Platform of Equality and Inclusion

Creating an environment of equality of worth and embracing the principle of comprehensive inclusion is the foundation upon which all Albertans can enjoy full citizenship. For many, this requires significant personal, learning, financial and employment supports. Like building pillars, these core supports add much needed balance, strength and stability to a policy platform that guarantees equality and inclusion for all.

Full citizenship cannot be achieved without core supports because they provide the tangible elements needed for individuals to become independent, make choices, access opportunities and contribute to society. In short, to do all the things most Albertans take for granted as basic rights; rights the Premier’s Council believe can be obtained for persons with disabilities if the strategies and recommendations within personal, learning, financial and employment support areas are implemented.

There are many challenges and opportunities outlined within each core support that are closely linked to each other. Recognizing the interrelationship of the supports is important since pursuing improvements within only one or two areas will not achieve the Premier Council’s vision. Similarly, the success of implementing strategies recommended within one support area is often co-dependent on moving forward with strategies in other core supports.

The success of the Alberta Disability Strategy depends on improvements occurring on a number of fronts concurrently. A synopsis of support concerns and issues is provided in this section. See the companion document Alberta Disability Strategy Core Supports and Appendices for a full discussion on issues relevant to each core support, and Council’s recommendations within these areas.

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Full Citizenship

Citizenship implies presence of a collective identity and sense of agreement amongst individuals about the rights and responsibilities that are necessary for diverse populations to cohabitate. Persons with needs or interests that are considered to be different from the general population often require the support of government to ensure that their diverse needs are met. Some laws and agreements that support the rights of Albertans to experience full citizenship include the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Alberta’s Human Rights, Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Act.

The existence of these legal/constitutional guarantees notwithstanding, some of the potential threats to citizenship for many Albertans include laws and policies that are too narrow in scope and neglect the interests of persons with disabilities, and education programs that fail to accommodate the learning needs of all students.

Historically, it was not anticipated that persons with disabilities would graduate from an accredited education program, live independently or work in a career that would provide a salary comparable to non-disabled persons. Consequently, during the creation of existing laws, persons with disabilities were often not fully considered within the scope of interests represented by politicians.

For Aboriginal persons this has been even more problematic. Three levels of government are involved in providing services and programs for Aboriginal people, and the activities of these three levels are often not coordinated. The overall result is Aboriginal people with disabilities, in addition to the common issues, frequently face unique barriers to achieving full citizenship.

Albertans with disabilities are beginning to claim their citizenship rights. However, full reclamation of citizenship rights for all Albertans will require using relevant legislation as a foundation for social change.

Implementation of the Alberta Disability Strategy should result in the following specific outcomes related to Full Citizenship:

Civil, constitutional and human rights will be assured for all Albertans.
Alberta’s communities will be barrier free and physically accessible. All Albertans will be able to access the buildings, spaces, services and programs that they require.
All Albertans will have the opportunity to participate in and provide leadership to public policy processes, and to activities and associations that define their community.

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Personal Supports

Personal supports, also known as disability supports, refer to a range of goods and services, technical aids and equipment, personal services and assistance required to offset a disability. There are three types of personal supports: personal care services; technical aids, assistive devices and equipment; transportation and housing. Depending on the type and severity of impairment, persons with disabilities may need one or more of these elements to be provided.

Personal supports are fundamental to helping individuals achieve the personal safety and security they need to be involved and active in everyday life. Safety and security speaks to the need for individuals to have personal care to help them with basic needs (eating, dressing, etc.) and to get ready for the day; to have housing that is safe, affordable and physically accessible; to have transportation to go to work, school or recreational activities; and to have living and communication aids to provide mobility and contact with the community at large.

This area of support is the most critical of all the core supports. Only after these needs are met and secured can someone move forward to embrace independence and full community inclusion.

The 1991 Health and Activity Limitation Survey showed almost 170,000 technical supports were required by Albertans with disabilities at that time. The survey also showed the use of personal assistants was significantly higher than the other categories of personal support named by respondents. There is no reason to believe this has changed since this data was collected.

Alberta has recognized for some time the need for personal supports in order for some Albertans to overcome barriers and live in the community. More than 20 programs currently exist to aid individuals with disabilities to live, learn and work in their communities.

Personal supports programs are delivered by several government departments and government funded organizations like Regional Health Authorities, Persons with Developmental Disabilities Boards, Child and Family Regional Authorities, and a host of non-profit agencies who receive provincial grants.

Some of the major programs in Alberta include Home Care, Resources for Children with Disabilities (formerly known as Handicapped Children’s Services), Persons with Developmental Disabilities Program, Personal Care Services, Alberta Aids to Daily Living, Special Opportunities Grant, and the Special Needs Program.

Adequate personal supports enable persons with disabilities to:

Enjoy a standard of life comparable to non-disabled citizens.
Increase their level of independence and decrease the emotional and financial stress of care giving on their families.
Facilitate independent living in their community of choice.
Enable individuals to live outside of hospitals, institutions or group homes.

These outcomes are not always possible for all individuals under these existing programs because they are largely uncoordinated, often inadequate and difficult to access. Commitments by funders and service providers in recent years to improve collaboration and reduce service inadequacies have not had any significant impact.

Complicating improvements to service delivery is an ongoing debate over who is responsible for the cost of personal supports. Some providers argue the cost of disability supports is the responsibility of the individual with the disability and his or her family, unless the individual does not have the necessary resources. Even so, many suggest support should be limited to medical expenses. Persons with disabilities, their families and advocates argue that disability supports are expensive and are not incurred by persons without disabilities. Such costs place Albertans with disabilities at an inherent financial disadvantage and promote dependence on government programs and support through a “welfare” lens.

It is the position of the Premier’s Council that personal supports funded by government should relieve financial stress on families and support persons, encourage participation in the community and job market, and help create an environment for Albertans that is inclusive and promotes equal opportunity. Eliminating funding and support uncertainty would have the added benefit of enabling individuals to focus on developing their abilities and contributing to the communities in which they live, rather than a focus on simply surviving.

Implementation of the Alberta Disability Strategy should result in the following specific outcomes related to Personal Supports:

Affordable, appropriate technical and personal supports for independent community living is available at home, school, work and play.
All Albertans will have choices and the right to determine the type of support required, including where and how that support is provided.
The Alberta government and municipalities provide funding for accessible housing and transportation that meet the needs of all persons.
Families and others receive the support and funding they need to provide effective and appropriate care for persons with disabilities.

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Education and Learning Supports

Education and Learning supports refer to the personal, technological, and accessibility needs that may be required by students with disabilities to fully participate in a learning environment. Education supports for students with disabilities may include, for example, multi-sensory learning programs and personal care support.

The Alberta School Act guarantees that all children residing in Alberta will have access to the education system and educational programming that meets a child’s learning needs. For Albertans with disabilities, this means satisfying four core learning elements:

The learning system is responsive to the education needs of all students.
The learning system is flexible by providing a wide scope of programs through various learning modalities.
All Albertans can access and participate in the learning environment.
The learning system is affordable to all Alberta students regardless of learning needs. Cost will not be a barrier to inclusive learning environments.

Given the demographics of disability amongst Alberta’s children and adults, the Alberta government has attempted to respond to the learning interests and needs of Albertans by supporting a lifespan of education programs. These include early childhood services, primary, secondary, and post-secondary integrated and specialized classrooms.

However, the current range and scope of special needs programs and supports varies significantly among schools. Although a student’s assessment dictates the amount of funding provided to schools, the student’s school and school board ultimately determines how the special needs funding is collectively utilized for the special needs population registered at the school and throughout the school jurisdiction. As a result, programs and services levels vary greatly from student to student independent of need.

Education supports among Alberta’s post-secondary institutions also varies. They have a duty to accommodate students with disabilities - unless the institution can establish that it would experience undue hardship. Post-secondary students have access to funding grants to help offset needed education supports but this is often inadequate to ensure equitable access.

The availability of education supports in Alberta for students with disabilities depends on many factors including the nature and severity of the disability, level of support from governments and education institutions to finance education aids, and the physical accessibility of the learning environment. The physical accessibility of the learning environment is essential to a student’s participation.

There are a number of barriers that restrict the availability of education supports and therefore full and equitable access to lifelong learning opportunities. Examples include budget restraint programs that have reduced support for children and adults with special needs, and inconsistencies as individual school boards independently interpret regulations, allocate funding and determine the type of service provided.

On average, Albertans with disabilities are reported to have lower education levels than their non-disabled peers. This can be directly linked to a lack of education supports, which has been identified as a significant risk factor for early school drop out and subsequently increases the challenges an individual with a disability faces in obtaining meaningful employment.

Program evaluations and research studies that concentrate on school expenditures and funding codes are only a part of the information that is required for identifying and planning an equitable learning environment in Alberta. More understanding of the type and range of education supports people with disabilities require to be successful students is also needed.

Implementation of the Alberta Disability Strategy should result in the following specific outcomes related to Education and Learning Supports:

All persons will have the support they need to participate in education at all levels and throughout their lives.
All persons will enjoy choice and self-determination in planning for their primary, secondary, post-secondary and lifelong education needs.
Alberta’s education system will be responsive, accountable, inclusive and accessible.
Alberta’s education programs will be culturally sensitive and respect diversity.

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Financial Supports

Financial Supports refer to a variety of monetary supports available to Albertans who are not able to finance their basic needs due to temporary or permanent unemployment or to insufficient earnings from existing employment. Programs that provide financial supports to Albertans with disabilities include, for example, AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) and Workers Compensation Board Benefits. The availability of financial supports is dependent on the age of onset and the cause of the disability.

Persons with disabilities are over represented in the group of Albertans that don’t have enough income to provide “the basics” – food, shelter, clothing, health care and the ability to care for their children. Some are able to achieve a minimal standard of living most of the time, but run into difficulty when the unexpected happens. In addition, persons with disabilities have on-going expenses specific to their disability that Canadians without a disability do not have. This, in effect, increases the inherent cost of living for ALL persons with a disability.

Not all individuals with disabilities require financial supports. Many individuals with disabilities are able to cover disability-related expenditures because they either have a reasonably well paying job and/or their costs are minimal. Labour force participation studies indicate the majority of Canadian adults with disabilities do not access financial supports to fund disability costs or support their basic needs. Of the approximately 10% of Canadians with disabilities who have no personal income at all, family and friends are viewed as the primary sources of financial support.

Individuals with disabilities who seek financial supports do so because their basic and disability related costs exceed their available resources. In an average year it is estimated that a person with disabilities will have from $1,000 to $25,000 in disability related expenditures over and above basic living expenses. Consequently, a person with a disability needs to generate substantially more revenue to have the same purchasing capacity and comparable quality of life as a non-disabled person.

Numerous attempts have been made by governments to rectify this inequity and increase the economic power of persons with disabilities. This has largely been done through supportive programs aimed at increasing levels of education and employment. While these initiatives are important, it is equally important that these programs actually produce employment that can sufficiently offset the costs of a disability as well as basic living expenses.

In overcoming deficits in financial supports for persons with disabilities, program funders must accurately identify needs, identify who is responsible for meeting these needs and to what extent. Persons with disabilities or their family/support persons must continue to justify and explain to funding bodies that many Albertans live in poverty because of marginal employment options, inflexible employment laws, poor supports for families caring for children with disabilities, and high expenditures for disability supports.

Persons with disabilities, like all Albertans, value independence. However, they are often concerned that their attempts to take part in training, education and the competitive workforce will lead to their loss of “disability” status and the invaluable additional supports it often provides. For many, this is a significant work disincentive. Support recipients often reluctantly carry the label of “permanently unemployable” just so they can maintain the valuable supports they need to get by.

Existing financial support programs must be more flexible. They must respond to the diverse and changing needs of Albertans with disabilities. Programs need to be individualized and actively involve such individuals in the determination of their needs.

Implementation of the Alberta Disability Strategy should result in the following specific outcomes related to Financial Supports:

The government of Alberta’s programs and policies will address the impact of disability, not the presence of disability.
The government of Alberta will involve persons with disabilities in the development and design of Alberta Human Resources and Employment policies and programs.
All Albertans will have financial security sufficient to meet basic living and safety and security needs.
Financial supports will be seen as an investment, not a handout that carries the stigma of welfare.
Financial supports will enable all Albertans to make informed choices, and to participate in and be included in all aspects of Canadian citizenship. The strengths, needs and preferences of all people will be respected.
Financial supports will reflect the real cost of living with a disability.
Financial supports will treat persons with disabilities with respect by giving them the option to self-declare, as all Canadians do in the taxation system.
Financial supports will be designed to provide an incentive to seek employment options. Currently, many Albertans are afraid that getting a job or taking job training could cause them to lose their “disability status.”

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Employment Supports

Providing employment supports is essential to the establishment of full citizenship amongst Albertans. In 1991, the labour participation rate for Albertans with disabilities was reported to be 66% compared to a rate of 84% for the general population. Persons with disabilities also earned approximately 35% less than their non-disabled peers that year. These ratios have remained relatively unchanged.

Employment supports for an employee with disabilities may include, for example, altering the work schedule (modified or reduced hours) or restructuring the job.

The majority of employment supports identified as necessary for work by Albertans with disabilities are job redesign, modified or reduced hours, and accessible washrooms. It has been estimated that 80% of job-related accommodations for persons with disabilities cost less than $500.

Provincial programs such as the Disability Related Employment Supports (DRES) program, and federal/provincial partnerships like the Employment Assistance for People with Disabilities (EAPD) initiative and In Unison disability strategy have attempted to bridge systemic and physical barriers in the workplace faced by persons with disabilities. They have had limited success.

Human rights statistics and labour market figures demonstrate that persons with disabilities still encounter discrimination and inequities. Employers still struggle with balancing the accommodation of a person with a disability against potential and/or perceived financial and operational hardships to the organization.

Persons planning to or already employing persons with disabilities say having employment supports significantly impacts their decision to employ such individuals. It also contributes to the subsequent success of a work arrangement. Some of the employment supports identified as significant to employers included funding, information about disability supports, and affordable and accessible public transportation.

Without the assistance of employment supports, persons with disabilities will continue to be under-represented in the workforce, earn less income than their non-disabled peers, and require ongoing government assistance for funding basic and disability supports required for daily living.

Implementation of the Alberta Disability Strategy should result in the following specific outcomes related to Employment Supports:

Persons with disabilities will have the same opportunity as non-disabled Albertans to choose from employment options.
All Albertans will have the support they require (e.g. personal care, mobility aids) to prepare for and be engaged in employment.
All Albertans will have the support and information required to access and make informed choices from a range of employment opportunities and to fully progress along a chosen career path.
Persons with disabilities will be valued members of Alberta’s workforce.