The minister has urged me to share with you her response to my open letter, which was posted in my September update. Her response follows this update. In my open letter, I addressed my main concern: defining disability in a plain and inclusive way. I have had the opportunities to ask her policy assistant how my definition had been received, and how the CRPD Protocol might form part of Canada's new accessibility law. We agree that making Canada fully accessible requires a cultural change in how we think about disability and accessibility, and that an inclusive definition is needed for this. At this point, however, it is still unclear whether the Protocol will be incorporated in the new legislation itself, or covered under a separate document. In the meantime, research is being done on implementing accessibility laws in other jurisdictions, including the United States. Two issues emerge: the duty to complain needs to be transferred from the person whose disability rights are violated to an office of the state, such as an ombudsman, and (2) implementing, monitoring and enforcement of the new law needs to be fully developed. At this time, the provinces and territories are considering the implications of adopting the protocol, and since no public objections have been raised so far, smooth sailing is expected. When more is known on progress by early April, another update will be posted. You are invited to participate and contribute in person or online (www.Canada.ca/Accessible-Canada) to Minister Qualtrough's consultation, which will continue to the end of February, and when the bill is tabled you are encouraged to work with your MPs to make sure the final draft is the best it can be. Please remember that the petition remains open to permit continuing communication regarding progress, to encourage the sharing of this petition with your contacts, and to ask them in turn to share it with theirs. Thank you, and stay tuned! Salvatore (Sal) Amenta, Stouffville, Ontario ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Letter received January 19. 2017, from Minister Qualtrough: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Mr. Amenta: I am responding to your email of October 12, 2016, and your open letter dated September 22, 2016, concerning the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OP-CRPD). I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work and advocacy on this issue and to recognize your accomplishment in obtaining over 26,500 signatures on your Change.org petition calling on the Prime Minister to sign and ratify the OP-CRPD. Your advocacy plays a key role in raising awareness, not only of the Optional Protocol, but also to broader disability issues. As you know, the Government has recently begun a consultation process on Canada’s possible accession to the OP-CRPD. Provinces and territories have an important role to play in this matter. The process will also involve engagement with Indigenous governments that may be implicated, in addition to Indigenous organizations and civil society. I see this as a significant step in supporting the rights of Canadians with disabilities. The Government of Canada is also committed to following through on its promise to develop legislation that will transform how it addresses accessibility. Canadians from around the country have been sharing their views on what an accessible Canada means to them. You can participate in the consultation process either by attending the remaining in-person engagement session in Toronto, in February, or by participating in the online consultation, which will run until February 28th, 2017. You can visit www.Canada.ca/Accessible-Canada for the most up-to-date information on the consultation process as well as for online participation. You can also follow @AccessibleGC on Twitter, Accessible Canada on Facebook and the #AccessibleCanada hashtag. As part of the online consultation, you will find a discussion guide which provides background information and asks a number of questions to start discussion on what the legislation could look like in areas such as: • the overall goal and approach of the legislation; • whom the legislation could cover; • what accessibility issues and barriers it could address; • how the legislation could be monitored and enforced; and • what else the Government of Canada could do to improve accessibility. The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of engaging with Canadians with disabilities and their representative organizations to improve the inclusion of all Canadians in community life. I will continue to work together with the disability community, other governments, stakeholders and all interested citizens on new approaches to improve the social and economic inclusion of Canadians with disabilities. I encourage you to share this letter with your supporters and those who have signed your petition, as I will continue to count on your support, awareness building and advocacy on issues relating to disability. While we have made great strides in fostering inclusion and equality for people with disabilities, there is still much work to do as we move toward a more accessible and inclusive Canada. Yours sincerely, The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, P.C., M.P. Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities