor people, it is a government trying to get political capital by talking a lot about us, but doing nothing for us," Clarke says.

While Matthews is a liar, she was right about one thing: there have been protesters outside of her sham consultations, in cities all across Ontario. This month, in Toronto, we plan to be among them.

**

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

10 Britain St. Toronto, ON M5A 1R6

416-925-6939

ocap@tao.ca

www.ocap.ca

**

DISABILITY:

DISABILITY AND DISABLED ANARCHISTS:

Over the last couple of days a large number of people have visited Molly's Blog because of her reporting of the boycott of the Everest Restaurant in Toronto. Just in case anyone gets to the top of this blog I'd like to give notice that there is a discussion going on at the Anarchist Black Cat discussion board with the same title as the one above. Very interesting. Read it and join in if you like.

TORONTO:

EVEREST RESTAURANT BOYCOTT:

Seems like a time for follow-up as per the last post. A few days ago Molly blogged on the matter of the Everest Restaurant in Toronto and their attitude to one disabled man who was their customer. There is apparently a Facebook page devoted to the boycott of this restaurant. You can access it at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7660964958 .Be aware that you have to sign up for Facebook before you can access their pages. The following is the statement of the group administrator.

..........................................................................

A few weeks ago my friend Aaron Shelbounre went to Everest Restaurant for lunch, which was a usual event for him. The last time he went there, however, he accidentally scratched the bathroom door with his wheelchair. Overreacting, the manager approached Aaron's attendant and said they could never come back because of the scratch.

Apparently a paint job is more important than a persons civil rights.

Upset and humiliated by this experience, Aaron gathered together a group of friends and CBC radio to support him while he sought out an apology from the restaurant.Instead of that more verbal abuse was heaped upon him. Now they're saying that no people in wheelchairs can go to the restaurant and they refused to apologize.

This is blatant discrimination!

Would they ban a woman with a baby carriage if it had scratched the door? Would they ban someone who's purse accidentally scratched the door? A reasonable and sympathetic person would not have told Aaron he couldn't come back, but would have found a way to make their restaurant more accessible. It is a simple as protecting the door with a metal or rubber strip.

If you find discrimination as disgusting as I do, then please boycott Everest restaurant.

Thank You.

ONTARIO:

DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS PICKET DISCRIMINATORY QUEEN ST. RESTAURANT:

The following is a press release from OCAP, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. It is about a recent picket of a Toronto restaurant that refuses to serve people in wheelchairs.

..............................................................................................

Media Release: Disability Rights Activists Picket Discriminatory Queen St Restaurant‏

Media Release

- For Immediate Publication -

Disability Rights Activists Picket Discriminatory Queen St Restaurant

Friday, March 28, 2008

Aaron Shelbourne is a disability rights activist and a member of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). He has Cerebral Palsy and uses Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC), which involves using his eyes to communicate and the facilitation of an assistant.

Mr. Shelbourne went to Everest Restaurant on Queen St today to demand an apology from management that has told him they don't serve customers in wheelchairs, and asked him never to come back. Mr. Shelbourne was joined by 20 supporters today. Mr. Shelbourne entered Everest asking to speak with restaurant manager Karma Sanchok who had previously told him they don't serve people in wheelchairs. Mr. Shelbourne sought a public apology from Ms.Sanchok and the restaurant, and a promise that this kind of blatant discrimination would not continue. Ms. Sanchok refused to speak or engage with Aaron in any way, speaking only to his non-wheelchair-bound supporters and quickly retreating behind the counter refusing to apologize or speak directly to Mr. Shelbourne as a fellow human being. Ms. Sanchok proceeded to call the police to forcibly remove Mr. Shelbourne and his supporters from the restaurant.

Mr. Shelbourne's simple, just request for an apology was rudely ignored.This is unacceptable, and Mr. Shelbourne is not prepared to allow this kind of discrimination to continue unchallenged. He calls on supporters, allies and members of the public – especially those using wheelchairs – to go to Everest Restaurant and demand an explanation from the management!

Mr. Shelbourne and his supporters and allies will be back at Everest en masse in the near future, to pursue Mr. Shelbourne's just request for an apology and to ensure that this restaurant does not discriminate against people with disabilities with impunity.

Background

Last week, Mr. Shelbourne went to Everest Restaurant & Lounge with one of his assistants. They had a meal, and at one point he had to use the washroom. It was not accessible and he nicked the door with his wheelchair going in.

As Mr. Shelbourne and his communication assistant were leaving the restaurant, after paying for their meals, the restaurant manager pulled Mr.Shelbourne's assistant aside and informed her that they were not welcome back. She said that the restaurant was newly renovated and wheelchairs aren't welcome because they cause damage.

"I am a person," says Mr. Shelbourne. "The worker at the restaurant didn't even come to tell me all of this herself but went to my assistant instead.I was angry because I am a human being and I have rights."

This Friday March 28th, with the help of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) and DAMN2025, Mr. Shelbourne returned to Everest Restaurant to seek redress, to send a loud message to management, its customers and the public that people who use wheelchairs have rights and this type of treatment is discriminatory and unacceptable!

Says Mr. Shelbourne: "I am demanding a public apology from the management of the restaurant. I want them to acknowledge that I am a person and that because I use a wheelchair, that doesn't make me any less of a person. If they don't like scratches on their bathroom doors they should make the washroom accessible!"

OCAP

TWO IMPORTANT DISABILITY EVENTS:

COMMUNITIES UNITING AND ACCESS FOR KADER:

For those of our readers in the Toronto area, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) has announced a couple of upcoming events around the issue of disability. Here are the details....

COMMUNITIES UNITING: TALKING ABOUT JUSTICE, DISABILITY AND POSSIBILITIES

6:30 PM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19TH

PARC (1499 Queen St. West - on Queen just West of Lansdowne.

Closest accessible TTC route - take the Lansdowne Bus South to Queen.)

ACCESS FOR KADER

11AM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26TH

25 ST. CLAIR EAST (just off of Yonge).

(Closest accessible TTC route St.Clair subway station.)

--------------------------------------------------------

COMMUNITIES UNITING: TALKING ABOUT JUSTICE, DISABILITY AND POSSIBILITIES 6PMWEDNESDAY, MARCH 19TH

PARC (1499 Queen St. West - on Queen just West of Lansdowne.

Closest accessible TTC route - take the Lansdowne Bus South to Queen.)

MEAL PROVIDED

CHILDCARE PROVIDED

LIVE CAPTIONING AVAILABLE

The realities of disabled people are systemically erased. Though we are an important part of every community, disabled people are actively kept out of public culture. Disabled people are imprisoned, impoverished and denied immigration status. The only way this will ever change is if disabled people and our supporters join together to fight for justice for everyone.Join us as several community organizers address the role of disability and disabled people in the struggle for resistance. Help us move forward local efforts against ableism, and brainstorm new directions for Toronto-based organizing.

SPEAKERS ON:

Ableism and Accessibility: DAMN 2025

DAMN 2025 is a direct action group currently bringing together disabled

people, those affected by ableism, and our supporters. We believe that

accessibility means more than adding ramps and elevators; accessibility

must mean a restructuring of the way we incorporate difference into our

everyday lives. It means an active awareness of how different identities

intersect and assurance that there will be room for everyone in our

struggles. Disabled people must work towards cross-disability organizing

to ally us not only with other disabled people, but with all oppressed

people.

Ableism in the Immigration Act and the Case of Kader Belaouni: Jared Will, legal council for Kader Belaouni

Disability discrimination is written into the Immigration Act. If you are disabled, it is very likely that you will never become a Canadian citizen because you are considered a 'drain on the system' and possibly a 'danger' to the country.

One of the clearest examples of this violent discrimination is the case of Abdelkader Belaouni (Kader), an asylum seeker from Algeria who has been in sanctuary in Montreal for over two years. As people concerned with equity and justice, we demand immediate status for Kader. As a disability organizing campaign, we are particularly concerned with how ableism plays out in his case. He is blind, and his status has been denied, in large part, on the basis of a flagrantly discriminatory policy. Immigration Canada denied his case largely because he was unemployed; however, they failed to take into consideration the reality of systemic discrimination against disabled people.

Poverty, Productivity and Why Disabled People Are Poor: OCAP

Disability and poverty are inextricably linked in our society. It is impossible to fight poverty without addressing disability. Poverty is a reality in many disabled people's lives; it acts to limit our mobility,our opportunities, even our health.

Contrary to popular belief, the high rate of poverty amongst disabled people is not due to an inability to work. Systemic discrimination, the undervaluing of our labour, as well as stringent social assistance rules keep us from being employed. One in five people on welfare in Ontario are disabled and social assistance rates are always too low. A speaker from OCAP will address the fight against poverty in Toronto. Fighting poverty means disabled and other poor people fighting back.

Help us start this discussion, and figure out how to move forward from here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACCESS FOR KADER

11AMWEDNESDAY, MARCH 26TH

25 ST. CLAIR EAST (just off of Yonge)

Abdel-Kader Belaouni is a disabled man who has been forced to take sanctuary in a Montreal church. He is there so he won’t be deported to detention in the U.S. and ultimately to conflict ridden Algeria where his safety would be jeopardized and there are few services for the blind.

Disabled people who come to Canada face tremendous barriers. Each year many people are denied entry or status in Canada because of their disabilities. These shameful and discriminatory practices must stop. Come out and tell the government to grant status to Kader. We as disabled people and our supporters, will tell the federal government to remove ableism and racism from the Immigration Act and stop all of its ableist and racist practices.