It's been too long
This non profit volunteer stuff can be quite onerous at times. The balance between personal life and volunteer life requires patience and understanding from loved ones. Sometimes we ask too much. We convince ourselves it is work that must be done, so we go on. Many of you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Updates
December 3rd, the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, was a busy day. Our Executive Director Hubert van Niekerk was invited to speak at Toronto's Metropolitan University, Wellesley, to take part in a Speaker Session regarding research into homelessness in the GTA. Many causes and effects of homelessness were highlighted. It is so clear from this and other research, the solution is very clear - we must create a publicly funded National Disability Insurance model of support for those with lifelong disabilities from birth to end of life. So many homeless people have significant disabilities, many have mental illness which only increases with every day on the street.
That same day, Every Canadian Counts had a panel discussion at a very dynamic Disability Without Poverty Symposium. Our panel included members of our ECC board and a pre-recorded message from Professor Bruce Bonyhady, the considered architect of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Australia. Professor Bonyhady highlighted how ECC is well positioned to learn from both the good and the bad of the now 13 years of their National Disability Insurance plan being in effect.
A few things highlighted by our panel were;
1) Ryan Yellowlees connected the dots between medical assistance in dying (MAID) and increased mental illness, with not having the basic support to live with a disability. This is most relevant since March 2027 is the date people will be able to sign up for MAID for mental illness only. Without the type of support a National Disability Insurance Program would bring, we will lose thousands of disabled people to MAID due to not having the support to live a dignified life;
2) James Van Schaik demonstrated very clearly how Canada is failing terribly when it comes to Human Rights and Canada's obligation to it's commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, especially with Track 2 MAID, and the very insufficient and onerous requirements for the Canada Disability Benefit;
3) Hubert stressed how the current systems are failing in all parts of the country. How disabled people lose their disability benefits when they move into a relationship. How when a parent needs to quit their career to look after a newborn with a disability, often becomes part of the welfare state and loses the ability to collect a work or CPP pension at retirement. He pointed out the economic benefit of a National Disability Insurance Plan through an increased tax base and savings in systemic costs in healthcare, policing, incarceration, homelessness, emergency services, etc.
See this Youtube video for the full presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRLbygn9BY
Poverty and disability are 2 different things
We need to be very clear that poverty and disability need to be kept as 2 very separate line items. One is for the reduction of poverty, while the other is for the cost incurred due to a disability. If we don't get rid of the cost of disability, people that are currently disabled and poor, will still be poor. In fact, much of the poverty will disappear, if the cost of disability is removed. For that we must have a National Disability Insurance Program.
On February 4-5 ECC had another panel at the Health and Wellness in Developmental Disabilities conference through Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Here again we had the recording from Professor Bruce Bonyhady urging all Canadians to get behind ECC for a National Disability Insurance Program, board member Deidre Guy as our moderator, board members Ryan Yellowlees linking the lack of disability support to MAID, Exec Director Hubert van Niekerk highlighting the desperate need for change to our current systems and how a National Disability Insurance Program would fix it. The highlight of this panel were the students from Western Universities' Community Engaged Learning program that used the National Disability Insurance Program as their Capstone project. Their research and enthusiasm demonstrated that the movement is alive and well. These students have all committed to continue to work with ECC when their project is completed. In fact all 3 students will be minding the ECC table at the upcoming Ontario Association for Developmental Education (OADE) conference being held at the Famous People Players venue in Etobicoke on April 22nd. That's a plug for OADE.
Politics
MP Peter Fragiskatos sponsored our petition for a National Disability Insurance Plan. That petition was certified and filed with the House of Commons clerk. We await the government response.
MP Anita Vandenbeld introduced a National Disability Insurance Plan proposal for consideration to the upcoming Liberal convention about a month ago. It missed the needed top 10 to move further.
On March 10, past Executive Director Dr William Cowie and current Executive Director Hubert van Niekerk had the sincere pleasure of an in person meeting with MP Karina Gould to discuss our goal for a National Disability Insurance Plan. Making a few assumptions here, but we believe MP Gould would welcome further study into the feasibility, viability and desirability of a National Disability Insurance Plan. She also encouraged us to continue to engage Senators in our mission. We stated our wish moving forward would be to have a roundtable that included a designated MP, members of the disability community and of course organization like ECC. MP Gould gave us some excellent recommendations with renewed purpose.
Later that week ECC board members Jonathan Marchand, Deidre Guy and ED Hubert van Niekerk had a virtual meeting with staff from MP Patty Hajdu's office. It's always amazing to this writer that when we introduce the idea of a National Disability Insurance Plan it really has impact, and almost immediate buy-in. Almost everyone can relate to it directly through knowing someone close to them with a disability, or having a disability themselves. But it's no wonder since 27% of our population have a disability that affects them significantly in their daily life. The ask is the same. We hope for a roundtable with a designated MP and lead by members of the disability community, and of course organization like ECC. We will be following up with further information.
All MP's across the country have received the necessary information from ECC to make an informed choice to bring in a National Disability Insurance Program. This is a non-partisan movement. Disability affects all of us in some way and it's as simple as just doing the right thing.
Those were just some of the highlights over the last little while. We have also done radio interviews, but we really want news outlets to start covering our work.
Now it's your turn. Contact your MP on your own or as a small group to demand a National Disability Insurance Program. Talk it up. Post to your own social media. Get involved with ECC by sending us an email at info@everycanadiancounts.com
And of course, if able, hit the DONATE button on our website. We do not receive government funding and rely on donations to keep the lights on. https://everycanadiancounts.com/donate/
Thanks
