THE GREEN PARTY SUPPORTS CIVIL RIGHTS NOW’S THINK TWICE PROPOSAL
BCCLA STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLE IN SUPPORT OF CIVIL RIGHTS NOW’S PROPOSAL
May 10, 2013
Civil rights must be universal, says BC Green Leader Jane Sterk
The Green Party of BC recognized that the civil rights of British Columbians with disabilities are often overlooked. Currently British Columbians with disabilities who wish to exercise more independent, discretionary control over how community care is provided to them are denied that right. Furthermore, there is a need for better mechanisms to flag substandard care and rights violations subject to investigation and remedy.
Green Party Leader Jane Sterk says, “All citizens of our province and nation, which includes persons with disabilities, are entitled to the fundamental right to health, well-being, and freedom, including the right to participate actively in decision-making about their own care and how it will be provided.”
The Green Party shares the values and goals of Civil Rights Now. The Green Party supports the aims and objectives of Civil Rights Now’s proposal for Community Care (Direct Payments) Act and the Civil Rights of Persons in Community Care Act. Green MLAs will bring these proposed acts forward for review and further development by the provincial legislature.
As elected members of the legislature Green MLAs look forward to working directly with Civil Rights Now and other disability-rights groups on legislative initiatives aimed at dramatically improving the lives, choices, and care of this valued and under-served community.
March 22, 2013
The BCCLA would like to voice its support in principle for the efforts of Civil Rights Now!
It is imperative that people with disabilities are provided with means for independent and dignified living. Civil Rights Now! is proposing a model of individualized funding that may not be the only means of addressing this issue, but is clearly aimed at bringing greater autonomy to disabled people in BC.
The BCCLA also echoes the call of Civil Rights Now! to address the urgent needs of people living in care for an effective and meaningful mechanism to report and have investigated violations of their rights. Many vulnerable British Columbians have called our office to report rights violations in care, but are very often too afraid of retaliation or jeopardizing their care to make an official complaint and invariably are not sufficiently resourced to bring a civil suit in court. This is a dreadful situation that cries out for a remedy. We add our voice to the call for the rights of British Columbians in care to be genuinely upheld.
Micheal Vonn
Policy Director
British Columbia Civil Rights Association
(Text is from an email sent to CRN from BCCLA on May 22, 2013.)