A great number of the major changes that have taken place in Canada over the last fifty years concerning persons with disabilities are due to citizen mobilizations and to pressure applied by community organizations, research scientists and other actors of civil society. In a more or less concerted manner, this social movement – the movement of persons with disabilities – has progressively taken shape, throwing light on its issues and urging governments to adopt public policies in line with the new values and the ideas defended by the movement, a reflection of rapid social change.
Certain groups have become major players in the public sphere and their input is deemed invaluable when it comes to shaping public policies. They use institutional channels to make their voice heard and make regular appearances in the media. Others, on the contrary, have adopted a much more oppositional stance, developing very different tools to defend the cause of persons with disabilities and denouncing government (in)action. [1]
On December 9, 1975, the United Nations issued the The Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons, a document presenting the fundamental rights of handicapped persons and urging member states to enact laws and initiatives to protect those rights.
In 1978, after the adoption of a provincial law promoting workplace and social integration of persons with disabilities, the Government of Québec created the Office des personnes handicapées (OPHQ).The United Nations’ International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP), celebrated in 1981, marks a major turning point in the struggle for the rights of handicapped persons in Canada. The IYDP and the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992) generated unprecedented interest among the public and Canadian government policymakers for the rights offered to persons with disabilities.
In 1982, COPHAN is born.
In 1986, persons with disabilities are included, along with women, visible minorities, and indigenous peoples, in the new Employment Equity Act, which stems from the Report of the Royal Commission on the subject.
New organizations, such as the ARCH Disability Law Centre, are created to provide legal services to persons with disabilities, using, in particular, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to establish favourable jurisprudence and to advance cases before the Supreme Court of Canada.
In Ontario, groups defending the rights of persons with disabilities hail the adoption of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in 2005. The AODA aims to make Ontario accessible by 2025 by establishing accessibility standards, by requiring governments and organizations to submit compliance reports and by investigating public complaints.
The 21st century marks a revival in public and political interest for the handicapped persons movement. On March 11, 2010, Canada ratifies the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, thus committing itself to adopting measures and principles to improve the socioeconomic conditions of handicapped persons. In 2014, Canada submits its first report to the Convention committee, describing the initiatives taken by the federal and provincial governments after ratification.
What about Québec?
The Province of Québec lags behind and lacks ambition. Its Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration lacks the strength of the Ontario law. It is currently under revision. It is our hope that the À part… entière policy also will undergo extensive revision. Québec should adopt an Accessibility Act comparable to that of Ontario, including standards, inspections and sanctions, where applicable, and transform the OPHQ into an institution charged with ensuring compliance.
Thus, the Québec movement of persons with disabilities must continue to develop various strategies and to work in concert to improve the living conditions of handicapped persons.
[1] Taken from Mouvement des droits des personnes handicapées au Canada | l’Encyclopédie Canadienne