January 17, 2006

Federal Candidates Challenged to Back National Disability Supports

CHARLOTTETOWN: The PEI Council of the Disabled today challenged candidates in the January 23rd federal election to support a long-term commitment from the federal government to a national disability supports fund.

"PEI Council of the Disabled is calling on candidates to commit to a national disability supports fund that would help Canadians with disabilities to operate on a level playing field," said PEI Council of the Disabled Executive Director, Barry Schmidl, today.

"Supports such as accessible transportation, attendant care, interpreter services, and technical aids must be in place if people with disabilities are to have equal access to all aspects of life in the community," said Schmidl. "PEI’s Disability Support Program [DSP] has been a step in the right direction, and there are some limited federal funds going into it, but there is so much more that could be done with significant federal participation in disability supports."

The federal government provides some funding for the employment aspects of the DSP in PEI but not for other aspects of the program. Many provinces do not have programs similar to the DSP and a patch work of disability supports exists across Canada. Disability supports are any good or service which assists a person with a disability in overcoming barriers to carrying out every day activities.

The Council has declared that, as first steps, the federal government could:

• Invest in a National Disability-Related Supports Fund which would be a transfer payment to provinces/territories.
• Agree that priorities for use of the Fund would be set by provincial/territorial governments, in consultation with persons with disabilities.
• Require that eligibility for supports would be non-income related.
• Require an annual outcomes report on the Fund be provided to the federal government by the provincial/territorial governments.

The Council of the Disabled has conducted a survey of candidates on disability issues. Responses are published on the Council’s web site at www.peicod.pe.ca.

The PEI Council of the Disabled was formed in 1974 by a group of concerned people with disabilities to speak out on issues such as housing, employment, education, transportation, human rights, and access to support services. The PEI Council of the Disabled promotes the full participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of Island life.

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For more information contact: Barry Schmidl, Executive Director, 892-9149
or visit the Council's website at www.peicod.pe.ca