The Accessible Canada Act

Accessibility Legislation In Canada, the federal government enacted the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) which came into force on July 11, 2019. The ACA, applying to everything under federal jurisdiction, is intended to remove barriers experienced by people with disabilities. The ultimate goal is to create a barrier-free country by 2040. The ACA sets out: How accessibility standards will be developed; What duties will apply to organizations who must remove barriers; and How the legislation will Read more…

Child-protection committee tackles three topics at monthly meeting

At its May 2020 committee meeting, BCLI’s Child Protection Project Committee completed one topic and began its review of two new topics. The committee finished its look at selected protection issues by considering a pair of issues. First, it considered whether the act should be amended to provide for regular reassessments of whether a child should remain in the care of the director. Second, it examined whether new provisions could be added to the act Read more…

Update on CCEL’s Inclusive Investing Project

Consultation Wrap-up The Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL) completed its consultation interviews for the Inclusive Investing project in October 2019. During the one-year consultation period, Project Manager and BCLI/CCEL Staff Lawyer, Valerie Le Blanc, interviewed over 90 key informants and stakeholders on the use of supported decision-making, in the investment context. Key informants included people living with Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia or intellectual and developmental disabilities, supporters, investment professionals, lawyers, academics, and community Read more…

Health Care Consent with Physical Distancing: Understanding Decision-Making Rights in Canada

Most of us consult with people we trust in order to make the best decisions we can for ourselves. We talk about our concerns with family and close friends. We seek additional expert opinions. However, for many people with disabilities, the support of trusted allies is not just helpful—it may be integral to exercising legally protected health care decision-making rights.