DISABILITY JUSTICE NETWORK OF ONTARIO

*** I was unaware that we needed a script for this assignment, so I have attached a doc of my
script according to what I said on the powerpoint recording. A Lot of the text is repetitive, but
flows well in the powerpoint. Thank you so much for understanding.***

Disability Network of Ontario (DJNO)

Hi my name is Ella Wiley and this my assignment on the Disability Network of Ontario and
their mission to advocate for disability Justice.

DJNO AND POLICY ADVOCACY

The Disability Justice Network of Ontario is a grassroots organization devoted to advocating

This follows what we know about the Social Determinants of Health, discussing the barriers
to income, for example ODSP, education, and housing that affect disabled people.

We can further talk about this in terms of accessibility in public infrastructure. Advocating for
universally accessible transportation, housing, and public spaces.

Finally we will address the ableism and the ways in which the DJNO aims to dismantle
ableist systems in the fields of work, education, and especially healthcare.

ROOT CAUSES OF DISABILITY INEQUALITY

The first of the root causes we can discuss is ableism and systematic discrimination, in which
ableism is ingrained in institutions, laws, and social conventions that disadvantage people
with disabilities.
This prejudice restricts opportunities and strengthens societal stigmas by affecting access to
healthcare, work, and education.

We can further discuss this in terms of economic inequality and policy gaps in which these
individuals with disabilities have financial difficulties due to a lack of adequate healthcare,
restricted access to safe housing, and insufficient income support.

For institutions we can discuss government organisations in which these inequalities are
sustained by policies that lack inclusivity about disability benefits, accessible infrastructure,
and employment.

We can also discuss healthcare and education. These systems commonly fall short of meeting
the needs of people with disabilities, which leads to educational obstacles and health
inequalities.
Finally, the workforce and economy. Within the workforce and economy these Inaccessible
workplaces lack the employment possibilities make it harder for disabled people to be
financially independent, which exacerbates economic inequality.

WHO’S IMPACTED

Now let's discuss the arguments and who’s impacted. As a whole we can describe this as the
disability justice and advocacy, which we can further separate into the arguments being
disability justice as a human rights concern, universal accessibility and community centered
solutions, along with intersectionality in disability justice.
All three arguments can be each separated into two subcategories, or a second branch talking
about ontarians with disabilities, as well as, intersecting identities of marginalised
individuals.

In our third branch, these all relate to three other sub-categories known as health disparities,
social isolation, and income uncertainty. In terms of disabled Ontarians, this means that they
have : Limited access to healthcare services, inadequate health infrastructure, and systemic
discrimination in the healthcare system contribute to health disparities. We can also talk about
intersecting marginalized identities whether that be LGBTQ, racialized +, and Indigenous
disabled people, health disparities are often compounded by additional social and systemic
inequalities such as racism, homophobia, and colonialism.

ACTIONS FOR POLICY CHANGE

First we can discuss outreach and community education, this would promote disability justice
by holding workshops, conferences, and online materials with the goal of enlightening the
public on the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities and the necessity of
inclusive policy.

Further we can talk about policy advocacy and legislators. If we have the DJNO work
together with legislators to advance laws that enhance accessibility, boost funding, and
combat discrimination, guaranteeing that the rights of people with disabilities are taken into
consideration when policymakers make decisions.

Protests and coalition formation. This promotes solidarity and works for systemic change
across intersecting movements by organizing demonstrations and collaborating with social
justice organizations to elevate the voices of people with disabilities.

Further we can publish studies related to disabilities which could be reports to support policy
change and activism on healthcare, employment, and housing inequality.

COMMON QUESTIONS
Now for my Activity I have decided to go through some common questions I have
encountered in my research.

First question- What other barriers can prevent people with disabilities from accessing
healthcare? This could be the lack disability inclusive training, financial constraints,
inadequate insurance coverage, and limited transportation questions

Second question - How does intersectionality impact disabled people facing other forms of
marginalization? In terms of disabled individuals, they can also be marginalized both by race,
gender, or socio-economic status, and may face compounded discrimination, reducing their
access to resources and support.

Third question- Why does disability justice require community-centered advocacy? We need
community- centered advocacy because this empowers disabled individuals by involving
them directly in policy discussions and ensuring that solutions reflect their lived experiences
and specific needs.

Finally, how can policy changes combat ableism in healthcare and education? If we are able
to address ableism and involve policies that mandate these diability standard , inclusive
training for educators and healthcare staff, along with these anti-discrimination laws, can
really help in terms of funding these disability resources in institutions.