Accessible Widget

October 31, 2013

For Betty

For Betty

You are remembered.

To see photos of a memorial held in her memory, please click here

To learn about Betty' story, please click here. The people who are charged for failing to provide the necessities of life and sentenced for twenty years (as stated in the Edmonton Journal. Edmonton Journal October 31st 2013)

You are remembered. You mattered.

In solidarity, 

Members of the Disability Action Hall

October 10, 2013

Dare to Stair: Stairing Poverty in the Face, Thursday October 17th, 2013


MEDIA ADVISORY



Dare 2 Stair with Us! Hundreds of Calgarians, taking steps to help reduce poverty

 
Calgary, AB, October 17th, 2013

On Thursday, October 17th, 2013 the International Day to Eradicate Poverty hundreds of Calgarians are invited to take the 167 steps to learn how we can all do our own part to reduce poverty. The artist installation will take place on the McHugh Bluff Stairs and bike path for cyclists, citizens with reduced mobility.  Park lovers are encouraged to drop by anytime between noon and 5:30 pm to visit the exhibition. 



Included in the day will be an opportunity to contribute to Canada Without Poverty’s Chew on This! campaign advocating for the federal government to eradicate poverty and hunger by implementing a national poverty reduction strategy. There are 882,000 people who resort to food banks each month and millions of others struggling to get by. Chew on This! volunteers are joining the thousands across the country who have endorsed Dignity for All: The Campaign for a Poverty Free Canada.


While poverty affects us all, the art awareness event is timely given the Calgary election is only days away to discover how each level of government and the community can help reduce poverty in our City.  


The stairs are a well-known landmark in our City and are used by many Calgarians from all economic backgrounds. For many who experience and witness poverty in the everyday fabric of our lives, it is also a chance to share solutions, learn the myths and share stories and ideas to help make a better province for all Albertans.   


What:       Dare 2 Stair: Staring Poverty in the Face - Artist Installation

Who:        Calgary Ability Network-Poverty Reduction, Disability Action Hall, Vibrant Communities Calgary and community partners joining together to share solutions to reduce poverty.

When:       Thursday, October 17th from noon to 5:30 pm. Media conference at bottom of the stairs at noon (near curling club)

Where:     McHugh Bluff Stairs (2nd Street and Crescent Road NW) close to the Calgary Curling Club.

Why:         To help Calgarians learn how we can all reduce poverty on this International Day to Eradicate Poverty.



Contact:

Kim Matthews 403.219.3606 kmatthews@cpalberta.com

Colleen Huston 403.717.7630 actionhall@calgaryscope.org

                   Darrell Howard 403.283.2197 darrell@vibrantcalgary.com

October 2, 2013

2013 City Election Education 101

This Thursday the Disability Action Hall will be talking about voter education. 
http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks/Pages/Election-and-information-services/2013-General-election/default.aspx


Many of us find barriers to voting. Here is what some members of the Disability Action Hall said at our last meeting:

  • Voting, its confusing, I don’t know who to vote for.
  • It is hard to tell the difference between city politics and provincial politics.
  • Hard to remember what to ID to bring. 
  • Hard to figure out where to go and voting stations change.
  • We do not like the word incapacitated voter when reading help is all we need. 
  • The information created by candidates is not easy to understand.
  • Information is not easy to access if you do not have the internet.
  • If you make  a mistake on the ballot, they don’t give you an eraser. What if I make a mistake? Can we  get a new one?
  •  If you are blind, you cannot read them, and was refused help to read out the card. 
  • It would be easy for candidates to tell us what is a city issue and a provincial issue. It is confusing.
  • How do know if they are a good candidate?
Solutions: 

  • Use plain language.
  • Make it easier to hire people with disabilities to work at a polling station, we understand people have to take a test and do a workshop, take out the test.
  • For those who cannot read, have a reader with them.
  • Vote as a group. Have a party!
  • Change the word incapacitated voter to, "a voter who needs help to vote".
  • Use Picture driven voter machines like the ones used in the States.
  • We like the bus that is driving around to help people vote at certain LRT stations.
  • More advertising prior to the voting day, not just the internet.
  • We need people to compile information important to people with disabilities. A score card, bingo card or report card are handy tools. 
  • Got to a a debate and listen to the candidates. To learn when there is one in your area, Civic camp has a listing on their website. visit http://www.election.civiccamp.org/2013-forums 
  • In the past, we have had more success educating ourselves as a group and voting as a group. 
Tips on Voter Education: 


http://www.actionhall.ca/2010/10/voting-for-city-of-calgary-election.html


1. What helps us vote? We learn as a group.



Voting as a group helps make elections easier. Read about our 2010 experience. This is us at the City Hall station You will need to know what ward you are in order to vote. Check out the ward map. 



If you want to learn who is running for mayor, councilor and school trustee there are many web sites. We tell people, if you do not know who to vote for, call them. We will be given a list of our candidates and phone numbers. We will also prepare some questions to ask the candidates.


2. We learn about who our candidates are! 
Two great places to check out. 


  • The Calgary City Website.You can download a document from the city website.
  • We like the quick reference look up and downloadable contact sheet on www.calgarydemocracy.ca 
  • We also like CBC's listing find by postal code if you still cannot ready the ward map. 
  • Ward 1(Retiring- Councillor Dale Hodges)
    Ward 2 (Retiring- Councillor Gord Lowe)
    Ward 3(Incumbent Councillor Jim Stevenson)
    Ward 4 (Incumbent Councillor Gael MacLeod)
    Ward 5 (Incumbent Councillor Ray Jones)
    Ward 6  (Incumbent Councillor Richard Pootmans)
    Ward 7 (Incumbent Councillor Druh Farrell)
    Ward 8 (Incumbent Councillor John Mar)
    Ward 9 (Incumbent Gian-Carlo Carra)
    Ward 10 (Incumbent Councillor Andre Chabot)
    Ward 11 (Incumbent Councillor Brian Pincott)
    Ward 12 (Incumbent Councillor Shane Keating)
    Ward 13 (Incumbent Councillor Diane Colley-Urquhart)
    Ward 14 (Incumbent Councillor Peter Demong)
    Mayor  (Incumbent Mayor Naheed Nenshi)
     
3. We talk about issues that are important to us. 

We then pick  the candidate who has the most in common with our beliefs. In 2010 our top issues that were very important to us and are still important to us in 2013 are:  

AFFORDABLE TRANSIT
  • What will you do to make city services like public transit affordable for everyone? i.e., seniors are getting quite the deal and less and less people are qualifying for Access Calgary.
  • Do you support city wide service for Access Calgary customers? Learn more about 'say no to 1 km rule' by clicking here.

SAFE and AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING 
  • What are your views in protecting the health and welfare of tenants in rental units? I.e. mould, fire hazard, defective appliances.
  • What is your commitment to creating more affordable low- income rental housing?
  • Will you support an independent housing appeal panel that is transparent and appointed by community agencies? 
  • Secondary suites; what will you do make secondary suites safer and available?
  • What will you do to address the housing choice gap for people living with low-income to own a home that is safe, accessible and affordable?

ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITIES
  • What is your commitment to finding places that are financially and physically accessible for people with disabilities?


CELEBRATING DISABILITY CULTURE and COMMUNITY

  • What are you going to do to ensure that disability pride and culture is celebrated?
  • What is your vision on how the city can fund grassroots organizations to create diversity in our city’s culture? 
  • What are you going to do to support the disability arts in Calgary and innovative projects that create diversity in our city?

4. Still don't know? Try election bingo! 

Election Bingo