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Article: Deaf to discrimination: if sign language interpeters are now a 'right,' where do our equality obligations end?(FACEOFF)
- Article from:
- Western Standard
- Article date:
- September 25, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Western Standard. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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From: Karen Selick
To: Michael Coren
Date: Sept. 11, 2006 10:10 AM
Subject: The price of deaf rights
In August, the federal court ruled that free sign-language interpreters be provided for deaf people dealing with the federal government. Undoubtedly, deafness is a frustrating and sometimes financially devastating handicap. However, this ruling misconstrues the purpose of the anti-discrimination section (Subsection 15[1]) of the Charter of Rights. It's supposed to prevent the government from writing laws that impose arbitrary, discriminatory burdens or restrictions based on irrelevant personal characteristics. For instance, laws ...