Category Archives: Disability

Review Finds Ontario Far From Accessible but Report Includes People With Environmental Sensitivities

Posted on March 8, 2019 | 3 comments

The Honourable David C. Onley, the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (2007-2014) was appointed to lead the Third Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

The report has now been released.

LISTENING TO ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES
REPORT OF THE THIRD REVIEW OF THE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ONTARIANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 2005

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“For most disabled persons, Ontario is not a place of opportunity but one of countless, dispiriting, soul-crushing barriers”

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Thanks to everyone who wrote in, those of us with environmental sensitivities have been recognized, and thanks to David C. Onley, we’ve been included in the report and the final recommendations:


In the SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS (on pg 80):

7. Ensure that accessibility standards respond to the needs of people with environmental sensitivities.

 

Other mentions of environmental sensitivities and details:

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environmental Sensitivities, Human Rights, Policy

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So You Think We’re Being Difficult When We ask You to Change Products?

Posted on January 14, 2019 | 2 comments

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Seriously though:

We are not trying to make your life difficult.

We’re just asking you to choose products that don’t disable us.

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“Really? Products we can buy in every store disable you?”

Yes! Everyday products and materials can disable us.

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There’s actually a lot of info out there that the things that disable us are harming many other people too, just in different ways.

An info dump of links are included below. Take your time and read through them, as you will learn things that will help you protect yourself and your family in the absence of product and material regulations that should exist to protect us.

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In many places, it’s also the law to accommodate us
to the point of undue hardship.

“inconvenience, morale, and preferences are not valid considerations in assessing whether an accommodation would cause undue hardship”

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environmental Health, Friendship, Health, Human Rights, Pollution, Public Health

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What’s it Like to Have MCS/ES? Part 3: Toast Chaos

Posted on January 12, 2019 | 2 comments

MCS/ES (multiple chemical sensitivities / environmental sensitivities)  is a disability recognized by the Canadian and Ontario Human Rights Codes. There are over a million people with doctor diagnosed MCS in Canada, and so many more all around the world.

In the US, the latest prevalence study found that “among the population, 12.8% report medically diagnosed MCS and 25.9% report chemical sensitivity.”

The term ‘sensitivities’ seems to trivialize the condition in many people’s minds.

You may wonder what’s it really like then, if it’s not trivial?

Here’s how Laura J Mac describes it:

Having MCS means never knowing when you can manage something as simple as making toast.

• Can’t stand up due to pain.

• Can’t figure out all the steps involved to make toast. #execfun

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Toxic Trespass

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What’s it Like to Have MCS/ES? Part 2: Curbs

Posted on January 8, 2019 | 8 comments

MCS/ES (multiple chemical sensitivities / environmental sensitivities)  is a disability recognized by the Canadian and Ontario Human Rights Codes. There are over a million people with doctor diagnosed MCS in Canada, and so many more all around the world.

In the US, the latest prevalence study found that “among the population, 12.8% report medically diagnosed MCS and 25.9% report chemical sensitivity.”

The term ‘sensitivities’ seems to trivialize the condition in many people’s minds.

You may wonder what’s it really like then, if it’s not trivial?

 

 

From Amy RW Marsh:

I just wrote this analogy for a person who needed one in order to understand EI/MCS:

Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Mental Health, Pollution, Toxic Trespass

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What’s it Like to Have MCS/ES? Part 1: Arms, Brains, and Legs

Posted on January 3, 2019 | 10 comments

MCS/ES (multiple chemical sensitivities / environmental sensitivities)  is a disability recognized by the Canadian and Ontario Human Rights Codes. There are over a million people with doctor diagnosed MCS in Canada, and so many more all around the world.

The term ‘sensitivities’ seems to trivialize the condition in many people’s minds.

You may wonder what’s it really like then, if it’s not trivial?

‘have legs or brain some days but not others’

Continue reading →

10 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Disability, Environmental Health, Human Rights, Mental Health, Toxic Trespass

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Environmental Sensitivities (Chemical, Electrical, and Beyond) in Ecopsychology

Posted on December 20, 2018 | 3 comments

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Special Issue on Ecopsychology and Environmental Sensitivities:
Chemical, Electrical, and Beyond

The articles in the special edition of Ecopsychology are sometimes available for free (like right now), so  if you haven’t read them yet, this is a good opportunity to check them out!

This is a real gift from the publisher! The usual cost is about $50 per article!

Please read and share with others who aren’t familiar with what is going on!

http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/eco/9/2

The articles and authors are listed here:

Introduction Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Human Rights, Public Health, Research

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How NOT to Do a Scent (or fragrance) Policy

Posted on November 26, 2018 | 6 comments

This is why so many people with MCS/ES, MCAD/MCAS, asthma, migraines,  and fragrance allergies and sensitivities lose their jobs and end up  housebound.

When policies are mere wallpaper, they become dangerous.
Real people’s lives and well-being are threatened.

Please, do not put up a sign if you are not going to respect or enforce it.

Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Accessibility, Air Quality, Disability, Environmental Health, Environmental Sensitivities, Fragrance, Human Rights, Policy, Public Health

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