DAWNThe social justice group DAWN (disabled woman’s network Ontario) is a province wide organization of woman with all types of disabilities. They are a feminist organization which supports woman in their struggle to control their own lives. Dawn Ontario is controlled by women with disabilities. The members include woman with disabilities and non-disabled woman.
Also included are lesbians, bisexual woman, aboriginal woman, Franco-Ontarian woman, and woman from many other ethnic, racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Woman of all ages, from teens to seniors, are active members of DAWN. They believe that disabled woman have the right to direct their own lives. They also believe that woman with disabilities: have the right to access the services and supports available to all woman; have needs which are different from those of men with disabilities; know best what their needs are; have a right to freedom of choice in all aspects of their live; and can be proud of their disabilities and have the choice to self-identity. As a group DAWN at Ontario: keep current on issues facing women with disabilities; provide role mode for girls with disabilities; develop resources for girls with disabilities; help start and support DAWN groups across Ontario; speak for the rights of woman with disabilities to make sure they can take part in woman’s groups, activities, events and services; work with other woman’s and disabilities groups; produce resources about health care for woman with disabilities; lobby for the government on issues affecting woman with disabilities.
Issues such as employment, training, education, transportation, housing, health care, and others. On June 17, 1985 17 woman with disabilities from across Canada gathered together to discuss issues of concern. From this meeting, DAWN of Canada was formed. Disabled woman organized across the country, keeping in touch by mail and phone, and finally they received funding from the secretary of state for some special projects. Disabled woman have been persevering since then to build up DAWN on a local and national level. In 1992 DAWN Ontario was formed.
Since then they have put out many brochures and the like for information throughout Ontario. They also have worked with other groups such as Employment Equity Coalition; the Coalition Against Depo Provera; and the Coalition Against Extra Billing in Ontario. DAWN is a great Social Justice group that focus on helping the disabled. They help all kinds of people, and do it out of the good or their heart. These people do not do it for money or power but they do it for the people that they help they do this on their own and the reward for them is the results they see through helping other people.
They can only be a great example for us, and show us how 17 people can turn into a great organization that help thousands of people each .
