Your Rights

Knowing your rights and freedom is important to all citizens. Community Living Ontario advocates with people who have an intellectual disability and their families to ensure they have access to the same rights and freedoms of others.

People who have an intellectual disability experience almost five times more abuse than other people. When people know their rights, they are less likely to be abused.

The "It's a Matter of Rights" Steering Committee came together in 2003. They wrote the booklet called “It’s a Matter or Rights: a book about rights and how to stand up for them”. This booklet was created by 40 people, including people who have an intellectual disability, from across Ontario.

It’s a Matter of Rights is a booklet about the right:

to be safe
to have relationships
to privacy
to say “NO”
to make decisions
to respectful support
to grow
to self-advocacy
to risk
to access
to be proud of who I am
to dream

The booklet tells 12 stories about rights through pictures, words and voice. There is a CD which tells each story. You can read the book by itself or follow along with the CD. The CD and booklet package is available to purchase.

1 - 25 Books $10.00 each/25 Books for $100.00

For more information or to order the item above please contact:

Rozalyn Werner-Arce
Community Living Ontario
240 Duncan Mill Road, Suite 403
Toronto, Ontario M3B 3S6
416-447-4348, Ext. 235 or e-mail rwernerarce [at] communitylivingontario [dot] ca (Rozalyn Werner-Arce
)

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act , was made law in 2005. It is also known as the AODA.

This important law tells businesses and organizations they must provide access for people with disabilities in these areas:

Transportation
Customer Service
Information and Communication
Employment
Buildings and Outdoor Spaces

There are community committees around the province who identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.

The Accessibility Directorate of Ontario is a government group that provides:

Public education and training about accessibility
Tools and resources to help communities become more accessible
Increased public awareness about the importance of accessibility

For more information about the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act contact the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario:
Tel: 416-326-0207
Toll Free: 1-888-520-5828
TTY: 416-326-0148
Toll Free: 1-888-335-6611
Fax: 416-314-7307
E-mail: accessibility [at] css [dot] gov [dot] on [dot] ca
Website: www.mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english/pillars/accessibilityOntario

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a law that protects the human rights of every Canadian citizen.

The Charter says that every Canadian has these freedoms:

believing what you want about the world and religion (freedom of conscience and religion)
thinking and saying what you want – as long as it doesn’t promote hate towards a group of people (freedom of thought, belief and expression)
getting together in groups to peacefully support or protest something that is going on (freedom of peaceful assembly)
belonging to whatever groups and organizations you want (freedom of association and membership)

The Charter guarantees certain rights for every Canadian:

right to vote
right to life, liberty and security
right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment
right to equality

The Charter says all people are equal. It is against the Charter to discriminate against anyone based on:

race
colour of their skin
religion
sex
age
mental or physical disability

The Canadian Human Rights Commission is a group that ensures people are being treated equally. They hear complaints from people who have had their rights and freedoms restricted or abused.

What is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty. This new law gives more rights and freedoms to people around the world who have a disability. The treaty says countries that are part of the United Nations must promote, protect and ensure those rights. Canada signed this treaty so we are part of the new law.

Guiding Principles

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is guided by eight principles.

These are:

Freedom to make choices
Freedom to be independent
Freedom from discrimination
The right to full and effective participation and inclusion in society
Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities
Equal opportunity for everyone Accessibility
Respect for children with disabilities

Purpose

The purpose of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is to:

protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights
ensure fundamental freedoms by all persons who have a disability
promote respect for persons who have a disability

Highlights

This Convention will be of interest to people who have an intellectual disability and their families and staff. Some of the highlights are:

People who have a disability have the right to have support they need to ‘exercise their legal capacity’. This means that instead of others making decisions for them; people who have a disability have the right to get help to make their own decisions.
People who have a disability have the right to live independently, be included in the community, to choose where and with whom to live and to have access to supports they need.
Students who have a disability have the right to be included in classrooms with other students, and not be segregated.
People who have a disability can fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others.

The Convention replaces the ideas of barriers, welfare and charity with new rights and freedoms. Canada signed the convention with other countries in March 2007.

Freedom from Harm is a working group of Community Living Ontario. The group is concerned by the fact that a person who has an intellectual disability is more likely to be abused or harmed than a person who does not have a disability.

The group is focused on making sure that people who have an intellectual disability are safe from harm as they live their lives in the community. Advocates who have an intellectual disability have told the Association that this is one of the most important issues to be addressed.

It is important that people who have a disability get information that they need to live in the community, know their rights and live free of harm.

The working group has dealt with issues related to ensuring freedom from harm. Here are just a few of the things this group has done:

In 2002-3 the group responded the coroner’s inquest into the death of Stephanie Jobin who died at the age of 13 while being restrained in a group home. The inquest addressed concerns related to the issue of freedom from harm and the use of restraints.
The working group coordinated a provincial discussion at the Community Living Ontario Conference with Toronto Star journalist Kevin Donovan to consider the issues outlined in his series of articles on abuse of people within community support organizations in Ontario.
The working group has considered the need for a standard protocol for responding to reports of abuse by people who receive support.

The group has produced pamphlets to be sure that people who have a disability can live in the community, know their rights and live free of harm:

A talking book, It’s a Matter of Rights, was produced. The book is helpful to other groups of people as well.

Community Living Ontario

Supporting People Who Have an Intellectual Disability