Disability and Human Rights Group is a forum for educating, raising awareness and discussing issues related to human rights and disabilities.

It was formed to provide a social forum for community members with disabilities and community members concerned with inclusion to respond to consultations on issues related to accessibility, disability and human rights. Today, it still a space to meet, talk, and offer insight on multiple meanings of what accessibility and inclusion look like.

Life Made Accessible:Building Stronger Communities and Workplaces Together

2023 National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) from May 29th to June 4, 2023

Podcast series: listen to members of the Disabilities and Human Rigth Group speak about their experiences with accessibility at https://anchor.fm/sdcwr.

Share our poster,
read the transcripts of the stories they share,
and join the conversation with our members! 

Media release to come! 

December 3rd, UN Day For Persons with Disabilities 2022 Event: I Am Not Invisible!

"I Am Not Invisible" event in Kitchener Public Library, organized by Disabilities and Human Rights Group, complements a range of activities in the three cities on December 3rd, the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Hear a panel of speakers living with invisible and visible disabilities to describe how they go through life being mis-identified and mis-placed. Join us on the fist Saturday in December at 1pm at KPL! More information to come. 

Activities 

December 3rd 2020 - UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities online celebration:
Disability, Poverty and Resilience. The recording of the online celebration is live!

During the pandemic, the group continued cooperation with other lived experience groups to sent a letter to all levels of government and ask for equitable and sustainable financial supports to persons on disabilities. 

2020 Lived Experience Groups Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities About COVID-19 and Strengthening Housing for All. August 20, 2020

2020 Homes 4 All, the group contributed to the creation of recommendations for immediate action on housing availability & affordability with lived experience groups such as RENT, ALIVe, PAG, AAP and their allies. The recommendations were shared with Kitchener Advisory committee and regional housing staff.

NEW: 2019 VIDEO PROJECT AND PARTICIPANTS' STORIES

2019 City of Kitchener Residential ByLaw Review - incited a conversation about the expectations of persons with disabilities amidst the development and intensification, protection of the human rights and creation of affordable housing. 

2019 No Change to the Definition of Disability, open letter to all local MPPs (August 16, 2019).

Deep Breathing Practice (2019) is a weekly session that welcomes lived experience advocates to explore and work with their breath to enhance their wellbeing and responses to day to day challenges. In collaboration with the Spiritual Heritage Educational Network. 

2019 Ontario Pre-budget Submission. Changes to the Ontario Disability Program are of grave concern for many. This is why the group members held a number of discussions to create this thoughtful submission to Ontario Government.

City should treat sidewalks snow removal as a human rights issue, Jul 13, 2018, Waterloo Region Record, Readers Write. 

• Since 2007, Disabilities and Human Rights Group has been a part of the broad community dialogue with municipal decision-makers through the Pedestrian Charter Steering Committee, and one of the best written letters to all three city councils in 2011 is here for you to read and decide how applicable it is today: Request for Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge Snowclearing By-law Review.

Mapping Project: Pedestrian Crossings along Light Rail Transit (LRT) route (2017-2018), understanding and sharing pedestrians’ experience (on foot or wheels) of the new ION infrastructure.

Photovoice: Gentrification & Downtown Kitchener Change (2017), a study explores the impact of urban change on pedestrian access.

Sidewalk Access and Safety Guidelines  (2016) for property owners, service providers and the community as a whole.

Resources

Disability and Human Rights Group Brochure.

Meetings: 

Time: Second Wednesday of each month, from 1:30pm - 3:00pm 

Location:  Social Development Centre Waterloo Region Office, 23 Water Street North, Kitchener or hybrid meetings since the pandemic! 

Everyone is welcome!  

For more Information

For more information about the Disabilities and Human Rights group, please contact Brad Ullner at admin@waterlooregion.org.