About ARCH

Mission Statement

ARCH Disability Law Centre is a province-wide specialty legal aid clinic dedicated to defending and advancing the equality-rights of people with disabilities.

In recognizing the dignity and worth of people with a variety of disabilities, ARCH promotes the full social justice of people with disabilities, and their realization of equal opportunities and full participation on an individual and systemic basis. To this end, ARCH proceeds on the premise that:

  • People with disabilities are confronted with unique legal challenges.
  • People with disabilities must have control over their own lives.
  • A cross-disability approach to advocacy issues is essential, but it is equally important to recognize and respect difference.
  • People with disabilities may also face disadvantage due to other reasons such as their gender, race, age, economic status and sexual orientation, compounding their experience of discrimination or exclusion.
  • Within available resources, ARCH undertakes (but is not limited to) the following:
  • ARCH identifies key legal disability issues and conducts test-case litigation.
  • ARCH monitors and responds to law and policy developments affecting people with disabilities.
  • ARCH provides summary advice and referral for individual people with disabilities.
  • ARCH provides education to the public and the legal profession on disability-related law.
  • ARCH maintains a range of publicly available publications and legal materials.
  • ARCH undertakes a variety of community development activities.

Values and Principles

ARCH is guided by the following set of core values:

  • The dignity and worth of all people with disabilities must be respected;
  • People with disabilities have the right to life, self-determination, and full participation in a society free from barriers to their inclusion and integration;
  • People with disabilities themselves are in the best position to determine their own priorities;
  • All citizens have a common responsibility to create communities accessible to all people with disabilities.

Additionally, ARCH is guided by the following set of core organizational principles:

  • ARCH operates in accordance with the above core values;
  • ARCH is a community-based organization, governed by a Board of Directors composed of a majority of people with disabilities;
  • ARCH is accountable to people with disabilities in Ontario, its member organizations and Legal Aid Ontario.
     
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