No one should have to choose between rent and medication. No one should face hunger in a country of such abundance. And no one should be left behind by policies that fail to meet the realities of everyday life.
When the primary goal becomes building as many units as possible, as quickly as possible, the needs and rights of marginalized communities can be overlooked.
An occupational therapy review of standardized modular templates could ensure that every unit built from those plans meets basic functional accessibility standards.
If Ottawa is already expanding the scope of defence procurement well beyond defence, why is the non-profit sector missing from the conversation?
The vague attacks on DEI distract from the very real ways that Canadians interact with equity-oriented federal programs that bolster opportunity and reduce barriers.
The government should rebuild the Canada Disability Benefit to uphold human rights.
Excluding a disabilities minister from cabinet jeopardizes the accomplishments of successive governments and people with disabilities toward achieving a barrier-free society for all.
Inclusive economic policies must include programs that support employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women with disabilities.
The benefit’s onerous application process presents a challenge for patients, especially those who may be among the 6.5 million Canadians without a primary care provider.
The gap comes at a crucial time for advocates, as a new disability benefit program is being criticized for not fulfilling its stated goal of lifting hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of poverty.
The benefit falls far short of what is needed. The $200 monthly amount is inadequate to lift anyone out of poverty.
Fragmented disability policies impede people from accessing necessary programs and services, and lead to inequities.
Federal candidates have the unique opportunity to make the Canada Disability Benefit a cornerstone of their platforms.
If billions can suddenly be found for untargeted giveaways, why has the CDB been relegated to fiscal crumbs?
It’s time to cut the red tape for disability support.
Our political landscape and the people working in it should reflect the diversity of our population.
After being abandoned through the pandemic, disabled people living in long-term care facilities and group homes are once again invisible to the Liberals in Ottawa’s new draft regulations.
‘People with disabilities were led to believe this program would lift them out of poverty,’ says social policy expert John Stapleton, but none believed the Liberals would go ‘so low’ with the monthly benefit amount.
Lessons learned from the employment insurance model should find their way into the new benefit.
Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera will need support at the cabinet table to push for a new multi-billion-dollar social program at a time when the finance minister has spoken of the need for fiscal restraint, say disability and poverty experts.
Advocates say they supported the Canada Disability Benefit bill because they were promised ‘meaningful participation’ in the next stage, but aren’t sure they are going to get it.
At its best, the time tax is annoying, but at its worst, it’s actively harmful, preventing Canadians from accessing services they need.
Bill C-22, which would create a framework for the Canada Disability Benefit, will be a House priority the week of June 12, says Government House Leader Mark Holland.
Bill C-22 would create a major social program to address the high poverty rates for people with disabilities, but the ‘framework bill’ relies on not-yet-written regulations to do the heavy lifting.
