1. INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A
DISABILITY SEEN AND
TREATED AS SECOND CLASS
CITIZENS IN CANADA
By: Victoria Snow
Contemporary Social Issues
Emily Brent
Thursday, April 3, 2014.
2. WHAT IS A DISABILITY?
The Human Rights Code defines it as
“because of disability” means for the reason that the person has or has had,
or is believed to have or have had,
1. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement
that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a
brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-
ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing
impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a
guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial
appliance or device
2. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability
3. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes
involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language
4. a mental disorder
5. or an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received
under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and
Insurance Act, 1997
3. HISTORY BEHIND THE TREATMENT OF
INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY
In 1839, the Ontario
government passed "An Act
to Authorise the Erection of
an Asylum within this
Province for the Reception of
Insane and Lunatic Persons."
1876 The Government of
Ontario opened its first
institution for people with a
developmental disability just
outside of Orillia on the
shores of Lake Simcoe. By
1968, at the height of its
operations, the facility had
2,600 residents. It was called
the ‘Orillia Asylum for Idiots’.
(Ontario Ministry of Community
and Social Services, n.d.)
4. HISTORY CON’T
1928 about 2,832 adults and children
were sterilized in Alberta between the
passing of the Sexual Sterilization Act
in 1928 and its repeal in 1972. This Act
gave the Alberta Eugenics Board the
right to make decisions to sterilize
people living in government-run
institutions without their consent and
without their knowledge of what was
happening.
Early 1960’s Ontario Human Rights
Code was passed. It prohibited
discrimination in employment, housing,
and access to services and facilities
on grounds such as race and religion,
but not against people with disabilities.
(Region of Waterloo, n.d.)
Institution dorms
Unmarked graves at HRC
5. HOW DO LABELS AND DEFINITIONS EFFECT
HOW WE THINK OF SOMEONE?
These were all words used to describe
a person whose IQ was below 70.
Idiots- 0 and 25
Imbeciles- 26 and 50
Morons- 51 and 70
Individuals with Down Syndrome
were referred to as Mongolian
Idiots
When you think of these words do
positive or negative thoughts come
to mind?
Now if you were to refer to someone
with a disability, person centered
words should be used
Use the individuals name when
referring to them don’t just say their
disability
An individual with…
An individual in a wheelchair
A person who has autism
When you use person first
language it puts the person first not
the disability.
Past Future
6. WHY IS THIS A SOCIAL PROBLEM?
A social problem is “a social condition that a segment of society views as
harmful to members of society and in need of remedy” (Holmes, Knox,
Mooney & Schacht, 2013) “Social conditions are not considered social
problems until a segment of society believes that the condition diminishes
the quality of human life”
Individuals who have a disability have been treated different in
society throughout history and into the present. They are given less
opportunities to be contributing members of society, are likely to
face discrimination, poverty, abuse and to be treated differently in
communities and society as a whole.
8. SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“ for those whose primary source of income comes in the form of a
disability pension, monthly rent alone would consume between 82
and 98 percent of income in three Canadian cities sampled: Ottawa,
Vancouver and Halifax” (Holmes, Knox, Mooney & Schacht, 2013)
“A Thornhill couple is advised by provincial officials to leave their 19-
year-old autistic son, who wears diapers, at a homeless shelter if
they can’t look after him.
A family in Haliburton says they “hope and pray” their two daughters
won’t have to care for their 21-year-old autistic brother, who functions
at a Grade 2 level, once the parents can no longer do it themselves.
And a distraught Whitby father, whose 21-year-old autistic son
smashes dishes and damages parked cars in fits of anger, says he
can’t find a program that can handle him.” (Monsebraaten, 2012)
9. According to Labeling Theory
“resolving social problems sometimes involves
changing the meanings and definitions attributed to
people and situations”
(Holmes, Knox, Mooney & Schacht, 2013)
HOW WILL WE CREATE A SOLUTION TO
THIS SOCIAL PROBLEM?
1. As simple as it sounds, we need to redefine
what disability means in our society and
reconstruct a positive meaning to the word. If
we had a positive outlook on individuals who
had a disability imagine how different our world
would be
10. SOLUTIONS
“Regardless of whether a disability is evident or non-evident, a
great deal of discrimination faced by persons with disabilities
is underpinned by social constructs of “normality” which in turn
tend to reinforce obstacles to integration rather than
encourage ways to ensure full participation”
(Ontario Human Rights Code, n.d.)
11. SOLUTIONS
Recipients
Passive income support
Dependence
Government responsibility
Labelled as unemployable
Disincentives to leave income
assistance
Insufficient employment supports
Program-centred approach
Non- accessible
Participants
Active measures to promote
employment and provide income
support
Independence
Shared responsibility
Work skills identified
Incentives to seek employment
and support volunteering
Opportunities to develop skills
Person-centred approach
Accessibility
Past and Present Future
12. SOLUTIONS
2. Changes within the system
• Incentives to work
• Better job opportunities and support
programs
• ODSP above the poverty line
• Better housing options
• More adult programs
• More funding
• less waiting lists and paperwork for
families
• Early intervention
• Better school supports
• More choices, options and allowing
individuals voices to be heard
13. SOLUTIONS
3. Create Awareness
Five people with physical disabilities had storefront
mannequins cast of their bodies to promote awareness
of disability worldwide.
A video about how hiring someone who has a disability
doesn’t hurt your company or your profits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAHa3q4Mip0
14. SOLUTIONS
What can you do on a personal
level?
• Get to know someone who has a
disability
• Use person centered language
• Volunteer with an organization who
supports individuals who have a
disability
• Question your own thoughts and
attitudes towards individuals who have
a disability
• Say or do something if you see
discrimination
• Support inclusion in your community!
15. ONE STEP FORWARD FOR THE WAY
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WERE
TREATED
“The province recently settled class-action lawsuits with
survivors of Rideau Regional Centre in Smiths Falls and of
Southwestern Regional Centre in Chatham-Kent. The
settlements come on the heels of a major victory by former
residents of Huronia Regional Centre, the largest and oldest
institution of its kind in the province. Collectively the three
lawsuits are worth about $68 million” (Alamenciak, 2013).
Full article :
http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/2013/12/26/institutional
_abuse_survivors_await_apologies_from_province.html
16. THE FREEDOM TOUR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13y4BI0Lets
This is a link to a really insightful
documentary trailer about how
institutional living was for individuals
with disabilities. The documentary is
really worth watching to educate
yourself on how our society and the
government has treated individuals
who have a disability. Even though
institutions in Canada are now closed
we still have a long way to go to before
we reach equality and full community
inclusion.
17. REFERENCES
Alamenciak, T. (2013, December 26.). Institutional abuse survivors await apologies from province. The
Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/2013/12/26/
institutional_abuse_survivors_await_apologies_from_province.html
Holmes, M., Knox, D., Mooney, L. & Schacht, C. (2013). Understanding social problems (Custom
ed.). Toronto, ON: Nelson
Monsebraaten, L. (2012, November 16). The autism project: Teens with autism face uncertain fate. The
Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2012/11/16/the_
autism_project_teens_with_autism_face_uncertain_fate.html
Ontario Human Rights Code. (n.d.). What is disability? Retrieved from http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy
and-guidelines-disability-and-duty-accommodate/2-what-disability
Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. (n.d.). The first Institution. Retrieved from
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/dshistory/firstInstitution/index.aspx
Region of Waterloo. (n.d.). Historical timeline for people with disabilities. Retrieved from http://region
ofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalGovernment/resources/DOCS_ADMIN-1292073-v1-
Historical_Timeline_for_People_with_Disabilities.pdf
