On September 27, 2023, the Canadian Chamber of Commons unanimously approved Motion M-78 put forward by Hon. Mike Lake, PC, MP. 

The motion reminded Canada of its obligations under Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) regarding inclusive education.

This motion called for a focus on disability-inclusive education and led the House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights to conduct a comprehensive global study on the issue.

The study led to a report, published in April 2024, by the Canadian Chamber of Commons titled “Including Every Child, Benefitting All: International Disability-Inclusive Education”. 

This report represents a critical step towards taking meaningful and systemic action to support children with disabilities. It outlines key recommendations and insights that can drive change and promote inclusive education worldwide.

The title page of the report entitled, “Including every child, benefitting all: international disability-inclusive education”

The recommendations are directed to the Government of Canada and to the Global Affairs Canada (Canada’s Agency for international development) and include key aspects such as:

  • Policies should address the barriers that people with disabilities face when accessing education
  • Compliance with and contribution to international standards (i.e. CRPD, CRC, SDGs)
  • Conducting periodic reviews of inclusion
  • All education programs should use a two-part strategy for inclusion and separate data by disability, even in emergency situations.
  • Global Affairs Canada needs to commit to supporting countries to allocate 5% of their education funding to disability-inclusive education

Hon. Mike Lake, PC, MP has shared the recommendations from the report across his social media platforms:

After the unanimous passage in the Canadian Parliament of my Motion M-78 on disability-inclusive education, the House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights agreed to do a study of the issue at a global level.

That report has been tabled in the House with the recommendations presented here. This is a critical next step toward meaningful action on behalf of kids who have been left behind for far too long.

Mike Lake, PC, MP, Canadian House of Commons

This is an example of a country making efforts to become a champion for inclusion of persons with disabilities in education. 

This result follow a great deal of effort by international and national civil society groups who have been involved in promoting inclusive education. 

Among these efforts, the call to action made during the Transforming Education Summit by IDDC, IDA, GCE-US, with support from Inclusion International, was a key advocacy achievement. his call urged countries to commit to allocating 5% of their education funding specifically for disability-inclusive education.

Read the Full Report Here