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Executive Summary *
Introduction
This report sets the stage for governments, persons with disabilities, disability advocates, communities, employers, labour and the non-profit sector to jointly focus on disability issues. It builds on the framework document entitled "In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues," which was released in 1998 by federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for social services.
This report aims to provide Canadians with a broad view of how adults with disabilities have been faring in comparison with those without disabilities, using both statistical indicators and examples of personal experiences. Examples of effective practices that have been implemented across Canada are also woven into the report.
Members of several disability organizations from the national, provincial and territorial levels worked with federal, provincial and territorial government officials during the development of this report. A smaller group of disability community members, as well as representatives of the five national Aboriginal organizations, provided comments and input to drafts of this report.
Disability Supports
Disability supports are goods and services that assist people with disabilities in overcoming barriers to participating fully in daily living, including economic and social activities.
The 1998 In Unison framework identified three objectives for the future development of disability supports: accessibility, portability, and an individual focus.
For supports to be accessible, they need to be affordable, available and appropriate for the needs of the individual. Portability — or continuity — means that people have continued access to comparable supports when they make transitions across life situations or geographic locations. Supports that are provided with an individual focus are flexible, responsive to individual needs, and provide persons with disabilities with maximum control over the provision of disability supports.
Many programs across Canada now provide some supports through a form of financing called self-managed or individualized funding, where consumers are provided with the funding to manage their own supports, such as the hiring and management of attendant or respite services. Individualized funding allows greater self-determination, choice and control for the people directly affected by the service.
The involvement of family and advocates in service provision can help increase the independence of the individual, especially for persons with developmental disabilities. Support to family caregivers can often prevent a crisis and the need for more expensive interventions.
Aboriginal persons with disabilities have observed pioneering self-management models and have expressed interest in developing similar systems. Aboriginal people point also to the unavailability of respite care and a lack of services for children with disabilities in many Aboriginal communities.
Effective practices in this area demonstrate the importance of strong partnerships — between governments, community organizations, employers, learning institutions, and persons with disabilities.
A number of initiatives are underway to address issues of portability and accessibility. The separation of eligibility for disability supports from eligibility for other programs is a key issue.
One of the barriers to improving supports is a lack of data. Along with other research on disability that is being supported through the 2000 federal budget, the 2001 Health and Activity Limitation Survey (HALS) will provide important information for all sectors to help develop solutions to disability
supports issues.
Many disability advocates and organizations have also called for a refundable disability tax credit that would reimburse individuals for more of their actual out-of-pocket disability-related costs. Many issues would need to be examined in exploring this idea.
Some disability advocates have called on governments to provide more incentives and direct funding to enhance accessibility.
Employment
For many people with disabilities, paid or voluntary work — whether full- or part-time — is a key to independence and full participation in their communities.
Key employment issues for persons with disabilities include the following:
Effective practices show that employers can be successful when they take a proactive approach to recruiting and maintaining persons with disabilities as part of their skilled workforce. Research has shown that enhanced access to education, training and skills development, through disability supports and accommodation in learning institutions, can help build this important bridge to full inclusion through employment.
Persons with disabilities have advocated for a consumer-driven approach to training and vocational rehabilitation that permits the fine-tuning that is needed for participants to proceed at their own rate, and with the interventions they require.
Aboriginal persons with disabilities say that training must incorporate the principles of their cultural frameworks.
Persons with disabilities and disability advocates have called for a comprehensive labour market strategy involving collaboration by employers, unions, community groups, learning institutions, as well as governments and persons with disabilities.
Income
To fully participate in society, people must have enough income to adequately meet their needs. The costs associated with disability supports play a big role in determining how much income a person with disabilities requires.
Unfortunately, those who are participating in the labour market do not usually get the same kind of assistance as those who receive support from public programs, even if their income is very low.
There is widespread agreement that it is desirable for employment to be the greatest possible source of income, as reduced dependence on government income support can enhance citizenship and a person's sense of self-reliance. The income safety net must ensure that financial assistance is available where it is needed most.
Key income issues for persons with disabilities include the following:
The income available to a person with a disability is directly related to the cost and availability of disability supports, and to the person's ability to earn income through employment. Successful income strategies focus on the inter-relationship of these elements and others such as education and training.
The transition to employment is a key point. Persons with disabilities have pointed out that a continued base of income and disability supports is crucial during transition to employment.
A related issue is the advantage of separating eligibility for disability supports from eligibility for income support programs.
Better coordination of income support programs and improved communication between programs, employers and others have been highlighted as key issues.
Disability advocates have called for a nationally integrated income support program for people with disabilities.
Next steps
In developing the indicators and gathering the effective practices for this report, governments have strengthened their understanding of issues needing attention and promising directions that are worth exploring.
Since the release of the In Unison vision in 1998, governments have been working to improve their programs and services consistent with the In Unison principles. At the federal/provincial/territorial level, ministers of social services have identified two initial priorities for further exploration and research. The ministers recently agreed to explore the feasibility of joint work on analyzing labour market needs for persons with disabilities and on assessing the feasibility of a new disability tax benefit to assist with the costs of disability supports. Both of these ideas will require analysis and research.
In the area of disability supports, it is clear that strong partnerships are needed to address the issues of accessibility, portability and continuity, and individual focus in helping offset costs. In employment, the involvement of a range of sectors in developing solutions is essential, and the importance of education and training must be acknowledged. Governments recognize that income programs work best when they are flexible and support persons with disabilities in their efforts to enter the labour market.
Reaching the goal of full inclusion is a major challenge for all Canadians. Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments are committed to continued work with members of the disability community, Aboriginal organizations, and other sectors, each of which has a role to play in identifying issues, sharing ideas and developing solutions.
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