Overview

Summary

There are several events in the history of disability policy in Canada that have changed the way we view disability policy. The traditional focus on rehabilitation of the individual shifted with the rise of the Independent Living Movement of the 1970s to one that listened to the opinions of people with disabilities themselves in order to provide programs and services that worked for them. The inclusion of disability in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms meant that Canadian disability policy must protect the legal and human rights of people with disabilities. All of these moments have brought us to a new understanding of disability-related policy that spans all policies and programs and acknowledges their potential impact on Canadians with disabilities.