In the fiscal year 2000/2001, just over 41% of all complaints filed with the OHRC cited disability as one of the grounds. Of the 1,775 complaints filed in that year, 732 referred to handicap. This is in keeping with trends from recent years.
As is generally the case with complaints filed with the OHRC, most disability related complaints dealt with employment issues. Only 133 of these 732 complaints (18%) dealt with services. Services include health, transportation, and other provincial and municipal services, including education, as well as private sector services. In terms of the OHRC’s caseload, the absolute number of complaints related to education and disability is likely relatively small.
However, a review of cases related to disability and education that were investigated and placed before the Commission for a decision under section 36 of the Code during the last year revealed that a relatively high proportion of these raised systemic issues. Issues include admissions criteria for post-graduate studies, the application of suspension and expulsion policies to students with behavioural-related disabilities (at both the primary and post-secondary levels), the design of the provincial report card, and the provision of academic accommodations at the post-secondary level.