Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Global Governance

Faculty/School

School of International Policy and Governance

First Advisor

Alistair Edgar

Advisor Role

Associate Professor of Political Science; Associate Dean of the School of International Policy & Governance

Second Advisor

Andrew Thompson

Advisor Role

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science (University of Waterloo)

Third Advisor

Bree Akesson

Advisor Role

Professor of Social Work & Social Justice; Canada Research Chair in Global Adversity and Wellbeing

Abstract

This dissertation examines Canada’s relationship with the international disability rights movement, investigating the gap between the country's international commitments and its domestic implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Grounded in social constructivism and the Norm Life Cycle Model (NLCM), and drawing on archival records from Global Affairs Canada, this research traces the evolution of disability rights from norm emergence to contested internalization.

The dissertation is composed of three interconnected manuscripts. The first manuscript explores the “norm emergence” stage, demonstrating how Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (DPOs) acted as norm entrepreneurs to successfully challenge entrenched medical models and reframe disability as a fundamental human rights issue during the drafting of the CRPD.

The second manuscript analyzes the “norm cascade” by contrasting Canada’s enthusiastic diplomatic support for the CRPD with its obstructionist stance toward the regional Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (CIADDIS). It argues that Canada’s engagement was driven more by a desire to preserve its global human rights reputation than a uniform commitment to disability rights.

The third manuscript assesses the “internalization” of the CRPD in Canada post-ratification, finding that despite legislative milestones like the 2019 Accessible Canada Act, disability rights remain in a state of dynamic contestation. By examining Canada’s COVID-19 critical care triage protocols and the expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), the research reveals that utilitarian and biomedical norms continually conflict with the state's disability rights obligations. Ultimately, this dissertation argues that for Canada to bridge the gap between “norm talk” and “norm action,” the state must shift from rhetorical adherence to structural transformation.

Convocation Year

2026

Convocation Season

Fall

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Available for download on Friday, August 24, 2029

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