How to use this template

Use it to brief a minister, deputy or board. Keep the final brief to two pages. Cite a source for every number. Leave out any figure you cannot verify.

General information, not legal advice.

Header

To: ________ From: ________ Date: ________ Subject: ________ Decision needed by: ________

1. Purpose

State the decision you are asking for in one or two sentences.

"This brief seeks approval to ________."

2. Problem statement

Describe the problem in plain language.

• Who is affected: ________
• What barrier they face: ________
• Where in the system it occurs (school, post-secondary, employment): ________
• What happens if nothing changes: ________

3. Context and legal framework

Check which apply:

• Human rights duty to accommodate, federal or provincial
• Accessible Canada Act, for federally regulated sectors. It aims for a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
• AODA standards, for Ontario
• OHRC Right to Read inquiry, released 28 February 2022, with 157 recommendations
• Other provincial education or accessibility law: ________

4. Evidence

Evidence checklist:

• Each number has a named, dated source.
• Canadian data used where it exists.
• Gaps in data stated plainly.
• Views of people with lived experience included.

5. Options

6. Recommendation

"We recommend Option ____ because ________."

Conditions for success:

7. Costs to research

Do not estimate until you have data. Research these cost lines:

• Screening tools and licences
• Staff training and release time
• Intervention programs and staffing
• Assistive technology and software
• Access to professional assessments
• Data systems and reporting
• Workplace accommodation supports
• Evaluation

Cost of inaction to research:

• Remedial supports later in schooling
• Lost employment and earnings
• Human rights complaints and legal costs

8. Implementation and measures

• Lead: ________
• Partners: ________
• Timeline: ________
• Success measures: ________
• Reporting date: ________

9. Consultation

Groups consulted:

• People with dyslexia
• Parents and families
• Educators and school boards
• Employers and agencies
• Indigenous communities
• Francophone communities

Approval

Approved: ________ Not approved: ________ Signature and date: ________