National Adult Literacy Database

The authors of this study use data from the child component of the 2001 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) to analyze access to educational services for Canadian children with disabilities.

The first part of their analysis deals with national and provincial trends in an effort to determine if where a child lives makes a difference when it comes to access to educational services. The second part analyzes the effect of the type and complexity of disabilities on access to education.

The authors found that in Canada, the majority of children with disabilities attend regular school, with one quarter attending a regular school that offers special education classes and only a small minority attending special education schools.

There is much variability in provincial rates of school participation and it is unclear if these differences reflect provincial differences in policies, such as increased inclusion or an emphasis on mainstreaming children with disabilities, or whether it is a reflection of limited special education services available.

The authors found that the type of disability and its complexity are both important for access of school services. Children with physical disabilities only or chronic conditions only are more likely to attend regular classes and less likely to experience difficulties in accessing special education services, as compared to children who have a developmental, learning, or psychological disability.

The document was published by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) and Statistics Canada.