Advocacy tools for racialized & disabled students navigating unjust punishment in schools.
The Dreaming Safer Schools Education Project aims to highlight the experiences of Black, Indigenous, racialized and newcomer disabled students with both the education system and the school-to-prison nexus. This project is built from consultations with community members, caregivers, community organizations and, most importantly, students.
We have created a toolkit with videos for self-guided education for disabled youth/families across Ontario. The toolkit also has a list of resources for disabled youth who are facing possible arrests by police, suspensions and expulsions from school, or are simply struggling to receive the support they need.
DISCLAIMER
A Note on Language, Carceral Practices, and Our Principles
At the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, we do not support any form of carceral punishment in schools—including suspensions, expulsions, isolation rooms, seclusion, or any practice that punishes, surveils, labels, or removes students from learning environments. We also reject carceral language like “offender,” “discipline,” or “at-risk youth”—language that pathologizes or criminalizes young people, especially those who are Black, Indigenous, disabled, 2SLGBTQIA+, and/or otherwise marginalized.
You may notice some of this harmful language appearing in parts of this toolkit. That’s because we are navigating systems that still rely on outdated, oppressive laws and protocols—like the Education Act or school board policies—that use this language. We use these words only when necessary to help you understand and challenge the system more effectively. But we want to be clear: we don’t agree with this language, and we don’t believe in what it represents. If any of these terms are upsetting, uncomfortable, or triggering to read, your reaction is valid.
We also want to emphasize that we do not support segregated school spaces—such as behaviour units, isolation rooms, or so-called “special education” tracks that remove disabled students, racialized students, or students labelled “disruptive” from inclusive classrooms. These forms of exclusion are rooted in ableism, white supremacy and carceral logics—and we know this. Our work is abolitionist—which means we are fighting not only to remove police and punishment from schools, but to reimagine education entirely. This is about transformation, not reform.
Our commitment is grounded in the 10 Principles of Disability Justice, as shared by Sins Invalid. These principles remind us that our struggles are collective, that leadership must center those most impacted, that cross-movement solidarity is essential, and that all bodyminds are valuable.
We believe in education that is rooted in care, interdependence, healing, and freedom—not fear, punishment, or isolation.
We believe that the hard work of dreaming safer schools is essential, and we know that we keep us safe.