MCS and Human Rights: Missed Opportunities and the Road Ahead
Why does Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a medical condition where over one million Canadians have a diagnosis, remain marginalized compared to other disabilities? And what will it take to finally secure recognition, rights, and justice?
In this episode of Footprints & Impacts, we sit down with Me Paul-Claude Bérubé, newly appointed Executive Director of COPHAN and longtime international disability rights advocate. Together, we explore:
Why MCS has been left behind despite decades of global disability advocacy.
Where Canada and other nations “missed the boat” on recognition and protection
How governments are failing to uphold their responsibilities under international human rights law.
What lessons Canada can learn from countries taking the lead, and from the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
With insights drawn from decades of advocacy across continents, this conversation sheds light on the systemic gaps that exclude people with MCS—and the urgent actions needed to create inclusive, fragrance-free, accessible spaces.
Whether you’re part of the MCS community, an ally, or someone learning about it for the first time, this episode will challenge you to rethink disability rights through the lens of clean, healthy air and justice.
EHAC-ASEC : https://ehac-asec.ca/
ASEQ-EHAQ : https://aseq-ehaq.ca/en/
With the Participation of :
ECRoB Project - Funded in Part by the Government of Canada's Social Development Partnerships Program, Disability Component.
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