Vital Signs: Disability justice

Vital Signs: Disability justice January 1, 2025 has come and gone, and with it, the deadline for implementing the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), a statute enacted 20 years ago to improve accessibility standards. Experts have warned that Ontario is “nowhere near” being fully accessible. In this episode of Vital Signs, Rudi Wallace welcomes Brad Evoy (Executive Director, Disability Justice Network of Ontario) to talk about the AODA and how it fares relative to disability justice, a concept…

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Vital Signs: Sex workers’ rights

Vital Signs: Sex workers’ rights A recent report from researchers at McMaster University identifies major themes and how they play out in the lived experiences of sex workers across Canada – police interactions, social exclusion and healthcare access. As a marginalized group of workers and an equity-deserving community, it is crucial to ensure that their rights, dignity and safety are respected. This includes dispelling stereotypes, stigma and misunderstandings around this topic, which is exactly what we try to do in…

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Vital Signs TV: Saving lives and fighting stigma

Vital Signs TV: Saving lives and fighting stigma There’s no way around the fact that supervised consumption sites and safe drug spaces are contentious in communities. However, they are, by all accounts, life-saving. This past summer, the provincial government ordered the closure of ten supervised consumption sites (SCS) across the province, citing safety concerns. The move was criticized by health experts as well as people who use supervised consumption sites. On November 4, Hamilton City Council voted to call on…

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Vital Signs TV: Co-operative Housing in Hamilton

Rudi Wallace hosts Emily Power and Doug Sider for a Vital Signs episode about co-op housing

Vital Signs TV: Co-operative Housing in Hamilton It’s a brand new season of Vital Signs on Cable 14! It’s also Rudi Wallace’s first episode as our new President & CEO. In this episode, Rudi hosts Emily Power (President, Caroline St. Co-op) and Doug Sider (Executive Director, Golden Horseshoe Co-op Housing Federation) to talk about co-op housing and its potential to address affordability in Hamilton. Co-op housing is certainly not a new phenomenon. According to the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada,…

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