Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 98
May 9, 2023

A.       Introduction

ARCH Disability Law Centre makes the following submissions to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 98, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023. Due to the very short notice of hearings and the very short time period afforded for making written submissions, these submissions are very limited and do not include all of ARCH’s concerns and recommendations. ARCH wishes to express the importance of a full and fair consultation process on such a significant Bill.

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Submission to the Post-secondary Education Standards Development Committee regarding its 2021 Initial Recommendations Report

November 1st, 2021

ARCH made a submission to the Post-secondary Education Standards Development Committee regarding its 2021 Initial Recommendations Report.

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Submission to the K-12 Education Standards Development Committee regarding the 2021 Initial Recommendations Report

November 1st, 2021

ARCH made a submission to the K-12 Education Standards Development Committee regarding the 2021 Initial Recommendations Report.

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Article published in the Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy co-authored by ARCH examines the outdated framework that continues to exist in Ontario which creates ongoing barriers for students with disabilities in accessing inclusive education.

November 17, 2020

A Relic of the Past: Identification, Placement and Review Committees in Ontario’s Education System

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Submission – ARCH Submission to Ministry of Education (2018)

December 14, 2018


Joint submission to the Government of Ontario for their consultation related to Ontario’s education system, submitted by ARCH Disability Law Centre, Community Living Ontario, Brockville and District Association for Community Involvement, Inclusion Research Team Brock University, Canadian Research Centre on Inclusive Education Western University and Inclusive Education Canada.

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Blog Post: Focus: Bona Fide Academic Requirements in the New OHRC Policy

September 28, 2018

At the end of August, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (“OHRC”) released a new Policy on Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities (the ‘Policy’). The Policy represents a significant step forward as many students with disabilities continue to experience barriers in attempting to access the education system. The Policy outlines the OHRC’s interpretation of human rights as it applies to the primary, secondary and post-secondary education systems

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Paper – If Inclusion Means Everyone, WHY NOT ME? (2018)

April 5, 2018

A Final Report for the extensive research study on the barriers to meaningful and inclusive education from K to 12 in Ontario conducted by ARCH, in partnership with Brock University, Western University, Community Living Ontario, Inclusive Education Canada, and Brockville and District Association for Community Living.

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Submission – ARCH’s Submission on the Proposed AODA Education Standard (2017)

July 13, 2017

ARCH’s submission on the initial consultation regarding the scope and mandate of the Standards Development Committee developing an Education Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

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Paper – Invented Power: An Analysis of the Exclusion Clause in Ontario’s Education Act, 2017

January 12, 2017

Section 265(1)(m) of the Education Act outlines the purported power of a principal  to  exclude “a person whose presence in the school or classroom would in the principal’s judgment be detrimental to the physical or mental well-being of the pupils.” This provision allegedly allows principals in Ontario to use their discretion to deny access to pupils he or  she believes to be unsafe; however, it has become increasingly clear that this power is open to abuse, especially with respect to students with disabilities.

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Submission – ARCH’s Submission to the Ontario Human Rights Commission on its Review of the ‘Guidelines on Accessible Education’ (2017)


June 9, 2017

ARCH submission to the OHRC review of ‘Guidelines on Accessible Education’ outlines major developments in the legal framework around human rights and education since the Guidelines were first published. ARCH’s recommendations  in the submission rely largely on Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”) as a starting framework.

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December, 2016

This paper is authored by former Education Minister of New Brunswick, Jody Carr, on behalf of ARCH Disability Law Centre, to explore and articulate a framework for reform for the delivery of public education services across Canada that is both accessible and inclusive of all children.

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Paper – Inclusive Education: Opportunities for Redesign, 2010

April, 2010

This paper was written for 2010 CAPSLE Conference in Calgary on Inclusive Education and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In 2010, Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), affirming its commitment to inclusive education.

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