Disability
Disability includes a person's physical, mental or psychological limitations. It also includes ways to reduce its effects, such as using a wheelchair or using a guide dog.
A person cannot discriminate or harass you because of your disability or the means to palliate your disability (for example, your wheelchair, your guide or service dog or your prosthesis).
The Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms prohibits anyone to:
- treat you differently because of your disability or the means to palliate your disability
- make offensive and repeated comments to you related to your disability or the means to palliate your disability
- behave repeatedly in an offensive manner towards your disability or the means to palliate your disability
This video presents the topic of disability in American Sign Language (ASL)
Do you believe you are being discriminated against or harassed because of your disability?
The Commission can help you recognize discrimination or harassment and take action to prevent or stop discriminatory behaviour.
Dismissal because of sick leave
Nabil’s doctor recommended that he take three months off work to treat his depression. Nabil sent the medical documents to his employer to request sick leave. After three weeks on leave, Nabil received a letter of dismissal. Nabil’s employer was not allowed to dismiss him. The employer has a duty to accommodate Nabil, because depression is considered to be a type of disability, which is a prohibited ground for discrimination.
Discriminated against because of her guide dog
Discriminated against by a gym owner because of the presence of her guide dog, Gracia went all the way to the Human Rights Tribunal to have her rights recognized.
Learn more...
Organizations
- Office des personnes handicapées du Québec
- COPHAN (Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec)
Information pages
- Using animals to palliate a disability
- Our opinion on service and guide dogs
- L'inclusion scolaire des élèves HDAA (French only)
- Les droits des élèves HDAA (French only)
- Enfants en situation de handicap en camp de jour (French only)
Find all our publications, training and other resources available on this ground.