DECEMBER 2019

At the end of 2019, i had the chance to collaborate with Defend Disability, a group of legal and social workers, health practitioners, politicians and ODSP recipients to bring forward a motion at Toronto City Council. the collaboration was an example of advocacy that works, of rapid synergy which did not loose grounding in the reality and especially in the opinions of ODSP recipients themselves.

- The motion itself

(advice to ODSP recipients: if you participate in a similar action, write the draft yourself as much as you can and then, negotiate to keep what is really essential and that others might not understand as such. along the way, invite other ODSP recipients to edit and endorse your writing. keep their names, invite them to speak at press conference.)

- media before the motion passed 1) 2) Help stop Ford government's "extremely damaging" social service cuts, city council urged By Laurie Monsebraaten, Social Justice Reporter, Toronto Star, Tuesday Dec. 17, 2019 - media after the motion passed 3) Toronto city council to ask provincial government to maintain disability definition Photo of ODSP recipient and artist Danielle Hyde, photo by Global News Article by Matthew Bingley, Global News, December 18, 2019 4) City council joins growing wave of opposition to province’s proposed cuts to welfare for disabled By Laurie Monsebraaten, Social Justice Reporter, Toronto Star, December 18 and December 19, 2019 5) TVO coverage