Canadian government releases In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues

1998. The Canadian government releases In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues, which seeks to provide “a blueprint for promoting the integration of persons with disabilities in Canada” (Government of Canada, 1998, Preamble) and largely focused on disability supports, employment, and income. This disability policy is one of many that the Government of Canada has adopted in order to help people with disabilities participate in all aspects of Canadian society (Disability Related Policy in Canada, n.d.). It is seen as a victory for those with disability, who in Canada were also subjected to eugenic laws (University of Waterloo, n.d.).

Disability issues were identified as a priority for Canada in 1996 (Disability Related Policy, n.d.), as "persons with disabilities still face barriers and discrimination which prevent them from participating or contributing as equal partners in society" (Government of Canada, 1998, Preamble). In December 1997, First Ministers in the Canadian government decided that a vision and framework needed to be developed in order to help future work in disability issues, and "In Unison" was the product of a year's worth of jurisdictions that worked together to address the needs of persons with disabilities. The report inspired a secondary report in 2000, which presented personal stories and statistical indicators supporting recommendations. In order to become "full citizens," the report recommends that disability support has to move beyond income support, and focus on changing workplaces and communities to accommodate persons with disabilities, and to enhance access and use of disability supports. New approaches to disability issues are also presented and contrasted to old methods (such as new "independence" vs. old "dependence") (Government of Canada, n.d., Executive Summary).

In Unison is considered an example of report which engages disabled persons to "speak with their own voice" (Government of Manitoba, n.d.), alongside other Canadian reports such as Obstacles Report, The Mainstream 92 Report, and Two Hundred and Forty-Four Voice (Government of Manitoba, n.d.). These reports share a common theme, in suggesting that the most serious problems persons with disabilities face today are societal conditions and restrictions, not biological ones. This challenges eugenic principles, and suggests that disability is less of a biological fact than a social construction (Government of Manitoba, n.d.), contrary to eugenic beliefs.

The full report is available here.

-Colette Leung

Canadian government releases In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues

1998. The Canadian government releases In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues, which seeks to provide “a blueprint for promoting the integration of persons with disabilities in Canada” (Government of Canada, 1998, Preamble) and largely focused on disability supports, employment, and income. This disability policy is one of many that the Government of Canada has adopted in order to help people with disabilities participate in all aspects of Canadian society (Disability Related Policy in Canada, n.d.). It is seen as a victory for those with disability, who in Canada were also subjected to eugenic laws (University of Waterloo, n.d.).

Disability issues were identified as a priority for Canada in 1996 (Disability Related Policy, n.d.), as "persons with disabilities still face barriers and discrimination which prevent them from participating or contributing as equal partners in society" (Government of Canada, 1998, Preamble). In December 1997, First Ministers in the Canadian government decided that a vision and framework needed to be developed in order to help future work in disability issues, and "In Unison" was the product of a year's worth of jurisdictions that worked together to address the needs of persons with disabilities. The report inspired a secondary report in 2000, which presented personal stories and statistical indicators supporting recommendations. In order to become "full citizens," the report recommends that disability support has to move beyond income support, and focus on changing workplaces and communities to accommodate persons with disabilities, and to enhance access and use of disability supports. New approaches to disability issues are also presented and contrasted to old methods (such as new "independence" vs. old "dependence") (Government of Canada, n.d., Executive Summary).

In Unison is considered an example of report which engages disabled persons to "speak with their own voice" (Government of Manitoba, n.d.), alongside other Canadian reports such as Obstacles Report, The Mainstream 92 Report, and Two Hundred and Forty-Four Voice (Government of Manitoba, n.d.). These reports share a common theme, in suggesting that the most serious problems persons with disabilities face today are societal conditions and restrictions, not biological ones. This challenges eugenic principles, and suggests that disability is less of a biological fact than a social construction (Government of Manitoba, n.d.), contrary to eugenic beliefs.

The full report is available here.

-Colette Leung