Council for Canadians with Disabilities: Celebrating our Accomplishments
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) has published a new book called “Celebrating our Accomplishments.”
The book describes 30 years of progress by people with disabilities in the areas of inclusion, transport, access, social policy and human rights. The various authors are a veritable “who’s who” in the disability community.
It is a great read, and highly recommended. The book can be accessed on
line at www.ccdonline.ca.
Here is an excerpt from the forward by Laurie Beachell, Executive Director
of CCD:
“Today the expectations of Canadians with disabilities and their families
are decidedly different. Canada has become more inclusive and accessible
because people with disabilities have spoken out and ensured that their
voices were heard in public policy debates. The voices were heard at every
level of Canadian society, local, provincial, national and beyond our
borders. Canadians with disabilities today seek equality not charity. They
expect to attend their local school, get a job, have relationships, raise
their families, and contribute to Canadian society in the same ways as non-disabled Canadians. They expect barriers to be removed and no new
ones created. The changes that have come about have been made a reality because of the disability rights movement. Equally true is the fact that
this could not have happened without governments’ support of that
movement. That support must never erode for new challenges emerge
every day as our society and world find new ways of functioning and governing.”
