The Disabilities Act in Canada
According to the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), 14.3 percent of Canadians report having a disability. Canadians with disabilities are more than twice as likely to live in poverty then other Canadians. The U.S., U.K., Australia, and the province of Ontario all have disability acts. However, there is no federal disability act in Canada. There are however, some recommendations and considerations that could lead to the passing of such legislation.
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History
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In 1981, CCD reports that the Canadian Parliament, through its Special Committee on the Disabled and the Handicapped, released a comprehensive report called Obstacle. Since then, there have been a milestones and reports written to address and improve life for people living with a disability and their families. The debate about disability legislation centers on whether it would remove barriers and improve the lives of people with disabilities. Results in other jurisdictions have been mixed.
Recommendations
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The Scott Task Force of 1996 was in favor of a limited disability act and recommended other structural changes that it believed would provide greater accountability with respect to the disability related initiatives of the Canadian government, CCD reports. It supported the idea of an Office of a Disabilities Commissioner. In 2005, the Conservative Party of Canada included in its election platform a national disability act; however, no formal proposal has been brought forward.
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Proposed Framework
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To encourage a focused policy discussion on framing a federal disability act, CCD advocates for a dialogue around several questions. First, what kind of federal disability act is possible at this time that will be of significant value to persons with disabilities? Would there be minimum requirements? Ultimately, the priority has to be supporting people with disabilities and poverty alleviation.
Jurisdiction
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According to CCD, many accessibility barriers fall under federal jurisdiction: banking machines that are not accessible to blind people; airports that rely on video screens for flight information; employment insurance offices that do not have accessible restrooms; television channels that lack captioning; federal government buildings and parks that are not accessible for persons with mobility disabilities; shipping industry regulations that discriminate against people with a mental illness; and post offices without visible fire alarm systems.
Purpose
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A disabilities act in Canada would have to promote and secure the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in all sectors of Canadian life through the promotion, education, support and planning as well as the establishment of regulatory mechanisms. Importantly, CCD believes that an act could be applied in a manner consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the country's Bill of Rights.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit old man holding his walking cane image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
