INFORMATION IS POWER, THE KEY IS KNOWING HOW TO USE IT

This week's stories point to the critical role that information plays
in our lives, beyond what the news media provides on a regular basis.

Information, of course, is power. Who possesses it and decides how to
use it has an advantage over those unaware of its existence or denied
access to what's in the files.

But what these stories show, in particular, is that there is
information of interest to most Ontarians out there that deserves
wider circulation.

Studies and anecdotal evidence, for example, show that people with
physical or intellectual disabilities make excellent employees but,
significantly, more than two-thirds of them remain out of work because
of misconceptions about their competence. In fact, they match and even
surpass the performance of able co-workers in many cases.

It's a matter of educating employers that Canada's largest minority
represents a "huge untapped pool of labour," says Joe Dale, the
executive director of the Ontario Disability Network.

Fortunately, there are agencies such as Community Living
Campbellford/Brighton committed to helping people with disabilities
get involved in the community through paid or volunteer work. They are
getting the word out.

Al Graham is also getting the word out, albeit for a completely
different purpose. He's the founder of PACE (People Advocating
Cannabis Education). As someone who uses marijuana to ease the pain of
his Crohn's disease, he wants to see the substance made available for
public consumption in the same way alcohol is, in a regulated
environment that generates taxes.

"It's all about getting to the truth to the people," says Mr.
Graham.

His way is to distribute brochures, attend health shows, and show
documentaries at a local coffee shop with an open invitation to the
public.

He faces an uphill battle. Marijuana causes ample consternation as to
its risks to people's health and what the consequences could be for
society if it were to become as easily available as alcohol. But it's
an issue that needs a national debate. Canada's war on drugs needs to
be re-examined, and the more informed people are on both sides of the
debate, the better the outcome will be.

And then there's information flung about by politicians. Invariably,
they produce a blizzard of facts and figures that leave citizens
buried beneath the competing claims. The latest storm has to do with
the province's debt retirement charge on people's hydro bills. Is a
forensic audit needed or has the auditor-general already spoken? Who
knows.

But expect more of the same in the months leading up to the October
election.