ASEQ-EHAQ

WORKSHOPS

National Event

Agenda

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British Columbia

Workshop Details

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Workshop Recording

Québec

Workshop: Accessible justice and human rights for persons with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) in Québec
Training eligibility has been confirmed by the Québec Bar (Barreau du Québec) for the purposes of mandatory continuing education, for a duration of 2 ½ hours

Description and Agenda

Speakers

Manitoba

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Saskatchewan

Agenda

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Alberta

Agenda

Speakers

Description of Event

Legal workshops on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) titled ‘Accessible justice and human rights for persons with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity’ will be presented across Canada and will deliver a presentation on specific human rights related issues as they relate to people with the disability of MCS. This event reflects the ongoing efforts to become a better, more accessible, and more inclusive society and offers the possibility to discuss legal aspects related to access to justice, and advancing equity, diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. The presentation will cover both the medical and legal aspects of MCS, including lived experience of the condition and human rights specific to each province across Canada.

This event stems from the Empowering Community and Removal of Barriers (ECRoB) project, funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Partnership Programs, Disability Component. One of the primary objectives of the ECRoB project is to build capacity and inclusion by educating people who experience the disability of MCS on their rights and to increase their access to legal support and other information to effectively manage their disabilities.

We have requested the participation of the Canadian Law Societies to participate in this event. The project’s first partnership with a regulating body of legal practitioners began with the Law Society of Ontario in delivering an event on May 31^st, 2023 titled : National AccessAbility Week 2023. The recording of that program is available here: Law Society of Ontario – ARCH Archived Webcast. The event reached over 1000 participants including legal professionals.

About MCS

MCS is increasing in Canada. In 2020, 1,130,800 people have been diagnosed with MCS of which, 72% are women, and close to 50% are over the age of 55. (CCHS, Statistics Canada, 2020).

People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) face many barriers accessing justice because the disability is not well known. People with MCS are in our communities and are entitled to the same rights and protections as everyone else. However, many individuals with disabilities continue to face stigma, exclusion and barriers that hold them back from succeeding in our society.

One of the primary objectives of the ECRoB project is to build capacity and inclusion by educating people with the disability of MCS on their rights and to increase their access to legal support and other information to effectively manage their disability.

Partners in the project

Hosted by the Environmental Health Association of Quebec (EHAQ), the Environmental Health Association of Canada (EHAC), in partnership with the ARCH Disability Law Centre, La Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec (COPHAN), the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, NB Lung, Indigenous Disability Canada/British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS), and Spinal Cord Injury Canada, this event will focus on providing insights into the current state of the law regarding MCS, with an emphasis on human rights issues and legal resources available for people with the disability of MCS.

Topics Addressed at the Event

The Medico-Legal Aspect of MCS

Dr. John Molot – Environmental Health Clinic, Women’s College Hospital:

• Prevalence 
• Type/examples of appropriate accommodations
• Harm/Effects of lack of accommodations 
• Questions lawyers should ask to better understand client’s accommodation needs  

Dr. John Molot will speak about the multiple lines of evidence that explain pathophysiological mechanisms of MCS, which overlap with comorbid conditions. The purpose is to increase understanding of this complex disabling condition and to empower legal professionals to help support, and advocate for their clients.

The Applicability of Human Rights Laws for People with the Disability of MCS

Representatives of the Human Rights Commissions

• Human Rights Commissions in the provinces listed below,* will deliver province-specific rights for people who experience the disability of MCS

Guest Speakers – Lawyers from different Canadian Provinces*

*British Columbia, Alberta, Québec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon

The guest speakers will focus on providing insights into the current state of the law regarding MCS, with an emphasis on human rights issues and legal resources available for people with the disability of MCS. While the primary focus is on these aspects, they will touch on other relevant topics pertaining to MCS. Your expertise and insights will greatly benefit the legal community in this field.

Rights of accommodations for persons with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Access to justice issues facing MCS

Robert Lattanzio – Lawyer & Executive Director, ARCH Disability

• Access to justice issues facing MCS communities drawn from ARCH’s legal practice
• The duty to accommodate in the delivery of legal services
• Effective strategies for an accessible practice as it relates to MCS
• About the ECRoB project (Empowering Community and Removal of Barriers)

Robert will speak about how disability is understood in law and within human rights law in particular. He will also offer some consideration on how to support patients with disabilities with their accommodation requests to their employers, education service providers or other contexts. Robert will also offer some reflections on the duty to accommodate that healthcare providers have toward their patients with disabilities.

Click here to view the Bio of the speakers

Who is this event for?

Given the increasing prevalence of MCS and the barriers people with MCS experience accessing legal support, this event is for all legal professionals to assist in removing barriers, providing appropriate support, and improving access to justice and human rights.