reachAbility's Legal Programming (LP)
reachAbility's Legal Programming aim is to educate and assist persons living with disabilities and the community as a whole, through our Community Outreach Initiative and Legal Referral Service, and to explain relevant legislation in plain terms with our Plain Language Legislation initiative.
In conducting relevant research to the disability community on legal issues, making the appropriate recommendations and creating new programming, we are providing new knowledge relating to human rights and equality. reachAbility is empowering persons living with disabilities and those in their support network, to know and understand their rights, enabling them to secure a better quality of life for themselves.
reachAbility's first role, when founded in 2000, was as a Legal Referral Service. The Community Outreach Initiative started in 2001, and the Plain Language Legislation initiative was introduced in 2003.
Persons with Disabilities Legal Services
Legal Referral Service (LRS)
reachAbility's Legal Referral Service offers access to free legal advice for any person with a disability. The legal counsel does not have to relate to their disability, but they must have a disability to use our service.
Community Outreach Initiative (COI)
reachAbility's Community Outreach Initiative connects lawyers and relevant experts with various organizations and communities, by organizing FREE information sessions. Once a topic relevant to persons living with disabilities and the community has been identified, a lawyer (volunteering their time) is then invited to address the legal matter.
Projects
Plain Language Legislation (PLL)
reachAbility's Plain Language Legislation initiative, in partnership with Dalhousie Pro Bono Students Canada, simplifies relevant government legislative acts and policies. To date it includes translations of: The Hospital Act, the Department of Community Services Employment Support & Income Assistance Manual, the Worker's Compensation Appeal Process, The Human Rights Act, and the Pardoning Process.
Kits
reachAbility's Kits are information packages designed to assist persons with disabilities with CPP disability applications, Patient Advocacy, and Palliative Care.
Research
RYDLE (Researching Youth with Disabilities in conflict with the Law towards improved Employability)
reachAbility's innovative RYDLE research is the first step in addressing the issue of youth with disabilities and their relationship with the criminal justice system, in support of improved employability.
YOD (Young Offenders with Disabilities Research Project)
Beginning in the summer of 2007, reachAbility will continue its RYDLE research, under the name of "Young Offenders with Disabilities Research", focusing on communities in Nova Scotia lying outside the Halifax Regional Municipality, to ensure that all factors surrounding youths with disabilities in conflict with the law have been understood, in respect to both urban and rural communities.
Lawyer Volunteers
Lawyer Volunteers
reachAbility is dedicated to ensuring that quality legal and social representation is provided to persons living with disabilities. Helping persons with disabilities through a reachAbility referral is a win/win situation for both you and the client.
Law Student Volunteers
As part of our Legal Referral Service, law students from Dalhousie University's Pro Bono Students Union in Halifax, Nova Scotia, commit their time and growing legal knowledge in the initial step of this program.
Top Ten Reasons for Members of the Legal Community to Support reachAbility
Lawyer Volunteer Form
If you would like further information on reachAbility and its Legal Programming, please contact:
Legal Services -- (902) 429-5878 or legal@reachability.org.
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