Actual Abilities of Witnesses Matter; Not Stereotypes
- November 13, 2020
- Anoop Kalsi
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In the November 6, 2020 decision of R. v. Slatter, 2020 SCC 36 (link), the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) confirmed that it is the actual ability of witnesses to recall and recount events that matter most when assessing credibility; this is the case whether the witness has a disability or not. » Read the rest
CRTC mandates standard for quality, accessibility and functionality to message relay services
- March 14, 2019
- Anoop Kalsi
- Comments Off on CRTC mandates standard for quality, accessibility and functionality to message relay services
On December 14, 2018, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) took steps to improve the quality and access to message relay services.
These services enable Canadians with a hearing or speech disability to make and receive telephone calls using text with the assistance of a relay operator. » Read the rest
Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is offering a free online course, by and for individuals, who have communication disabilities
- May 10, 2018
- BakerLaw
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Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is offering a free online course, by and for individuals, who have communication disabilities, on ways to direct people to assist them communicating in their communities. This course is for people who:
- have a communication disability (not caused primarily by hearing loss)
- want a person to assist them communicating in certain situations
- are over 16 years of age
- communicate using unclear speech, picture, symbol, letter board or communication device
The course is also open to people who want to support an individual to take this course. » Read the rest
Liberals to scrap policy that rejects sick, disabled immigrants
- November 27, 2017
- BakerLaw
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“Canada is committed to ditching a policy that rejects immigrants because they’re sick or disabled and could be a drag on the health system, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen says.
Calling it an “important and sensitive” issue, Hussen said the government will look at all options to revamp the 40-year-old policy, which bars entry to applicants when they could be costly to public health or social service systems. » Read the rest
Canadian Transportation Agency rejects Via Rail’s efforts to limit wheelchair, mobility access on trains
- November 16, 2017
- BakerLaw
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Bakerlaw clients, Martin Anderson and Marie Murphy, continue their fight for increased capacity for mobility aids on Via Rail trains.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is rejecting Via Rail’s efforts to limit access on its trains for passengers using wheelchairs and other mobility aids. » Read the rest
New federal legislation promises support for caregivers of people with disabilities
- October 25, 2017
- BakerLaw
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The federal minister responsible for crafting Canada’s first national accessibility legislation, Kent Hehr, says the new law should be ready by Spring 2018, and should benefit not only people with disabilities, but their caregivers as well.
Read the full article, Canada’s first national accessibility law should be ready by next spring: Hehr, by Michelle McGuigge of the Canadian Press HERE (link). » Read the rest
Ontario family launches human rights complaint over access to therapy for son with autism
- October 16, 2017
- BakerLaw
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Bakerlaw attended the first two days of hearing at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on October 12-13, 2017 on behalf of the Skrt family, advocating for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for students with autism in publicly funded schools.
The Applicant’s Opening Statement is available here (link). » Read the rest
Barriers in the Digital Workplace
- August 3, 2017
- BakerLaw
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Bakerlaw recently posted a story about its client, a federal public servant who is fighting to remove barriers in the digital workplace. You can read more about that story here (link).
A similar story was recently published which further explains the challenges persons with disabilities face when struggling to navigate inaccessible technology. » Read the rest
VIA Rail Creates More Barriers in Fight of Greater Accessibility
- July 27, 2017
- BakerLaw
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Want an update on our clients’ continuing fight for greater accessibility on VIA Rail trains? Read this CBC, Canadian Press article here (link).
You can read our previous post on the continuing saga here (link).
Stay tuned for more updates; this case isn’t over yet . » Read the rest
Canada’s Transportation System Should be the Most Accessible in the World, says CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency
- June 19, 2017
- BakerLaw
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The Canadian Transportation Agency has been undergoing a major regulatory review, called the Regulatory Modernization Initiative, with the goal of improving all of its regulations. The is an opportunity to improve regulations regarding accessibility. Today, the CEO of the Agency, Scott Streiner, gave a speech outlining his vision to make Canada’s national transportation system the most accessible in the world. » Read the rest