The very name of the case Eaton v. Brant County Board of Education shall live on in the history of Canada’s disability rights movement. The Eaton case is not just a court ruling. It is a powerful emblem of an entire cause. Emily’s case laid the groundwork for much that followed after it. It helps to this day in so many ways. As just one example, it shows what students with disabilities, and what we have been up against.
David Lepofsky
The inclusive education community lost Emily Eaton on April 13, 2024, much too soon, at the age of 40.
Emily and her family leave the legacy of one of fighting for inclusive education when that concept was truly in its infancy in Canada. Emily and her family went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, more than 25 years ago, now.
Inclusion Action in Ontario (IAO) and ARCH Disability Law celebrated that milestone court anniversary in March, 2022, with an online forum bringing together Emily, her father, Clay Eaton, long-time President of IAO, the legal team and minds involved in the case, as well as educators and families making inclusive education a reality today in Canada.
Inclusion Action in Ontario continues to support families who seek inclusive education in their neighbourhood schools, in the regular classroom, on a daily basis. We recently joined forces with the University of Western Ontario in a research project, aiming to help more families learn how to advocate for their kids in inclusive education settings. Our research and work is now well under way.
With Emily’s legacy in mind, we intend to keep on working towards the goal of a fully inclusive society and education system.