“What I tell people is, if you look like me and you hop out of your truck, you shouldn’t be getting a disability check. Over half of the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts — join the club. Who doesn’t get a little anxious for work and their back hurts? Everybody […]
Author: tpokinko@gmail.com
Mental Health Commission of Canada releases comprehensive report on Canadians’ mental health
The Mental Health Commission of Canada has released the first phase of Informing the Future: Mental Health Indicators for Canada — the first-ever national-level set of indicators that identifies and reports on the mental health of Canadians. The first phase of the comprehensive report highlights the current mental health state of Canadians and indicates where improvements […]
The Fight for Disabled Rights Has Gone on Too Long
Thank goodness for the 1960s and the upheavals it caused, I find myself saying these days. It was a time of the dismantling of the old guard, where groups outside of the circle of old white men in suits who controlled everything fought for — and gained — their rights. The civil rights movement gave […]
DRPI Yukon disability rights monitoring training held in Whitehorse
The DRPI Yukon training took place in the context of a week-long disability rights initiative in Whitehorse called Keeping Track of Our Rights – held from December 1st – 5th 2014. The historic one-week event was attended by participants from Yukon as well as over 10 other communities in the Yukon. It was co-sponsored by […]
Yukon: Justice Minister Responds to Call for Action
WHITEHORSE – Justice Minister Mike Nixon responded to the call from disability rights advocates today in Whitehorse by promising to meet with them to discuss the need for an independent monitoring mechanism so that persons with disabilities can monitor their own rights. His commitment came at the end of a week-long workshop training people with […]
Project seeks participation of First Nations/Aboriginal persons with a disability
Expanding the Circle: Aboriginal People with Disabilities Focus on Rights Toronto–Can you imagine a world where we are all equal? A world where you can actively participate in and give back to your community as a First Nations/Aboriginal person with a disability? A world free from discrimination and barriers? The Expanding the Circle Project would […]
Egypt’s disabled marginalized by government
CAIRO — Egypt’s 2014 constitution granted its more than 10 million disabled citizens numerous rights. Some of them, however, think the state has not taken any new steps to improve their condition. Others believe that progress is merely slow, while some hold that their condition is actually getting worse. In September, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab decided to […]
Mentally Challenged in Morocco: We want our rights, not charity
The mental illness advocacy association UNAHM organized a sit-in in front of parliament in Rabat to ask for an urgent intervention from the authorities to guarantee rights for the mentally challenged that follow universal United Nations conventions. UNAHM was formed two years ago to defend and improve the rights of mentally ill persons, aiming at decreasing […]
Indonesia to host disability access conference
Gorontalo (ANTARA News) – Indonesia will host the third General Election for Disability Access (AGENDA) South Asia Conference to discuss the political roles and rights of the disabled, revealed a committee members press statement, Thursday. The conference will be held on January 28 to 29, 2015, and aims to seek a solution to the challenges […]
New HRW report — “Treated Worse than Animals: Abuses against Women and Girls with Psychosocial or Intellectual Disabilities in Institutions in India”
(New Delhi) – Women and girls with disabilities in India are forced into mental hospitals and institutions, where they face unsanitary conditions, risk physical and sexual violence, and experience involuntary treatment, including electroshock therapy. As one woman put it, they are “treated worse than animals.” In a new report released today, Human Rights Watch found […]