N.S. case seeks to make supported homes for disabled declared a right
HALIFAX — A ground-breaking human rights case set to begin on Monday could help hundreds of Nova Scotians with disabilities move out of institutions and into small group homes, says a lawyer who has led a three-year-long effort to bring the cases before a formal hearing.
Vince Calderhead will argue the Department of Community Services is breaking the Human Rights Act by housing 45-year-old Joseph Delaney and 46-year-old Beth MacLean in a hospital-like, institutional setting.
If their cases succeed, he says, it may open the door to others who want to make the shift to supported housing. It could also set a precedent that could assist in similar human rights actions on behalf of people with disabilities in other provinces, he says.
The province says there were about 504 people awaiting some form of support from the Department of Community Services as of last Thursday, and 1,024 people awaiting a transfer to a different housing option or location.