Disability Rights Coalition’s submissions to the Expert Monitor
Here is a redacted copy of the DRC’s submissions to the Expert Monitor concerning the Province’s compliance with the Annual Report.
Province Fails to Properly Implement the Human Rights Remedy in Year 1
The Disability Rights Coalition is expressing profound disappointment with the Province’s progress in implementing a Human Rights Board of Inquiry Order to Remedy the systemic discrimination against persons with disabilities in Nova Scotia.
CBC: Disability rights group ‘severely disappointed’ after province misses deadline
Landmark agreement intended to end practice of housing people with disabilities in large institutions [Vicky Levack, spokesperson for the Disability Rights Coalition of Nova Scotia – photo: Paul Vienneau]
Remedy question in NS Legislature
As Year 1 of the Human Rights Remedy ended on March 31, 2024, here’s a two-minute exchange in the Nova Scotia legislature from March 27th about whether the Province was actually going to carry out its legal obligation to adopt a DSP Policy—by March 31, 2024
Year 1 of the Remedy
As Year 1 of the Remedy is very nearly complete, the DRC wants everyone to recall what exactly the Province has agreed to do by March 31st. Here you’ll have the complete list of obligations which are supposed to have been completed. We have highlighted several – the Province’s progress on these outcomes should be evident in communities across the Province.
Experts’ Report: Human Rights Review and Remedy
The DRC is today releasing the Expert Report that formed the foundation of its Interim Settlement Agreement with the Province and the NS Human Rights Commission. In the wake of the landmark October 2021 NS Court of Appeal ruling finding systemic discrimination by the Province against persons with disabilities, the DRC and the Province agreed to obtain independent expert advice as to how the systemic discrimination identified by the Court of Appeal in its provision of supports and services could be resolved in a human rights compliant way. Here’s their Expert Report along with a five-page plain language Summary.
NS Budget Provisions for Those on Social Assistance
The NS Provincial Budget (March 23, 2023) impacts the Nova Scotia government benefits available for people in receipt of social assistance.
Systemic Human Rights Remedy reviewers release update
January 2023: Eddie Bartnik and Tim Stainton, independent reviewers, release an update on their work towards a systemic human rights remedy to end the discrimination against persons with disabilities as found by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
CBC: More than 1 in 5 residents in long-term care given antipsychotics without diagnosis
“When we see an excessive amount of prescribing for antipsychotics, where there’s no clinical reason or disease state to be prescribing it, that would be a flag,” (photo: Shane Hennessey)
Road to Inclusion by 2023
In 2013, the current government committed to closing institutions and providing community-based living supports for all persons with disabilities within 10 years—by the end of 2023. It was all set out in the Roadmap—a plan to community inclusion drafted jointly by the Province and disability rights advocates, and endorsed by then Premier Stephen McNeil and his government.