I was thrilled to be asked by Metroland to write a monthly column on disability issues. Let me introduce myself. I am 67 years old, a lifelong Toronto resident, and a retired lawyer, or rather a recovering lawyer, who has been totally blind since my early twenties. Prior to that I was blind in one eye and gradually lost partial sight in the other.
During my 33 years as a lawyer, I served as counsel to the Ontario Government in civil, constitutional and, for the last 23 years, criminal litigation. I litigated 30 cases before the Supreme Court of Canada and approximately 200 appeals before the Ontario Court of Appeal.
I spent much of my free time during those years, and much of my retirement, volunteering to fight for new laws to protect the 2.9 million Ontarians who currently have disabilities, and all the rest of Ontarians who will eventually become disabled as they age.
Since retiring and not knowing how to slow down, I teach law part-time and am currently a visiting research professor of disability rights at Western University School of Law. In my spare time, I walk 10,000 steps every day and never miss an episode of Star Trek.
Why a column about disability issues? Because we are a minority of all people. We all have a disability now or will have a disability in the future. Disability issues are everyone’s issue.
Disabilities come in many forms: physical disabilities, sensory disabilities (like my blindness), mental illnesses, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, communication disabilities, neurological disabilities, etc. We all face so many disability barriers, whether it’s in public transport, the education system, the health care system, or just trying to get a job or go shopping. These barriers hurt us all.
I aim to identify recurring roadblocks that need fixing, and I believe in providing practical, actionable and constructive solutions.
Here’s an example: 30 years ago I asked the Toronto Transit Commission to announce all subway stops aloud so that we, the blind, would know which station we were arriving at. Their response was not very helpful. What did I do? I sued them and won. Then I had to file another lawsuit to force the TTC to announce all bus stops. Now they’re doing it, after years of fighting me.
Why do I do this? Because I care about it and I’m lucky enough to be able to do it. And I reach out to the next generation and help them in any way I can to continue this work.
One thing that I am not currently doing is representing or advising clients, as I am retired from the practice of law.
So you might be wondering, what are the big disability issues facing our state and our country in the coming weeks and months? This column aims to answer that question. I hope you enjoy it.
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David Lepofsky is a retired lawyer and chair of the Ontario Coalition of Disability Accessibility Law.