National Committee of Federal Public Servants with Disabilities First Newsletter

November 14, 2005

Download the first issue of the quarterly newsletter. 

What is the NCFPSD?

Background

On May 2, 2003the new National Committee of Federal Public Servants with Disabilities (NCFPSD) was established. This is one of the first recommendations to be met in respect of the Report and Key Recommendations resulting from the June 18, 2002Interdepartmental Forum of Persons with disabilities: A Dialogue for Action.

PWD_Newsletter.pdf

Report on PSAC’s 5th National ACCESS Conference

February 8th : via email Report on PSAC’s 5th National ACCESS Conference, 2005 – My First! - By Jennie Chu Brrrr….it’s 25 below in Montreal but there are 128 excluding staff and facilitators at this conference. Access brings together members from the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) group across Canada to network, learn, advocate, bond and elect two new PSAC reps for the Equal Opportunities Committee. Read more below (.pdf) Report_on_PSAC_Access_2005Revised.pdf

News: Police officers on trial for violent assault on deaf youth of colour

September 27th: media release TORONTO - Two Toronto police officers are on trial for violently assaulting Peter Owusu-Ansah, a 25-year-old black youth who is deaf. Officers Moosvi and Taylor were charged after Peter reported that on September 13, 2002, after playing basketball at the Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf, he was stopped by police. Peter reported that he was taken behind Northern Secondary School, handcuffed, and beaten. The trial began in January, 2004. Closing arguments by Crown and Defense have now been held over until September 1, 2004. A Coalition of Community Groups focused on race, disability, and deaf issues will bring their membership to the trial to support Peter and raise awareness of the police discrimination against people of colour and people with disabilities. Read more on the Racially Visible issues page.

Call for Volunteers: KickstART2

August 16th

Be part of something big. Calling all community-minded, festival-going, art-loving, theatre-supporting volunteers.

KickstART2, Canada's only international Festival of Disability Arts and Culture is coming to town, and we're looking for enthusiastic, community mind people to help out.

Taking place from September 16 to 19, 2004, at the Roundhouse Community Centre at the corner of Davie and Pacific in Vancouver kickstART2 will feature theatre, music, dance, visual art and workshops with some of the leaders in the international disability arts movement. KickstART2 challenges us all to redefine our understanding of what it means to be an artist, and a creative, valued member of the community.

Your help as a volunteer would be an invaluable resource in making this weekend a smooth-running success.

To find out more visit our website at www.s4dac.org (link opens in new window),

As a volunteer we're asking that you volunteer for 8 hours (2, four hour shifts) over the festival. In return you'll be treated to a snappy volunteer t-shirt, a Festival Stand-by Pass (good for everything but sold out shows) and all day admission for snacks at the Performer and Volunteer Lounge. We are open to people with all skills and abilities!

If you'd like more info, go to www.s4dac.org or call Volunteer Coordinator Valerie Levitt at 604.876.0161 or val_levitt@yahoo.com. 

Conference Call: CLC 2nd National Disability Rights Conference

May 17th The Canadian Labour Congress is proud to announce that our Second National Disability Rights Conference, “Doing MORE – Moving FORWARD” will be held November 11 to November 14, 2004  (registration desk opens at 4 p.m. on the 11th) at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montréal, Québec. The Conference will do MORE to build the voice of activists with disabilities and our allies.  We will do MORE to build our political agenda. We will do MORE to build our understanding of issues impacting on the lives of disabled activists. We will do MORE to build on the work done since the first conference. At our Conference, disabled activists will examine the impact of past and present economic and social policies on our lives at work, in our unions and in our communities. We will look at issues like duty to accommodate, support systems, health care, poverty, discrimination in disabled activists’ lives, and most importantly, what our unions can do. The conference participants will explore a variety of strategies to challenge and change our world. Download the callout letter and registration form below ...