Media

Council of Canadians With Disabilities (CCD) Celebrates NAAW: Creating Accessible Spaces for Those With Multiple Chemical Sensitivities

On May 27th at 1:00 pm ET on Zoom, the team from the Environmental Health Associations of Canada and Québec will share with participants information about multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) and how to create accessible spaces that are inclusive of people who have the disability of MCS.

Note on access needs: ASL interpretation, LSQ interpretation, and closed captioning will be provided at this event.

Registration for this event is mandatory. Register online here.  Speakers' bios are included below.

Dr John Molot, Adjunct Professor, uOttawa Department of Family Medicine

Dr. John Molot is an adjunct professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He focused his medical career on environmental medicine and is now primarily dedicated to education and advocacy for environmental health.

In 2007, he collaborated on writing The Medical Perspective on Environmental Sensitivities for the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which led to the Commission's recognition of environmental sensitivities as a disability with the legal right to accommodation. In 2016, he was appointed as a clinician expert to the Ontario Task Force on Environmental Health by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Dr. Molot is the medical advisor the Environmental Health Associations of Quebec and Canada (EHAQ and EHAC). Presently, he is working on the project called Empowering Community and Removal of Barriers (ECRoB), funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program – Disability Component. Its goals are to raise awareness across Canada about the legal rights of people with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and other disabilities affected by the indoor environment.

Dr. Molot has provided numerous educational presentations via ECRoB to provincial Human Rights Commissions, law societies, health professionals and medical students, as well as Inclusion Canada and Accessibility Canada.

Rohini Peris, President & CEO of Environmental Health Associations Québec and Canada

Rohini Peris, President and CEO of the Environmental Health Associations of Québec and Canada, has dedicated nearly three decades to expanding the group, forging national and global connections, and advocating for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Her efforts include workshops, programs, and webinars covering all aspects of MCS, supported by collaborations with institutions like the University of Québec in Montreal (UQAM) and TÉLUQ.

She leverages her lived experience to support individuals with MCS, contributing to best management practices and advocating for legal recognition. In 2006, she collaborated nationally for the recognition of environmental sensitivities as a disability protected under Canadian law.

Rohini leads the Empowering Community and Removal of Barriers (ECRoB) project and the Accessible Indoor Air in the Built Environment research project, advocating for MCS accommodation measures in numerous workshops nationwide. Both projects have been funded in part by the Government of Canada. Over two years through the ECRoB project she has participated in organizing and providing accommodation measures for MCS in close to 80 workshops across Canada that were provided to Human Rights Commissions, Law Societies, civil society, medical students, health professionals, and several government bodies.

A passionate advocate for MCS individuals and equity, Rohini collaborates with diverse stakeholders to drive policy reforms, increase awareness, and build supportive communities, striving for a society that accommodates MCS needs through collaborative advocacy and community organizing.

Roberto Lattanzio, Executive Director of ARCH Disability Law Centre

Roberto Lattanzio is the Executive Director of ARCH Disability Law Centre. Robert has been Executive Director since 2015, and first joined ARCH in 2003. He has acted as legal counsel in test case litigation at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and has made law reform submissions to various levels of government, committees, and administrative bodies. Robert has been appointed to numerous advisory committees, and has written and guest-lectured on diverse topics including equality and human rights law, administrative law, education law, capacity and supported decision making, disability rights, legislative reform, and social science evidence. He also has delivered extensive rights education training to our communities of persons with disabilities and continuing legal education to the legal profession. Robert received his LL.B and B.C.L. law degrees with distinction from McGill University in 2003. Robert has a long standing interest in disability rights and social justice, with extensive work and volunteer experience within disability communities and other equity seeking communities. Robert is the 2022 recipient of the Law Foundation of Ontario’s Guthrie Award for his contributions to advancing access to justice.

Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD)
P.O. Box 26063
Winnipeg, MB
R3G 3R3
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/
Email: ccd@ccdonline.ca