Nova Scotia Disability Rights are Human Rights
We won! Or did we?
After a legal battle that has been raging since 2014, as well as decades before that, we finally got the judiciary to admit that there is systemic discrimination against people with disabilities when it comes to accessing services that are freely available to the able-bodied.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2021: The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal (NSCA) released its ruling today which overturned a human rights board of inquiry decision and made a finding of systemic discrimination against the Province based on its treatment of persons with disabilities in need of supports and services to live in community.
It’s systemic discrimination, plain and simple. So said the highest court in the province this week in a detailed 113-page ruling that’s a victory for people with intellectual disabilities, their families and their advocates.
Saltwire, Dulcie McCallum: Will the landmark decision from the Court of Appeal herald a new beginning for people with disabilities in Nova Scotia?
Toronto Star- A Nova Scotia advocacy group for people with disabilities says its landmark court victory is an opportunity to compel reforms and funding that will improve their lives after decades of mistreatment.
In a landmark decision this week, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal found that there is systemic discrimination against people with disabilities in this province, which prevents them from living and participating in the community. Claire McNeil is a lawyer for the Disability Rights Coalition. Aired: Oct. 8, 2021
“I just don’t think anybody should have to take their government to court to get their government to do the right thing,” Premier Tim Houston told a news conference on Thursday.
“We’ve heard the message loud and clear.”
The pages below will introduce you to the recent Human Rights Case in Nova Scotia:
The case is a legal discrimination complaint about the Province’s failure to treat people with disabilities in a way that ensures that all persons with disabilities are supported to live in community.
This is the documentary The Freedom Tour of Nova Scotia (1:11 hours)
As of July 2021, you can write to the Premier and your other representatives about The Road to Inclusion and Equality for People with Disabilities using the template provided.