The idea for the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance came from collaborating on a book with many of Canada’s leading disability researchers. “We enjoyed working together so much”, says Dr Mary Ann McColl of Queen’s University, “that we began to ask ourselves how we could carry the partnership on into the future.” Disability and Social Policy in Canada, by Dr. Mary… Read more »
As part of the three year evaluation mandated by the Canada Disability Savings Act (2007), Dr. Mary Ann McColl and Project Manager Mike Schaub were contracted by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to conduct a review of international literature related to savings incentive programs for families and individuals with disabilities. The review surveyed literature from 2006 onward to discover: What the… Read more »
2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms into law by Queen Elizabeth II. As part of the Constitution Act 1982, the Charter replaced the earlier Canadian Bill of Rights (1960) and gave the judiciary greater powers to challenge laws in every jurisdiction of Canada. One of those provisions was that Canadians could… Read more »
The past 30 years has seen significant movement forward by the federal government to identify disability issues as a priority. Yet despite these efforts, prominent disability policy scholars point out that there is still much work to be done in ensuring the full inclusion of people with disabilities in Canada. This paper marshals current, historical, domestic and international data to answer three… Read more »
A report by Dr Alice Aiken and Amy Buitenhuis of Queen’s University explored the social and physical welfare of veterans living with disability, compared to previous generations of veterans. Until 2006, the Pension Act (1985) determined financial benefit eligibility of veterans with disabilities. The benefits consisted of a number of monthly pensions and allowances. In 2006, the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans… Read more »
Disability policy is perceived by people with disabilities as being impenetrable and unnecessarily complex, with little in the way of a coherent underlying ideology or policy framework. We use the term “disability policy” as if it referred to an entity that was widely recognized and acknowledged as such. The reality however is quite different. Policies designed to serve the needs of people with disabilities… Read more »
