Accessible Widget

January 28, 2025

Update: Keep the letters and stories coming! (January 28th 2025)

Update: Disability Action Hall members want to say thank you! We are grateful to hear how much self-advocacy work means to you and the community. Thank you for continuing to send letters and share stories with all of us. Reaching out to us, helping in your own way and asking us how to help has meant a great deal during this challenging time. 

Stories of Impact

One of our members shares why self-advocacy groups are critical to helping our city and community be a safe, accessible city. (2 minutes) 

  


For people who may not know... 

On January 7th, we received an email that our collective funding for three groups across Alberta (approximately $425,000)—would be terminated in just 90 days. 

This notice came 15 months before the scheduled renewal of our three contracts and without any prior warning. 

After decades of collaboration with the Government of Alberta, this sudden decision has left our groups, Self-Advocacy Federation, Disability Action Hall and Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association (SAIPA)  and, most importantly, the individuals and communities we serve—in a precarious and uncertain position.

How you can help

Here is a link to the letter-writing tool. 

Start by Sending a letter (CLICK HERE) Share your story! 

By sharing your story, we hope it will help reverse this decision to  #Honourthecontracts until March 31st, 2026. This will give us more time to create a better plan to continue our work. #SelfAdvocacyMatters


Media Coverage 

CTV News Edmonton Article "We're essential': Disability rights groups shocked by Alberta government funding cut" January 15th, 2025

CBC News Edmonton Article "Alberta government axes funding for 3 disability advocacy groups" January 15th, 2025

Lethbridge News "Province discontinuing funding for disability support group in Lethbridge", January 15th, 2025

Global News Calgary Segment "Alberta disability support organizations call on UCP to reverse decision to terminate contracts", January 15th, 2025

CTV News Calgary Article "Disability rights groups in Alberta criticize province’s move on supports" January 16th, 2025

880 CHED Interview  - The Courtney Theriault Show, Thursday, January 17th, 2025

77QHR Interview 'Jan and Andy Show', January 18th, 2025

Edmonton Sun, TAIT: Cuts to Advocacy Groups hurts those who need it most, January 19th, 2025 

Calgary Herald, Opinion: UCP funding cuts ultimately hurt people with disabilities in Alberta, Calgary Herald, January 24th, 2025

Red Deer Advocate: Province executing 'all-out war' on disability community, say AUPE, January 28th, 2025




January 23, 2025

Next steps! Raise awareness with your MLA, please share your story to reverse the cuts

 

UPDATE January 23rd, 2025, from the Disability Action Hall

On January 7th, we received an email notifying us that our collective funding for three groups across Alberta (approximately $425,000)—would be terminated in just 90 days. This notice came 15 months before the scheduled renewal of our three contracts and without any prior warning. After decades of collaboration with the Government of Alberta, this sudden decision has left our groups, Self-Advocacy Federation, Disability Action Hall and Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association (SAIPA)  and, most importantly, the individuals and communities we serve—in a precarious and uncertain position.


How You Can Help? Start by Sending a letter (CLICK HERE)



Collecting Stories:

Your stories matter! Share your story will make a difference. Doing so can reveal the real human cost of the government's decision. MLAs need to hear from you. Share your story on social  media. 

This isn’t just about policy—it’s about dignity, rights, justice, and the critical, meaningful support people deserve.


MEETING WITH MLAS 

We need your support now more than ever.

We seek your ideas, suggestions, and, most importantly, your stories.

Your experiences are powerful and can help us continue serving our communities.

We have created this template to make it easier for you to customize and add your story and meet with your MLA. 

Together, we can overcome this challenge and work toward a solution. Thank you for joining and being with us at this challenging time.

#HonorContractsUCP                #SelfAdvocacyAB

If you have questions. Or need help finding your MLA.

Who is my MLA?  finder  by postal code


Contact:

Self-Advocacy Federation,  (Edmonton and Area) Email: Saf@selfadvocacyfederation.com

Disability Action Hall (Calgary & Area) : www.actionhall.ca  Email: actionhall@calgaryscope.org  Phone 403.717.7630

Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association (SAIPA)   -Lethbridge and Southern Region) www.SAIPA.org Email : mail@saipa.org

 

Media Coverage

CTV News Edmonton Article "We're essential': Disability rights groups shocked by Alberta government funding cut" January 15th, 2025

CBC News Edmonton Article "Alberta government axes funding for 3 disability advocacy groups" January 15th, 2025

Global News Calgary Segment "Alberta disability support organizations call on UCP to reverse decision to terminate contracts", January 15th, 2025

CTV News Calgary Article "Disability rights groups in Alberta criticize province’s move on supports"

880 CHED Interview  - The Courtney Theriault ShowText Thursday, January 17th, 2025

77QHR Interview 'Jan and Andy Show', January 18th, 2025

Cuts to Advocacy Groups hurts those who need it most, January 19th, 2025 

Opinion: UCP funding cuts ultimately hurt people with disabilities in Alberta, Calgary Herald, January 24th, 2025

January 22, 2025

Update: Virtual Town Hall for Thursday, January 23rd 6:30 pm with Shadow Minister for Seniors, Community and Social Services

Come and share the decades of success stories, partnerships and community building efforts we have made together with the Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association (SAIPA) Self-Advocacy Federation and the Disability Action Hall, this Thursday, January 23rd! Virtual Town Hall 6:30 pm

We also want to thank the many people coming forward asking how can we help? 

Collecting stories! 

We are hoping to share the value of self-advocacy groups across Alberta and we are looking for stories on Thursday, January 23rd beginning at 6:30 pm. 

When people ask us how can I help? 

The Shadow Minister, Marie Renaud has extended an invite for Self-Advocates and our friends who have been impacted by our work. 

Everyone is welcome. 

Please share the registration link! Hope to see you there.  

Media may be present  

Thursday, January 23rd beginning at 6:30 pm. 

ASL will be provided!

https://www.albertasfuture.ca/events/disability-self-advocate-town-hall


Town Hall gathering of self-advocates and friends with diverse disabilities, race, age and sensory disabilities in a large room


January 16, 2025

Update: Let us Speak January 16th, 2025 (Our funding)

 

UPDATE: Let us Speak, January 16th, 2025

We are incredibly overwhelmed by the number of outpouring phone calls, messages, and offers to help ensure self-advocacy voices remain heard. Our friends, community partners, and decision-makers understand self-advocacy's critical role in improving society's access.

We were overwhelmed when 120 people joined our media release yesterday, January 15th. It means so much to all of us who work alongside us in building a province we are proud of, and accessible to all.

We hope to continue informing you of our next steps. We will try our best to track the media that has risen to the cause to capture the impact of this decision. More importantly, we thank the media and all of you for your ongoing support and for valuing the expertise and wisdom of the self-advocacy movement. We encourage you to share your story with us and with decision-makers.

Letters and in-person meetings matter most as decision-makers are obligated to respond.

We are incredibly thankful to the Alberta government for supporting, working with, and listening to us for over two decades and for understanding that vulnerable groups need safe spaces to gather and build trust

  • In our experience, we have learned that engaging the disability community meaningfully through groups such as ours helps inform decision-makers and community partners to builds a better province and it saves money (a small investment in big savings). We know that members of the government who are most familiar with our work did not make this decision lightly. 
  • We hope you can help us raise awareness that community-based self-advocacy is essential to access community disability barriers, leaving long-term positive outcomes when we work together to improve access. 
  • It has been our experience that community-based advocacy helps build better bridges, express our culture through access to the community and arts, have a purpose,  and learn and experience disability pride, which we are grateful for.

 Link to the news release, January 15th, “Let us Speak.”

Global News story  (MORE TO COME) 

What Hall members have to say about the Disability Action Hall's loss of funding (Impact Statements)

Hi, my name is Amber Cutter. I moved to Calgary three years ago because I believed the government here cared about people with disabilities. I became a member of Action Hall and was very excited to be part of their self-advocacy group. When you have a disability, it's empowering to teach others how to treat people like us and to stand up for ourselves. Action Hall did much more than that; they gave me a life and a voice.

Now, it feels like you are taking away my voice and my happy life because you chose to eliminate something so important for adults with disabilities. This decision will affect hundreds if not thousands, of individuals and the workers who support them. 

I want you to imagine if this situation involved your child. Would you want someone to treat you or your family this way? Probably not. These individuals may seem like strangers to you, but to me, they are beautiful people who deserve support. They have a right to a good life, and they depend on organizations like SCOPE, Action Hall, and others that you plan to cut funding for.

There are many disabled individuals who will not know what to do with their lives if these services are taken away, and they will be scared. This decision will have a horrible impact on them. I urge you to reconsider what you are doing. Please find a different solution. Don't you think their lives are tough enough already? Do we really need to make things even harder for them?

Thank you,  

Amber Cutter

 Impact Statement

"I greatly value the Disability Action Hall, not just for their advocacy work and connecting people with resources, but also how it helped facilitate connection within the disability community. Especially when, for many disabled persons, it is much more difficult for us to forge those critical connections. I came to the Disability Action Hall at a time of my life when I really needed a connection with other people, like me, locally. So, to hear that so many disability rights groups have had their funding cut so unexpectedly is both deeply upsetting and infuriating to me.

What we need most now is to extend kindness and empathy to our community. I wish I had all the answers in light of this situation. All I know is that when things become most dire, building and sustaining community--in whichever way we can--is the most crucial thing."

-           - Disability Action Hall member

Impact Statement

I am writing in response to the news that I saw yesterday in regards to the provincial government cutting funding from disability advocacy groups. I saw the new on CTV, Global Calgary and CBC website yesterday.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-government-axes-funding-for-3-disability-advocacy-groups-1.7432469
https://globalnews.ca/news/10960851/alberta-disability-rights-groups-funding/

https://globalnews.ca/news/10960851/alberta-disability-rights-groups-funding/

I am a person with a developmental disability and mental illness. Even though I have a diagnosed developmental disability, I am currently not eligible to take part in any disability program that is funded by the Government of Alberta's Persons With Developmental disabilities program because my IQ is above 70. https://www.alberta.ca/pdd-eligibility#:~:text=To%20be%20eligible%20for%20the%20PDD%20program%2C%20you%20must%3A,to%20receive%20services%20in%20Alberta

I am also on AISH. A couple of months ago my mental health worker informed me that you folks cut stopped providing the private landlord supplement to my landlord, which would end up making my rent increase to regular market value despite the fact I have a low income. I asked my mental health worker if she could remain being my mental worker when I move out of my place. She said no because my place is designed to be a place that provides housing to people with mental illness only. So, in other words, I lose my place because rent is going too high for me to afford, and my mental health support because of a decision the provincial government has made is not in the best interest of me and my other mentally ill neighbours but because the government simply wants to stop supplementing our landlord. 

Now I've read that you want to stop funding the only group that supports me as a whole person with a developmental disability and mental illness. It baffles me. I don't know why you'd do that. 

To say that disability advocacy groups do not provide essential services to members of the disability community is wrong. They do provide an essential service! Below is the proof:

1. Because of disability advocacy groups, people on AISH can get to their doctor's appointments, work, the AISH office, see their family and friends, go to school, and be productive members of society all by simply using the low-income bus pass disability advocacy groups have advocated for them to have.

 https://calgaryherald.com/news/traffic/theres-a-need-more-than-10000-calgarians-a-month-buying-new-5-05-transit-pass

2. It is because of disability advocacy groups caregivers are being taught how to handle topics regarding sexuality, healthy relationships, boundaries, etc... when people with disabilities bring the topics up to them. https://www.centreforsexuality.ca/training-centre/all-workshops/supporting-sexuality-pdd/

https://www.centreforsexuality.ca/about-us/r2l-group/#:~:text=Right%20to%20Love%20(R2L)%20is,make%20healthy%20choices%20about%20love.

3. It is because of the disability advocacy groups' communication with the government of Alberta that people on AISH get their income raised automatically annually. Without that communication people on AISH would even be further behind in paying rent and other bills today due to the cost of living. https://calgary.citynews.ca/2023/12/16/alberta-aish-inome-support-increase-2024/


4. Disability advocacy groups don't only provide essential services to people with disabilities. They also provide a sense of safety, friendship, family, and belonging in an otherwise unaccommodating and unkind world. As a 15-year member of a disability advocacy group called the Disability Action Hall, I beg you not to cut disability advocacy funding, please! It is something we in the disability community need more now than ever before!


Sincerely: Mary Salvani
Disability advocate and Disability Action Hall member



January 14, 2025

MEDIA ADVISORY "Let us Speak" for Wednesday, January 15th at Noon

We are shocked and surprised to share our sad news from various parts of the province at our Virtual News Conference tomorrow at noon. 

Please read our joint news release.



For Wednesday January 15th, 12 pm

LET US SPEAK

Call to Support Alberta’s Disability Community
Join our Zoom news conference on Wednesday at 12 pm


Virtual News Conference
https://calgaryscope.zoom.us/j/89814570358?pwd=mzdGSwM91Miy80tVS5tXgmruBNB6cl.1

Meeting ID: 898 1457 0358    Passcode: 449734

 
Who We Are:


Disability rights groups across Alberta, including the Southern Alberta Individual Planning Association (Lethbridge), the Disability Action Hall (Calgary), and the Self Advocacy Federation (Edmonton), have lost their funding from the Government of Alberta. This funding, which totals less than $424,000 annually, was cut 15 months too early. For over 25 years, these groups have helped people with intellectual disabilities speak up for their rights and share their experiences. This sudden loss of funding, with just 90 days’ notice, puts our work at risk.


What’s Happening:


Self advocates from across the province will be addressing the defunding and are asking the Government of Alberta to reconsider its decision and to honour the original contract, which was set to run until March 2026. Our organizations provide unique and critical support that other advisory bodies and service providers cannot replace. Without this funding, individuals who depend on us for advocacy, education, and peer support will lose a vital lifeline.


For decades, we’ve worked to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities have a direct voice in shaping policies on important issues like housing, transportation, and employment. Our efforts have influenced government policies and made essential resources, like the Alberta Persons with Developmental Disabilities webpage, easier to understand by using plain language.

Beyond advocacy, we fill gaps in services by helping people during crises such as mental health challenges, domestic violence, and food insecurity. Our peer support programs improve well-being and prevent more costly interventions from other government departments. Our work benefits not just individuals but the entire province by improving safety, education, and employment opportunities cost-effectively.

Why This Matters:


We understand the need for financial restraint, but cutting funding for these self-advocacy groups delivers more harm than savings. The work we do is vital and comes at a very modest cost. We ask the government to honour the last 15 months of our contracts so we can continue providing these essential services and ensure a smooth transition.

For Media Contact:


Keri McEachern: Self Advocacy Federation 780 907 2575
Colleen Huston: Disability Action Hall 403 717 7630
Leah Dormaar: Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association 403 320 1515