May 2016
Welcome to the CACL
Inclusion Matters Newsletter!
To ensure you stay up-to-date on all things CACL, please make sure to add inform@cacl.ca to your allowed emails list.
CACL Invited to Speak to Standing Senate Committee on Bill C-14 and Physician-Assisted Death

Michael Bach, CACL Executive Vice-President, was invited to speak in front of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in Ottawa to discuss CACL's brief on physician-assisted death. 

CACL's brief submitted to the Standing Senate Committee titled, Medical Assistance in Dying: A Private Request, a Public System, includes proposed amendments of Bill C-14 on physician-assisted death to safeguard vulnerable persons. 

CACL very strongly supports restricting access as proposed in Bill C-14 to those whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable.

CACL is Moving!

After nearly 50 years at the York University campus near Toronto, Ontario, CACL is moving! We're excited to join our new shared space community at the Centre for Social Innovation - Spadina in downtown Toronto. 

As of June 1, 2016, CACL will have a strong and engaged presence in this new space. The Centre for Social Innovation is a social enterprise with a mission to catalyze social innovation in Canada and around the world. 

Its Toronto locations are made up of over 1,000 nonprofits and community organizations, who are co-located in one building to build stronger linkages and together, change the world! 


CACL in Action 
 
We've been on the move!
Here are some highlights from our national and international work this past month: 
  • Joy Bacon, CACL President, and Michael Bach, CACL EVP, attended and were featured speakers at the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living's 60th anniversary celebrations.
     
  • Doris Rajan, Director of Social Development, was in Zambia meeting with IRIS' partners - the Zambian Federation of the Disabled (ZAFOD) and the Mental Health Users Network of Zambia (MHUNZA) - to work on their project entitled: Advancing the Right to Legal Capacity For People with Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities in Zambia.
     
  • Michael Bach, CACL EVP, was a keynote speaker at the New Brunswick Association for Community Living's 60th anniversary celebrations, speaking about the right to legal capacity.
     
  • Michael Bach, CACL EVP, participated in a community consultation and panel discussion on physician-assisted death in Prince Edward Island hosted by Charlottetown MP Sean Casey.
     
  • The Joint Management Advisory Committee, comprised of CACL, Foundation, and IRIS Board Members, met with CACL staff in Toronto for two days of strategic planning for the three organizations.
Construction Fasteners Sees Positive Impact On Culture and Growth

In just three words, Bill Howson, President at Construction Fasteners and Tools Ltd. (CFT) in Saskatoon quickly describes the positive impact of having an employee with an intellectual disability as part of his team - hardworking, positive and capable. As Howson describes Chris, a packager who has worked part time at CFT for more than six years, he does so with pride and excitement at how integral Chris has become to workplace morale and the company's growth. 

"He has made a remarkable impact on our culture," says Howson, "He is always smiling and is by far one of our most loved employees."

It Takes a Community

My daughter, Gabrielle, plays baseball and other sports. I remember watching one of her practices when she was seven years old; they were practicing running bases. As Gabby approached second base, she started slowing down, but cheers of, "come on, Gabby!" from her coach and teammates filled the air until Gabby made it all the way to home plate. 

For our family and the other families involved, baseball is more than just a sport. Community engagements, like baseball, are places for our children, and really the whole family, to build meaningful connections in an inclusive community.

Upcoming Dates and Events
May 23: Victoria Day - CACL Offices will be closed
June 1:  CACL office move to 215 Spadina Ave., Toronto
June 14 - 16: 9th session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), UN Headquarters, New York
June 19: Father's Day
CACL in the News
STAY CONNECTED: