May 28 to June 3 marks National AccessAbility Week, a week which aims to celebrate and promote the inclusion and accessibility of all Canadians. We wanted to use today’s post to highlight some important resources and organizations that may help you when providing legal reference to those with accessibility needs.
Legislation
The Accessible British Columbia Act aims to make BC more inclusive for people with disabilities by creating rules to make government and organizations more accessible. You can find a plain language summary of the Act on the BC Government website. They have also provided an overview of the legislation in ASL and a list of Frequently Asked Questions for organizations affected by the Act.
The rights of people with disabilities are also protected by the BC Human Rights Code, which states that no one can be treated unfairly due to their identity, including physical or mental disability. This primer from People’s Law School contains a good overview of how the law works in a variety of settings (work, housing, etc.) and the first steps a person can take to address discrimination. One option may be to file a complaint at the BC Human Rights Tribunal. The BC Government has also put together a fact sheet regarding making human rights complaints about discrimination against people with physical or mental disabilities. People’s Law School also has a page which walks through the steps of Making a human rights complaint.
Benefits
There are a variety of benefits available to support people with disabilities in Canada; some are distributed by the federal government and others by the provincial government. If you are helping someone to learn more about available benefits, you can try the Benefit Finder created by the Government of Canada. This Finder allows people to enter some basic information which it uses to provide a list of benefits they may be eligible for.
If you are helping someone looking to apply for benefits, Clicklaw can be a great place to start. For example, the Clicklaw common question I want to find out about getting BC disability benefits links to a number of resources that can help patrons apply, including guides and sample application forms.
Organizations that can help:
Disability Alliance BC is a non-profit that aims to support all people with disabilities to live with dignity, independence, and as equal and full participants in the community. They offer many different services including:
- The Advocacy Access Program which provides one on one assistance with provincial and federal income supports/benefits
- The Disability Law Clinic provides free legal advice and representation to people with disabilities dealing with human rights violations or discrimination.
- Tax AID DABC which helps people with disabilities living on low incomes file their taxes and navigate tax issues
- Access RDSP programs which help people with disabilities access the Disability Tax Credit and open a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).
BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS) is an Indigenous non-profit that serves the disability, health resource, and support service needs of Indigenous peoples across the country. They provide many services to eligible individuals, families, and organizations both within Indigenous communities and in urban or rural centres. Services include RDSP Navigators who work with Indigenous individuals and families living with disabilities to help them enroll in the RDSP and provide support after enrollment as needed. They also assist people in obtaining necessary medical information and assistance in completing PWD applications.
Plan Institute is a national non-profit based in Vancouver that supports people with disabilities and their families. They provide educational materials, resources, and participate in community-based projects. Their Learning Centre includes links to regularly run webinars and workshops (note the workshop does have a fee to attend), as well as resources and publications on many aspects of disability. Check out their Disability Benefits Compass to learn more about the key disability benefits in Canada. They also operate the Disability Planning Helpline which can help people learn more about the Disability Tax Credit, government benefit programs, and more.
The BC Human Rights Clinic provides free legal assistance to people with human rights complaints in BC. The clinic provides a variety of services including a phone inquiry line, a short service clinic with 30-minute appointments, summary legal advice, and legal representation. Their website also includes information pages that can be helpful to those looking to learn more about going before the BC Human Rights Tribunal, including determining if they have a complaint and the overall process.
You can see Clicklaw HelpMap for a larger list of services and to search for local services.