Nova Scotia Disability Rights are Human Rights
“‘It was not a genetic disease that took me out, it was a system,’ wrote Sathya Dhara Kovac, who had ALS” (photo: Submitted by Janine LeGal)
“When we see an excessive amount of prescribing for antipsychotics, where there’s no clinical reason or disease state to be prescribing it, that would be a flag,” (photo: Shane Hennessey)
Nova Scotia does not have a precise timeline for phasing out large institutional housing for people with disabilities, the deputy minister of the Department of Community Services told a legislature hearing Tuesday. (Jean Laroche/CBC)
On the eve of the anniversary of the all-party endorsement of the “Roadmap” on equality for persons with disabilities in Nova Scotia, the Disability Rights Coalition (DRC) applauds the Premier for his government’s decision to abandon any attempt to justify the systemic discrimination found by this Province’s highest Court in October of 2021 against persons with disabilities.
Nine months later, now that the Province has abandoned its bid to justify the discrimination, the next step is a collaborative process to craft an effective and meaningful remedy that fixes the discriminatory government system.
A lawyer representing a disability rights group in Nova Scotia says he’s relieved the province won’t try to exempt itself from a court ruling that concluded the province discriminated against people with disabilities who were seeking housing.
“There’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel but we’re just hoping that the tunnel is shorter than what we thought,” said Claire McNeil, a lawyer for the Disability Rights Coalition of Nova Scotia.
Vicky Levack was recently interviewed on the Todd Veinotte Show, CityNews 95.7 about the aims and current status of the court proceedings that the Disability Rights Coalition of Nova Scotia is involved in.
On June 30th Vicky Levack was presented with the 2022 James MacGregor Stewart Award for her leadership as an outspoken advocate for people with disabilities. See the videos of the presentation and her comments here.
“The Court of Appeal ruled last year that the government’s failure to offer “meaningful” access to housing for people with disabilities amounted to a violation of their basic rights. But under Section 6 of Nova Scotia’s Human Rights Act, the province can exempt itself from that ruling if it can prove the discrimination is justified in a free and democratic society.” -Keith Doucette
“Every single thing I’ve read about how the NS government has opposed this case makes me cringe.” -David T.S. Fraser
