International Day of Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations proclaimed December 3rd as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 1992. December 3rd was designated to promote the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society, and to increase awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

ARCH observes this date every year by organizing events and releasing publications that raise awareness on the equality rights, fundamental freedoms and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Ways Forward for Disability Rights in Canada: Community involvement in UN review processes

Please join ARCH Disability Law Centre and the Law Society of Ontario for the annual National AccessAbility Week program, which was originally scheduled to take place in May 2025. We are hosting the program on December 3rd to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Wednesday December 3, 2025
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Virtual program

Canada ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2010, agreeing to be bound by the terms of this multilateral treaty and to take part in United Nations review processes. In March 2025, representatives of federal and provincial governments appeared before the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva for their latest review.

This program will offer insight and reflections into the Committee’s recent Concluding Observations and offer reflections from experts involved in disability rights work in Canada. Attendees will learn more about the reporting and review process, and the important role that civil society can have within that process. The panel discussion will highlight key findings of the Concluding Observations, discuss how they can be used to support disability rights advocacy, and consider how these recommendations can impact and inform our practice as legal practitioners.

Keynote Speaker:
Professor Laverne Jacobs, University of Windsor, Faculty of Law

Speakers:

• A representative of the Law Society of Ontario
• Robert Lattanzio, Executive Director, ARCH Disability Law Centre
• Elsie Tellier, Staff Lawyer, ARCH Disability Law Centre
• Dr. Susan L. Hardie, PhD, Eviance Executive Director
• Rohini Peris, Présidente et cheffe de la direction / President & CEO, Environmental Health Association of Canada, Association pour la santé environnementale du Québec
• Yan Grenier, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Université Laval
• Anne MacRae
• Kerri Joffe, Staff Lawyer, ARCH Disability Law Centre (on leave)
• Yan Grenier, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Université Laval

Please note that ASL interpreting and captioning will be available.

This program has been accredited for 2 hours of EDI Professionalism Content.

This public event is free. For additional information and to receive the webcast link, please REGISTER

December 3, 2018

In line with this year’s UN theme of “Empowering Persons with Disabilities and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality”, ARCH co-hosted an event in Ottawa regarding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its monitoring, and hosted an event in Toronto launching public legal education materials.

Intersectionality and Human Rights: Monitoring Change Together

ARCH and the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (eviance) co-hosted an all day event in Ottawa to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in collaboration with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Council of Canadians with Disabilities, Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work and nineSixteen.

Robert Lattanzio of ARCH presented on the CRPD’s treatment in Canadian courts and tribunals. Other presentations included the launch of eviance, the Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Dr. Susan Hardie from eviance discussing intersectionality, and Dr. Marcia Rioux speaking about the monitoring of human rights.

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services, Procurement and Accessibility, also gave a presentation and made an important announcement at our event. The Minister announced Canada’s accession to the CRPD’s Optional Protocol.

Public Legal Education and Website Launch

ARCH launched several public legal education materials with its new brand and soft launched our website for feedback and user testing from our communities.