A North Vancouver father scored a major victory for learning-disabled children Friday when the country’s highest court ruled that a public school district discriminated against his dyslexic son by failing to teach him to read.
Rick Moore, who began his legal battle more than 15 years ago, said his family was thrilled with the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision and believes it will have a profound impact around the province, even though the court did not find evidence of systemic discrimination.
“The fact that we won against one district means that all districts have to pay attention to the needs of these kids,” a jubilant Moore said in an interview, referring to children who have normal intelligence but require specialized instruction because they learn differently.
In a unanimous ruling, the judges said special education “is not a dispensable luxury. For those with severe learning disabilities, it is the ramp that provides access to the statutory commitment to education made to all children in British Columbia.”
Leave a Reply