We can’t do this without you! Do you have 30 seconds to spare? The Government of Ontario needs to stop discriminating between disabilities. All individuals with disabilities should be supported according to their need not their label! Let’s come together with a united voice and be heard; we are asking the government to stop systemic discrimination, and to start supporting the needs of ALL disabilities. Click here to access this MPP letter writing tool.
This tool is brought to you by our friends at Project 321 Peel. This group of determined parents and caregivers set of goal of sending 1500 letters, they are just one week in and 528 letters have been sent. Let’s ALL help them reach this goal.
Ashley C, Sherry Caldwell, Dante W, Sharon Gabison and Ajay Sharma pictured in Queens Park media studio behind a wooden desk with Ontario and Canadian flags in the background.
On Monday, May 6, 2019, the Ontario Disability Coalition was pleased to hold a press conference at Queen’s Park, to discuss the plight of over 50,000 children in the province of Ontario with disabilities other than autism.
In response to our press conference, Minister Lisa MacLeod admitted that children with special needs other than autism are deserving of support from the Ontario government.
Unfortunately, her solution was to direct 50,000 families of children with disabilities other that autism to the current Ontario Autism Consultations.
This simply will not do.
Today, the Ontario Disability Coalition sent a response back to Ministers MacLeod and Christine Elliott, to express our concern and frustration at the government’s continued dismissal of the needs of thousands of children with disabilities in Ontario:
Page two of a letter from ODC to Ministers Lisa Macleod and Christine Elliott
He is physically and developmentally disabled and he is about to lose most of the support services that help him live a healthy, engaged life. Why? Because he will soon age out of the school system.
That’s right. When Deane and thousands of disabled young people like him reach the age of 21, the majority of support services provided by our society stop. Families like mine will be left with only their abiding love because there are few to no activities, facilities or programs to meet their children’s extensive needs.
Soon, my exams begin and Deane graduates high school. Graduating is a big deal for Deane and an even bigger deal for my parents because my brother’s future is so uncertain. Going into post-school life is hard for anyone. When I graduate I will have many choices of what to do with my life. Deane’s choices are limited by his disability.
The plan right now is that he will stay at home with my mom and dad until he makes it to the top of a 5-to-25-year waiting list for a place in a special care home. The challenges are endless. One of my parents may have to stop working, meaning one less income. And, what will they do all day – day after day – to keep Deane stimulated and learning? Getting out and about is not easily done. Neither mom nor dad can lift Deane by themselves and his mobility lift can’t go everywhere with him.
Deane went to a day program outside the city as a test to see how he liked it, and whether he and the program can fit together. He said that he at least liked it a little bit. I guess it will take a while for him to get used to it. Perhaps he will try this next year but because it is such a far commute it is a temporary fix, not a solution.
As difficult as this situation is, my parents and I are a loving, positive team. We are not wealthy but we have some resources. When I imagine being a single parent who doesn’t speak much English, who has a developmentally disabled child, I despair. When I imagine a support system that would help Deane and all disabled people throughout their lives, I wonder why it does not exist in our wonderful Canada.
We need all levels of government to recognize this, and put into place a re-defined support service system that helps the disabled and their families lead lives of joy, security, and comfort. We need post-secondary education options for these people who now have nowhere to go. We need support services that do what parents, siblings, and un-paid caregivers often can’t do by themselves.
Please bring the plight of maturing disabled people and their families to the attention of your representatives at all levels: municipal, provincial, and federal. Tell them that getting your vote depends on how well they support all the people of Canada. Deane and I know that’s how democracy works.
Rayne
Please add your own comment to the story I have shared and share it with your MPP and anyone else you think needs to hear this message. You can find your MPP here: https://www.ola.org/en/members/parliament-42
“Funding is paramount to preserve the quality of life for people who live with disabilities. I am a Student Services Representative at Mohawk College & Standardized Patient at McMaster in Hamilton respectively, and a man who volunteers with passion in my community to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and respect. I am speaking to you today through this statement to ensure that this doesn’t fall by the wayside. All persons are people first. Should we remove funding from those who require it to preserve their activities of daily living, we are compromising QUALITY of life.
There’s a real reliance on assistive technology According to Statistics Canada’s 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability, over 81% of people with disabilities reported using some kind of assistive technology or specialized equipment to help them move, communicate, learn or carry out the daily activities of life. Disability is expensive
A customized power wheelchair can cost more than $25,000. A porch lift can cost upwards of $5,000. A specially designed walker can cost up to $2,500. Modifications and renovations to make a home accessible can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Disability is expensive. For a family, it can cost more than $40,000 a year to care for a child with a severe disability, yet some of these families have a total annual income of barely that much. According to Easter Seals Canada (https://easterseals.ca/english/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Disability-in-Canada-Facts-Figures.pdf)
Page 1 of 3 Disability in Canada: Facts and Figures 15% of the world identifies as having a disability According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the world’s population (an estimated 1.1 billion
As someone who is volunteers with the Rick Hansen Foundation, Catholic Youth Organization, United Way, Disability Justice Network of Ontario, The Forward Movement and someone who has pioneered an initiative entitled Above & Beyond – Bridging the Gap to accessibility & inclusion – I implore you to take a look at the numbers. They are staggering, more often than not we are directly or indirectly affected by disability. But before disability, we are people first, we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect like anyone in our communities. Eliminating funding takes that away. We are often the subjected to stereotypes and stigmas, we are often exposed to assumptions-based mindsets. “Nothing About Us, Without Us”. Eliminating or reducing those funds restrict our voice. Often times, people with disabilities live in poverty, increasing funds once again increases ones ability to be an active member of their community, participate in recreation, become employable and ensure that our quality of life is on par with our able-bodied cohorts and that benefits everyone. We must reconsider and ensure all lives are maintained with dignity, integrity and respect. Don’t take something away from those who need it the
