Disability Rights Movement in Canada

• Barrier-free policies and legislation exist for people with disabilities.
• Activists increase disability community identity by pointing out shared experiences of inaccessibility and discrimination.

Disability Rights Movement in Canada

• Returning soldiers from WWI/WWII influenced it.
• Non-profit organizations (e.g., War Amps) were created to advocate for veterans and provide services that were lacking.
• The deinstitutionalization movement meant that people with disabilities had a right to participate in mainstream society, and should have equal access to helpful services in the community.
• Assistive technology advanced (e.g., wheelchairs).
• The Bureau on Rehabilitation was established in 1979 to coordinate national efforts to promote the interests of individuals with disabilities.
• Disability was included in federal legislation with the revision of the 1981 Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• Provincial Legislation includes the Ontario with Disabilities Act (ODA).
• The US also has a Disability Movement.

Barriers

• Exists in employment, transportation, education, and housing.

Federal Legislation

• The Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) of 1977 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in areas under federal jurisdiction.
• The Employment Equity Act of 1986, promotes workplace inclusion for people with disabilities and other equity-deserving groups in federally regulated organizations.
• Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1981) guarantees equality rights and prohibits discrimination, including on the basis of disability.
• The Accessibility Canada Act of 2019 aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040 by addressing accessibility in areas under federal jurisdiction.

Ontarians with Disability Act (ODA)

• Passed in 2001 to improve accessibility and eliminate barriers for people with disabilities in Ontario.
• AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005) requires public sector organizations to identify, prevent, and remove barriers to accessibility.
• AODA Expansion aims to make Ontario fully accessible by 2025 using mandatory and enforceable accessibility standards in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
• Ontario has made progress towards AODA accessibility targets, but challenges remain.

US Disability Rights Movement

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities.
• ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, alike other civil rights laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion.
• ADA guarantees people with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs.

Section 504

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a US national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability.
• It was the first federal law to protect the rights of people with disabilities, laying the groundwork for the ADA.
• The non-discrimination requirements of the law apply to employers and organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Departments of Education.
• It applies to schools today in the US, which means children can get accommodations plans under the mandate of Section 504.

Limitations of the ACA

• It applies to federally regulated sectors only (ADA encompasses all sectors).
• Law is broad and enforcement is a gradual process.
• It is still very new and under development.
• Offers less comprehensive, enforceable protections than the ADA, particularly to private sector entities not under federal jurisdiction.

Crip Camp (Documentary)

• The documentary film is about a group of campers at a camp called “Camp Jened”.
• The camp offered a space free from the discrimination the summer campers encountered elsewhere, and the opportunity to engage in activities like storytelling, self-governance, mutual caretaking, and friendships.
• The second half of the film follows former campers in their adult lives as they become parents, spouses, professionals, and disability rights activists during a crucial historic moment for disability legislation.

Explore the history and impact of the Disability Rights Movement in Canada. Learn about key milestones such as the inclusion of disability in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and provincial legislation like the Ontario with Disabilities Act (ODA). Discover how returning soldiers, non-profit organizations, and deinstitutionalization influenced disability rights.