Alberta Disability Strategy (overview)

Citizenship gives every person the right to be included and actively involved in all aspects of Canadian society. Many Albertans with a disability still do not enjoy full citizenship. A commitment in recent years by the Alberta government to ensure equal opportunities for all Albertans has not significantly changed this reality.

The Alberta Disability Strategy, developed in 2002, provides a foundation for attaining full citizenship for the one in six Albertans (about 500,000) who have a disability. Full citizenship means being treated fairly and without discrimination by individuals, companies, organizations and governments. It means having adequate supports to live a life of safety, security and dignity. It means having the chance to pursue educational and employment opportunities. And it means having the opportunity, choice and ability to participate in all aspects of Alberta society.

Currently, 11 provincial government Ministries administer 34 disability related programs for persons with disabilities at a cost of about $1.7 billion per year. These programs, and funding to support them, are channelled through a myriad of government departments and agencies, and governance organizations. This fragmentation of delivery means inconsistency in policy and program development, wide variations in services and supports, unnecessary bureaucracy and expense, and lack of coordination across programs, regions and organizations.

The result is that Albertans with disabilities continue to experience large inequities and fragmentation in service and support. They encounter inaccessible work and learning environments and have difficulty finding affordable, suitable housing. Adaptive technology and assistive devices required by persons with disabilities to be active are available but difficult to obtain and for many, impossible to afford. Access and inequity issues are much worse for Aboriginal people, as they have nearly double the disability rate of other Albertans.

The overarching change being recommended within this Strategy is for government and other service providers to take a more inclusive, holistic approach to disability issues, needs and services. This requires ensuring that all Albertans have the opportunity to exercise their right to make decisions about their own lives, to provide them with choice, and to enable them to live as independently as possible in the community. It also requires a commitment to provide the on-going support persons with disabilities may need in order to reach their full potential. Fundamental to this on-going support is satisfying basic living, safety and security needs that allow individuals to be healthy, secure, mobile, active and involved in their communicates.

The pressing need for a more coordinated approach by government for disability supports and policy in Alberta was affirmed during the Premier’s Council’s discussions with stakeholders in 2000.

Development of the Alberta Disability Strategy involved a series of open houses and focused discussions with individuals with disabilities, stakeholder led organizations such as the Alberta Disabilities Forum, a number of government departments, and Council subcommittees. The subcommittees studied and provided recommendations on each core support. An Aboriginal Advisory Committee was also formed to study and provide input on disability issues affecting First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples.

Of concern to Council in drafting this Strategy was the lack of up-to-date data on persons with disabilities. There is a significant planning need in Alberta for more research on the needs and activities of persons with disabilities. The last full study on health, activity and involvement levels, called the Health and Activity Limitation Survey, was done in 1991 by the federal government. This national survey has been repeated and updated data is expected in 2003.