On July 1, 2024, Ministerial Orders and several policies and government documents pertaining to supports and services for students with disabilities or diverse abilities were amended to include more current, respectful and inclusive terminology.
As part of this language modernization initiative, the ministry has updated the language within the Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines and renamed the document as Inclusive Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines. Outdated website links and policy names within the Manual were also corrected as part of the update process.
Please note that these language modernization changes do not alter the policy intent of any Ministerial Orders, policies, the Inclusive Education Policy Manual, other ministry guidance documents or the interpretation or application of K-12 collective agreements and contracts.
The ministry will continue to identify and update remaining government documents that require language modernization changes related to students with disabilities or diverse abilities and encourages school districts to update district policies and documents accordingly. A Language Modernization Guide has been developed to support school district staff in referencing the terminology changes in ministry documents and updating district policies and documentation for consistency.
The ministry is also working with provincial K-12 partners on a number of other inclusive education initiatives, including:
- The development of new Individual Education Plan guidelines and an optional needs-based assessment tool for school-based teams; and
- The creation of new resources that clarify roles and responsibilities for, and support meaningful consultation between, school district staff and families.
More details on these initiatives will be shared with school districts in the coming months.