HISTORY

History of People with Disabilities

And it’s still being written.

If people with disabilities had always been treated as equal, we wouldn’t need a website like this.

But the truth is, history has not been kind to us.

We were kept out of schools. We were locked away in institutions. We were told we couldn’t have jobs, relationships, or families. Some of us were even sterilized (meaning we had surgery to stop us from having kids) without our permission. That was legal in parts of Canada until the 1970s.

These things didn’t happen by mistake. They were done on purpose, by governments, by systems, and by people who thought we weren’t equal.

That’s why this part of the training matters.
It helps us understand where we came from, how far we still need to go, and make sure we never go back.

Timeline

The timeline in this module shows some important moments in our history. It doesn’t tell every story, but it gives us a picture. You might notice some patterns:

• Being separated from everyone else
• Being told what to do or what not to do
• Not having control over our own lives
• Being made to feel small, broken, or invisible

This happened to a lot of us, and it’s still happening today. Many of us carry fear, pain, or mistrust from those experiences. Some of us are still fighting to be heard.

That’s why it’s so important to know this history, because it’s not just the past. It’s part of who we are.

1800

So… What about today?

We’ve just looked back at a long and difficult history. But that history still affects us now. Some things have changed, and some things still need to change.

Even though most institutions have closed, people with disabilities continue to face barriers every day. We still have a long way to go to make Canada fully inclusive.

Here are some facts to think about:

• As of 2022, about 27% of Canadians aged 15 and over (about 8 million people) have at least one disability, and many face daily barriers in housing, income, and health care.
• Around 1.5 million people with disabilities live in poverty, many with very low income—less than half the poverty line.
• Canadians with disabilities (especially Indigenous people) face higher unemployment, unsafe or unaffordable housing, and fewer accessible services.
• The government is developing the Canada Disability Benefit and a Disability Inclusion Action Plan, working with people with disabilities and self-advocates to improve income supports and access to services
• Manitoba released its Accessibility Plan for 2025–26, listing 43 actions to remove barriers for people with disabilities. In 2024, nearly 500 people under the age of 65 were living in Personal Care Homes because there weren’t enough community-based services to meet their needs.

Institutions Then and Now

When most people think about institutions, they picture big buildings with locked doors. Places where people with disabilities were sent away, far from their families and communities.

But institutions aren’t just buildings.
They’re also ways of thinking.
They’re systems that take away freedom, voice, and choice.

People First of Canada and Inclusion Canada said it clearly:

“An institution is any place in which people who have been labeled as having an intellectual disability are isolated, segregated and/or congregated. An institution is any place in which people do not have, or are not allowed to exercise, control over their lives and their day to day decisions. An institution is not defined merely by its size.”

So even if you don’t live in a big institution, it’s still possible to experience institutionalization. Here are some things to think about:

• Are you able to make your own choices each day — like when to eat, what to wear, or where to go?
• Do you live with people you choose?
• Can you have privacy when you want it?
• Do you have real control over your money?
• Are you ever left out of decisions that affect your own life?
• Do you set your schedule — or do staff?

If you answered “no” to some of these, you’re not alone.

Many people with disabilities still live in systems that take away control, even if those systems aren’t called institutions.

You might hear people say: “The buildings are gone, but the walls are still there.” What does that mean? It means that even though big institutions have closed, some of the same problems still exist. People are still told what to do. People still don’t always get to make their own choices. The walls might not be made of bricks anymore — but the rules, limits, and control can still be there in other ways.

This part of the training is a chance to notice those patterns — and to speak up about them.

Because real inclusion means having real power in your own life. Remember? Being in the driver seat of your own life.

Message from the Team >