This Chapter includes the complete text of the LCO’s Framework for the Law as It Affects Persons with Disabilities. The Framework is the culmination of this project, and brings together the concepts and issues discussed in the first three Chapters of this Final Report into a practical evaluative document. Its application is explored in Chapter V of this Final Report. The Framework is an integral part of this Final Report. However, it also exists as a separate text, available in hard copy and on the LCO’s website. For this reason, it is formatted and cross-referenced as a standalone document, rather than as another Chapter of this document.
INTRODUCING THE FRAMEWORK
1. Using the Framework
This Framework is based on the legal foundations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter), the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code), the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and international documents which have been ratified by Canada, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It also draws on key policy documents such as the federal government’s In Unison: Advancing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It therefore has its roots in the legal obligations and policy commitments that bind governments. It does not replace any of these documents, but is intended to build on these foundations and provide the basis for the further development of the law as it affects persons with disabilities. The LCO recognizes that this is an evolving area of the law, and this project is not intended as a final word on the subject but as a contribution to ongoing research, analysis and debate.
The Framework is intended to guide the development and evaluation of laws, policies and practices to ensure that the realities of the circumstances and experiences of persons with disabilities are taken into account, and that laws, policies and practices promote positive outcomes for these members of society to the greatest degree possible, while acknowledging the constraints that may be faced by governments and other actors. It is composed of principles and factors to take into account in applying the principles, and uses a step-by-step approach. It has been developed for use by
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Policy-makers, courts and legislators;
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Advocacy organizations and community groups that work with persons with disabilities and/or deal with issues that affect them; and
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Public or private actors that develop or administer policies or practices that may affect persons with disabilities.
Those who develop or review laws, policies or practices have an important responsibility to be informed about issues related to the experience of disability, to be aware of their own attitudes related to disability, and to commit to continuous learning. The Framework can be an important tool for improving law, policy and practice as they relate to persons with disabilities, but its effectiveness will be influenced by the knowledge and attitudes of the users.
Throughout the Framework, we have linked to other project documents which form the basis of or provide context for the Framework, all of which are available on the LCO website.
This Framework is intended to be applicable across all laws and policies, including both those that are specifically targeted to persons with disabilities and those that will affect persons with disabilities as part of the general population. As it is general in this sense, some may find it helpful to adapt it to their own particular area of law or policy. It should be noted that, given the breadth and diversity of the law as it affects persons with disabilities, not all sections of the Framework will be relevant for every law, policy or practice. Further, as the process of developing new laws, policies and practices differs from that of evaluating existing ones, the Framework will apply differently in those two situations.
It is not the purpose of this Framework to point to simple, definitive answers to all of the difficult issues that may arise in developing laws, policies and practices that may affect persons with disabilities. The law and the circumstances of persons with disabilities are extensive and diverse. The nature of disability and our understanding of it are constantly evolving. Rather, the Framework is intended to ensure that law and policy-makers:
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Consider and apply a consistent set of principles in developing laws, policies and practices that may affect persons with disabilities;
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Ensure that potential barriers and sources of ableism in laws, policies and practices are identified and addressed; and
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Take into account key aspects of the relationships of persons with disabilities with the law.
There may be circumstances where the user is not sure how to answer a particular question. In such cases, it may be helpful to refer to the full Report that accompanies this Framework for more information about context or application. It may also be the case that further research or consultation would be helpful in addressing the question.
2. Definitions
“The Law”: The term “law” as it is used for this project includes both statutes and regulations. It also includes the policies through which statutes and regulations are applied, and the strategies and practices through which statutory provisions, regulations and policies are implemented. The implementation of laws is as important as their substance. Laws may be beneficial in intention and on paper, but in practice fall short of their goals or even have negative effects. Whenever the term “law” is used in this Framework, it is used in this broad sense.
“Disability”: No single definition of “disability” can fully capture experiences of persons with disabilities. Definitions of disability must recognize the complexity that results from the interaction of an individual with his or her environment. For example, the particular context in which the term is raised – such as employment or housing – will matter, as well as the way in which stereotyping affects the perception of an impairment. Definitions must relate to particular contexts and purposes, and a definition that is of assistance in considering one aspect of the experience of disability may not be illuminating in another.
The LCO has taken a broad approach to the definition of disability, including both the experience of socially constructed (environmental) barriers and the embodied aspects of the experience of disability. For the purposes of this Framework, the term “disability” includes persons with perm