This collaborative project involved five organizations across Canada focused on issues related to disability and mental health, women and girls, LGBTQ2iS, and indigenous persons. The project was completed in the Winter and Spring 2018 at CCDS in partnership with the DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada, Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, and the National Network for Mental Health.

The project was funded by the Government of Canada’ Social Development partnerships Program—Disability Component in response to recommendations and concerns outlined in the Concluding Observations adopted by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities following Canada’s appearance before the Committee in April 2017.

Specifically, the Committee expressed concern under Articles 5 and 6 (Equality and non-discrimination, and women with disabilities, respectively) about “The intersecting nature of discrimination against women and girls with disabilities; Indigenous persons with disabilities; and migrant persons with disabilities who face heightened risks of gender-based violence, poverty, marginalization, and barriers in access to mental health care services.”

The CRPD recommended that the State party of Canada address the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination through policies, programs and services. This project identified the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination facing diverse people with disabilities and provided initial recommendations for consideration in practice, policy and future research.