A Qualitative Look at Serious Legal Problems for People with Disabilities in Central Canada
Methodology and Outreach
DAWN Canada used the themes and overarching research questions developed by the funder, Justice Canada, to undertake qualitative research on this issue. The goal here was to engage 25 to 30 participants to inform the research. DAWN adapted the questions and examples into plain language and shared materials (including questions and examples) with participants beforehand to help ensure people had ample opportunity to review, ask questions, and understand the content and intent of the research.
In total, this study engaged with 21 participants and 11 stakeholders, many of whom also identified as having a disability and experiencing legal issues, for a total of 32 participants. Where applicable, this report makes links to research and literature that support or confirm aspects of the findings.
Participants were given the option to provide demographic data if they felt comfortable doing so or to provide no such details if they preferred. Among those who shared demographic data:
- There was a nearly even split between those who identified as having a physical disability and those who identified as having a mental disability;
- Participants ranged in age from 16 to in their seventies;
- Slightly more women than men participated;
- One quarter (27%) identified themselves in the online survey as a racialized person; and
- One quarter (27%) of respondents to the English-language online survey, conducted in both Ontario and Quebec, identified themselves as being part of the LGBTQQIP2SA community, as did half of the survey respondents to the French-language survey, given only in Quebec.
While the study had limitations in terms of achieving a fully intersectional representation of people with disabilities, it was able to capture how attention to intersectionality is important in understanding the issues at hand and how these issues may impact different people with disabilities in different ways.
Additionally, with respect to the online survey screening tool, the majority of respondents in both provinces indicated that their understanding of legal issues was at least good. Specifically, 18% of respondents rated their knowledge of legal issues as excellent, 63% rated their knowledge as good, and 2% noted they found legal issues confusing (the rest did not know or did not answer).
However, throughout the research process, including in later narrative responses to the online survey, participants overwhelmingly noted that the legal process was frustrating, confusing, and taxing. While participants may feel their legal knowledge is solid, the experience of the legal process itself still seemed overwhelming to the majority of respondents. We will explore this contradiction later in this report and provide insight from participants.
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