The life and contributions of Orville Endicott

I knew Orville Endicott when he was legal counsel with the organizations now called Inclusion Canada and Community Living Ontario, where he worked until he was about 80 years old. Having been an Anglican priest, Orville became a lawyer who promoted and defended the rights and dignity of people labeled with intellectual disabilities. He also became their friend – a man who communicated love and respect in all he did. We extend condolences to his wife Julianne and children, who described the man they loved and the many locations, occupations and achievements of his life in this obituary.

Helping families understand the law

For several decades, Orville was a close ally of Inclusion Action in Ontario. Having seen the harm disabled people experienced when institutionalized and isolated, he helped families advocate for inclusive education. In 1995, IAO established a coalition with other provincial parent associations, the self-advocates of People First Ontario and with students in Youth Involvement Ontario in the Ontario Coalition for Inclusive Education. Orville provided the Coalition with a legal analysis of two key elements of Ontario’s Education Act Regulation 181/98, after it changed in 1998 – issues that are still important today:

1. It requires that schools develop Individual Education Plans “in consultation with” parents and older students. Orville advised us that means there must be the fullest possible mutual sharing of the information (both facts and opinions) between the official responsible for making a decision and the person or persons who stand to be affected by it.

2. Individual Education Plans must record “the special education program and services to be received by the pupil”. Orville explained that means IEPs establish a legally enforceable promise.

He also explained that the law does not require all school boards to provide segregated classes for exceptional students. He wrote:

“The only clearly mandatory practice is to place pupils in regular classes when their needs can be met by such a placement and the parents agree to it… I have also concluded that parental preference for segregation is not binding on boards or IPRCs.”

— Orville Endicott

This helped us then and helps us now to focus on ensuring schools meet the needs of students of all abilities as members of regular classes.

Orville’s Observations About Good Advocates

Orville accompanied us through many steps in Ontario’s journey to inclusion: his calm demeanour always enlivened by the warm twinkle in his eye. He cared about our children, as he cared for his own five children. In 1987, he knew us well enough to offer this list of insights about good advocates for inclusion of children with disabilities in schools, which I have treasured ever since:

1. They know what they want.
2. They know why they want it.
3. They are enthusiastic about their vision.
4. They form strong positive attitudes towards their children’s unique personalities, abilities and potential.
5. They know what their children are entitled to.
6. They estimate the price they will have to pay to get what they want.
7. They work with other parents (including parents of non-labeled children).
8. They recognize the potential contribution of their child’s typical peers and find ways to involve them.
9. They visit schools and school boards where inclusion is happening.
10. They try to win allies within the education system: school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers.
11. They start when their children are very young.
12. They know what kind of support their children require in order to be included.
13. They make the school authorities justify their position that they can fulfill their obligations better through segregating and congregating children with disabilities.
14. They cultivate and use the media.
15. They lobby for better legislation.
16. They try to keep up to date on developments.
17. They try not to capitulate or compromise.

Thank you Orville, for all you did to support our families as we advocated for inclusive education.