Canada's Private Broadcasters can't hire Canadians???

ok, I am so sick and tired of seeing this commercial. It's for hiring the disabled and it's brought to you by "Canada's Private Braodcasters". I'm sure you've seen this commercial. First person the camera pans is Pascal Rebreau, a chef who uses a walker. Next is Evelyne Gounetenzi, a project manager who is deaf. Next is Luca "Lazy legs" Patuelli who is a B-Boy, on crutches and last you see Kaye Leslie, a human resource specialist who is blind.

After these 4 people you see a blank screen with the words:
We are all able.........
Open your mind.....

Brought to you by Canada's Private Broadcasters.

Now why does this bug the hell out of me? Because Luca "Lazy Legs" Patuelli, the B-Boy is NOT CANADIAN!! He is from New York. How do I know this? Easy.... because the first year of the American TV series "America has Talent", Luca "Lazy Legs" Patuelli, the B-Boy, was a contestant dancing with 2 or 3 friends!!!

So, if Canada's Private Broadcasters want you to hire disabled, wouldn't one think they can hire a damn Canadian for their commercials?? Wonder if the others are Canadians???

Drives me crazy.

Canada Blooms - fails again.......

For the past few years I have been interested in going to Canada Blooms. I'm an avid balcony gardener from flowers to veggies. Problem is, Canada Blooms not only has no discount for the disabled (this year they have a whole $2 discount for seniors) but again not all the displays are accessible! So, disabled pay the same as anyone else however we can't participate in it all. Here is the letter I sent them.

Hi,

I'm looking for info on the following:

1) Is the building wheelchair accessible?
2) Is there a senior/disabled discount?
3) Are all the displays, programs, tours, feature gardens, photo gallery, speakers, demos & talks and special events disabled accessible? In other words, is everything wheelchair accessible? And with proper turning ratio?

thanks

and here is their response to me:

Hi Vickie,

The MTCC is fully wheelchair accessible and Canada Blooms strives to do the same for our feature gardens. However, it is not always possible to provide wheelchair access for all of the gardens depending on their size, floral arrangement and other factors.

Senior tickets at the door are $16, regular admission is $18.

Thanks,
Jessica

So again, there is no discount for disabled and a whole $2 discount now for seniors. They also didn't answer if there is proper turning radius for wheelchairs. And last but not least, they believe it's impossible pretty much to make everything accessible. After I got this email from them I emailed back this:

So then, everything is not accessible for the disabled but there's no discount. As well, maybe it's time Canada Blooms hires someone disabled to help plan the gardens. If you are charging full price I should be able to do and see everything anyone else does for the same amount of money.

I'll be blogging about this on my website for the disabled blog. I was sincerely hoping that Canada Blooms would do better this year.

Vickie

twitter

Just a quickie to let anyone reading this know I'm on twitter. Going to try to keep it up and post occasionally there too. It's just finding the time :-) http://www.twitter.com/torontomobility

Comment on Troid's email to me....

Troid, the person who emailed me the post under this is right. On all accounts. I can't tell you how many times I've seen major reno's being done with hopes that they take the few thousand it takes to put in a disabled door and then have my hopes dashed.

Concerning the dumping of snow in disabled parking spots..... to me it's the same as the City of Toronto shoving snow on the ramps. These past two years have been a nightmare for anyone in a mobility device due to all the snow. First we can't get out due to the huge amounts of snow and then finally when it stops 3 days later, the City comes by and shoves it off the roads so the cars have a clear lane to drive in and they dump it on the ramps that we need to access.

Needless to say, we end up shut in or cancelling important appointments or even missing days of work because the City has utterly destroyed our only avenue out. I made a flip remark to Troid in email about maybe we, that are in mobility devices, should have to be licensed so possibly we can get a bit of the respect we deserve too. I have a job to do, I have groceries to get, I have banking to do. It would be really nice if the City thought of me as well.

Removed snow placed in disabled parking spots*

I received this email and I've decided to place it on here because it's important. Here it is:

January 29, 2009 I tried to park at the one disabled parking spot at the Royal York/Bloor Rogers Video store. Their snow removal contractor thought it was a good idea to place the snow into the ONE disabled parking spot; Rogers had obviously no issue with this.

In February 2009 I went to the Don Mills/Lawrence E. Shoppers Drug Mart and ran into the same issue,snow in disabled spots. Cineplex OdeonQueensway/Kipling two winters ago placed removed snow into disabled spots,GM blamed contractor being new? Additional access grief: Metro at Lawrence/Bathurst has poles blocking access to those with walkers, or wheelchairs. Disabled using such assisted devices have to stand outside the Metro, stare through the glass in hopes that an employee will see them, pull up the pole to let them in to shop. Elderly, disabled live within walking distance to this Metro,thus they continue to use it.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 [AODA] is going to need 20 years to before it's enforceable for all who do not comply. WHY would there not be an immediate requirement for compliance with large organizations like the ones noted? It isn't a financial burden when you're a large corporation who probably spends money to clean and maintain/upgrade their facilities so customers have a good user experience, don't slip and fall, Et cetera. Rebranding from Dominion to Metro in Ontario wasn't without cost. Even The city of Toronto [periodically] fines those who don't remove snow from the side walk in front of their property.

Back....... maybe :-)

Well, someone contacted me via email asking me to set up on twitter so I did. So you can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/torontomobility Now, this is no promise to continue to write blurbs and such as I'm pretty busy these days however I'll try. In the meantime, I decided to check this out again and see what's new. Not much. lol Possibly I should try to get this blog out more. Seems I never get the chance to play on the computer any more though with all I do and some of my health issues annoying me these days.

and furthermore - I'd like an answer to this one too

Why..... why is it if I call for a taxi and walk into it using my cane and go 8 blocks it's $7.00 or so........ but if I call the same company and tell them I'm in a scooter, they send a van (which they at times have sent for a 'walking person' call - I have had vans show up and pick me up when I was walking with my cane) and it costs me a flat fee of $30.00 to go the same distance??????

All taxi companies that I called do the same thing. They charge the disabled a flat fee and they are the people who can afford it the least. Is someone taking advantage of us? As far as I'm concerned, yes.

Don't tell me it's about fuel costs for vans because like I said, I've gotten a van for a cab when I'm walking with my cane and they just stick on the meter. So, if I'm in my scooter it's automatically $30.00?????

Something stinks here .........

Still waiting.......

hmmmmm I'm seriously wondering how long this is going to take but I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet. Nothing from Metro Police yet!! And I wrote my City Councillor Pam McConnell and according to her she's passed it along to the Chief of Police too. Seems he ignores her as well. Late last week I emailed her again to let her know I've still heard nothing. She'll get a regular weekly update.

I'm still waiting

Well it's Saturday and I'm still waiting. On Friday I spoke to my brother who has some law experience considering the job he's in and experience in things like this and he recommened that I call the Community Centre Supervisor back and ask him to go to the company that makes the equipment he uses to see if there was any way they could access deeper into the computer and come up with the video tape. When I called him he was already one step ahead of us and had made the call and was waiting for them to get back to him.

We're still waiting. And I have yet to hear back from the Chief of Police too. Oh, I sent a copy of my letter to Pam McConnell, my City Councillor and she forwarded it to 51 Division (the division in my area) and to the Chief again. hmmmm In this case silence isn't golden. Sending it to 51 division won't do anything though because this was handled via the phone through C.A.R.U. a unit at headquarters I believe.

Btw, I sent this story to CityTV, Global and CTV and no one was interested. I find that surprising.

I was robbed twice this week !!! First by a low life and then by Metro Police

I originally put this one on my personal blog on June 22nd, 2006

I've been robbed twice in a week. Once by a low life, sorry excuse for a human being that preys on the disabled to rob and a second time by Toronto Metro Police.....

Here is my story.....I am a 48 year old disabled woman that does a lot of volunteer work for my community. On Wednesday June 14th, 2006 I was out about 7:00 pm to go and post flyers for 2 community events. On my way downstairs I decided to go across the street to the Wellesley Community Centre and see if yet another community event needed an extra hand because I thought that they may. It was about the only event that I haven't actually participated in due to timing. However, I just wanted to be sure the lady running it wasn't short handed so off we went over there.

The event was on the main floor being held in the kitchen and the room next to it. I parked my scooter against the hall wall and the person with me parked her's directly behind mine. This person was my mom who also does a lot of community volunteer work and is 80. The scooter issue for both of us is a genetic thing. Anyway.... she is parked directly behind me. I can walk with a cane for short distances so I left my scooter there with her right behind it. My purse was tucked right underneath my seat. I have an older type scooter and it has a gap under the seat that is a good hidey hole. Obviously not that good that evening but it's been good for the past 10+ years.

I went in, spoke to the woman in charge, she had it all under control and enough volunteers were there. I gave her a message about another meeting we were both attending the next evening and I left through the far door. When I exited that door a couple of residents talked to me for a minute and then I went to my scooter. I sat down and right away I noticed something amiss. Since my purse is tucked so far back I can't feel it unless I tuck my heels in that section. Which I do. But this time I felt nothing! My purse was not there and she didn't have it either. Since I'm very active in my community I know a lot of people, several of which were at this function. One lady went into the ladies room to check the stalls and garbage there. Nothing. Then she was kind enough to have her son check the men's room but again, nothing. At that point I went out and started looking. We looked in every garbage can in the area. Usually this kind of thing is a grab and toss thing. Get what you want and toss the purse in the garbage. We went to behind the grocery store to their smelly disgusting dumpsters, to behind every building close by in the area and trying each garbage can and large dumpster. Doing whatever we could to at least find my purse and get my personal things back like my agenda of meetings and appts, my health history which I keep with me at all times in case of emergency, my medications, etc... Nothing though. This was about 7:40 pm ish or so.

I got home and I called Metro Police to report it, they took my number and said someone would call me back. This was fine. I figured it would take a bit of time for them to call back so I did what I should do and called Visa and cancelled my card before someone had a hell of a party on me. Wouldn't you know I get an idiot that knows nothing and puts me on hold for so long that of course, the police had called me back and I missed the call. She actually came back to the phone to ask me to hold longer, I told her no, I was waiting for the police to call. Great... I wait though and about 2 minutes later my phone rings again and I grab it thinking it's the police when it's the woman from Visa again. I basically hang up on her and yes, in that split minute the police had called back and this time left a rather snotty message on my phone telling me to start all over again. Well excuse me, I was cancelling my Visa before it was run up to the hilt.

Frustrated I call back and tell the woman that answered the phone about my snotty message and why I was on the phone when he called. She apologized for him whomever he was and put me through to someone else who took my info once more and said an officer would call me back. This time I got a very nice officer who took all the information from me and gave me his badge # and a report # and his name.

The next day I'm scootering all over the place because this low life got my drivers license, my disabled parking permit, my OHIP and of all things, my mom's convenience card because I do a lot of her banking for her. My convenience card was luckily in my jacket. He got my cash too. My cell phone was in my scooter so he didn't get it either. All of a sudden something strikes me... this robbery took place in a City of Toronto Community Centre!! Security Camera's!! So, off I go to speak to Lucky (the supervisor) and he tells me YES they do have camera's everywhere and because of where my scooter was they more than likely got it on tape!! He would have one of his staff look and get back to me.

That evening while at a meeting my cell phone rang with the employee at the community centre on the other end telling me yes, they indeed caught the entire thing on security video. And I can call the police and let them know to come pick it up.

When I got home from my meeting it was around 9:15 or so give or take a few minutes. A resident was waiting for me in my home for help and I had her wait until I called the Police dept. and give the officer I spoke to the information. Since I had spoken to him only the night before I figured he would be on duty in the evening again. I don't know who I spoke to but she was abrupt and wouldn't put me through to the officer saying he only makes calls, he doesn't receive them. I explained to her that they have this robbery on tape and I wanted to speak to the officer that I reported it to. She refused and told me they have to come and pick up the tape and then someone will call me. That was that. There was no way I could speak to the officer that took my report. There was nothing more I could do, it made no sense to argue with her so I left it at that. That she would put it through to go pick up the video tape.

I waited to hear something. Friday came and I went over to the community centre to speak to the supervisor and he showed me the tape. I watched as this man came in casually and robbed me and then simply walked out and the direction where he went. We all agreed that this man was so at ease and looked familiar with the community centre and the community so he probably lives around here. I thanked them for their help and went home hoping I'd hear something Friday night. I was wrong. Saturday came and nothing again. Sunday, same thing. Come Monday I'm wondering what the heck is going on and I call the community centre to speak to the supervisor and asked him if he heard anything or if an officer came to get the video tape. He told me no.

Monday comes and goes and still nothing. Tuesday morning comes and I call the supervisor yet again at the community centre and he tells me he still has not heard anything. So frustrated I want to scream, I called Metro Police back yet again. This time I'm put through to a female officer who was very nice and I explained it all again including the phone call I made the evening of Thursday June 15th, the day after the robbery, to report that a video tape was waiting at the community centre and the entire thing was caught on tape. With an extremely good front view of this man. Easy to see his face and make him out. Front and back.... coming and going. Everything that was needed. For some reason or another she couldn't find any information on the call I made to report the video tape but told me that since I could not give them the exact address and only gave them the corner it was situated on that may be the reason she couldn't find it. For crying out loud, the name of the community centre is the name of the street and it's right on the corner and I gave them the two street names. I'm sorry I didn't know the exact # of the address. She said she would be sure to have someone come and get the tape.

That evening I had yet another community event to help at and this one was a bbq. A Neighbours Night Out bbq of all things. I was so hoping this low life would pass by me in the food line and I'd have him arrested because we did have security guards at our event and they were also participating in the bbq and would have held him until the police could get there. No such luck though.

Now my frustation is building. No one was coming for the tape and the supervisor at the community centre couldn't give me a copy of a pic with this man on it for distribution. It had to be done by Metro Police but they were no where to be seen still and still had not picked up the video. I had been hoping that this low lifes photo could have been handed around at the bbq and to the foot patrol officers in our area but no such luck.

Now we come to today - Wednesday. Today I spent cooking for yet another community event I'm holding on Thursday. A Seniors Afternoon Social. I hold them every 6 weeks. I was home all day hoping to hear something but again, nothing. Around 6:30 pm my phone rang and it was the supervisor at the community centre. He said "Vickie, I'm really sorry but I have some bad news for you". I'm wondering what the heck kind of bad news could he have and I asked him what it was. Well........

The police finally contacted him about the security video today. After they called he went to look at it for some reason and discovered that the video flipped. It flips every 7 days. It flipped YESTERDAY!!! The video was gone. Never to be seen again. He tried everything he could, looked on every drive of the computer but the 7 days had passed and it flipped. Now he was going to have to call the police and let them know. He apologized to me several times but I told him it wasn't his fault. That this should have been followed up, not dropped.

I couldn't believe it. All this time and all my efforts and nothing..... they were so slow in responding that the damn camera hit it's 7 day limit and flipped and everything was lost because it was video'd over. I seriously want to know who that woman was that I talked to on that Thursday night. She either ignored the report that I was making telling them video tape was there and waiting or she dropped the ball or someone dropped the ball and I want to know who it was and they need to take responsibility for it.

I know it wasn't a huge theft (he did get some money too) but this man had no problem with robbing a disabled person. What if the next victim gives him a fight? Does he kill the person for their purse or wallet? Would this be the first time someone would be seriously injured or killed for a few bucks? Not here it wouldn't be.

I am furious at this point and feel that Metro Police owes me at least a written apology. More specifically from the person who dropped the damn ball. All the evidence is gone and the evidence was excellent. A nice clear picture of this man. Lost forever. Now the only ones that know what this man looks like are the few of us that viewed the video but I've never been called back and it's doubtful now anything will be done about this robbery. It doesn't seem to matter.

When I reported that this happened in a community centre why did I have to realize there would be video tape and why was I the one that followed it up? Why was my follow up ignored? Right now I feel like I've been robbed twice.... once by that lowlife and then again by Metro Police who dropped the ball and lost the evidence basically.

I'm thoroughly disgusted at this point too. This man preys on the disabled. Who is he going to hit next? A senior citizen? Another disabled person? How about a blind person? They're pretty defenseless. Does no one even want to know what he looked like? I've still not heard a word back from Metro Police. Not even a lousy apology because they took so long and by then everything, all evidence, was gone.

I sent a letter directly to the Chief of Police but I'm doubtful I'll hear back from him either. If really lucky I may get his assistant but at this point, I seriously doubt it.

To add insult to injury, Metro Police had a meeting in the same community centre the following Monday (the 19th) asking people to help them fight crime in this neighbourhood. I tried... they just didn't listen. I don't know what more I could have done.

What the hell is the matter with people?

I originally blogged this on my person blog on June 15th, 2006.

I don't get it, I just don't get today's society. I do a lot of volunteer work and right now my hands are full with community events. So this evening (Wed.) I was going around floor to floor in our building with 2 different flyers per floor for 2 different upcoming events. There's 30 floors in this building plus I had more to put out in other common areas. So I take my mom with me who also likes to do her part in her community.

Before doing the flyers though I decided that I'm going to zip across the street to our community centre to see if they need a hand. We also have another event going this evening, a Gay Pride event. A huge bbq. So off we go and I get into the community centre and I park my scooter (remember I'm disabled) beside the wall in a large hallway. Directly behind my scooter my mom parked her scooter directly behind mine. (it's a genetic thing) I got up and with my cane walked into the room directly across from me, spoke to the person to see if she needed help but everything was under control. Then gave her a message about a meeting on Thursday evening and I left.

I got out the door, talked to a couple of guys I know and then went and sat down on my scooter. Something was wrong. MY PURSE WAS GONE. It was tucked away up under my freaking seat and my mom was directly behind my f*cking scooter and some bastard still managed to steal it!
Talk about pissing you off. I lost my driver's license, my OHIP, my disabled parking permit, my VISA, my mom's convenience card since I do her banking a lot, my airmiles card, my library card and my hospital card. Nice eh?

I also lost my agenda, my health information and my notebook. And last but not least, I lost my glucometer (there's $50), my nitroglycerin, my diabetes medication and a half dozen or so of these green pills. So now I'm zooming around looking in any and all garbage cans to see if they tossed it in the nearest one. A friend went into the ladies room at the community centre and checked the garbage there and sent her son in to look in the men's room. Nothing. I even went in back behind businesses in the dark and disgustingly stinky places where there were dumpsters to look as well as I could. Still nothing.

After about 20 minutes of this I went home and called the police to put in a report. Then I called C.I.B.C. Visa to cancel my card. One of the most annoying things because I've had that card for 32 years and have the number memorized. And don't I get the twit from hell on the phone who knows nothing. She did manage to cancel the card but when I asked her a question she doesn't know and puts me on hold for 10 minutes while she goes and asks someone. In the meantime I'm waiting for the cops to call......

Finally this twit comes back only to announce she is going to put me on hold yet again!! I told her no, I'm waiting for the police to call and I tell her I'll get the answer some other time and I hang up. I check for messages and yup, a cop called and left a message that he'll call back in about 5 minutes. I wait...... the phone rings..... holy shit it's the twit from Visa again! I tell her I'm still waiting for the cops to call because I missed them while she had me on hold so what does she do? She starts to yak away to me! I yell at her that I don't care and I'll get the answer another time and I hang up the phone.

I listen for messages and of course, the cop called back while the twit called me back and this time he leaves a snotty message. Now I have to start with the cops all over again cause that was all he was trying. Twice. When I called back I explained why he got my answering machine and the cop I was put through to was very nice about it. Thankfully it wasn't the snotty guy.
With all that done and said I still had to get out to post those flyers since now I definitely don't have tomorrow to do it since I'll be spending the day in gov't offices getting new everythings. I'm going to have to put off a doctor appt too until Saturday at this rate. I was suppose to go Thursday. I finally got home after 11 pm.

After all this I have two things to say. I guess there is some truth in "no good deed goes unpunished". And..... I hope that little prick, be it male or female that stole my purse digs enough to find my medications. That nice pink spray bottle of nitroglycerin that I'm hoping they take a few really long hard puffs on and it lands them in the hospital flat on their ass. And then there's my diabetes medication. There's a few of them in there, maybe they'll swallow them and their blood sugars will plunge till they drop. And last but not least, those little green pills. They are the generic equivelent of imodium! There were probably 6 or 8 in a little pill container (not in a box so there's no way they'll know what they are). Let's hope they swallowed those too!!!
If so they'll be found flat on their back gasping for air as their heart races from the nitro that they shouldn't have taken...... and their eyes are rolling in their head from the blood sugar plunge and their bunghole is so plugged up from all those imodium that they won't shit for a week of Sundays........ Yes sir Officer, that's him!!!

It's later in the evening and I'm putzing around here. Decided to update the look of the blog. I like this one.

Winter is here again.. 2006 is coming in like a lamb though so I'm wondering what's going to happen in February. While you're here, check out the main site Toronto Mobility and check out what The Bay @ Yonge & Bloor has done for the disabled and check out the updated "outstanding achievements' section for Grand & Toy too!