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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 20, 2011Toronto, Ontario

Operational Review of Braemore Home Seriously Flawed

The Nova Scotia Association for Community Living (NSACL) and the Canadian Association for

Community Living (CACL) are both saddened by and disappointed in the report on Braemore Home

Corporation recently released by the Government of Nova Scotia. Conducted by Deloitte at the request

of the Department of Community Services, the review was in response to findings of abuse as related

to a 21-year old resident living at Braemore Home.

The report speaks to issues of conceptual frameworks, strategic and operational capabilities, and

organizational culture but did not go far enough in addressing what we view as the fundamental and

underlying cause of the abusethat is the continued use of an institutional model as a response to the

needs of people with disabilities.

The report, and the Nova Scotia government in its reaction, fails to acknowledge the real reason for

incidents of abuse such as that within Braemore. Research in Canada and internationally during the

past 30 years has consistently and unequivocally demonstrated that institutional environments such as

Braemore cannot adequately or safely address the needs of people with intellectual disabilities.

Even if all the recommendations of this report are fully and successfully implemented, Braemore will

still be an institution. Perhaps a better run institution but an institution nonetheless says Bendina

Miller, President of CACL. Yet we know that institutions cannot by their very nature be appropriate

places for people with disabilities to live. We know that people who live in these facilities will always

be at greater risk of abuse

NSACL and CACL believe that the answer to addressing the issue of institutional abuse lies in

developing a community based system that provides people with the necessary supports to live in the

community. Supports that enable people to establish lives and friendships within the community, to

have choice over where they live and with whom.

The situation at Braemore is not an isolated one. Over the past several years other allegations of abuse

have surfaced within other institutional facilites within Nova Scotia. The Government of Nova Scotia

must recognize that its current institutional model is outdated and inapproproate, and that without

major and intentional reform, people with disabiltiies will continue to be at risk of abuse. Changing

Boards and introducing alternate models of governance will not disguise the fact that institutions are

not in the best interests of people with disabliities.

Canadian Association canadienne

Association for pour lintgration

Community Living communautaire

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Article 19 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD)

guarentees the right to live in community, says Dr. Michael Bach, Executive Vice President of CACL.Canada has signed and ratiifed the CRPD yet we see no mention of this within the report nor have we

heard any comment from the government of Nova Scotia as to their intent to become compliant with

the Convention. The continued placement of persons with disabiltiies in facilities such as Braemore is

undeniably a violation of this international convention.

We applaud the provincial government for releasing the full report to the public in a timely mannerand for beng transparent about the abuse in the institution, said Lewis Crews, President of NSACL. We

would hope that government will commit to development of transition plans for individuals to move to

community. We would also ask that no further financial investment be made in expansion of the

Braemore facility.

Finally, we call on the Government of Nova Scotia to take action to ensure the immediate safety of all

people living in facilities such as Braemore, but more importantly to immediately take real and

substantive action to reform and modernize the residential services model in Nova Scotia. We call on

the government to develop a model that is reflective of known best practices, compliant with the UN

Convention and most importantly a model that meets the needs and equality rights of people with

disabiltiies. Both NSACL and CACL would be most willing to be a part of that transformation.

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The Canadian Association for Community Living is a national federation of 10 provincial and three

territorial associations, comprising 420 local associations and over 40,000 members, working to

advance the human rights and inclusion of persons of all ages who have an intellectual disability.

The Nova Scotia Association for Community Living is a province-wide association of family members

and others working for the benefit of persons of all ages who have an intellectual disability.

For more information please contact:

Michael Bach, Executive Vice President, CACL (416-209-7942)

Jean Coleman, Executive Director, NSACL (902)469-1174