Services and facilities are a prohibited area under the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act. The Commission gives stores, restaurants and provincially funded programs as examples, and its accommodation guidance also refers to retail, healthcare and education.
Sources checked September 29, 2026.
What counts as a service
Retail, hospitality, healthcare, education and public or provincially funded programs can fall within the services area, depending on the organization and jurisdiction.
Refusal and differential treatment
A person may raise a human-rights concern about being denied a service, receiving different terms, being subjected to discriminatory scrutiny or experiencing protected-characteristic harassment.
Accommodation in services
Service providers may have to adjust rules, practices or physical arrangements for protected needs to the point of undue hardship.
Jurisdiction
Some service providers are federally regulated and may fall under the Canadian Human Rights Act instead. The identity and regulatory status of the provider should be checked.
Official sources
- Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission — protected characteristics and prohibited areas
- Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission — duty to accommodate
- Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission — Inquiry Form and intake criteria
- Canadian Human Rights Commission — jurisdiction