Sure a bus will kneel, but once on the bus a wheelchair can give you a rough ride. New contributor Paul Vienneau writes on how he has been working with Halifax Transit to fix that, and how a trip to Disney World made him realize that a solution is out there.
Media release: Failing to make domestic violence leave paid leave allows a major barrier to remain for Nova Scotia women who need to flee violent homes says Unifor.
Alex Kronstein on the #AgentofChangeNS campaign by Autism Nova Scotia. Although well intended, it does not go far enough, he suggests. In order to be a real “agent of change”, he lists many other things that radical activist autistics would recommend as well.
When frequent NS Advocate contributor Delilah Saunders read a poem by Shannon Webb-Campbell that contained a graphic description of the murder of her sister Loretta it caused real hurt. ” I can’t bring myself to share the poem with my parents or family. I’m unsure if she consciously decided to not reach out to my family because she knew no family would agree to having their loved one written about in such gory detail, or if she is just that out of touch with the protocols that exist in our Indigenous communities.”
Frequent contributor Alex Kronstein on autism awareness vs autism acceptance. “Many autistic people, myself included, find the traditional “awareness” campaigns to be insufficient and harmful, because the effect of autism “awareness” is that is ends up promoting fear and stigma against us, and encourages non-autistic people to think about ways they can make us more “normal” or pass as non-autistic.”
This morning’s launch of the Alternative Budget at Province House shows austerity isn’t the only way to run a province. In fact, it is the worst way.
“The other day I met this young woman who is on income assistance, and who nonetheless keeps having a positive attitude and remains full of hope that someday she will get off the system. Her life is hard, and Community Services isn’t making it any easier for her,” writes Kendall Worth
A press conference at Province House in downtown Halifax served as a reminder that the clock is ticking for Abdoul Abdi. Abdi is a Somali refugee who came to Nova Scotia when only six years old. As a teenager he got involved in crime, and as a consequence of these youthful mistakes he is now facing deportation. Nova Scotia shares much of the blame, a closer look reveals.
Cynthia Bruce, who teaches at Acadia’s School of Education, speaks at Law Amendments about the exclusionary impact of Bill 72 on students with disabilities. “disabled students are being bombarded by the damaging message that they are the problem with the education system in this province. Their needs are too great, their requirements are too complex, and their access to education costs too much. In short, they are a burden on a strapped education system, and they do not belong. Imagine how this feels, and think about how you are contributing to the perpetuation of this oppressive communication.”
News release: “On Monday, March 5th, from 2pm-6pm, Nova Scotians will gather at the Provincial Legislature to once again try to make their voices heard. Women’s March Canada and Equal Voice Nova Scotia are partnering with educators, parents, and administrators to ask the Government of Nova Scotia to pause Bill 72 and take time to consult before implementing changes to the education system.”