The Blind Foundation is proud to bring renowned disability rights campaigner David Lepofsky to New Zealand to speak on behalf of The Access Alliance Access Matters campaign on the need for Parliament to pass accessibility legislation. 

The Alliance is advocating for a New Zealand Accessibility act, inspired by David’s Canadian work.

Lepofsky is an acclaimed Lawyer, Activist and Academic who helped pass pivotal pieces of Canadian accessibility legislation; a disability amendment to the charter of rights, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2001 and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005.

David will be in the country from Monday 4th September-Saturday 9th September. He is travelling to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. 

The Access Alliance have invited David to speak at the Connecting the Dots conference for disability advocates. David is speaking to a range of organisations during his visit. His public engagements include:

• The My Voice Matters Political Candidates Forum - Sudima Hotel Auckland Airport. Monday 4 Aug 3:30-6pm
• AUT Law School - WA224 Conference Room AUT City Campus 55 Wellesley Street, Auckland Tuesday 5 Aug 5:30-7:30pm
• Otago University Law Lecture - Law Faculty, Dunedin 6-8pm

Lepofsky has been awarded some of his country’s highest honors. Those include investiture in the Order of Canada (1995), the Order of Ontario (2007), and the Terry Fox Hall of Fame (2003), honorary doctorates from Queen's University and the University of Western Ontario, and awards from other organizations including e.g. the City of Toronto, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association Public Lawyers Section, the Advocates Society, the Ontario Crown Attorneys Association, the Ontario March of Dimes and Community Living Ontario.

He is the author of one law book, and the author or co-author of 30 law journal articles or book chapters on topics including constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law, human rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities. He has lectured on topics including these across Canada, and in the U.S., Israel, Ireland, Denmark and Belgium.

Download David's What Should the Canadians with Disabilities Act Include?" Position Paper here.