ARCH Disability Law Centre

Annual Report 2016—2017

55 University Avenue
15th Floor
Toronto, ON
M5J 2H7

Phone: 416-482-8255 1-866-482-2724
TTY: 416-482-1254 1-866-482-2728
www.archdisabilitylaw.ca

ARCH Disability Law Centre
Vision and Mission Statement

Vision

A world in which all people with disabilities enjoy social justice and equal participation in society and our communities  
Mission Statement

ARCH Disability Law Centre, as a specialty legal clinic with a provincial mandate, undertakes to achieve this Vision by: 
•	Ensuring our work has Ontario wide impact 
•	Focusing on, identifying and removing systemic barriers 
•	Addressing issues that have an impact on low income people with disabilities, including the root causes of poverty 
•	Empowering people with disabilities 
•	Being recognized as experts in the law as it affects people with disabilities 
•	Addressing the heightened disadvantage, marginalization and exclusion faced by people with disabilities by reason of factors such as gender, race, age, language, economic status and sexual orientation.
Values And Principles
ARCH is guided by the following set of core values:
•	The dignity and worth of all persons with disabilities must be respected;
•	Persons with disabilities have the right to life, self-determination, and full participation in a society free from barriers to their inclusion and integration;
•	Persons with disabilities themselves are in the best position to determine their own priorities;
•	All persons have a common responsibility to create communities accessible to all persons 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 persons with disabilities;
•	ARCH is accountable to persons with disabilities in Ontario, its members and its funders.

Adopted by the Board of Directors, November 23, 2010

Table of contents 

ARCH’s Vision, Mission Statement, and Values and Principles  
Table of Contents  
Message from the President 
Message from the Executive Director 
ARCH Staff List
Highlights of our Work
Providing Legal Services Across Ontario
ARCH Impacting Law and Policy through Law Reform
ARCH’s Programs Making a Difference
International Work Impacting Ontarians
ARCH Teaches about Rights
ARCH Events
Financial Overview
Thank-you to our Supporters

A Message from the President

Following a year of change, the 2016-17 year has been one of consolidation. ARCH has settled into our new location at 55 University Avenue, strengthened capacity and fine-tuned staff and board roles and assignments, and invigorated and enlarged our engagement with the disability community. This has allowed us to further advance the provision of high quality legal services, education and community development across the province.

ARCH has become a sought-after voice and advisor for accessibility and accommodation within the Cooperative of Specialty Community Legal Clinics, with Legal Aid Ontario and with other organizations. Our Disability Law Intensive in partnership with Osgoode Hall Law School at York University has established itself as a fundamental experiential component for law students to learn systemic advocacy and rights-based client services. ARCH has also been increasingly involved with systemic advocacy, often in partnership with various disability organizations, in provincial, national and international arenas. The Board is exceptionally proud of the accomplishments and impact of ARCH’s work. We extend our thanks for a job very well done to our Executive Director, Robert Lattanzio, and to all staff and students.

I express my thanks to outgoing Board member, Ann Martindale, for her many years of service on the ARCH Board. I also thank the Board for their commitment to facilitate the work of ARCH through good governance. To all our volunteers, funders, donors, community partners and you, our community, thank you. Finally, I give a special acknowledgement and thanks to Legal Aid Ontario, our primary funder, whose own mandate and resources facilitate the existence and ability of ARCH to defend and advance the equality rights of people with disabilities in Ontario.

Teresa Daw
President and Chair
ARCH Disability Law Centre

A Message from the Executive Director

On behalf of our staff and Board of Directors, it is my privilege to report to our membership the impactful work that ARCH Disability Law Centre has undertaken this past year. This report offers highlights of some work that ARCH has initiated and accomplished. ARCH continues to strive for excellence in its service delivery to persons with disabilities across Ontario and maintains its focus on systems and removing barriers that those systems create. This past year, ARCH has provided leadership and support throughout the Province, and also has contributed at the national and international stage. 

ARCH continues to be engaged in a variety of litigation and direct legal services, law reform, community development and public legal education activities. ARCH has provided guidance and insight both provincially and federally regarding accessibility legislation. ARCH was part of a delegation to the United Nations in Geneva regarding the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Canada. Our exciting and innovative programs such as Respecting Rights and the Disability Law Intensive continue to grow and evolve, and new partnerships such as the Education Advocacy Initiative has provided us with opportunities to launch an important research project and deliver rights information in Northern Ontario. This past year, ARCH has made submissions on behalf of persons with disabilities before various levels of court and tribunals including the Supreme Court of Canada.

As ARCH continues to accomplish a steady increase in work and services, this would not be possible without a strong, passionate, dedicated and talented staff team. Our staff complement has gone through some changes and we have been fortunate to add a number of exceptional lawyers to our team. ARCH has added two exceptionally talented lawyers on a permanent basis to our legal team, Mariam Shanouda and Tess Sheldon. Our students throughout the year have also made a significant impact on this organization and the work that we do. I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to staff who are no longer with ARCH for all of their contributions: Johanna MacDonald and Rosa Tavares (Health Justice Initiative), Karen Spector and Ed Montigny.

ARCH’s Board of Directors continues to provide the governance and leadership that maintain our organizational health and relevance. Most importantly, our Board keeps us rooted and responsive to the communities we are mandated to serve. I am grateful to each of them for this guidance and for their unwavering commitment to the mission of ARCH. Our Board members volunteer their time and expertise, and bring a level of commitment and dedication that is unmatched. In particular, our Board President Teresa Daw continues to be an invaluable leader and asset to this organization. Teresa’s dedication, commitment, wisdom and support have been nothing short of exceptional. I wish to also thank our outgoing member Ann Martindale for all her contributions; she has been a longstanding member of our Board.
I wish to thank our funders without whom we would be unable to take on this important work. I wish to begin by thanking our primary funder, Legal Aid Ontario, and our additional funders all listed in this report. I wish to acknowledge the contributions of all our stakeholders, partners, supporters, and extend my gratitude to all those who have contributed this year including, students, volunteers, funders, donors, our membership and community partners. 

Roberto Lattanzio
Executive Director
ARCH Disability Law Centre	

ARCH Staff

Robert Lattanzio	Executive Director
Jessica DeMarinis	Staff Lawyer 
Mary Hanson 	Librarian
Sue Hutton	Social Worker
Kerri Joffe	Staff Lawyer
Lila Refaie	Staff Lawyer
Luke Reid	Project Lawyer
Theresa Sciberras	Program and Litigation Assistant
Mariam Shanouda	Staff Lawyer
Tess Sheldon	Staff Lawyer
Yangtzee Tamang	Operations and Litigation Assistant
Amanda Ward	Information / Referral Worker
Doreen Way	Office Manager
Dianne Wintermute 	Staff Lawyer
Yedida Zalik   	Staff Lawyer

Highlights of Our Work This Past Year
	
ARCH provided legal services to approximately 2,000 Ontarians with disabilities. 

Respecting Rights has presented workshops to almost 900 attendees across the province. 

ARCH’s publications reached nearly 18,000 individuals provincially, nationally, and internationally. 

ARCH was part of a delegation led by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) to the United Nations in Geneva.	

ARCH hosted a delegation from Turkey that was sponsored by UNDP and Global Affairs Canada, and delivered a training session on how legal services are provided to our diverse communities of persons with disabilities. ARCH also hosted a delegation from Australia who wanted to learn more about our services, and presented about our services to a delegation from Argentina. 

ARCH on Social Media!

ARCH’s website!
Over the past year, ARCH had over 25,000 users visit our website, for a total of nearly 35,000 sessions, and a grand total of nearly 85,000 page views! ARCH is thrilled that we are able to reach so many people through our website, sharing valuable resources and legal information across the province, country, and world!		
ARCH on Twitter!
ARCH now has 716 followers on Twitter!  We had 239 users, 383 sessions, and a total of 899 page views over the last year!

ARCH on Facebook! 
ARCH now has 347 followers on our Facebook page! We had 220 users, for 360 sessions, and 834 page views!
 
Come “like” ARCH on Facebook!
Providing Legal Services across Ontario

 ARCH provides direct legal services to persons with disabilities across Ontario. During this reporting period of September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017, ARCH provided a range of legal services to almost 2000 persons with disabilities in Ontario.  ARCH is mandated to pursue systemic change; advancing precedent setting test cases is one important way that we fulfill this mandate. We also provide legal assistance in a range of areas of law through other services such as our Summary Advice and Referral program.  Here are some examples of how ARCH has helped persons with disabilities in Ontario over the last year:
•	ARCH provided a series of summary advice appointments to a post secondary student who was denied numerous disability related accommodations. Armed with the advice received from ARCH, this student entered into private mediation with the institution and a settlement was reached containing both personal and systemic remedies to the satisfaction of the student. 

•	ARCH supported a family whose child was facing cuts to their school supports.  ARCH provided behind-the-scenes advocacy advice to the family. The supports were reinstated, while maintaining productive relationships between the family, school and school board staff.

•	ARCH successfully negotiated the removal of restraints used on a student with disabilities during transit to and from school.

•	ARCH supported a person with complex disability related needs to assert his right to make his own treatment decisions. 

ARCH at the Supreme Court of Canada – Stewart v. Elk Valley Coal Corp., 2017 SCC 30
ARCH represented the Interveners, Council of Canadians with Disabilities and the Empowerment Council, in this appeal which raised important issues about workplace disability discrimination. In particular, the facts of this case dealt with the duty to accommodate addiction disabilities in a safety sensitive workplace. 
ARCH Intervenes at the Court of Appeal – E.S. v. Joannou, 2017 ONCA 655
The Appellant, E.S., challenged the decision that she was an involuntary patient at CAMH.  ARCH intervened submitting that the Consent and Capacity Board should have the jurisdiction to order broad remedies as per s. 24(1) of the Charter. The Tribunal currently takes the position that it does not, and the Court of Appeal agreed. 
ARCH at the Federal Court – Soullière v. Canadian Blood Services Health Canada, 2017 FC 689 
ARCH represented a woman labelled with an intellectual disability who was not permitted to donate her blood. As part of the blood donation process, our client was required to complete a lengthy and complex questionnaire about her medical history and past behaviours. Accommodations requested to complete this process were denied by Canadian Blood Services and indefinitely deferred our client from giving blood. ARCH made a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission which was dismissed. ARCH asked the Federal Court to review this decision but the Court did not find an error. 
ARCH at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
ARCH was invited by an HRTO Vice-Chair to intervene in the matter of Reilly v Ford Motor Company.  ARCH, in coalition with HALCO and ISAC, was granted leave to intervene in the matter. This case challenges the current practice of Canada Pension Plan—Disability benefits being deducted when individuals receive long term disability benefits. 
ARCH settled a breach of settlement application on behalf of our client regarding correctional services. Individual and systemic remedies were agreed upon related to accessing accommodations and medical services in prison. 
ARCH represented an applicant that was discriminated against by a university’s graduating requirement for one course to be taken in French, notwithstanding a disability related accommodation request to waive that requirement. The matter was settled to the satisfaction of all parties. 
ARCH represented a peer worker who was employed by a not for profit agency.ARCH negotiated a mutually agreeable settlement of the human rights issues, and avoided the filing of an application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
ARCH represented an employee of a school board in an application regarding the accessibility of the job assignment system used by her employer. This matter was settled by the parties at mediation. 
Representing claimants in Institutional abuse settlement
ARCH provided a variety of supports for claimants in the Clegg v. Ontario institutional abuse class action settlement. The class action involved 12 facilities and institutions where many persons with disabilities were neglected and abused. ARCH represented 90 claimants throughout the Province.  ARCH also provided advice and information on making claims through webinars, which were available in both French and English. The webinars were viewed across the province nearly 2000 times by claimants and those assisting claimants.  
ARCH Impacting Law and Policy Through Law Reform

Federal Accessibility Legislation
ARCH has been involved in several law reform initiatives in relation to the proposed federal accessibility legislation. has authored two law reform papers. The first is entitled “Proposed Federal Accessibility Legislation and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. This paper advocates for the adoption and inclusion of relevant articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into the federal accessibility legislation. second paper is entitled “Considerations for Effective Implementation and Enforcement of the Federal Accessibility Legislation”. Drawing on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Ontario’s experience with its own accessibility legislation, this paper provides recommendations for effective and proactive enforcement and implementation of the proposed federal legislation. Both papers are available on ARCH’s website. 
In addition, ARCH participated in several of the consultation sessions held by the Government of Canada in the winter of 2017. 
ARCH is also a partner in a project led by the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA) entitled “Spotlight on Invisible Disabilities”. ARCH has supported the CHHA to conduct community consultations on the proposed federal accessibility legislation, and has contributed law reform recommendations to the project’s reports. 

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Reforms
ARCH and the AODA Alliance have jointly provided the Accessibility Directorate with submissions on Standards that are subject to a 5 year review.  In our most recent brief on the Transportation Standard, we emphasized the importance of accessible transportation for persons with disabilities.  We noted that accessible transportation promotes independence and the ability to travel to places of employment, education, recreation, and social activities.  We urged the Government to adopt significant changes to the current Transportation Standard to improve accessible transportation in Ontario.

How to Change Ontario’s Public Education System
ARCH was fortunate and privileged to have worked with former Education Minister of New Brunswick, The Honourable Jody R. Carr, on a paper titled “A Conceptual and Legal Framework for Inclusive Education”. As the Education Minister who introduced the internationally recognized Policy 322, which provided an important framework for New Brunswick’s legally mandated inclusive education, Jody provides important insight and instructive direction for the much needed reforms to primary and secondary education in Canada. These changes would bring Canada more in line with obligations set out in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and with the General Comment on Article 24 that was released by the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

OHRC’s Guidelines on Accessible Education
ARCH was invited by the Ontario Human Rights Commission to provide recommendations on its upcoming review and update of its policy on accessible education. ARCH submitted a variety of recommendations to the Commission, covering a wide range of education issues including the exclusion of students with disabilities from school and the importance of inclusive classroom supports. 

Starting on the right path to removing education related barriers
ARCH made a submission to the Provincial Government and the Accessibility Directorate on the proposed new Education Standard under the AODA. In its submission ARCH stressed the importance of ensuring that the mandate of the Standards Development Committee be broad in scope and incorporate appropriate references to human rights and Universal Design for Learning principles.

Rights at Work
ARCH made a submission in response to the Changing Workplaces Review - Special Advisors’ Interim Report. ARCH’s submissions focused on the need for the Employment Standards Act to adopt a social model/rights framework around disability and clarifying employer obligations in line with Human Rights Code obligations. 

Medical Assistance in Dying
ARCH made a submission on Bill 84, Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act, 2017 to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. The submission was written with Catherine Frazee and Michael Bach. It focused on the obligation to ensure appropriate information is provided to access services and supports, the role of the Coroner, and the need for separate data collection.

Pressing for Change of Developmental Services 
ARCH hosted an event for people with intellectual disabilities to learn about the Ombudsman’s report titled “Nowhere to Turn”. The first part of the day involved an interactive session with role play and visual art to discuss the subject matter in the report. The second part of the day was a presentation by Laura Pettigrew, legal counsel, Ombudsman Ontario, who delivered a session on the report and on the Ombudsman’s next steps. The session was attended by about 45 participants in person (and webcast) and provided this community with a fully accessible session to understand what was included in the report. ARCH followed up with meetings with the Ministry of Community and Social Services and also included members of the community in those meetings.
ARCH’s Programs Making a Difference
Health Justice Initiative  
On March 29th, 2017, ARCH held a celebration of the Health Justice Initiative. As of April 1st, 2017, ARCH stepped down as the lead of the Health Justice Initiative. While Neighbourhood Legal Services has taken on the role of lead partner, ARCH remains a committed partner.  ARCH would like to thank Legal Aid Ontario for funding this project, Neighbourhood Legal Services for taking on the role of lead partner, and all of our clinic partners, the St. Michael’s Hospital Family Health Team, Johanna Macdonald, Rosa Tavares, and countless students and volunteers for contributing to this valuable initiative. Without everyone’s hard work and dedication (Johanna and Rosa in particular), this Initiative would not have become the outstanding project that it currently is. Over the first three years of the program, it expanded to 6 different clinical sites. The initiative has been able to provide direct legal services to approximately 500 clients, for almost 800 different legal issues.  ARCH hopes this initiative continues to grow and expand in the years to come, as it has proven to be a valuable resource for patients of St. Michael’s Hospital Family Health Team. 

Education Advocacy Initiative
ARCH Disability Law Centre, in partnership with Community Living Ontario, Inclusive Education Canada, the University of Western Ontario, and Brock University, launched a research project titled “If Inclusion Means Everyone, Why Not Me?” This research is designed to survey some of the experiences of students labelled with intellectual disabilities in Ontario’s public school system. The goal is to identify current practices and barriers to inclusive education, which many students with intellectual disabilities face in Ontario’s public schools. 

In partnership, ARCH also co-delivered numerous workshops to advance the rights of students with disabilities across the Province, including the northern Ontario communities of Dryden, Fort Frances and Kenora. ARCH partnered with Community Living Ontario and Inclusive Education Canada on this important work delivering interdisciplinary sessions on human rights and inclusive education.  While in northern Ontario, ARCH consulted with passionate advocates and leaders, many of whom raised issues about inclusive education that are unique to northern Ontario communities. ARCH also consulted with experts and advocates on some of the unique barriers to education which Indigenous children with disabilities face in northern Ontario communities. ARCH hopes to continue building our relationships with students with disabilities, education advocates, and members of Indigenous communities in northern Ontario through our inclusive education work. 

Respecting Rights 
Respecting Rights is an advocacy group co-founded by ARCH which includes persons labelled with intellectual disabilities, developmental services staff and ARCH staff. This group works together to provide public legal education about persons with disabilities’ rights to make or be involved in making their own decisions and choices. Respecting Rights designs and delivers tailored and accessible legal education workshops to people labelled with intellectual disabilities, and separately to staff and management who support them, as well as the person’s family members. 
Over the past year Respecting Rights has delivered workshops across Ontario on a regular basis, and each time, we receive feedback on the importance of including families in our outreach audience. 
At one particularly powerful workshop, Respecting Rights self-advocates were leading a group of persons labelled with intellectual disabilities through a role play about how they could advocate for the right to make their own health care decisions. Workshop participants shared that through the workshop, they learned that doctors must provide health care information in language they can understand, and that their parents or staff do not automatically have the right to make health care decisions for them. 
Over the past year, Respecting Rights has presented our workshops 20 times, to almost 900 attendees. Here are some quotes from attendees of the workshops:
“What I liked best was that there are people out there that care and want to help those out there.  Wanting to help is different than getting help”
- A self-advocate who attended a workshop

“I came to the workshop not knowing anything about what I was going to learn about.  Then we did role plays and actually had a chance to feel what it’s like to step into our lives and made our own decisions.  It was fantastic.”
- A self-advocate who attended a workshop

International Work Impacting Ontarians

ARCH was part of a delegation led by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) to the United Nations in Geneva. ARCH assisted in preparing questions and responses, and provided the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with information and assistance as the UN Committee prepared its questions for the Government of Canada.
ARCH released a submission on Canada’s accession to the CRPD Optional Protocol. 
ARCH participated in drafting a shadow report on Canada’s implementation of the CRPD which was sent to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

ARCH Teaches About Rights

ARCH strongly believes that providing people with information about their own rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities in general, can only help to make society more equitable and accessible.  Over the last year, ARCH presented over 65 times, on various issues across Ontario. Our Public and Continuing Legal Education presentations reached over 4,200 individuals in Ontario.  ARCH also prepared over 30 publications over the last year. Including our newsletter the ARCH Alert, ARCH’s publications reached nearly 18,000 individuals over the last year. ARCH’s goal is that our education sessions will further our goal of ensuring that persons with disabilities, and the legal bar that represents them, are aware of their rights. The following are just some examples of the sessions delivered during the past year: 
Training to SJTO adjudicators/mediators  
ARCH staff and Respecting Rights self-advocates were invited to present to adjudicators from the 7 Social Justice Tribunals of Ontario, which include the Child and Family Services Review Board, Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, Custody Review Board, Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, Landlord and Tenant Board, Ontario Special Education (English) Tribunal, Ontario Special Education (French) Tribunal and Social Benefits Tribunal. We presented first-hand experiences of some of the barriers experienced by persons labelled with intellectual disabilities who have had cases before these Social Justice Tribunals. We also presented practical ways for making Social Justice Tribunals more accessible for persons labelled with intellectual disabilities.

The following are highlights of other training activities that ARCH undertook:
presented to a number of Special Education Advisory Councils (SEAC) across the Province.
•	delivered training sessions on ableism and accessibility to a myriad of organizations, including the Law Society of Upper Canada.
•	was part of a panel hosted by the Law Society of Upper Canada regarding accessibility in the delivery of legal services. There were over 2,700 registrants for the webinar.
•	presented at the Equality in Education Symposium hosted by the University of New Brunswick – Faculty of Law. 
•	guest lectured at Universities across the Province including the University of Ottawa and Ryerson University. 
•	presented on disability and accommodation for the fourth year in the Osgoode Certificate in Human Rights course.
•	presented at the People First Ontario (PFO) Annual General meeting and conference. It was their 35th anniversary and ARCH presented on the long history of collaboration between ARCH and PFO. Respecting Rights then presented on the work that we do.

Association for Human Rights Lawyers 
ARCH continues to host quarterly meetings of the Association of Human Rights Lawyers. Lawyers in private practice, the Human Rights Legal Support Centre and our colleagues in various legal clinics attend the meetings to discuss important decisions, Human Rights Tribunal procedures, and to consult on ongoing cases. 
ARCH Library
ARCH endeavours to make as much disability and legal information available to the public as feasible. To that end, we are continuously adding and updating the information available in our library. The ARCH Library makes this material, including information on rights, available through its online catalogue accessible through our website. For items not available electronically, the public are welcomed to view the print versions in the 15th floor Resource Centre (and to use the computers with assistive technology made available for general use). 

Disability Law Intensive 
ARCH Disability Law Centre continues its exciting partnership with Osgoode Hall Law School at York University called the Disability Law Intensive. The purpose of this program is to introduce second and third year law students to the complex issues faced by persons with disabilities and to help them learn the most effective ways of delivering legal services to our communities, through law reform and policy work, and direct client centered work.  This program is the first of its kind in Canada. Now in its fifth year, twelve students were selected to participate in the 2017-18 Disability Law Intensive at ARCH. The 2016 – 2017 was a very successful academic year and we look forward to enhancing our services yet again this year. 

Student Proposed Internships - University of Ottawa 
ARCH supervised a student from the University of Ottawa through their Student Proposed Internship Program. This is a program in which students gain experience working with lawyers on case file work. Our student attended mediation and helped to draft pleadings designed to get an interim order from the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. 

Social Work Student program
ARCH is now in year three of operating a social work student program. Over the past year, we again partnered with York University to host both a BSW (now completed) and an MSW student placement.  As in the past, social work students were involved in all facets of ARCH work, such as public legal education, community development, outreach, direct client services, research and writing. 

ARCH Alert 
ARCH Alert is ARCH’s quarterly newsletter. It provides timely information on proposed legislation, significant court decisions, government consultations, community initiatives, and other disability-related legal developments. ARCH Alert has almost 4,000 subscribers who receive the newsletter directly, and additionally is available on our website free for anyone to access.  Combined with our other publications, ARCH has reached nearly 18,000 individuals. 

ARCH Alert articles can be read on line at: http://www.archdisabilitylaw.ca/arch-alerts

ARCH Events 

Access Awareness Event
Each year in June, ARCH and the Law Society of Upper Canada partner to host the Access Awareness event.  The theme this year was the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ firstof Canada. The UN Committee heard not only from representatives of the Canadian government, but also from delegates representing a number of disability rights organizations in Canada. Several members of that delegation participated in our Access Awareness panel discussion.  The panelists discussed the UN Committee’s process and how the Committee’s Concluding Observations can be used to advance disability rights in Canada. The event was well attended, with 140 participants registered to attend in person and over 400 via webcast.

Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities 
ARCH themed its International Day of Persons with Disabilities event on the role of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in building a more inclusive and equitable world for persons with disabilities. The first three goals – ending poverty, ending hunger, and ensuring healthy lives for all were particularly relevant to our afternoon celebration. The panel spoke about failures in our health care system to abide by even basic disability rights. This event also launched Dr. Jeff Nisker’s novel Patiently Waiting For . . 
The Speakers included: Dr. Jeff Nisker, Physician, Ethics Researcher and Author; Julie Devaney, Patient Expert, Author and Performer; Johanna Macdonald, Staff Lawyer, ARCH Disability Law Centre, Onsite Lawyer, Health Justice Partnership and the discussion was moderated by Dr. Nav Persaud, Physician, Researcher. 

ARCH’s 2016 AGM Launches the OHRC’s Anti-Ableism Policy
ARCH’s Annual General Meeting hosted the launch of the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s new Policy on ableism and discrimination based on disability. The Chief Commissioner, Renu Mandhane, delivered a brilliant and inspirational keynote address to our members and guests. The Chief Commissioner observed that disability continues to be the most cited ground before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and that ableism interferes with the inclusion of people with disabilities. She stated that the Human Rights Code is a powerful tool to empower people with disabilities and that the new policy will have an impact in the courts and tribunals and more importantly, outside of court. thank the Chief Commissioner and the Ontario Human Rights Commission for making this event so memorable, and for their work in creating a policy that challenges ableism and discrimination squarely and directly. 

ARCH welcomed leading American Disability Rights lawyer 
ARCH welcomed Lainey Feingold who presented on her book titled Structured Negotiations, at an ARCH hosted event. The event was well attended by legal clinic staff and human rights lawyers. ARCH welcomed Ms. Feingold back to our office after the event for a lunch ‘n’ learn with ARCH staff. ARCH lawyers are looking forward to implementing the ideas presented in Ms. Feingold’s book going forward in our litigation. 

Financial Overview

ARCH receives funding from various sources.  The Board of Directors wishes to acknowledge the on-going support of Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), ARCH’s primary funder. 

Additional Funders

The City of Toronto has once again provided ARCH with a Community Service Partnership Grant that supports our education, information and referral program.  These funds enable ARCH to employ administrative staff not funded by Legal Aid Ontario. 

is licensed by the Ontario Lottery Corporation to participate in the Break Open Ticket program.  Receipts from this initiative support our information and referral services, library purchases, disability accommodations, website and staff training. 

ARCH received funding from Community Living Ontario through the Federal HRSDC-SDPP D funding to contribute to the hiring of a project lawyer for the Education Advocacy Initiative partnership. 

ARCH would like to thank the above funders for their continued support, and also thank members of the public for their ongoing support through their generous donations.

For a copy of the full report please contact our office.
Thank you 

ARCH is very appreciative of the support of other legal clinics, the private bar and the pro bono assistance of lawyers and law students provided to ARCH itself, and to our clients.  ARCH thanks the many volunteers who have provided ongoing general support or offered us specific insight and information that has advanced our work.

ARCH gratefully acknowledges the contributions from our volunteers, lawyers and supporters:

•	Josée Boulanger, PhD, DANEO
•	Paul Cochrane, self-advocate, member of Respecting Rights
•	Steven Estey, Co-ordinator Canada’s Parallel Report on the CRPD
•	Lainey Feingold, Civil Rights Attorney, U.S.A.
•	Erin Fitzpatrick, LLB, MSW, RSW, Connecting Ottawa
•	Marissa Fortune-Hall, Co-operative of Specialty Legal Clinics 
•	Gina Grosenick, PhD, Connecting Ottawa
•	René Guitard, Réseau Francophone and of la Clinique francophone de'Est d'Ottawa 
•	Gaye Jackson, bookkeeper
•	Gord Kyle, Community Living Ontario
•	Amy Lavoie, la Clinique juridique bilingue de Windsor-Essex/ Windsor-Essex Bilingual Legal Clinic
•	David Lepofsky, Chair of the AODA Alliance
•	Sarah Lyttle, Motivational Speaker, Human Rights Activist
•	Johanna Macdonald, Health Justice Initiative, Neighborhood Legal Services
•	Shineeca McLeod, self-advocate and member of Respecting Rights
•	Anne Newman, Co-operative of Specialty Legal Clinics 
•	Wendall Nicholas, Chair of the Wabanaki Council on Disability
•	Dr. Jeff Nisker MD, PhD, Author
•	Peter Park, self-advocate, co-founder of Respecting Rights 
•	Kathleen Pye, Director of Research and Policy at EGALE Canada Human Rights Trust
•	Natalie Spagnuolo, DANEO
•	Karen Spector, Lawyer
•	Rosa Tavares, Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services
•	Mariana Versiani, Co-operative of Specialty Legal Clinics 
•	Andy Willemsen, Brampton Caledon Community Living 

ARCH gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following students:

•	Victoria Peter, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Sylvia Basso, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Hina Ghaus, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Kerry Young, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Jermain Virgo, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Brianna Mantynen, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Derek Ang, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Saquiba Rahman, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Nicholas Hill, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Jami Lenis, Disability Law Intensive student
•	Michael Cheung, Disability Law Intensive student and Summer Law student (DLI)
•	Julia Munk, LPP student
•	Kadene Massop, Master of Social Work Practicum student, York University
•	Maja Rehou, Bachelor of Social Work Practicum student, York University
•	Madeleine Ross, Student Proposed Internship program, University of Ottawa
•	Marta Eiver, volunteer – administrative support
•	Victoria Peter, volunteer – law student
•	Ian Mason, volunteer – law student
•	Jake Miller, Master of Information Practicum student, University of Toronto
•	Jody Carr, University of New Brunswick

For more information about our ongoing work, please visit our website at http://archdisabilitylaw.ca/ and subscribe to the ARCH Alert newsletter. 
ARCH thanks our Supporters and Partners!

Legal Aid Ontario

The Law Society of Upper Canada, Equity Department

Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

Community Living Ontario

Community Living Toronto
City of Toronto - Community Services Grants Program
St. Michael’s 
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (through Break Open Ticket Sales)
York University
University of Ottawa
University of Toronto
Neeson & Associates
Ontario Bar Association
Inclusive Education Canada
People First of Ontario