As the Americans with Disabilities Act turns 25 years old, interest is again mounting for a Canadians with Disabilities Act. With a federal election scheduled for October 2015, a coalition called Barrier-Free Canada has reiterated the call. Several high-profile disability organizations, including several of our partners, have joined the movement. Recently, Andre Picard wrote in the Globe and Mail that Canada was overdue for such legislation. To read the article, click here.
There has been intermittent pressure over the past 30 years to develop federal legislation explicitly protecting the interests and rights of people with disabilities in Canada. Despite political promises, to date no progress has been made. The current federal government has been clear that it approaches disability issues in a different way – with specific economic tools aimed at enhancing the financial self-sufficiency of disabled Canadians. And yet the issue persists…
In 2010, the CDPA produced a discussion paper on the history of federal disability legislation in Canada, the role of the federal government in disability issues and programs, the experience of other countries (US, UK and Australia), and the case for and against a federal disability act. It is the single most widely-consulted page on our website, and still contains some ideas that may help to inform this debate.
To see the full discussion paper, Click here.