Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and a wonderful new year to come!
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Barriers to Health Equity: Access to language interpretation
Simple yet so complicated..
This week, HealthZone published an article about the critical role played by language interpretation in creating accessible and equitable health care. Although the importance of proper interpretation is well known, there remain major challenges in accessing and financing appropriate services.
Pointing to the informal family interpretation that often occurs, Axelle Janczur, Executive Director of Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services, is quoted as saying "Doctors spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education and then ask a child to deliver a diagnosis."
Dr. Jose Silveira, director of Portuguese Mental Health and Addiction Services at the University Health Network, suggests that extensive damage is caused by the lack of interpretation. He notes that "[i]t is easier...to order a $1,400 CT scan than a translator ... even though that information will be more valuable than a CT scan...It's up to me to decide on enormously expensive medical tests. It's up to the hospital administration to decide on interpreters."
The article can be read here:
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/557666
Read more...
This week, HealthZone published an article about the critical role played by language interpretation in creating accessible and equitable health care. Although the importance of proper interpretation is well known, there remain major challenges in accessing and financing appropriate services.
Pointing to the informal family interpretation that often occurs, Axelle Janczur, Executive Director of Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services, is quoted as saying "Doctors spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their education and then ask a child to deliver a diagnosis."
Dr. Jose Silveira, director of Portuguese Mental Health and Addiction Services at the University Health Network, suggests that extensive damage is caused by the lack of interpretation. He notes that "[i]t is easier...to order a $1,400 CT scan than a translator ... even though that information will be more valuable than a CT scan...It's up to me to decide on enormously expensive medical tests. It's up to the hospital administration to decide on interpreters."
The article can be read here:
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/557666
Read more...
Friday, December 19, 2008
No Cherries Grow on Our Trees - gendering Ontario's poverty reduction strategy
Earlier in December, I blogged about the release of the provincial government's Poverty Reduction Strategy report and the response from anti-racism groups, including the Colour of Poverty network.
This week, METRAC, the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children, shared concerns about the exclusion of women’s realities from the Strategy. No consideration of the gendered dimensions of poverty was included, despite the November launch of METRAC’s report on the subject, No Cherries Grow on Our Trees.
You can read the full METRAC release below and I will post a link to the full report when it is available.
MEDIA RELEASE
December 16, 2008
Ontario Women’s Groups decry lack of gender focus in Province’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.
More than 50 women’s agencies from across Ontario partnered in a policy research paper designed to inform the government of the female gendered nature of poverty. Submitted to Minister Deb Mathew’s office last month, the report titled “No Cherries Grow On Our Trees” concludes and provides clear evidence that:
- Women are disproportionaly affected by poverty and in particular Aboriginal, racialized, older and immigrant women and women with disabilities.
- Women’s poverty often traps them in abusive intimate, employment, and caregiving relationships.
- Violence and poverty in Ontario are seriously impacting women’s human rights and their physical, emotional and spiritual health.
The project was funded by United Way Toronto and designed by the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC) in an effort to address child poverty by acknowledging the poverty of their (often single parent) mothers. The research was conducted by Janet Mosher, Assistant Dean of Law at York University and contains numerous recommendations for change.
“Although the Ministry indicated their support of our work before they released their plan, we are dismayed that the Poverty Reduction Strategy has no meaningful analysis regarding gender, poverty’s connections to violence, and the impact of race”. says Project Coordinator Nora Currie.
Wendy Komiotis, Exectutive Director of METRAC adds: “At a time of economic recession, in a month of hyper consumerism- that also commemorates the reality of violence in women’s lives - we regret that our political leaders did not hear the voices, analyses and recommendations of experts in the area of poverty and violence and especially those women and their children who experience it daily”
An Executive Summary and the full version of No Cherries Grow on our Trees with a list of the project partners are attached below. For further information and interviews please contact:
Nora Currie
METRAC
416-929-0580
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Monday, December 8, 2008
Where exclusion meets belonging
Today, a colleague and I went to the ‘Indigenous and Racialized Communities, Mental Health and Access to Justice Forum’ organized by Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS) at Ryerson University. Lots of food for thought! The speakers shared their thoughts on how mental health, racism, colonization, poverty and gender come together and shape experiences of immigration, policing and incarceration, income security/poverty, and employment.
In her welcoming words, Ayshia Musleh, Community Legal Worker at PCLS, invited us to share the event organizers’ goal of building social change through greater social inclusion. Since we all knew some of the issues, she said, it was time to think about solutions. To this end, she encouraged us to approach the event in the spirit of moving forward.
I found it striking that almost all of the speakers' stories told of how marginalized identities are criminalized. Almost every speaker gave examples of policies and practices that criminalize already marginalized people, excluding them from the social norm and further stigmatizing them.
Some examples shared today were:
Immigration and refugee status
Thinking this over now, I am reminded that these practices also play an important role in shaping social inclusion or who does belong. One speaker commented that exclusionary and marginalizing practices, such as Ontario's Safe Streets Act, 1999, are often justified in the name of the ‘greater good.’ By saying this, it is clear that some people, the ones affected by the Act, are not part of this ‘greater good.'
Who is part of the greater good? Who isn't? What do you think?
I’m looking forward to reading the notes of today’s discussion and our shared solutions. They will eventually be posted on PCLS’s website at: http://www.parkdalelegal.org/.
Read more...
In her welcoming words, Ayshia Musleh, Community Legal Worker at PCLS, invited us to share the event organizers’ goal of building social change through greater social inclusion. Since we all knew some of the issues, she said, it was time to think about solutions. To this end, she encouraged us to approach the event in the spirit of moving forward.
I found it striking that almost all of the speakers' stories told of how marginalized identities are criminalized. Almost every speaker gave examples of policies and practices that criminalize already marginalized people, excluding them from the social norm and further stigmatizing them.
Some examples shared today were:
Immigration and refugee status
- Migrant workers whose status, defined by a temporary visa, is tied to their employer, but who could be unfairly dismissed
- Undocumented or non-status individuals who are considered criminals simply by virtue of being who they are, where they are…and the (inappropriate?) role played by municipal law enforcement in policing immigration violations
- The retraumatizing impacts of refugee or asylum determination system and the impacts of mental health challenges on immigration/refugee applications (e.g. Sponsorship debt for OW/ODSP use etc.)
- The impact of criminal charges (in many cases, unfounded) on individuals’ immigration cases
- The vastly disproportionate numbers of incarcerated Aboriginal people
- The need to approach justice and well being from an understanding of the context of ongoing colonization
- The Supreme Court of Canada, R. v Gladue, 1999 decision
- Safe Streets Act and control over access to public space
- Tickets for panhandling, loitering, etc.
- Eligibility determinations for OW/ODSP
- Mental Health Police Records
- Possibilities of immigration inadmissibility due to psychiatric diagnosis
- Inappropriateness of mainstream policies/services with severe consequences
Thinking this over now, I am reminded that these practices also play an important role in shaping social inclusion or who does belong. One speaker commented that exclusionary and marginalizing practices, such as Ontario's Safe Streets Act, 1999, are often justified in the name of the ‘greater good.’ By saying this, it is clear that some people, the ones affected by the Act, are not part of this ‘greater good.'
Who is part of the greater good? Who isn't? What do you think?
I’m looking forward to reading the notes of today’s discussion and our shared solutions. They will eventually be posted on PCLS’s website at: http://www.parkdalelegal.org/.
Read more...
Friday, December 5, 2008
Poverty is Not Colour Blind
The Colour of Povery Campaign has issued a media release in reponse to the government of Ontario's povery reduction strategy:
TORONTO, December 3, 2008—Members of the Colour of Poverty Campaign today warned the Ontario Government that its pending poverty-reduction strategy – with its narrow focus on child poverty – risks failure by ignoring the root causes of poverty, especially the needs of Ontario’s racialized communities.
“Racism creates poverty, it’s as simple as that,” says Debbie Douglas, Executive Director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI).
“Systemic racism is an extreme and insidious form of discrimination that persists in Ontario at all levels of society and denies its victims opportunities to participate fully in society. It is no wonder racialized people are disproportionately vulnerable to poverty in Ontario.”
Member groups of the Colour of Poverty Campaign, which previously met with Minister of Children and Youth Services Deborah Matthews to discuss the province’s comprehensive poverty-reduction strategy, are concerned that the Government’s announcement tomorrow excludes critical policy considerations for visible minorities.
“Premier Dalton McGuinty has scaled back commitments by his government to build a comprehensive poverty-reduction strategy for Ontario by focusing only on children,” says Avvy Go, Clinic Director of the Metro Toronto Chinese and South-east Asian Legal Clinic. “While noble in intent, it would appear his government is willing to settle for band-aid solutions, instead of addressing the root causes of poverty.”
“A plan that focuses solely on child poverty cannot be effective without clearly addressing the particular needs of children from the diverse ethno-racial minority communities in Ontario,” Go added.
Indeed, a report released yesterday by the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto states: “Poverty is racialized, that is, disproportionate to people of colour who are Canadian-born and newcomers.”
The CAS report, Greater Trouble in Greater Toronto: Child Poverty in the GTA (pg. 12), found among racialized groups in the Toronto CMA (based on 2000 LICO Before-Tax rates) that one child in ten among global European groups lived in poverty; one child in five of East Asian heritage grew up poor; one child in four for Aboriginal, South Asian, Caribbean, South and Central American groups was also living in poverty. Poverty also struck one child in three for children of Arab and West Asian groups and • one child in two for children of African groups.
As a further example, the United Way of Greater Toronto’s “Poverty by Postal Code” analysis showed that poverty among “visible minority” or racialized groups in Toronto rose by 361% between 1980 and 2000, while it actually fell by 28% among the rest of the population.
“Poverty affects different groups of Canadians differently, whether they are immigrants or Canadian born,” says Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University in Toronto. “Poverty also shows up in inequitable learning outcomes, unequal access to health care and unequal access to the labour market. An effective anti-poverty strategy must recognize poverty’s differential impacts on women, racialized people, Aboriginal people and people with disabilities.”
“Good public policy on poverty reduction should target a framework that recognizes not only children and families, but also individuals and communities that are exposed to poverty due to their race and other factors,” says Atulya Sharman, Community Legal Worker at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario.
“It should address the various forms of structural and institutional inequality that prevail across the broadest range of economic, cultural, community and social services and supports – most especially those that impact differentially and clearly disproportionately on the basis of ethno-racial identity, Aboriginal status, disability, citizenship or immigrant status, family status, sexual orientation and age.”
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Poverty is Not Colour Blind: Colour of Povery Campaign warns Ontario Government ahead of release of poverty-reduction strategy
TORONTO, December 3, 2008—Members of the Colour of Poverty Campaign today warned the Ontario Government that its pending poverty-reduction strategy – with its narrow focus on child poverty – risks failure by ignoring the root causes of poverty, especially the needs of Ontario’s racialized communities.
“Racism creates poverty, it’s as simple as that,” says Debbie Douglas, Executive Director of the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI).
“Systemic racism is an extreme and insidious form of discrimination that persists in Ontario at all levels of society and denies its victims opportunities to participate fully in society. It is no wonder racialized people are disproportionately vulnerable to poverty in Ontario.”
Member groups of the Colour of Poverty Campaign, which previously met with Minister of Children and Youth Services Deborah Matthews to discuss the province’s comprehensive poverty-reduction strategy, are concerned that the Government’s announcement tomorrow excludes critical policy considerations for visible minorities.
“Premier Dalton McGuinty has scaled back commitments by his government to build a comprehensive poverty-reduction strategy for Ontario by focusing only on children,” says Avvy Go, Clinic Director of the Metro Toronto Chinese and South-east Asian Legal Clinic. “While noble in intent, it would appear his government is willing to settle for band-aid solutions, instead of addressing the root causes of poverty.”
“A plan that focuses solely on child poverty cannot be effective without clearly addressing the particular needs of children from the diverse ethno-racial minority communities in Ontario,” Go added.
Indeed, a report released yesterday by the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto states: “Poverty is racialized, that is, disproportionate to people of colour who are Canadian-born and newcomers.”
The CAS report, Greater Trouble in Greater Toronto: Child Poverty in the GTA (pg. 12), found among racialized groups in the Toronto CMA (based on 2000 LICO Before-Tax rates) that one child in ten among global European groups lived in poverty; one child in five of East Asian heritage grew up poor; one child in four for Aboriginal, South Asian, Caribbean, South and Central American groups was also living in poverty. Poverty also struck one child in three for children of Arab and West Asian groups and • one child in two for children of African groups.
As a further example, the United Way of Greater Toronto’s “Poverty by Postal Code” analysis showed that poverty among “visible minority” or racialized groups in Toronto rose by 361% between 1980 and 2000, while it actually fell by 28% among the rest of the population.
“Poverty affects different groups of Canadians differently, whether they are immigrants or Canadian born,” says Grace-Edward Galabuzi, Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University in Toronto. “Poverty also shows up in inequitable learning outcomes, unequal access to health care and unequal access to the labour market. An effective anti-poverty strategy must recognize poverty’s differential impacts on women, racialized people, Aboriginal people and people with disabilities.”
“Good public policy on poverty reduction should target a framework that recognizes not only children and families, but also individuals and communities that are exposed to poverty due to their race and other factors,” says Atulya Sharman, Community Legal Worker at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario.
“It should address the various forms of structural and institutional inequality that prevail across the broadest range of economic, cultural, community and social services and supports – most especially those that impact differentially and clearly disproportionately on the basis of ethno-racial identity, Aboriginal status, disability, citizenship or immigrant status, family status, sexual orientation and age.”
The Colour of Poverty Campaign has formulated a list of priority measures that Government should implement to address the growing reality of racialized poverty in Ontario, including:
- Employment Equity to ensure equal access to opportunity and promotion for Ontario’s visible minorities, and other historically disadvantaged groups;
- Establishing an Anti-racism Directorate within Government, ideally with links to the Premier’s Office and with a clear and strong cross-Ministerial mandate. In further support of efforts to counter racialized poverty, Government appointments as well as public service hiring should reflect Ontario's cultural diversity (racialized communities), although it is not acceptable to engage in tokenism to gain support for poor policy making;
- Improved employment standards to eliminate precarious and exploitative workplace practices and related disadvantageous forms of employment;
- Development and effective implementation of an equitable and inclusive education curriculum, particularly in elementary and secondary school grade levels;
- Develop a clear and effective equity framework for delivery, monitoring and measurement of public policy and program outcomes across all of government with the goal of eliminating institutional, structural and systemic bias and disadvantage, especially as it affects visible minorities (racialized groups) and other historically marginalized communities.
- Build a comprehensive housing strategy including targeted social housing allocations, inclusive zoning provisions and home ownership supports for racialized communities.
- Ensure equitable access to affordable, good-quality child care for all families
Members of the Colour of Poverty Campaign from around the province also support key related poverty reduction initiatives, including: removing the 3-month waiting period for OHIP eligibility, providing for equitably accessible and effective legal services and litigation supports, and the opening up of the municipal franchise to all residents of any given municipality.
“Ontario’s forthcoming poverty reduction strategy must clearly tackle the causes and consequences of racialized poverty in all areas of government policy and programming, so that all Ontarians will have an equal chance at escaping poverty,” Go said.
For further information about the Colour of Poverty Campaign, please contact:
Amy Casipullai, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), at 416-322-4950 ( Mobile – 416-524-4950 )
Atulya Sharman, South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO), at 416-487-6371 ( Mobile – 416-837-0888 )
Avvy Go, Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, at 416-971-9674 ( Mobile – 647-271-9357 )
For related research and background information, please visit: http://www.colourofpoverty.ca/
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Breaking the Cycle: Ontario's Povery Reduction Strategy report released
Yesterday, the Ontario goverment released its poverty reduction strategy report.
The report can be read here:
http://www.growingstronger.ca/english/pdf/Ontario's_Poverty_Report_EN.pdf
Read more...
The report can be read here:
http://www.growingstronger.ca/english/pdf/Ontario's_Poverty_Report_EN.pdf
Read more...
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Rainbow Health Ontario website launched!
Check out this great new resource for LGBTQ health resources:
Rainbow Health Ontario (RHO) is pleased to announce the launch of our new website:* www.RainbowHealthOntario.ca
RHO is a province-wide program that works to improve the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Ontario through education, research, outreach and public policy.
Our mission is to improve access to services and to promote the health of Ontario*s lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities.
We are based at Sherbourne Health Centre in downtown Toronto and our team consists of 4.5 staff in Toronto and 14 part-time Community Outreach Team members, one in each of Ontario's Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs).
Our comprehensive website provides:
- A Resource Database featuring LGBT health and wellness
resources from Ontario, Canada and around the world - An LGBT Provider Directory listing LGBT-positive service
providers and programs around the province - A Trainer Database featuring profiles of trainers and educators
who provide LGBT education and training in Ontario - A Researcher Database featuring profiles of LGBT health
researchers from academic institutions across Ontario - An Events Calendar listing upcoming LGBT health and
wellness-related events and activities across the province, as well as
events of interest outside of Ontario
We welcome contributions to all of these areas of the RHO website. We invite everyone to submit their health and wellness resources to the Resource Database and their events to the Events Calendar. If you provide a health or wellness program or service to LGBT people, we invite you to be included in the LGBT Provider Directory. If you are a Trainer or a Researcher, we invite you to submit your profile for inclusion in our databases.
We encourage you to share this information with your community members,
friends and clients across Ontario.
To learn more, please visit: www.RainbowHealthOntario.ca
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Toronto Events: International Day of People with Disabilities
The City of Toronto and community partners invite you to celebrate with us.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Villa Colombo, Sala Caboto
40 Playfair Avenue (Dufferin St. & Lawrence Ave. W.)
• Celebrate Unsung Heroes
• Celebrate Unsung Heroes
• Imagination session
• Invitation to Poetry readings
• Displays
• Refreshments
RSVP as space is limited
416-338-4756
TTY: 416-338-0889
Attendant services and captioning provided
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Don't DIS My Ability - December 3rd - International Day of People with a Disability
From the UN website http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=109:
"Dignity and justice for all of us is the theme of this year’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities, as well as for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dignity and justice for all persons are established universal principles. Since its inception, the United Nations has recognized that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family are the foundations of freedom, justice and peace in the world. These principles, along with equality and non-discrimination, have guided the work of the United Nations for the past 60 years and are enshrined in various instruments such as the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as in treaties such as the International Covenants on Human Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These instruments are among those which make up the international human rights framework, are complementary and reaffirm that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing. "
Check out the Don't DIS My Ability campaign in Australia:
http://www.internationaldayofpeoplewithadisability.com.au/
Read more...
"Dignity and justice for all of us is the theme of this year’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities, as well as for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dignity and justice for all persons are established universal principles. Since its inception, the United Nations has recognized that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family are the foundations of freedom, justice and peace in the world. These principles, along with equality and non-discrimination, have guided the work of the United Nations for the past 60 years and are enshrined in various instruments such as the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as in treaties such as the International Covenants on Human Rights, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These instruments are among those which make up the international human rights framework, are complementary and reaffirm that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing. "
Check out the Don't DIS My Ability campaign in Australia:
http://www.internationaldayofpeoplewithadisability.com.au/
Read more...
Monday, December 1, 2008
EVENTS: World AIDS Day - Toronto
ACT (AIDS Committee of Toronto) events listing:
http://www.actoronto.org/home.nsf/current/current
Read more...
http://www.actoronto.org/home.nsf/current/current
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World Aids Day and a Day With(Out) Art
December 1st is World AIDS Day -- a day to build community, honour and commemorate those lost to AIDS and those living with the effects of HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day is also a day to mark achievements and reflect on the work to be done in the fight against HIV/AIDS [adapted from the Canadian AIDS Society site].
Some general resources and links:
adskfjhskjfhsd
A Day With(Out) Art
Frank Moore, Spring, 1996, Private Collection.
Courtesy Sperone Westwater and the Gesso Foundation
A Day Without Art (DWA) began on December 1st 1989 as the national day of action
and mourning in response to the AIDS crisis. To make the public aware that
AIDS can touch everyone, and inspire positive action, some 800 U.S. art and
AIDS groups participated in the first Day Without Art, shutting down
museums, sending staff to volunteer at AIDS services, or sponsoring special
exhibitions of work about AIDS. Since then, Day With(out) Art has grown into
a collaborative project in which an estimated 8,000 national and
international museums, galleries, art centers, AIDS Service Organizations,
libraries, high schools and colleges take part (Visual AIDS website).
In 1997, Visual AIDS, the organization behind this movement, suggested that the event be marked as a Day With Art as a way to focus on the growing body of artworks that engage and highlight the importance of putting HIV/AIDS in the spotlight: http://www.thebody.com/visualaids/dwa/index.html.
In 2002, the National Gallery of Canada commemorated World AIDS Day with a focus on the work of AA Bronson and General Idea: www.gallery.ca/english/554_824.htm.
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