Archive

January 2001 - Access to public transportation services is a human rights issue. Transportation is fundamental to the capacity of most persons to function in society. Transit services facilitate integration into public and social life in our communities, as well as allow people to access work, and basic goods, services and facilities. However, certain persons who are protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code face significant barriers in using transit services. While the issue of transit accessibility is most often discussed in the context of persons with disabilities, it also impacts on others, such as older persons and families with young children.

Toronto - Chief Commissioner Keith C. Norton today announced three partnerships to enhance the Commission's efforts to promote understanding of human rights. Working with partners is a key part of the Commission's public education strategy and has been clearly identified by stakeholders as something the Commission must do more of.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission today released two revised policies. The Commission's Policy on Drug and Alcohol Testing has been updated to reflect the Ontario Court of Appeal's recent decision in Entrop v. Imperial Oil Ltd., a human rights complaint involving the introduction of a workplace policy requiring employees in safety-sensitive positions to disclose a past or current substance abuse problem. In this case, although the problem had occurred eight years earlier and there had been no further incident of substance abuse, the employee was immediately reassigned to another position. The employee subsequently filed a human rights complaint alleging discrimination because of a handicap.

Toronto - A settlement reached between two voters with visual disabilities and the City of Ottawa could set a standard for future election practices. In complaints filed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Mr. Dubois and Mr. Green claimed that they were unable to cast a secret ballot independently as required by law during the 1997 municipal elections because the City could not accommodate their needs during the election process. As a result of the complaint, the City of Ottawa reviewed its practices to ensure that accommodations would be made to facilitate the ability of persons with a visual disability to vote during the 2000 municipal election.

Toronto - Chief Commissioner Keith Norton announced that a Board of Inquiry decision released yesterday on human rights complaints against the Barrie YMCA makes it clear that facilities such as the YMCA must provide equal services to men and women.

2000 - The Ontario Human Rights Code guarantees the right to equal treatment in education, without discrimination on the ground of disability, as part of the protection for equal treatment in services. Education providers have a duty to accommodate students with disabilities up to the point of undue hardship. Students with disabilities are not always being provided with appropriate accommodation, and, in some cases, are falling victim to disputes between the various parties responsible for accommodation. The accommodation process is a shared responsibility.

2000 - Once a disability-related need has been identified, or a case of discrimination has been established, education providers have a duty to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities, unless to do so would cause undue hardship. Accommodation is a means of preventing and removing barriers that impede students with disabilities from participating fully in the educational environment. Accommodation involves three principles: dignity, individualization and inclusion.

2000 - Under the Code, persons with disabilities have the right to full integration and participation in society. They should be able to access services, employment, and housing, and face the same duties and responsibilities as everyone else.

2000 - Business inconvenience, resentment or hostility from other co-workers, the operation of collective agreements and customer "preferences" cannot be considered in the accommodation process. When a person with a disability needs supports in order to work, use a service or access housing, the employer, service provider or landlord has a duty to provide these supports. There are limits to this duty, and these limits are called undue hardship.

November 2000 - Under the Code, everyone has the right to be free from discrimination because of disability or perceived disability in the social areas of employment, services, goods, facilities, housing, contracts and membership in trade and vocational associations. This right means that persons with disabilities have the right to equal treatment, which includes the right to accessible workplaces, public transit, health services, restaurants, shops and housing.

2000 - Everyone - employers, unions, and persons with disabilities - has a shared responsibility for making the accommodation process a success. Nothing forces a person to reveal a disability. However, when an accommodation is requested, everyone involved should cooperatively share information and actively seek solutions.

Toronto - The Commission today launched a province-wide campaign in partnership with the Infant Feeding Action Coalition (INFACT) Canada and Toronto Public Health to mark World Breastfeeding Week activities.The campaign features a transit ad, which will run on municipal transit vehicles across the province and a platform poster which will appear in high traffic subway stations in Toronto. These advertisements are designed to help eliminate discriminatory practices against mothers and children, and to support the Commission's mandate to increase awareness of human rights and protections for women under the Code.

September 2000 - Drug and alcohol testing are of particular concern in the workplace, notably for those Ontario employers that have safety sensitive operations, and/or that are subject to U.S. regulatory requirements (e.g. the trucking industry) or to the policies of U.S. affiliates with “zero tolerance” for the consumption of drugs or alcohol. For this reason, this Policy focuses on the workplace. However, it applies to other social areas as well.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission's province-wide consultation on human rights issues facing older persons begins today with the release of ,The Changing Face of Ontario: Discrimination and our Aging Population, a Consultation Paper.

2000 - One of the objectives of this consultation is to solicit your views on a range of human rights issues faced by persons as they age. The Discussion Paper Discrimination and Age: Human Rights Issues Facing Older Persons in Ontario (the “Discussion Paper”) contains a detailed discussion of these issues and identifies priorities for further action by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (the “Commission”) in areas that fall within its mandate under the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code”).

Toronto - Chief Commissioner Keith Norton today announced the release of the Ontario Human Rights Commission's Annual Report for 1999-2000. The report highlights the Commission's achievements for the period April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2000 and sets out its position on key human rights issues and challenges. The report is available on the Ontario Human Rights Commission Web site: www.ohrc.on.ca.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission today released a discussion paper entitled Discrimination and Age: Human Rights Issues Facing Older Persons in Ontario, and announced consultations on human rights issues facing older persons in Ontario.

Today, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released its Case Management Report. Key accomplishments include a reduction in the time required to resolve human rights complaints as well as a reduction in the number of cases. The average age of cases now stands at 13 months, down from about 20 months a couple of years ago. The median age of cases has dropped to 9 months.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission today released its Policy on Discrimination and Harassment because of Gender Identity. The Policy is intended to help the public understand how the Human Rights Code protects against discrimination and harassment because of gender identity.

June 2000 - Pursuant to Section 31(1) of the Ontario Human Rights Code, it is my pleasure to provide to you the Annual Report of the Ontario Human Rights Commission for the fiscal year 1999-2000, for submission to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This report reflects the activities of the Commission to March 31, 2000.

May 2000 - The purpose of this Discussion Paper is to identify trends and critical issues related to age, and to make policy and related recommendations to promote the human rights of older persons.

Toronto - On February 24, a Board of Inquiry ordered Imaging Excellence, a printing company, and its owner, Scott Brockie, to provide printing services to gays and lesbians and their organizations and awarded damages of $5000 in total payable to Ray Brillinger and the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, a customer of Imaging Excellence. In its earlier decision released on September 29th, 1999, the Board determined that Imaging Excellence and Mr. Brockie discriminated against Mr. Brillinger when it refused to provide printing services to the Archives.

February 2000 - On February 28, 2000, the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Foundation held a one-day Policy Dialogue session: Human Rights Commissions: Future Directions. As we begin the new millennium, it is an ideal time to consider the role of human rights institutions in a broader context. It is important for human rights institutions and those who work in the area to identify the issues that are facing human rights commissions and to develop strategies that will allow them to play a greater role in the protection and promotion of human rights.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission released today its Policy on Discrimination and Harassment because of Sexual Orientation. The policy outlines protections offered to all Ontarians on the ground of sexual orientation and same-sex partnership status.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission will be launching its latest publication, Human Rights at Work, tomorrow at the annual Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario conference in Toronto. Human Rights at Work is a plain language guide for employers and covers a number of workplace-related human rights issues.