Episodios

  • The Milestone Fight for Including Disability Rights in Canada’s Charter of Rights - With Yvonne Peters - Pt 1

    The Milestone Fight for Including Disability Rights in Canada’s Charter of Rights - With Yvonne Peters - Pt 1
    Mar 13 2026
    In October 1980, Canada’s Prime Minister, Pierre-elliot Trudeau was dead set on repatriating the constitution of Canada. At the time, Canada’s constitution was under the control of the British parliament. Repatriating it meant that Canada could finally amend it without needing British approval. Trudeau also wanted to add a charter of rights and freedoms to Canada’s Constitution, which would create a set of new constitutional rights that no government could violate. The problem? The new constitutional right to equality to be included in the Charter of Rights did not protect people with disabilities from discrimination. This episode tells the story of the advocates who successfully lobbied to have disability rights included in the new Charter of Rights. David Lepofsky, fresh from law-school, was among them, along with fellow disability rights advocate and social worker , Yvonne Peters. The two together, both now retired lawyers who are blind, share their perspectives on this landmark victory in disability advocacy. Yvonne Peters became a lawyer after these events, and evoted her career to human rights issues. David Lepofsky and Yvonne Peters did not meet each other or learn about each other’s efforts in support of the disability amendment until years later. David Lepofsky’s memoir: Swimming Up Niagara Falls! The Battle to Get Disability Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms” is Available online for free download at https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/swimming-up-niagara-falls-the-battle-to-get-disability-rights-added-to-the-canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms-by-aoda-alliance-chair-david-lepofsky-now-available-as-free-audio-book-ms-word/ in pdf, MS Word, e-pub formats and as a free audio book, or for purchase as a hard copy book from Amazon or as a Kindle e-book from Kindle. Watch David Lepofsky’s December 12, 1980 presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons ofCanada on the Constitution of Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBdYFUtAslc David Lepofsky’s January 29, 1981 Interview on CBC Radio This Country in the Morning re the Disability Amendment to the Charter of Rights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnqNpeGhWP0 David Lepofsky’s November 26, 1981 Interview on CBC Radio This Country in the Morning re the Disability Amendment to the Charter of Rights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcn6mZcJeLc September 16, 2024 Interview with AODA Alliance Chair David Lepofsky on TVO’s “The Agenda With Steve Paikin” on His Memoir About the Battle in 1980 to Get Disability Equality Rights Added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rELGQu2ulSI About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    59 m
  • Why Must a Doctor with Disabilities Combat Accessibility Barriers in the Health Care System?

    Why Must a Doctor with Disabilities Combat Accessibility Barriers in the Health Care System?
    Feb 20 2026
    Lisa Freeman is a physician and professor who lives with chronic illness. In this episode, she illuminates the factors that lead to hospitals and medical clinics being inaccessible spaces. She also provides fantastic tips on how to advocate for yourself as a patient with a disability. To learn more about disability barriers in the health care system and advocacy to remove and prevent these barriers, check out: David Lepofsky’s fall 2019 lecture at Osgoode Hall Law School on disability barriers in health care: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2yuFz_z9V0&feature=youtu.be The health care advocacy page on the AODA Alliance website. The series of videos on the AODA Alliance website on disability accessibility issues in health care: health care: https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/check-out-this-new-captioned-video-series-on-tackling-the-many-disability-barriers-in-ontarios-healthcare-system/ The final report on health care barriers by the Ontario Government’s Health Care Standards Development Committee: https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/download-in-ms-word-format-the-final-report-of-the-health-care-standards-development-committee-recommending-what-the-promised-health-care-accessibility-standard-should-include-submitted-to-the-ford/ The AODA Alliance’s August 3rd, 2021 brief to the Health Care Standards Development Committee https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/tell-the-health-care-standards-development-committee-if-you-support-the-aoda-alliances-recommendations-on-what-the-promised-health-care-accessibility-standard-should-include-spelled-out-in-the-aoda/ About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    54 m
  • Smart Strategies, Real Change: Lessons from a Landmark Autism Campaign - Pt 2

    Smart Strategies, Real Change: Lessons from a Landmark Autism Campaign - Pt 2
    Jan 30 2026
    In this episode, Bruce McIntosh continues his remarkable story of disability rights advocacy: The Ontario Autism Coalition’s clash with the Ontarian government over funding policies for children’s Autism therapy. This time, he highlights successes they had during Kathleen Wynne’s term as well as how they achieved those positive outcomes. He also gives his first-hand account of a major controversy that took place in 2019, when Doug ford began his term as premiere of Ontario. Ford brazenly broke his promise to eliminate the massive wait list of children awaiting funding for therapy. Nearly a decade of progress was wiped out in a single press announcement. Bruce, who was a policy advisor for the government at the time, resigned in protest at great personal cost. The resignation became a massive story in it of itself. Clip of “Doug Ford is a Liar” sourced from Canadian Press: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiPY2pLbXOg About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    45 m
  • Airline Accessibility: How Maayan Ziv Turned a Mangled Wheelchair Into Real Change

    Airline Accessibility: How Maayan Ziv Turned a Mangled Wheelchair Into Real Change
    Jan 9 2026
    This episode of Disability Rights and Wrongs highlights a powerful story of advocacy that illustrates an important reality of the work of an advocate; Golden opportunities for progress can present themselves at any time. In this case, Maayan Ziv, a respected disability rights advocate and entrepreneur, took a cross-Atlantic flight in September 2022 with her power wheelchair stowed away in the cargo hold. Despite having taken multiple measures to keep it protected during the flight, she found it mangled and destroyed on arrival. The emotional video she posted on Instagram just after the incident went viral, stirring up a media storm that finally brought attention to an issue people with disabilities know all too well: the accessibility, or lack-there-of, Canadian airlines. Maayan lays out the many barriers she and many others face when travelling by air and reflects on the impact of the video. Link to David's full presentation to the standing committee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5EV5zJTDDI Link to the AODA's brief to the House of Commons: https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aodaalliance.org%2Fwhats-new%2Fread-the-march-18-2024-aoda-alliance-brief-to-the-house-of-commons-standing-committee-on-transport-re-disability-barriers-in-air-travel-long-version%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cjacobshymanski%40ami.ca%7Ca24231fd5a2948e9ba6e08de4e39649f%7C03ac09d7988d4c2c906f5de452aa8a83%7C0%7C0%7C639034205590879241%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wMlfb%2BUx1NNinh40FEKbPTllWQhldik8DeI7GgLAoao%3D&reserved=0 About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    51 m
  • How to get a Politician's Attention - With Former Premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne - Pt 2

    How to get a Politician's Attention - With Former Premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne - Pt 2
    Dec 19 2025
    In this second half of the conversation David had with former Premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, they combine forces to offer tips for advocates on a range of topics. This includes how to get through the door if you don’t already have a relationship with the person/office you’re looking to reach, how to compose compelling emails and even how to actually handle yourself during crucial meetings.   About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    40 m
  • How to get a Politician's Attention - With Former Premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne

    How to get a Politician's Attention - With Former Premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne
    Dec 2 2025
    Our hope as disability rights advocates is that the messages of our campaigns reach the desks of the decision makers; the CEOs, organization presidents and high level politicians. But what does our labour and messaging look like from the other side of the desk? Today, we share a conversation David had with former premiere of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne about what we can do to get into the busy agendas of people in high level positions. This episode is the first of two parts with Kathleen Wynne. Kathleen Wynne’s December 3, 2022 letter to the AODA Alliance stating what she committed to do if she were elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party: https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/new2012/kathleen-wynne-is-second-ontario-liberal-leadership-candidate-to-make-disability-accessibility-commitments/ Breaking News –Premier Wynne has Just Announced in the Legislature that the Ontario Government Agrees to Develop an Education Accessibility Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act https://www.aodaalliance.org/whats-new/breaking-news-premier-wynne-has-just-announced-in-the-legislature-that-the-ontario-government-agrees-to-develop-an-education-accessibility-standard-under-the-accessibility-for-ontarians-with/ Learn more about our advocacy on accessibility for students with disabilities www.aodaalliance.org/education About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca. Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+ Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online: - X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia - Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio - Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc - TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc - Email feedback@ami.ca Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    44 m
  • Turning Barriers into Headlines: Practical Tips from a Veteran News Reporter

    Turning Barriers into Headlines: Practical Tips from a Veteran News Reporter
    Nov 14 2025

    Getting media attention is an invaluable tool for disability rights advocates. Whether you’re trying to pressure your provincial/state government or a private company, the public scrutiny a high profile media piece can provide is often the decisive factor that turns an advocacy battle in your favour.

    In this episode, David talks to Michelle McQuigge, a Canadian Press journalist of nearly 20 years. She is very familiar with the processes within news organizations that dictate whether or not a potential story gets published. It has to be understood that news outlets receive dozens, if not hundreds of emails with potential stories every single day. Michelle shows us how to cut through that noise by telling us how journalists think and what editors are looking for.

    With the information found in this episode, disability rights advocates fighting disability barriers can confidently approach the media with compelling stories that they’ll actually want to cover.

    About AMI

    AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

    Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

    Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

    • X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
    • Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
    • Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
    • TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
    • Email feedback@ami.ca

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    46 m
  • Smart Strategies, Real Change: Lessons from a Landmark Autism Campaign

    Smart Strategies, Real Change: Lessons from a Landmark Autism Campaign
    Oct 24 2025

    In this episode, you’ll hear from Bruce MacIntosh about a remarkable disability advocacy campaign he helped organize in the 2000s. It centered around hugely problematic, arguably unconstitutional, age cutoffs for crucial government funded therapies for Ontarian children with Autism. The 26 events they put on directly lead to the government backing down. While this was only one small chapter in a much larger advocacy battle, this moment showed that successes can be had when a motivated group of advocates utilize smart strategies and clever messaging.

    It's great to hear disability advocacy stories that lead to real progress but this episode is about extracting the specific elements that made the campaign successful, like creativity, a practical organizational structure and precise messaging, among many others.

    About AMI

    AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

    Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

    Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

    • X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
    • Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
    • Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
    • TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc
    • Email feedback@ami.ca

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    42 m