As of September 22, 2021, the Ontario Government has put in place a Proof of Vaccination rule for some establishments. This bulletin provides more information about the rule and what it means for persons who cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine because of a disability-related reason. Ontario’s human rights law says that persons who cannot get…Read More

Is my employer allowed to say no to my request for accommodation? What does the law say? Ontario’s Human Rights Code says that employers must provide disability-related accommodations, unless the qualification or standard is a justified job requirement, or if it causes the employer undue hardship. Justified Job Requirement If your request for accommodation is…Read More

What are my rights for disability-related accommodations at work? What does the law say? Ontario’s Human Rights Code (the Code) is a provincial law that says persons with disabilities in Ontario have the right to be free from discrimination in employment. Persons with disabilities are protected from discrimination in all stages of the employment relationship,…Read More

April 19, 2021 This is a plain language version of “Accessing Critical Care in Hospitals during the COVID-19 Pandemic This Factsheet gives information about the law. This information is for people with disabilities who may need critical medical care in hospitals in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic. The information in this Factsheet is about laws…Read More

April 19, 2021 (disponible en français) This Factsheet provides legal information and advocacy tips to people with disabilities who require critical health care in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Factsheet contains information about laws and policies in Ontario. This legal information may not apply to you if you live outside of Ontario. To access…Read More

Introduction On February 25, 2020, the government introduced Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020. This Bill was described as part of Ontario’s efforts to modernize the delivery of home and community attendant services. On June 15, 2020, ARCH made oral submissions to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly outlining…Read More

What is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)? This Convention is an international agreement that promotes and protects human rights for persons with disabilities. It is often called the CRPD. The CRPD says that persons with disabilities have the right to be treated equally, make their own decisions, have their rights…Read More

Bill 175 May Soon Become Law ARCH Disability Law Centre and many other disability rights organizations made oral and written submissions to the Government Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly about the negative effect Bill 175,Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act 2020 will have on persons with disabilities if it becomes law.  To…Read More

Chief Medical Officer of Health Recommends Hospitals Allow Visitors On June 15, 2020 Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, issued a memo recommending that hospitals and other acute care health settings begin allowing visitors for patients in these facilities. Dr. Williams’ memo stated that hospitals and other health care settings should revise…Read More

Apply for Standing to Present to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly on Bill 175 The Ontario government has announced that it is moving forward with online hearings for various bills.  ARCH has learned that that the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly will hear submissions on Bill 175, Connecting People to Home and Community…Read More

Thank You for Participating in ARCH`s Questionnaire About ADP ARCH is pleased to let you know that we received a large number of responses to our ADP Questionnaire.  The responses were from all over the province, including northern, southwestern, eastern and central Ontario.  ARCH believes that your answers give us enough information to understand some…Read More

ADP is Accepting All Applications for Assistive Devices ADP has advised ARCH that it has now re-opened and is making decisions about applications for assistive devices.  The ADP Office permanently re-opened for business on April 29, 2020. ADP says that it closed temporarily so it could move to a paperless approval process. This means that…Read More

What is Ontario’s Clinical Triage Protocol? A draft document called the Clinical Triage Protocol for Major Surge in COVID Pandemic, dated March 28, 2020 from Ontario Health, is meant to help doctors make difficult decisions about who will receive critical health care during the COVID-19 pandemic if there are not enough medical resources. Doctors will…Read More

This Advocacy Toolkit provides legal information and advocacy tips to people with disabilities who need their support person, attendant or communication assistant to be with them in hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Toolkit contains information about laws and policies in Ontario. This legal information may not apply to you if you live outside of…Read More

This is a plain language version of “COVID-19 Advocacy Tool Kit: Advocating for Your Support Person, Attendant or Communication Assistant to be with You in Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. This paper gives information about the law and tips. This information is for people with disabilities who need their support person or attendant to be…Read More

To access the plain language version of this bulletin, go to ARCH Bulletin on COVID-19: Visitation Bans in Developmental Services Group Homes – PLAIN LANGUAGE VERSION People with Disabilities are Concerned about Group Home Visitation Bans In Ontario, some people labelled with intellectual or developmental disabilities live in group homes or other congregate care residences.…Read More

This is a plain language summary of “ARCH Bulletin on COVID-19: People Living in Developmental Services Group Homes Need Access to Essential Support Persons” Many developmental services agencies in Ontario have visitation bans. These bans say that family and friends are not allowed to visit or go into a group home. Visitation bans are an…Read More

Passport Funds can Temporarily be Used for More Types of Expenses  On April 23, 2020, the government shared the COVID-19 action plan: protecting vulnerable Ontarians. This is a document that explains how the government will help persons that live or work in residential settings stay safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19.  As part of…Read More

Over the last month, testing to control the spread of COVID-19 has become an important issue for persons with disabilities across Ontario. On April 16, 2020, Premier Ford announced new guidelines that expand the groups of people who can receive priority COVID-19 testing.  Under the new guidelines the following people can get priority testing: Individuals…Read More

Ontario’s Emergency Orders and Directive for Long-Term Care Homes ARCH acknowledges the disproportionate vulnerability of residents in long-term care (LTC) homes who are seniors and persons with disabilities. LTC home residents are at higher risk of infection from COVID-19 for reasons such as advanced age, chronic conditions, and the institutional environment.  We are deeply saddened…Read More

On March 24, 2020, the Ontario Government decided that the Assistive Devices Program (ADP) was no longer going to be considered an essential service, as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that the ADP offices are closed until further notice because of COVID-19. Many types of devices are covered under the…Read More

The government is putting most of the important parts of Bill 175 (Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act) into Regulations. This is a problem because Regulations can be passed or changed by the Cabinet. They do not have to be debated by all of our Members of Provincial Parliament. This means that the…Read More

Bill 175 is moving quickly through the Ontario Legislature. It was introduced by Health Minister Christine Elliott on February 25, 2020, when it passed First Reading. Debate on the Bill was held on March 2nd – 5th and 9th & 10th, 2020. The Bill passed Second Reading on March 10th, 2020. The Bill is now…Read More

All Official Communications About COVID-19 Directed to the Public Must be Accessible to All Persons In response to COVID-19, officials from all levels of government have provided daily news updates about how to stop the spread of the virus, what to do if you are sick, and how to get support if you are affected.…Read More

What is the AODA? The AODA is a law that aims to achieve a barrier free, or fully accessible, Ontario by 2025. The AODA asks obligated organizations to identify, remove and/or prevent barriers to full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in society. The AODA states that barriers are anything that stops the full…Read More

What can I do if my service provider refuses to give me my personal records? What does the law say? Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) creates rules about your personal health information. Personal health information includes any information about your physical or mental health. It also includes an attendant service plan. Service…Read More

What is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)? This Convention is an international agreement that promotes and protects human rights for persons with disabilities. It is often called the CRPD. The CRPD says that persons with disabilities have the right to be treated equally, make their own decisions, have their rights…Read More

Please note that the information in this Guide does not apply to all situations. A person’s accommodation needs may vary over time and at different points in the day. PDF and RTF versions of this guide are available at the end of this page. Introduction Know your Rights In Ontario, the rules about most attendant…Read More

What is the ACA? The ACA is a new law that aims to achieve a barrier free Canada by 2040. The ACA aims to achieve a barrier free Canada by identifying, addressing and preventing barriers. It defines barrier as anything that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with a physical, mental,…Read More

I am a self-represented Applicant at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. I have a hearing coming up, but I need disability-related accommodations to participate in the hearing meaningfully. What are my rights? What does the law say? The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (the Tribunal) is required to provide disability-related accommodations to the point…Read More

Many people with disabilities who lived at Huronia, Rideau and Southwestern Regional Centres received money as part of Class Action Settlements. Can developmental services or other government funded services and supports be denied to someone because they received settlement money from these Class Actions? • Settlement Agreements in the Huronia, Rideau and Southwestern Class Actions…Read More

Steps to Justice developed this material in partnership with ARCH. You can access the Questions and Answers below, or go to www.stepstojustice.ca/legal-topic/health-and-disability/abuse-people-disabilities Steps to Justice is a project of the Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) and gives reliable and practical information on everyday legal problems experienced by people in Ontario. Abuse of people with disabilities…Read More

My client requires a support person as a disability-related accommodation to participate in a meeting. Can I refuse to include the support person in the meeting with my client? What Does the Law Say? As legal service providers, lawyers and paralegals must accommodate their clients with disabilities to the point of undue hardship, as required…Read More

Can I charge my client additional legal fees for longer appointments when extra time is a disability-related need? My client requires more time to explain their legal issue than the routine thirty-minute appointment due to their disability. Do I need to accommodate my client? Can I charge them for the extra time I spend with…Read More

My client asks to communicate via email as an accommodation. What are my professional obligations? What Does the Law Say? The Law Society of Ontario prohibits any form of discrimination, including against persons with disabilities. This prohibition and the obligation to provide legal services in accordance with Ontario’s Human Rights Code are detailed in the…Read More

This Guide is intended for persons with disabilities who are seeking or receiving legal services. The information in this Guide serves as legal information on the right to accessible legal services. It is not intended to be legal advice. PDF and RTF versions of this guide are available at the end of this page. Free…Read More

This Guide is intended for lawyers and paralegals who provide legal services to persons with disabilities. It is not intended to be legal advice. Please note that the information in this Guide does not apply to all situations. A person’s needs may vary over time and at different points in the day. Always ask the…Read More

Please note that the information in this Guide does not apply to all situations. A person’s accommodation needs may vary over time and at different points in the day. Always ask the person with the disability how to most appropriately accommodate them. PDF and RTF versions of this guide are available at the end of…Read More

Please note that the information in this Guide does not apply to all situations. A person’s accommodation needs may vary over time and at different points in the day. Always ask the person with the disability how to most appropriately accommodate them. PDF and RTF versions of this toolkit are available at the end of…Read More

Please note that the information in this Toolkit does not apply to all situations. A person’s accommodation needs may vary over time and at different points in the day. Always ask the person with the disability how to most appropriately accommodate them. PDF and RTF versions of this toolkit are available at the end of…Read More

Adults labelled with intellectual disabilities may be able to get some services and supports through Developmental Services Ontario (DSO). The DSO is part of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. The Ministry pays other agencies to give the services and supports. But the first step is to apply to the DSO. PDF and…Read More

Steps to Justice developed this material in partnership with ARCH. You can access the Questions and Answers below, or go to www.stepstojustice.ca/legal-topic/health-and-disability/services-people-disabilities Steps to Justice is a project of the Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) and gives reliable and practical information on everyday legal problems experienced by people in Ontario. Services for people with disabilities…Read More