Our ideas for Disability Inclusion Action Plan

What we want in the disability inclusion action plan (wordle)

September 30th was the deadline to provide ideas for the Disability Inclusion Action Plan. The above wordle is what is most important to us. All Canadians were invited to fill out the survey (link to survey)  due Thursday, September 30th, 2021; for some, people we encouraged to submit a video (as some found the survey too hard to fill out). 

Here is our video as well as a plain language graphic below.  

Plain Language Guide

We focused on these 4 areas: 

We talked about income, employment, mental health and pharma-care, public transit, and access.

Areas to improve: income, work, access, and eligibility for services

 Income

•     Where income from one level of government gives an income, it is not clawed back by another, it is indexed to the cost of inflation.
•     A national disability strategy and Canadian disability benefit (similar to the AISH program) so everyone gets the same amount that they are entitled to. Canada Disability Benefit is where our income is indexed to the cost of living, as people with disabilities have a higher cost of living due to medical costs.
•     Accessibility goes beyond physical space, and it includes income. 
•     Tying income support to inflation is important not just because as costs go up so will their income, but also people will not stress about inflation making them poorer.
•     A basic income, no clawing back, things that people need. If it wasn’t for AISH I am grateful for that as I make less than $1000.
  
•  Work 

• Interpreters and workplaces that are more inclusive, like my work has been good.
• For work, making grants accessible for individuals to access work, or supporting businesses to access money for ramps.
• Provide workers with disabilities the tools they need to succeed and do well at their place of employment.
• Post-secondary education needs to have tuition that is affordable and accessible.
• Hire disabled workers to work in various government departments, for example, with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
  
• Work with people with disabilities for services like airports, and training for ASL interpreters.
  
• Make life easier by having a disability with eligibility and services available regardless of age.

Access

• The federal government should put stuff in plain language in the forms and website and go look for more information on disability.
• Affordable free Wi-Fi so people may access online services currently only offered online.
• Create an office you can go to it in person, so you don’t have to go all over the place.
• Operational funding for public transportation, 
• We should have a national bus service across Canada; it’s a shame we don’t have it.
• Make it more affordable for people to go places and easier to get where they are going and better access, not having Greyhound and not having a national affordable bus service makes it hard for people to get anywhere, not just Calgary and Edmonton but smaller places like Okotoks and High River, (and not just during rush hour.

Eligibility for Services

• A national pharma care program as some people can’t get medication and they need it; including dental care, I have a pill to take now for my tooth and it is expensive, and no longer covered by the province.
• We need a mental health care system built around eligibility and accessibility to mental health services: the way we handle mental health in this country is horrific and we let a lot of people fall through the cracks as we refuse to investigate the hospital to ensure they are providing the services correctly.
• We are just assuming people with mental health services are safe to report abuse and people don’t feel that way. You think universal health care would improve.
• There is not enough done for seniors with a disability like in personal homes vs. facilities and helping people who live alone with a disability; people will need more care and more help.

If you have something to say and for more information about the plan; you may contact the Disability Action Inclusion Plan at this address: 

Disability Inclusion Action Plan
Employment and Social Development Canada
140 Promenade du Portage, Phase IV
Gatineau QC  K1A 0J9
Email: Accessible-Canada@hrsdc.gc.ca