Data on the Government of Canada’s public service on reasonable accommodations for environmental sensitivities, including electromagnetic hypersensitivity, as required under the Canadian Human Rights Act

Petition: 475

Issue(s): Governance; Human/environmental health; Other; Science and technology

Petitioner(s): A Canadian organization

Petitioner location(s): Sarto, Manitoba

Date received: 14 December 2022

Status: Completed—Response(s) to petition

Summary: The petition draws attention to the 2015 report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health entitled Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation and the Health of Canadians and references statements by the Minister of Health in the Government Response that was tabled in Parliament on 6 October 2016. The petition refers specifically to the response to Recommendation 5 concerning Health Canada’s agreement that the government should continue to provide accommodation measures for individuals suffering from disabilities, as required under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The petition asks when Health Canada shared a copy of the Committee report with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and whether electromagnetic hypersensitivity was specifically mentioned in its letter to the Commission.

The petition asks whether the government is aware of any accommodations that were denied for electromagnetic hypersensitivity or related symptoms because of the unreasonableness of the accommodations requested and whether any other measures have been taken regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations for those with environmental sensitivities. It further asks whether any steps have been taken to create awareness of the symptoms of electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

Federal departments/organizations responsible for reply: Employment and Social Development Canada; Health Canada; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada