Join us for our 'Get Wed to Keep Our Beds' Mock Wedding April 1st, 2015

"Get Wed and Keep Our Beds" Shotgun Wedding for 10,000 Albertans - April 1st, 2015

Get Wed and Keep Our Beds!

Members of the Disability Action Hall recently learned a loop hole regarding the confusing Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Safety Standards Inspections also requiring mandatory home inspections effective April 1st, 2015... 

If you are married, you are exempt from home inspections, fire inspections and safety inspections. 

We were shocked!

Many people with developmental disabilities live in a whole bunch of different types of housing such as renting from a private landlord. Why does a wedding band suddenly make us a safer? What gives the government the right to enter into our private homes and into our bedrooms? 

We found the rules and understanding the standards very confusing and it has made us ask more questions...

Inspectors come to our homes? 

What happened to our human rights

 to choose where we want to live? 

• Why does being married make you any safer than someone who  is not? 
• What about my right to privacy and now the government can tell me where I can and cannot live? Is this fair?  Is it not against human rights? 
• Why are people with disabilities whose family has passed on who have no choice but to hire a service provider be penalized and treated differently than a person whose family had decided to take over the service care contract? 
• Why are people with disabilities treated differently than any other Albertan? 
• Why didn't PDD ask us first before sending over a bunch of inspectors we never asked for? 
• Are the fire drills, safety checks and safety plans enough to keep me safe? 
• Why do we hear people are being evicted to the street if the home is not safe? Why are people not given more time?
• Who is going to pay for my home repairs that I cannot afford? 
• Are landlords going to look at me differently and not rent to me? 
• Why not get married so I can avoid all these inspections? 
• How am I safer I am evicted and on the street? 

The more we talked about it, the more mad we became. We decided to take action. We have written letters and met with MLAs, talked with City Councillors, talked with service providers and with PDD. We feel the decision makers are not listening to us. We need your help to ask the Province to slow this down, stop, lets talk and come to an easier solution that does not cost more money and make us homeless.

Getting married exempts us from home inspections

And now, you are invited to the biggest wedding of the year. Everyone who wants to be exempt from the inspections can get married on Wednesday, April Fools Day, Noon in Edmonton at the Legislative Assembly as a way to educate the government confusing rules need to be rewritten. We need more time! And we need a big bus!!! Please let us know if you can help us get to Edmonton by emailing us! Visit our event on facebook  and share your ideas on pintrest too!

Get wed and keep our beds!

Our Valentine's Wish - Have a heart & rescind the standards

My House My Home & The PDD Standards

Tammy and Murray invited the Disability Action Hall into their private home to talk about what makes a house a home.

We are concerned about the PDD Safety Standards. Please click on this link to watch their story on YouTube. http://youtu.be/l6Kca1ogLjU 

Budget 2015

A letter to the Alberta government and Minister of Finance, Honourable Robin Campbell, 

Thank you for asking Albertans about budget priorities and revenue solutions.  At a recent meeting of the Disability Action Hall, we talked about priorities for Budget 2015. 

Alberta Budget 2015 Talks

Here is our top three priorities, a revenue solution to fund social services and a question about cuts to the public sector wages:

•         Social Assistance Rates go up and indexed to the cost of living
•         Affordable Accessible Housing, Transportation and Universal Design
•         Person-Centered Health Care, Mental Health and Physical Health Services
•        Progressive Taxation, A carbon tax for those who pollute and an increase in royalties for those companies that take resources out of the ground in Alberta.
•         Will cutting wages in our sector also mean cutting services? We think cutting MLAs salaries by 5% is a nice first step; however we are concerned if cuts to the public sector also mean cuts to services.

We would appreciate if you could write us back and tell us what you think. If you have any questions, we welcome the government to join us for a meeting. We can be reached at 403.717.7630 or actionhall@calgaryscope.org

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Members of the Disability Action Hall