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The Charter of the French language and its regulations govern the consultation of English-language content.

Inclusive education

Students with disabilities face many barriers in accessing appropriate educational activities and services. The Commission has taken a position on this issue on several occasions, notably by proposing an organisational framework to promote learning and educational success for these students in primary and secondary levels. It has also documented the systemic obstacles they face and proposed several recommendations to the main stakeholders in the Québec school system. The Commission also published an important opinion in which it clarifies what is the duty to accommodate for students with disabilities at the college level and its conclusions can also be used by universities.

English language translations are provided when available.

2024 | La Commission et le Protecteur du citoyen demandent au ministère de l'Éducation qu'il mette en place des actions structurantes au bénéfice des élèves handicapés ou en difficulté d’adaptation ou d’apprentissage (HDAA).
Lettre ouverte de la Commission et du Protecteur du citoyen


2023 | La Commission invite les organismes et les personnes qui ont à cœur la défense des droits des élèves handicapés ou en difficulté d’adaptation ou d’apprentissage à participer à un colloque rassembleur pour faire le point sur leur situation et dégager des pistes de solution durables pour garantir leur droit à l’instruction publique.

2020 | La Commission fait parvenir une lettre au ministère de l'Éducation l'alertant de situations susceptibles de compromettre le droit à l’égalité des élèves HDAA dans leur exercice du droit à l’instruction publique gratuite en contexte de pandémie de COVID-19.

2019 | La Commission exprime son inquiétude face au souhait du ministre de l’Éducation d’ajouter des classes spécialisées pour répondre aux besoins d’un nombre grandissant d’élèves HDAA, dans une lettre ouverte publiée dans Le Devoir.

2018  |  The Commission sends a wake-up call to the entire Québec school system, including the ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur, which needs to demonstrate a stronger leadership, with the unveiling of its systemic study on the evolution of the schooling conditions for students with disabilities or special needs from 2001 to 2016. The study includes a detailed analysis of the organization of educational services offered at preschool, primary and secondary levels.

2015 |  In its follow-up report on inclusive education at the college level to the minister of Education, the Commission stresses that the department must provide strong leadership to ensure that special needs students are provided discrimination free services.

2014  |  The Commission launches a systemic investigation reviewing inclusive education for students with disabilities.

2012  |  The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse offers solutions to ensure an inclusive education for all college students with disabilities.

2010  |   The Commission sends an open letter to the Québec Minister of Education, Leisure and Sports: Understanding inclusive education in accordance with human rights.

2008  |   The Commission speaks out on the situation of disabled or special needs students in Québec schools explaining that an inclusive education is essential to avoid a step backwards.

2007  |   The Commission releases an opinion and recommends an organizational framework to foster the integration of special needs students in regular classrooms

  • Avis (French only) (PDF, 646 Ko)

2004  |  The Human Rights Tribunal sides with the Commission and rules in favour of the integration of a disabled child (Joël Potvin) in a regular classroom (see judgement). The Québec Court of Appeal upholds that decision in 2006.

  • 2009: As the local school board (Commission scolaire des Phares) refuses to change its practices as a result of the Court of Appeal’s ruling, the Commission takes it to the Human Rights Tribunal which finds that the evaluation system used by the local school board is discriminatory. The Commission scolaire des Phares appeals (second judgement).
  • 2012: A May ruling by the Québec Court of Appeal reverses the Human Rights Tribunal’s August decision. The Commission seeks leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada which dismisses the application in January 2013.

Did you know?

Although the law states that each child must be provided with an individual and adapted plan to ensure that he or she succeeds at school, the high percentage of complaints received by the Commission suggests that too often, special need students are not assessed or their intervention plan is not followed.