- The Human Rights Legislation outlines the basic human rights to which each Canadian is entitled.
- These rights are not affected by context (areas of lifestyle, work, home, or school)
- These rights are not affected by any localizing factor (race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability)
- For YAST's purposes, the context is employment and the localizing factor is persons with disabilities.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the cornerstone of Canadian Human Rights Legislation.
- Section 15 provides the basis for prohibited discrimination of all citizens, especially those who have a history of experiencing discrimination.
The first piece of legislation that specifically addressed employment equity was drafted in 1977 and called The Canadian Human Rights Act.
This Act provides one law with national application. It identifies the essential ideology that all individuals should have an opportunity equal opportunity to live in a society which does not allow for discrimination based on the above mentioned criteria.
- Section 7 – 11 directly outlines laws pertaining to employment equity and outlines what are considered prohibited and discriminatory practices.
- The Act empowers the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the regulating body of the laws contained in the Act.
- Each province has its own Provincial Human Rights Commission.
- Individuals wanting to file grievances and complaints do so by approaching the provincial Commission.
