Exceptional Measures are no Solution to Disability Issues
By Judith Snow
In last Monday's Speech from the Throne, our new Prime Minister set out an impressive roster of objectives for his government and our country. They encompassed all the values that are central to our Canadian identity: strong social foundations, peace, and dignity and opportunity for all.
As the Program Coordinator for Open A Door, an initiative of Family Service Association of Toronto that assists people with intellectual disabilities, I listened to Mr. Martin's words with keen interest. Creating opportunities for Canadians with disabilities was one the key priorities in the Prime Minister's address, and I applaud him for recognizing the importance of this issue - not just for individuals with disabilities, but for all who believe in the values outlined above.
If this federal government acts upon its commitment, Canada may realize the vision set out in the 1998 report In Unison - a joint initiative of federal, provincial and territorial governments in collaboration with persons with disabilities and disability advocates. In Unison recognized that in order to bring about full citizenship for persons with disabilities, changes in such areas as legislation, regulatory and policy reform, enhanced accessibility of information, transportation, communication and others would be required.
Put in those terms, the task seems daunting, but placed under a different light, the need for and the means of achieving it become clear. Building a Canadian society that offers fair opportunities for all its inhabitants, including those with disabilities, will not be achieved through specialty programs. In fact, the key to realizing the full participation of people with disabilities is through eliminating the segregation we experience "for our own good." The Federal government needs to step back from the notion of "disability" and focus instead on applying an "access and inclusion" lens to all the other priorities outlined in the Speech from the Throne.
Governments have grappled with the meaning of equality in the context of disability for many years. But the answer is simple. People with disabilities are citizens. All privileges and rights that apply to citizens of Canada should absolutely apply to individuals who are differently abled, whether intellectually, mentally or physically. Access and inclusion must become critical considerations for every government initiative and body if Canadians are to share in the benefits of the contributions of people with disabilities in our society.
As Mr. Martin pointed out, many Canadians with disabilities are ready to contribute but confront difficult obstacles in their communities and workplaces. As a result, these individuals are pushed to the margins of society and denied the right to self-determination, to developing skills and, ultimately, to living with dignity.
The Government of Canada is best positioned to play a role in pulling people with disabilities back from the edges of society and into productive lives by acknowledging that people with disabilities cross all ages, races and skill levels.
In his Throne Speech, Mr. Martin asserts that every child should get the best possible start in life and that we should protect their freedom to grow in mind and in body. Children with disabilities, however, are often not adequately served by the education system. Upon entering school, a child with a perceived intellectual disability is placed in an early intervention program, which can lead to a segregated track throughout their elementary and secondary schooling. While their peers head off to college, they remain in school until 21, after which they might be placed in recreational support or, if they are "lucky", moved to a group home. Integration and inclusive schooling can enable a child who is labeled disabled at a young age to go on to college or a skills program and become a much more productive citizen, and reliant on fewer social service aids throughout life.
Cultural bias also plays a role in the options offered to children with disabilities. Non-white children are more likely to be identified as having a disability and to be offered only highly-segregated options, if any. Strengthening our social foundations is a key priority for the Liberal government, and Mr. Martin notes openness to immigrants and refugees and abhorrence of racism as fundamental tenets of this mandate. If embracing multiculturalism is part of the fabric of our Canadian identity, then we must act to break down the cultural biases experienced by those with disabilities as part of this principle.
Virtually every aspect of Federal government activity touches on Canadians with physical disabilities, even Mr. Martin’s international commitments to making the world more secure, peaceful and co-operative. Many Canadians with disabilities come from war-torn countries where they sustained physical injuries. Our efforts to eradicate the dangers in other countries have a ripple effect within our borders for these individuals.
It is time, under this new leader and renewed mandate, to ensure that people with disabilities are at the decision-making table. Planning for better communities, better transportation, addressing poverty and advancing technology—all commitments made by Mr. Martin on Monday—should include consultations with differently abled individuals at the earliest stages. This may not always be easy as communication difficulties can be one form of disability. The process, however, will be enriched by our involvement and only then will the barriers to our inclusion be brought down.
Rather than thinking of people with disabilities as a separate category of people and as an isolated issue to be addressed, consider us as we really are: productive members of every walk of Canadian life.
The groundwork was already laid with In Unison six years ago. The vision then, as it should be now, was for a new approach to people with disabilities: as participants, not recipients; a person-centred approach, rather than program-centred; sharing responsibility, not the responsibility of government; moving from dependence to independence; and not 'unemployable' but identifying work skills.
Individualized programs like Open A Door are demonstrating the ability of people with disabilities to be productive, fully-contributing members of society. The success of individuals in these contexts is just a small indication of the possible benefits to all Canadians if politicians and people with disabilities collaborate to move us from the margins to full integration.
Judith Snow is an advocate for Inclusion and Program Coordinator of Family Service Association of Toronto's Open A Door program.
