ARCH Disability Law Centre celebrates 30 years

December 13, 2010 - Toronto  - In 1980, Bill Davis was Premier of Ontario, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was still being debated and it would be another year before disability was made a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Ontario Human RIghts Code. Yet that year a dedicated group of lawyers and community members came together to establish ARCH, a law clinic funded by the Ontario Legal Aid Plan dedicated the needs of disabled Canadians.

30 years and many ground-breaking test cases later, ARCH Disability Law Centre is going strong. To mark the occasion, ARCH is hosting a symposium today at the Lamont Lecture Hall at Osgoode Hall. The conference is entitled, Human Rights for People with Disabilities: Today and Tomorrow and features lectures and panel discussions led by leading academics, disability law practitioners and advocates. Marshall Swadron of Swadron Associates will be participating in a panel entitled Emerging Issues in Legal Capacity and Guardianship together with estate and guardianship lawyer Jane Martin of Eisen Graham, Executive Vice-President of Canadian Association for Community Living Michael Bach and ARCH's own Tess Sheldon. The panel will be moderated by former ARCH executive director Phyllis Gordon.