Articles about ‘disability’

“Canadians Should not be Provided Public Support to Kill Themselves”

• September 2, 2014
• BakerLaw
• Comments Off on “Canadians Should not be Provided Public Support to Kill Themselves”

Toronto, ON, August 29, 2014 —  “It’s not worse than death, and people who are mislead into believing it will be should not be offered public support to kill themselves”, say two leading disability rights organizations who will be opposing attempts to strike down statutory provisions designed to prevent counselling or assisting anyone, disabled or not, to die. » Read the rest

Recent Improvements in Accessibility of VIA Rail Services

• August 27, 2014
• BakerLaw
• Comments Off on Recent Improvements in Accessibility of VIA Rail Services

Last week, VIA Rail announced the new accessible cabin for two on its Canadian train between Toronto and Vancouver (link to article). VIA Rail announced that the cabin was designed following extensive research of accessibility requirements within the transportation industry. » Read the rest

Communications and Disability Rights: How Litigation before the CRTC Can Make a Difference

• August 11, 2014
• BakerLaw
• Comments Off on Communications and Disability Rights: How Litigation before the CRTC Can Make a Difference

Legal Activism Can Create Social: The Role of Disability Advocacy in the Information ‘Revolution’

This summer, Bakerlaw is pleased to host Julia Munk, Osgoode Hall Law School’s 2014 Kreppner Plater Fellowship winner. Julia is researching how effective advocacy before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) can make gains for the rights of persons with disabilities generally. » Read the rest

Charter Challenge to Canada Student Loan Program

• July 31, 2014
• David Baker
• Comments Off on Charter Challenge to Canada Student Loan Program

This week the Toronto Star published the column “Deaf-blind woman tests Canada’s equality guarantee” (link to article). The column outlines the plight of Jasmin Simpson, who is blind and deaf and who graduated with 60% more student debt due to the increased time it took her to complete her B.S.W. » Read the rest

Communications and Disability Rights: How Litigation before the CRTC Can Make a Difference

• July 29, 2014
• David Baker
• Comments Off on Communications and Disability Rights: How Litigation before the CRTC Can Make a Difference

From The Silent Film to YouTube

This summer, Bakerlaw is pleased to host Julia Munk, Osgoode Hall Law School’s 2014 Kreppner Plater Fellowship winner. Julia is researching how effective advocacy before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) can make gains for the rights of persons with disabilities generally. » Read the rest

Student Loans a Major Source of Discrimination Against Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities

• July 16, 2014
• BakerLaw
• Comments Off on Student Loans a Major Source of Discrimination Against Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities

Toronto, ON, July 16, 2014 – Students with disabilities have significantly higher costs when attending post-secondary colleges and universities.  What is less well understood is that many students with disabilities are also burdened with significantly higher student debt to repay after leaving school. » Read the rest

Environmental Issues and Disability Rights

• July 9, 2014
• BakerLaw
• Comments Off on Environmental Issues and Disability Rights

Toronto, ON, July 9, 2014 – Noise and chemicals are two ways in which our public and private institutions have been endangering the health of workers, residents and travelers.

bakerlaw was counsel to the West Toronto Diamond Community Group (WTDCG) in their successful efforts to stop Metrolinx’s use of high impact pile drivers in their assault on the low income residents of the Junction area of Toronto. » Read the rest

Human Rights Commission Releases Policy on Mental Illness and Addiction-based Discrimination

• June 19, 2014
• BakerLaw
• Comments Off on Human Rights Commission Releases Policy on Mental Illness and Addiction-based Discrimination

This week, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released its new “Policy on preventing discrimination based on mental health disabilities and addictions” (link to policy).  This much-needed policy will shed light on how to recognize the existence of a mental health disability and addiction, and a corresponding duty to accommodate, as well as the process of accommodation itself in these cases.   » Read the rest

Canada’s Immigration System Continues to Discriminate Against People with Disabilities

• October 18, 2013
• David Baker
• Comments Off on Canada’s Immigration System Continues to Discriminate Against People with Disabilities

Toronto, ON, October 18, 2013 – Historically, Canada’s immigration system was riddled with discriminatory provisions, excluding immigrants who were female, gay or lesbian, were from non-European countries, or were non-Christian based on negative stereotypes about those groups.  While the system has been reformed to remove many of these discriminatory barriers, it continues to exclude people with disabilities who are deemed likely to place an “excessive demand” on health and social services.  » Read the rest

Federal Court of Appeal orders that Canada become international leader in website accessibility in Jodhan case

• February 1, 2013
• David Baker
• Comments Off on Federal Court of Appeal orders that Canada become international leader in website accessibility in Jodhan case

Read the full decision here.