Literacy among Canadian Students with Disabilities
From NSEL Report Wiki
|
A report prepared by the Canadian Council on Learning for the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network
Read the full paper
Summary
In Canada, the equality rights of people with disabilities are protected under Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In addition, the Canadian Human Rights Act requires employers and service providers under federal jurisdiction to accommodate, short of undue hardship, the needs of people with disabilities. These provisions, along with other legislation enacted by federal and provincial governments, are based on the recognition that a civil society must make every effort to ensure full participation for everyone.
For the 14.3% of Canadians who live with disabilities (i.e. people whose everyday activities are limited because of a health-related condition or problem), full participation remains elusive (Statistics Canada, 2007). In particular, Canadians with disabilities are less likely than their non-disabled counterparts to pursue higher education and to find gainful employment. Research suggests that poor literacy skills are tightly linked to unfavourable outcomes for Canadians with disabilities in education and the labour market.
