David Only, who emerged as a champion disability Rights died during and after his tenure as the 28th Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. He was 72 years old.
Word of his death came in a Saturday evening statement from Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth DowdewellThe current holder of the Viceregal Office of Ontario and Onley’s successor in the role. He gave no details about the time or cause of his death, but said he was survived by his wife, Ruth Ann, and three sons.
Dowdeswell, who described his predecessor as a “valued friend and colleague”, said Only used his position as the province’s first lieutenant-governor with a physical disability to highlight the barriers faced by other disabled residents. Done to help dispel and raise awareness.
“Whenever Mr. Only entered a room, the attendees looked beyond physical boundaries. They saw a man they liked and admired,” Dowdeswell said in the statement. Defined as ‘allowing what enables them to achieve their full potential’, Ontarians didn’t just hear the words. They saw essential truths in the embodiment of the one who told them.”
Only was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario in 2007 and held the position for seven years.
David Only Champion Accessibility as soon as the term ends
working from home? Trust is key after ‘time stealing’ verdict, experts say
Dowdeswell said she worked to expand existing literacy and education programs for Indigenous peoples and stressed the importance of reconciliation efforts, but said issues of access remained a “overarching theme of her mandate”.
Onle used a motorized scooter throughout her life after being infected with polio as a child and often drew on her lived experience, highlighting existing access barriers in all aspects of society.
Dowdeswell said that his efforts to draw attention to such issues predate his time in government and can be traced back to his years as a television reporter.
“Early in his media career, camera shots often focused only on his upper body, but Mr. Only insisted that he be shown in his mobility device,” she said. “Not content with simply leading by example, he was an active advocate on disability issues, particularly in the area of making the economic case for better access to employment for people with disabilities.”
Dowdeswell said that after leaving office he continued to serve as special adviser on access within the provincial government.
But perhaps her most prominent advocacy work came in March 2019 when she completed an independent review of Ontario’s accessibility legislation, the first of its kind in Canada.
O’Neally’s scathing report on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act offered a scathing indictment of nearly all aspects of the legislation and concluded that the province was nowhere near its stated goal of ensuring universal access by 2025.
At the time of the report’s release, he told The Canadian Press that residents with disabilities were barred from full inclusion in the province at almost every turn, few compared to the barriers they faced under long-expired Jim Crow laws, which Maintained racial discrimination in the United States. State.
“This is a matter of civil rights, and people with disabilities are being discriminated against on a daily basis in so many ways,” he said. “We don’t like to use the word discrimination because it gets tossed around, but what other word best describes the situation? It’s discrimination.
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance said Saturday that Canada can best honor O’Neally’s memory by taking bold action to implement its vision of a barrier-free society for people with disabilities.
With a government in majority, relief came only through ‘apolitical means’
Studies show that alcohol consumption is on the decline in Generation Z.
David Lepofsky, president of a non-partisan group that advocates for people with disabilities in Ontario, said, “David Only was a good friend, trusted advisor and ally in the campaign for accessibility.”
“As recently as two months ago, he pressured MPs in Ottawa to allow the AODA Alliance to testify at a public hearing on the Trudeau government’s Bill C-22, the proposed Canada Disability Benefits Act.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford released a statement Sunday saying he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Ollie’s death.
“As lieutenant governor, and throughout his life, he worked tirelessly to raise public awareness of access issues, encouraging people to ‘see ability rather than disability,'” the statement reads.
“His contributions to the province and his unwavering commitment to public service will long be remembered and celebrated.”
Kathleen Wynne, who served as Premier of Ontario during Only’s tenure, expressed her condolences on Twitter.
He wrote, “So sad to hear that our world has lost David Only.” “A gentle, intelligent, kind man. Lots of love to his family and friends.”
Toronto Mayor John Tory also issued a tweet saying flags at City Hall and civic centers would fly at half-mast until Ollie’s state funeral, details of which have yet to be announced.
© 2023 The Canadian Press