AODA Alliance
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update
United for a Barrier-Free Ontario for All People with Disabilities
Website: www.aodaalliance.org
Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com
Twitter: @aodaalliance
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aodaalliance
Disability, Poverty, policy and Politics
November 4, 2024
SUMMARY
It is very important that several recent media reports have once again focused on the cruel reality that so many people with disabilities still languish in poverty in our affluent society. Below you can read articles on this in:
- The October 21, 2024, edition of the Toronto Star.
- The October 31, 2024, edition of Mississauga News.
- The October 19, 224 edition of the Toronto Star and
- CBC News on October 14, 2024.
In the October 21, 2024, Toronto Star report, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is quoted as promising to use federal power to press provincial governments to stop clawing back provincial benefits from people with disabilities if they get a job. This would be helpful, but only to the small number of impoverished people with disabilities who get jobs. To get a job requires people with disabilities to overcome the huge disability barriers in employment, transportation and education.
If a federal party is prepared to take such new action, it should similarly be ready to take actions that we have called for in the past.
We need the Federal Government to use the same power to prevent provincial governments from clawing back the long-overdue Canada Disability Benefit. We also need the Federal Government to impose mandatory accessibility strings on any federal grants or loans to provinces, municipalities or anyone else who uses that money to build buildings or infrastructure. Public money should never be used to create new accessibility barriers against people with disabilities.
How could the Federal Government do this? It has federal “spending power.” It can attach conditions on receiving federal funds. It can designate what federal transfers can be used for and what they cannot be used for.
In 2023, the Trudeau Liberals wrongly and harmfully vetoed a Senate amendment to Bill C-22, the Canada Disability Benefit Act, that would have blocked private insurance companies from clawing back the Canada Disability Benefit. The Federal Government’s “spending power” allows for such conditions to be imposed. Similarly, the Federal Government did not agree to amend Bill C-81, which later became the Accessible Canada Act, in order to impose accessibility conditions on federal payments to provinces or others to fund the building of new infrastructure.
How You Can Help
A federal election is just months away! Press all the federal parties to promise to use the federal spending power to prevent provincial clawbacks of federal or provincial social assistance benefits that are paid to people with disabilities. Press them to also pledge to amend the Accessible Canada Act to impose accessibility strings on any federal money used to build new infrastructure.
Remember to sign up to attend the upcoming celebration of the 30th anniversary of the birth of Ontario’s grassroots campaign for strong disability legislation. The event will be held at Queen’s Park, Toronto, from 2 to 4 p.m. EST on November 25, 2024. You can take part in person or online. Use our online sign-up form to register to come in person as an observer or if you want to give a 3-minute speech. You should also use the online sign-up form if you want to register to give a 3-minute speech online from home.
If you want to watch the festivities online but don’t want to speak, you don’t need to register. We will later make public a YouTube link to watch from home. In-person space is limited, so sign up fast if you want to come to Queen’s Park. We will close sign ups when we reach capacity.
Learn more about this event by reading the November 2, 2024, AODA Alliance Update.
MORE DETAILS
Toronto Star October 21, 2024
Poilievre wants provinces to overhaul disability programs
Conservative leader says he could withhold funding to make it happen
Mark Ramzy Toronto Star
OTTAWA – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he wants provinces to overhaul their disability assistance programs so that disabled Canadians don’t see working income clawed back from provincial benefits, and he could put billions in federal transfers at stake to make it happen.
Poilievre made that commitment in a 2023 video recently viewed by the Star, in which he referred to a private member’s bill he introduced as the Conservative finance critic in 2018.
If passed, the bill would have required those changes as a condition to receiving the Canada Social Transfer, a federal payment to the provinces that helps to cover the cost of social programs.
“For those roughly a million Canadians with disabilities who do work, we need to reform the benefit programs to reward that work. Right now, there are clawbacks if you’re a person on disability and you get a job. Often, they take away your income, rental support, even medication,” he said in the video, posted online by political commentator Darshan Maharaja and viewed just over 2,000 times.
“I will pass the fairness for workers with disabilities act, which will require provinces, as a condition of getting their federal money, to reform their systems to make sure that every time a person with disabilities earns an extra dollar, they’re made better off and that they’re not punished for that. Everybody should have the chance to put their talents to work for this great country of ours.”
The change would be one step to address what many see as a thorny flaw in the social assistance programs offered across Canada. However, it raises questions about the approach of a Conservative leader who’s routinely accused the Trudeau government of overreach and could lead to pushback from provinces antsy about the precedent it would set, said policy experts who spoke to the Star.
“Anything that helps impoverished people with disabilities get to live above the poverty line is a good step,” said David Lepofsky, a lawyer and disability advocate in Ontario. “If the Tories are going to take this approach to federal power, there is more to do.”
But “imagine trying to put conditions on something that’s been unconditional since 1995,” said Gillian Petit, an economist at the University of Calgary, pointing to Poilievre’s proposal to tie the Canada Social Transfer to the reforms. This year, provinces and territories are expected to receive $16.9 billion from the Canada Social Transfer, with Ontario getting $6.5 billion.
“It would probably be a bit of a political fiasco.”
Faced with that question in 2018 – before the bill was voted down by the Liberals – Poilievre pointed to delivery standards set out in the Canada Health Transfer and said this scenario justifies adding conditions.
Whether he is still willing to put billions in federal transfers at stake to implement those changes, however, remains unclear.
In a statement to the Star, Poilievre repeated his criticism of current systems that penalize disabled Canadians that work, but did not say if he would use the threat of withdrawing federal money to force change. And that is no different from what he said in the 2023 video, his office said, though it would not provide details on his proposal.
“As prime minister, I will be working with provinces to ensure workers with disabilities always benefit from working another hour, taking another shift, or accepting a job opportunity,” Poilievre said.
Among the unanswered questions is how he would get provinces on board, how much working income he would want exempted from clawbacks, and how this principle would apply to non-cash benefits and towards federal programs.
In the 2018 bill, Poilievre proposed disallowing provinces from clawing back benefits for disabled Canadians on employment income up to $30,000 and any province that did risked losing their portion of the Canada Social Transfer. The bill also said Finance Canada should use available data to calculate clawbacks on benefits and the finance minister should “identify and consider” changes that could be made to federal taxes and benefits in order to reduce those clawbacks.
He said the principle of allowing disabled Canadians to keep their working income should be consistent across all levels of government and argued it would save governments money if people are able to work.
Right now, only a small portion of people who receive disability assistance are able to work, said Alexi White, the director of systems change at Maytree. For example, out of the 367,828 Ontario Disability Support Program cases in 2022/23, 10 per cent reported working income, according to data from the social policy group.
But Jen Robson, an associate professor of public policy at Carleton University, said the proposal as outlined in the 2018 bill could lead to strong pushback from provinces, including legal challenges. Referencing Poilievre’s housing bill, she said that would be another piece of legislation from the Conservative leader that overrides provincial jurisdiction with the “Ottawa-knows-best” approach he’s accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government of.
“It’s well-intentioned but inherently flawed,” she said. “It’s very heavy handed.”
She said it would be best to achieve the results Poilievre wants through negotiations rather than trying to force the provinces, similar to how the Liberals have approached the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), which is slated to roll out next summer.
The Liberals had argued it would have been unconstitutional to disallow clawbacks in the legislation despite repeated pleas from advocates and some senators. So far, four provinces and two territories have said they won’t claw back their own supports to recipients of the CDB after discussions with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera, while another has increased its own supports.
Poilievre’s Conservatives have not outlined their position on the federal benefit, but all opposition parties have pressed the Liberal government over the historic program that has been slammed as a disappointment by disability advocates. That benefit, which is expected to reach 600,000 Canadians at its peak, will be clawed back from its $200 monthly maximum at $23,000 in annual income, but allows for up to $10,000 in working income exemptions for eligible individuals.
The Liberals and other opposition parties have accused Poilievre’s Conservatives of wanting to cut social programs, focusing their criticism on the federal dental and pharmacare programs.
“If Poilievre truly cared about supporting Canadians with disabilities, instead of putting out slogans, he would support this benefit and our affordable dental care plan which also supports persons with disabilities,” a spokesperson for Khera said in a statement to the Star.
Figure:
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, right, introduced a private member’s bill as the Conservative finance critic in 2018 that, if passed, would have made changes to the provinces disability assistance programs a condition for receiving the Canada Social Transfer. Spencer Colby The Canadian Press File Photo
Mississauga News October 31, 2024
Originally posted at https://www.mississauga.com/news/mississauga-residents-living-with-disabilities-hit-hard-by-higher-cost-of-living-report-finds/article_b28a923e-dad2-5d54-a58a-66bea231368e.html
Mississauga residents living with disabilities hit hard by higher cost of living, report finds
People with disabilities face costs up to 39 per cent higher than the average resident — from groceries to housing.
By Mzwandile Poncana, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Mississauga News
Thriving with disability
A report released by the Wellesley Institute this month revealed the cost of thriving for Mississaugans living with a disability is 39 per cent higher than the cost of thriving for those living without one.
Richard Lautens Toronto Star file photo
Lauren Pires, who lives with Central Core disease — a muscle disorder that means she has 33 per cent of the average person’s strength — spends more on groceries than most people.
“Because I tire more easily, I have to buy things that are already sliced or prepared, or cheese that is already grated,” the Mississauga resident said. “I also have to buy items that are smaller, because it’s harder for me to lift, for example, a large bottle of laundry detergent as opposed to a smaller one. And, value-wise, the bigger items are more cost-effective.”
Pires often spends more on groceries than she’s able to use, as fatigue sometimes leaves her unable to cook, wasting some of her groceries. She then relies on takeout, which costs even more. Grocery delivery fees also add to her expenses whenever she’s too tired to go to the store.
Pires is one of many Mississauga residents, living with disabilities, who face higher costs of thriving.
According to a Wellesley Institute report released this month, the cost of thriving in Mississauga for people living with disabilities is up to 39 per cent higher than for those without disabilities. While a single adult without a disability needs $83,680 per year to thrive, it costs the same adult with a disability between $105,197 and $116,108.
Lauren Pires disability thriving
Lauren Pires — Mississauga resident who lives with Central Core disease — said she spends more on groceries than most people.
Steve Cornwell Metroland
The report looked at costs across nine components of health, including food and nutrition, housing, transportation, physical activity, social participation, personal care, health care, professional development, and saving for the future.
“In our work, we looked at what it takes for people to thrive, and that means living a meaningful, healthy, engaged life,” said Dr. Christine Sheppard, a social work researcher who led the report.
The study drew from consultations with members of the disability community, published literature, and other research studies, exploring barriers to a healthy life and estimating the cost to overcome those challenges using tools like online price estimators and expenditure surveys.
“We found that people with disabilities experience higher costs in all of (the nine components),” said Sheppard. “So this means that people with a disability will need a lot more resources in order to achieve thriving health.”
The research also looked at Toronto, showing that the cost of thriving for people with disabilities is slightly lower, between $74,309 and $85,220 per year. Sheppard attributed this to methodological differences in assessing costs between Toronto and Mississauga.
“In Mississauga, our estimate assumes someone owns a one-bedroom condo and a personal vehicle. In Toronto, it assumes someone rents a one-bedroom apartment and uses public transit,” she said. “Housing and transportation costs are two major drivers of the higher costs in Mississauga.”
She said this distinction in the research was made because data from Statistics Canada showed that while most single, working-aged adults in Toronto are renters, the majority of people over 30 in Peel are homeowners. When it came to transportation, stakeholders from regions outside of downtown Toronto discussed with researchers the need for a car for day-to-day necessities, and so car ownership was included to reflect that need.
Sheppard said people with disabilities typically pay more for special diets, taxis, personal care, and housekeeping. Saving for the future also comes at a higher cost for them due to a higher uncertainty they experience about employment and retirement.
Gift Tshuma, an advocacy specialist at March of Dimes Canada who uses a wheelchair, said he was “shocked but not surprised” by the report’s findings.
“Even though I didn’t know the numbers really well, I had a pretty good idea it was quite a struggle for most Ontarians with disabilities to thrive,” he said. “Seeing the statistic validated some of the concerns I’d had for the disability community.”
Tshuma, who lives in Mississauga, incurs comparatively extra out-of-pocket expenses for vehicle maintenance, personal care, and housekeeping services.
He mentioned that many people living with disabilities have to use adaptive transportation — transportation designed for people with reduced mobility — which costs more. A brand new Dodge caravan, for example, costs $30,000 for the average person without a disability, but would cost up to $70,000 if adaptation changes were made to it, he said.
The report noted that people with disabilities in Mississauga spend an average of up to $13,470 on transportation annually, compared to $11,193 for those without a disability.
To keep up with the higher cost of living, Tshuma works three jobs — this is a major inconvenience in his life, he said.
“The reason I have three jobs is because I want to thrive. I don’t want to just survive,” he said.
Rabia Khedr, national director with Disability Without Poverty (DWP) and the CEO of D.E.E. N support services, lives with blindness in Mississauga. She was also not surprised by the statistic, mentioning the high poverty levels of people living with disabilities.
According to a 2023 DWP report 16.5 per cent of disabled people in Canada live in poverty.
“As someone who is blind, I work. I thrive. However, I have the luxury of being able to afford the supports I need,“ she said. “But those supports cost me. They’re the added costs of living with a disability.”
Due to her blindness, she takes taxis instead of driving. She can’t afford to go around to different grocery stores to examine different deals — she buys where it is physically convenient, meaning she misses out on discounts.
She also sometimes pays people to assist with her household tasks. The report showed that Mississauga residents living with a disability pay on average $2,627 more on personal care than those living without a disability.
The report also noted Mississauga residents living with a disability pay more for housing.
David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility For Ontarians with Disabilities Act, mentioned that the type of disability affects the extent of the housing costs, mentioning that people with mobility issues have far less accessible housing in the market.
“And they may not be able to locate the neighbourhood they want to be in so their travel costs might be higher,” he added.
Tshuma added that even if a housing facility is wheelchair accessible, there may still be things that need to be adapted or altered for the specific resident with a disability, which would cost more.
The report’s findings have also highlighted the mental health impacts that accompany the financial strain of living with a disability, advocates say.
Pires mentioned that her parents pay for housekeeping services to help her with cleaning once a month.
“And though I’m grateful for my parent’s support — on a personal level, I wish I didn’t have to partly rely on them at 34 years old,” said Pires. “ It’s always been hard to compare myself to friends and family who don’t have disabilities, and feel like I’m behind in my financial independence.”
Tshuma mentioned the mental health impacts of the higher cost of thriving compounds the mental health impacts of living with a disability in an exclusionary society.
“Society is designed in a way where people with disabilities do not belong. For example, physical infrastructure in Ontario is not up to par for people with physical disabilities to access everything they need,” he said. “ And then you add the financial strain, that makes it even more difficult.”
Sheppard said a multi-sectoral approach is needed to help people with disabilities thrive, including investments in accessible public infrastructure, housing, and transit. She added there are opportunities for employers to be better supported to hire people with disabilities, implement workplace accommodations, and offer robust health care benefits.
Anthony Frisina, accessibility advocate for people with disabilities, said the amount of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) needs to be increased. For those who are not able to work, the ODSP provides up to approximately $1,300 a month.
“That (is) nothing, just in terms of finding a place to live,” said Frisina. “Plus, we also have to think about all the extra amenities that people generally need to survive plus also the added expenses for living with a disability.”
When asked about concerns that ODSP was too low, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said that since September 2022, the government has increased Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rates and the maximum monthly amount for Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) by nearly 17 per cent.
They added they have tied these rates to inflation, with increases happening each July, and increased the earnings exemption by 400 per cent.
Frisina acknowledges there have been raises to ODSP, but that they have been far too incremental. Tshuma echoed that ODSP is far below the needed level.
“We have service users within March of Dimes who sometimes have told us that they have to choose between getting medication and paying for groceries,” he said. “Those are choices people have to make that they shouldn’t be making,” he said.
The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), set to begin next summer, also aims to lift Canadians with disabilities to at least the poverty line, though DWP said the proposed $200 monthly benefit will fall short of meeting people’s needs.
In a press release, they noted it would only lift 1.7 per cent of those living in poverty over the poverty line.
When asked about concerns that the CDB amount is too low, Waleed Saleem, press secretary to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Persons with Disabilities, said consultations with stakeholders continue as the benefit takes shape.
However, when asked whether or not the ministry would increase the amount of the CDB, Saleem did not directly answer.
“This is an initial investment, and we’re going to look to see how this investment goes … and then we’ll go from there wherever that may be,” he said.
Pires, who does not qualify for disability benefits due to her employment, said if costs don’t improve, she may continue to rely on her parents, which she says causes her some shame.
“I think people without disabilities and the government need to listen directly to the needs of people with disabilities and try to understand them,” she said. “Hopefully, that will lead to needed action that will close the gap.”
Toronto Star October 19, 2024
Toronto’s high cost of living is leaving disabled people with ‘no hope’
The report also showed that nearly one million disabled Canadians live below the official poverty line, representing almost 40 per cent of all people experiencing poverty.
Disabled people incur higher costs due to out-of-pocket expenses including essential equipment, accessible housing, transportation and service animals.
By Reagan McSwain, Staff Reporter
The cost of living in the GTA is rising, fuelled by a lack of affordable housing and the soaring price of groceries. And for disabled people, it can cost up to 39 per cent more to thrive than for those without disabilities
This is according to a recent report by the Wellesley Institute, a non-profit focussed on research to improve health equity in the GTA. The Thriving in the City with a Disability report uses the term “thrive” to describe the opportunity for people to do more than just survive.
Disabled people face higher costs to thrive because of out-of-pocket expenses for necessary equipment, housing, taxi use or the need for an accessible car, service animal costs, nutrition, grocery delivery for access needs, and a higher savings rate in the case of early retirement.
“People talked a lot about the gap between what they need and what they have,” said Dr. Christine Sheppard, lead researcher of the report. “We heard stories about ways people had to make tough choices or had to compromise on aspects of their health because they didn’t have all of the resources they needed.”
The report also showed that nearly one million disabled Canadians live below the official poverty line, representing almost 40 per cent of all people experiencing poverty.
To collect the data, 39 disabled people were consulted in online discussions alongside health and social service professionals, legal clinics, at home and community care agencies, social service programs and advocacy organizations.
Wendy Porch, who lives with a disability and is the executive director of the Centre for Independent Living Toronto, welcomed the report’s findings, adding that people with disabilities are often left out of these kinds of reports.
“I hope (the report) provides people who are not connected to people with disabilities… with a clear understanding of the reality of living as a disabled person in Toronto, that it’s really bad, across all kinds of metrics,” she said.
Lawyer Ilinca Stefan of ARCH Disability Law Centre said she is not surprised by the report or the types of living costs that disabled people incur. ”These are the same costly issues people with disabilities are reaching out to ARCH with, for legal support,” Stefan said. “We receive countless calls every day about these issues.”
In the discussion groups for the report, disabled participants agreed that accessibility within rental buildings is a significant issue. Even when they are able to modify their units, common areas like garbage rooms, laundry rooms and gyms lack necessary ramps, automatic doors and are too small for wheelchair users, Sheppard said.
As one of the agencies involved in the focus groups, the Centre for Independent Living Toronto said housing is the number one issue they are contacted about. “People not being able to find accessible and affordable housing is at a crisis level,” said Porch. “Disabled people are living in all kinds of inappropriate housing situations. They can’t find something accessible.” The centre said it is not uncommon to see people with disabilities going directly to shelters when discharged from hospital.
“Right now disabled people feel they have no hope of actually experiencing what it’s like to thrive,” said David Meyers member senior manager at the Centre for Independent Living Toronto, who is also disabled.
Saving for the future, being able to put money away for major expenses or saving for retirement, is a struggle for people with disabilities, said Sheppard. “We saw in our research that people with disabilities need to save more because of uncertainty that they have in employment, retirement, and the fact it cost more to thrive during their lifetime to begin with.”
“We need action to ensure that people with a disability have access to the resources they need to thrive, not just survive.”
Reagan McSwain
Reagan McSwain is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter for the Star. Reach him via email: rmcswain@thestar.ca
CBC News October 14, 2024
Originally posted at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/thriving-with-a-disability-in-the-gta-1.7349181
It can cost up to 39% more to thrive in the GTA if you have a disability: research
Wellesley Institute’s research included interviews with advocates and people with lived experience
Talia Ricci CBC News
Research shows it’s expensive to thrive in the GTA if you have a disability
New research from the Wellesley Institute shows the cost of thriving in the GTA is 39 per cent higher if you live with a disability, than it is for those who don’t have a disability. CBC’s Talia Ricci breaks down the numbers.
When Franklyn McFadden needs to repair his $15,000 wheelchair, that expense is on him.
It’s just one of many extra costs that he says comes with living with a disability.
“I didn’t choose to be a person in a wheelchair, and I don’t profess to enjoy the fact that I have to use one,” he said.
It’s widely recognized that living with a disability comes with a distinct set of needs. And now, new research from the non-profit Wellesley Institute shows the cost of thriving in the GTA — which it defines as living a healthy, engaged life — is 39 per cent higher if you live with a disability, than it is for those who don’t have a disability.
“I thought the information was quite bang on,” said McFadden, a disability advocate, after looking at their findings.
“In fact,” McFadden said, “I don’t think that all of the costs associated with having a disability have been appropriately addressed.”
The research found that in Toronto, living a healthy, engaged life as a single, working-age adult with a mild to moderate physical or mental health disability can cost as much as $81,000 per year, compared to $62,000 per year without a disability.
In Mississauga, those costs are even higher — as much as $116,000 more per year for people with a disability.
“We learned that people with disabilities have extra needs in all aspects of their health, but there were particularly extra costs in food and nutrition, transportation, housing, social participation and saving for the future,” said Christine Sheppard, a researcher at Wellesley Institute.
According to the Wellesley Institute, the cost of thriving with a disability in Mississauga is 39% more expensive than thriving without a disability. In Toronto, that number is 30%. (Submitted by Wellesley Institute)
Wellesley Institute says estimates were drawn from consultations with 39 people living with disabilities and supplemented with price information from major stores and suppliers and national expenditure surveys.
Researchers asked participants what items, resources and services they would need to thrive, and then the researchers costed it out. Adding up, for example: average rent for a one bedroom apartment in Toronto, insurance rates, taxi rides, basic accessibility aids in a bathroom/kitchen, laundry service, grocery and delivery service.
The institute notes that cost figures in its report are a guide, not precise personal spending — each individual will have varying needs.
Researchers found that because people with a disability often retire at an earlier age, they have higher retirement savings needs. And there are around eight million Canadians living with disability, Sheppard said.
“When people don’t have access to the resources that they need to live a good life, they have to make choices that compromise their health,” she said.
“Individuals, communities, employers and governments all have a role to play.”
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act aims to make the province fully accessible by 2025. Ahead of the deadline, CBC’s Vanessa Balintec speaks to Tracy Odell, former president of the advocacy group Citizens With Disabilities Ontario, on her experiences as a wheelchair user and life-long advocate for accessibility for all.
McFadden knows first hand what making those compromises feels like. He recalls times when he struggled financially and opted for fast food, because it was more accessible and less expensive.
“If we want to start anywhere, we need to give people adequate resources to at least lift them out of poverty,” he said.
“We don’t choose the lives that we live. We just want to make the best choices and the best attempts at living the good life.”
Amid a countrywide housing shortage, what will it take to build more accessible homes?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Talia Ricci
Talia Ricci is a TV, radio and web reporter at CBC Toronto. She enjoys covering offbeat human interest stories and exposing social justice issues. Talia is also an avid traveller and photographer. Her photography has appeared in various publications and exhibits. She lives in Toronto’s west end where she enjoys reading and going on long walks to discover the beauty in the city.