Quebec Elections 2026: five commitments to improve accessibility for people living with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)

Election brief from the Environmental Health Association of Québec (ASEQ-EHAQ)

Purpose. To call on Quebec’s political parties to make concrete, measurable and non-partisan commitments to ensure that people living with MCS can access healthcare, housing, employment, public services and communal spaces without facing avoidable barriers linked to chemical exposure.

Why act now

MCS is a disability and accessibility issue that affects many people’s ability to use everyday environments when fragrances, cleaning products, materials or other chemical sources trigger symptoms.
Barriers are not limited to a single sector: they can accumulate across healthcare, housing, work, transport, government services and civic participation.
Recent work by ASEQ-EHAQ on access to care, refusals to provide reasonable accommodation, fragrance-free policies, indoor air quality and socio-economic impacts now provides a solid foundation for moving from recognizing the problem to taking action.
The proposed approach is two-pronged: to prevent avoidable exposure and to ensure accommodation and access for those already affected.

The five commitments called for

1. A Quebec action plan on MCS and accessibility

To commit to developing, in collaboration with people with lived experience of MCS and the organizations that represent them, an inter-ministerial action plan covering, in particular, health, housing, employment, education, public services and accessibility.

2. Accessible healthcare

To put in place measures to eliminate risks at source, accommodation protocols, mechanisms for requesting accommodation in advance, and training so that people living with MCS can receive care without avoidable exposure.

3. Accessible, healthy and affordable housing

Recognize MCS-related accessibility needs in housing policies; promote low-emission construction, renovation and maintenance practices; and support demonstration projects for affordable housing designed to meet these needs.

4. More accessible indoor environments through source reduction

Integrate procurement and maintenance practices in government buildings and state-funded institutions that favour fragrance-free products with low emissions/VOCs and the lowest possible toxicity, as well as source-control policies and procedures.

5. Data, research, training and socio-economic inclusion

Improve monitoring and data collection in Quebec on MCS, support research and vocational training, strengthen workplace accommodation, and explicitly include MCS in relevant initiatives relating to disability and accessibility.

A key request

If your party forms the next government, will you commit to working with ASEQ-EHAQ and people living with MCS to develop and implement a Quebec action plan to address access to healthcare, accessible housing, indoor environmental quality, employment, and full participation in society?

Principles of the approach

The same request has been sent to the main political parties.
ASEQ-EHAQ does not endorse any party nor does it issue any voting instructions.
Responses will be presented in a consistent and transparent manner, without any partisan ranking.
Commitments made during the campaign will be recorded to ensure follow-up after the election.

Election dates

The election period began on 27 August 2026. The deadline for nominations is 17 September at 2.00 pm; early voting will take place on 27 and 28 September; the general election will be held on 5 October 2026. Source: Élections Québec.

Supporting documentation to be attached or linked

Statistics Canada data on the prevalence of MCS and demographic characteristics.
ASEQ-EHAQ research on healthcare access for adults with MCS
Research on fragrance-free policies and their implementation.
Research on indoor air quality, VOCs and source reduction.
Report on the socio-economic impacts of MCS in Canada.
Report on housing needs for people living with MCS.

Download the full PDF: ASEQ-EHAQ Election Brief