Since 2012, IRIS has been working with local partners in various provinces and territories across the country to address issues such as; gender-based violence, access to justice and housing disparity. Given that IRIS provides policy research and social development leadership in pursuit of inclusion, human rights and well-being for people with disabilities and other marginalized populations, this community development work has focused on groups that have been systemically marginalized from the entry point of intellectual and other disabilities. See our new Info Sheet on Local Safety & Inclusion Solidarity Network for more information!
Tools and Approaches: Local Safety and Inclusion Solidarity Networks (LSISNs)
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IRIS recently completed a community-driven access to justice initiative (https://irisinstitute.ca/resource/access-to-justice-for-indigenous-and-racialized-victims-and-survivors-of-crime-with-intellectual-psychosocial-and-cognitive-disabilities/) and hosted an online forum “Access to Justice for Marginalized People with Disabilities” (https://irisinstitute.ca/2020/12/11/panel-presentation-videos-access-to-justice-for-indigenous-racialized-and-2slgbtq-people-with-disabilities/).
A key finding our many years of work in this area is that law enforcement is not well equipped to effectively support people with psychosocial, intellectual and cognitive disabilities in times of crisis; yet appropriate community supports do not exist for people in crisis situations. Further, our local partners demonstrate that if we are to effectively address the issue of preventing violence and increasing access to justice services for marginalized people with disabilities, we need to develop community-based solutions that are designed and delivered by grassroots service providers.
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Women With Disabilities And Housing Brief
October 11, 2018
Doris Rajan, Director of Social Development at IRIS, has written a brief for the Learning Network at the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children at the University of Western Ontario.
Funded by the Government of Ontario and commissioned by DAWN-RAFH Canada, this brief explores the barriers that women with disabilities face towards housing and how poverty and discrimination increases likelihood of homelessness and inadequate housing options.
The brief notes that it is not only physical barriers that exist towards housing and women with disabilities, but societal and attitudinal barriers of ableism. More specifically, the brief emphasizes the need to address the issue of women and housing not only in terms of how disability intersects with other marginalized statues, but equally important, the commonalities in barriers and needs across acutely marginalized populations, such as Indigenous and refugee women.
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A Social Innovation Approach to Transforming Communities – Local to National
May 16, 2016
This document outlines a strategy for using a local to national community development approach to improve educational attainment for people with disabilities. The strategy involves (1) empowering individuals and families at the local level to develop support plans, (2) bringing together local education and disability sectors to increase support, and (3) leveraging successful local approaches at provincial/national levels to influence policy change. The approach is rooted in communities and aims to build inclusive solutions from the ground up while also facilitating cross-sector collaboration and information sharing across levels of government.
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Evoking Human Agency and Autonomy Where Interpretation Meets Indeterminacy
May 16, 2016
The document discusses the concept of legal capacity and autonomy, emphasizing the importance of recognizing individuals as equal under the law and ensuring they have the support necessary to exercise their legal rights. It outlines the key components of decision-making capabilities, including understanding consequences and intentional actions, while also addressing the role of supporters in facilitating these processes. Overall, it presents a framework for inclusive and respectful decision-making that considers individual will and preferences within legal contexts.
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Poverty and Disability: Looking inside a tie that really binds
May 16, 2016
This document discusses poverty rates among people with and without disabilities in Canada. It finds that people with disabilities, especially intellectual disabilities, have much higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. They also have lower employment rates, are less likely to work full time/full year, have unmet needs for accommodations, and earn lower wages and have lower total income levels than people without disabilities. The document uses Canadian census and survey data to analyze differences in employment, earnings and income between those with and without disabilities.
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Looking Differently at Disability and Decision Making
May 16, 2016
Legal capacity is the right to make decisions that affect your own life. It’s a right that people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities are routinely denied.
Michael Bach of the Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society talks about how “supported decision making” can allow those with disabilities to take back control with the help of their families and communities.
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Income Sources Report IRIS & CCD
July 20, 2013
Statistics show that people with disabilities of working age are more likely to live below the poverty line than those without disabilities. The clearest factor in the income disparities between those with disabilities and those without is the component of social assistance. This report provides a statistical look at the personal income sources of people with disabilities who live in low income households in Canada. The main focus of the research is on the income sources of poor people with disabilities and how those look in comparison to the income sources of poor people without disabilities across age and gender.
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IRIS Disability Inclusive Lens
July 20, 2012
A guide developed to aid policymakers in creating policy and program initiatives that are inclusive to individuals with disabilities. Areas which the research focuses on include: poverty levels, inadequate education, support services geared for people with disabilities, violence and abuse, and denial of autonomy and self-determination. By exploring these realms, the paper is able to identify key questions in order to provide policymakers with tools to create more inclusive opportunities and spaces for those who have been excluded and marginalized.
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Employment Program Best Practices
May 20, 2012
This paper is a review of best practices that have been implemented in organizations who support persons with disabilities in the labour market. The report includes tips on how to overcome barriers which may arise when one tries to employ individuals with disabilities. By demonstrating key socio-demographic and disability-specific factors, the aim of the research is to encourage best practices in order to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities. The research concludes by discussing probable program initiatives that encourage the advancement of persons with disabilities and highlights factors that may contribute to their job attainment, which include post-secondary education, training and needed assistance to perform tasks at work.
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