Developmental disabilities : policies for those at the margins of society

This thesis examines Ontario's disability policies--the Ontario Disability Supports Programs Act, the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and assesses the extent to which the legislation provides supports for individuals with developmental disabilities who have both the desire and the capacity to live independently. It uses content analysis to identify the purported aims of the legislation and assesses outcomes through qualitative interviews with executive directors of community agencies that serve individuals with developmental disabilities. A key theme is that there is a tendency to homogenize disability so that barriers to accessibility are defined with a focus on "visible" physical disabilities with consistently less attention to "invisible" developmental disabilities. It concludes by pointing to appropriate housing, adequate income supports, availability of transportation and appropriate employment as critical areas to facilitate the choice of independent living. These areas are underdeveloped in current legislation.