Ontario is introducing government-issued photo ID for the 1.5 million residents who do not drive. This initiative will make it easier for those who do not have a license and require proof of identity for purposes such as cashing cheques or accessing government services. The cards can be obtained by non-drivers over the age of […]Continue readingOntario photo ID for non-drivers
News and Events
Social determinants of health video
A five-minute YouTube video on the importance of community and the social determinants of health has been produced by the Sudbury and District Health Unit. The video titled, “Let’s Start a Conversation About Health…and Not Talk About Health Care At All” addresses the significance of income and the importance of education, employment, housing and social […]Continue readingSocial determinants of health video
Government of Ontario enacts AODA’s Integrated Accessibility Standards
On June 3, 2011, the Government of Ontario enacted the finalizedIntegrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) under theAccessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). This regulation harmonizes three accessibility standards that support implementation of the AODA in the areas of information and communications, employment and transportation. The regulation also includes general requirements for all areas including the […]Continue readingGovernment of Ontario enacts AODA’s Integrated Accessibility Standards
In Whose Interest event
The Recovering Our Stories Collective is hosting a free afternoon session, “In Whose Interest? How Psychiatric Survivors Can Use Our Stories to Change the World.” Well-known poet and storyteller Eli Clare is featured as the guest speaker, followed by a panel of speakers who address the political, cultural, social and scholarly relevance of storytelling and […]Continue readingIn Whose Interest event
Ontario seeks public input on social assistance review
The Social Assistance Review Commission (SARC), led by Francis Lankin (former head of the United Way) and Munir Sheikh (former chief statistician with Statistics Canada), has launched a website to house its social assistance review material. It has also released a discussion paper that frames the issues around social assistance and invites feedback from the […]Continue readingOntario seeks public input on social assistance review
StatsCan finds higher rates of violence experienced by Aboriginal women
A recent Statistics Canada report reveals that nearly 13 per cent of Aboriginal women over age 15 reported that they had experienced a physical or sexual assault or robbery in the previous 12 months, a rate almost three times higher than that reported by non-Aboriginal women. The majority of incidents were committed by men who […]Continue readingStatsCan finds higher rates of violence experienced by Aboriginal women
Study finds adults with developmental disability and comorbid psychiatric disorder are frequent ED users
Researchers from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) recently completed the first Ontario-wide study of emergency department (ED) use by adults with dual diagnosis (developmental disability and comorbid psychiatric disorder), comparing their ED use to those with developmental disability and no psychiatric disorder, to people […]Continue readingStudy finds adults with developmental disability and comorbid psychiatric disorder are frequent ED users
Hate crimes on the rise
Statistics Canada has released a new report on police-reported hate crimes. Hate crimes are defined as criminal incidents based on race or ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. Of the 1,473 hate crimes reported in 2009, the greatest increases were those related to religion, which rose by 55 per cent. Racial or ethnic hate crimes went […]Continue readingHate crimes on the rise
Alcohol action plan report
A new report “Alcohol, Cancer and other Health Issues: An Action Plan for Prevention” prepared for the Toronto Cancer Prevention Coalition has just been released. It addresses alcohol-related risks for cancer and other chronic diseases, and points out the persistent misunderstandings about alcohol and its health impact. The report’s purpose is to develop an action […]Continue readingAlcohol action plan report
Using social media in healthcare
The use of social media to improve healthcare quality is the focus of a guide by two Ontario healthy policy think tanks, The Change Foundation and The Health Strategy Innovation Cell. The first of the two-part guide focuses on current practice in the healthcare sector through a scan of the social media environment and field […]Continue readingUsing social media in healthcare