Commission Makes Grant to Reach Nova Scotia

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION--Commission Makes Grant to Reach Nova Scotia

Reach Nova Scotia, a charitable organization providing access to justice and human rights to people with disabilities, will receive a $30,000 grant from the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission as part of the settlement of a human rights complaint.

"We are excited about Reach Nova Scotia's innovative project," said Human Rights Commission CEO Mayann Francis. "We think the Reach proposal has real potential to enhance the equality rights of Nova Scotians with mental disabilities."

Reach Nova Scotia will develop a framework for legal education and advocacy for mental-health consumers. They will develop a database of legal education resources for mental health consumers in Nova Scotia and make it available to the public. They will also suggest ways to improve the resources they catalogue.

"We think that the project can create long-term sustainable change," said Tova Sherman, the organization's executive director.

A selection panel with representatives of the Human Rights Commission and the Nova Scotia Disabled Persons Commission reviewed proposals and selected Reach Nova Scotia as the successful applicant for year one of the three-year grant cycle.

"We received many creative and worthwhile proposals," said Michael Noonan of the Human Rights Commission and chair of the selection committee. "Reach will involve mental-health consumers at every stage of the project."

The grant is part of a settlement reached in the human rights complaint of H. Archibald Kaiser against the Executive Council of Nova Scotia. As part of the settlement, the government agreed to provide $90,000 over three years to the Human Rights Commission to be allocated to projects to help people with mental disabilities access legal education and other advocacy and justice services.