CPA Ontario

Do you know you have certain rights as a person with a disability?

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equal protection and benefit of the law to people with disabilities.
• Under the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is illegal for anyone under its jurisdiction (government departments and Crown corporations, for example) to discriminate against someone with a disability.
• Under the Ontario Human Rights Act, all public buildings and services in the province must be accessible to people with disabilities.
• The province’s new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act means new standards of accessibility in both the public and private sector. These standards are still being developed, however, and won’t be fully implemented until 2025.

• Remember your body language. Maintain eye contact and body posture. Show that you feel good about yourself!
• Stay calm. Don’t fly off the handle when a service or individual discriminates against you. You’ll get better results if you’re cool and confident.
• Don’t use negative language when you’re talking about disability. Don’t say that you’re “confined to a wheelchair” or that you “suffer from a spinal cord injury.” Say instead that you use a wheelchair, or that you have a spinal cord injury.
• Take notes. If someone sees you’re writing down what they’re saying, they’re more likely to be careful – which means they’re more likely to be fair.
• Send a letter. If you’re not seeing any action, put it in writing for the service provider or business owner. Or consider raising awareness by writing an article for your local newspaper or club newsletter.
• Propose solutions. Do more than just complain about the problem. Explain what can be done to fix it to your satisfaction. Remember, you’re probably more of an expert on accessibility than they are.