Inclusion Canada

Happy Canada Day! We hope that you spend this day with friends and loved ones, celebrating the land we call home. Let's also reflect on our history and in the true spirit of reconcilitation for Indigenous Peoples: learn, understand and act.

A poverty report card by Food Banks Canada assessed poverty across provinces, and almost all of them received very poor scores. People with disabilities are often especially affected by poverty, so these scores are alarming for our most vulnerable.

Read "Poverty report cards: Which provinces got the worst grades?": https://inclusioncanada.ca/curated-news-content/

Watch the recording of the round table on partial day attendance! 👇

In case you missed it, we hosted a round table on partial day attendance with special guest Kelly Lamrock, NB Child & Youth Advocate, and other leading experts on across the country. Watch the recording now - there was so much amazing discussion and lessons learned!

https://youtu.be/lg_i9pxitGQ

📢 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

The regulations for the Canada Disability Benefit are now public. We have just two words about them: not. great.

We need all of our collective efforts to make these better, and we'll be analyzing them over the next days. There is an 86 day period to provide feedback to the government. You can view a summary of the regulations here: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/disabilities-benefits/summary-regulations.html

In the meantime, however, here are 3 important things you can do today:

1️⃣ Apply for the Disability Tax Credit

Even though we do not support using the Disability Tax Credit (DTC,) as the path to apply for the Canada Disability Benefit, it seems at least for the first year it may be the only way. We will continue to advocate for this to change including a complete revamp of the DTC process. We all need to work to change the approach of using the DTC for the CDB but for now, please start the process to apply for it. Here are some useful tips and info for applying: https://inclusioncanada.ca/2023/06/09/learn-more-about-the-disability-tax-credit-dtc/

2️⃣ File your taxes

If you have not yet filed your taxes (even if you have no income), it is important to file. To be eligible, the government will need to know your last income tax statement. If you need help filling out your taxes, please see some helpful advice here: https://conta.cc/3yMF3PS

3️⃣ Stay tuned

We will be analyzing the regulations and preparing our feedback. There will be plain language resources coming soon to better understand the regulations and what they mean. We will provide information on how you can send your feedback and views too.

We are not giving up. There is much more work to be done.

We must

Summary of the proposed Canada Disability Benefit Regulations - Canada.ca The government has published a summary of the proposed Canada Disability Benefit Regulations to this website. The proposed Canada Disability Benefit Regulations will be published on the Canada Gazette I for public comment on June 29, 2024.

Reminder, June 30 is the deadline to apply for the interim Canada Dental Benefit! Find out if you’re eligible here: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/dental-benefit.html

The Canada Dental Benefit will remain in place until June 30, 2024. Once this interim benefit ends, children may be eligible to transition to the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP): https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/dental/dental-care-plan.html

"We have a close to 80 per cent unemployment rate for individuals with intellectual disabilities" - Wendy McDonald of Inclusion Alberta They currently have a wait list of around 200 people with intellectual disabilities in Calgary looking for work, and they are in need of employers to register for their Rotary Employment Partnership. We challenge employers to implement inclusive hiring practices, as stats show people with intellectual disabilities often outperform their coworkers.

Read "Inclusion Alberta desperately seeking companies to employ workers with intellectual disabilities": https://inclusioncanada.ca/curated-news-content/

The recording of our webinar "Legal Capacity Without Borders" is live! Hear from Inclusion International, Fundación Visibilia and others about the international impact of Canada's legislative advances in supported decision-making & a person's right to decide.

📺 https://youtu.be/PYKkmKr8epE
(FR) https://youtu.be/uFtHqLmP_t4

The University of Guelph will be hosting a Sexuality & Access Town Hall about supporting conversations about sexuality and disability on June 25 @ 12PM EST! Learn about accessing sexuality supports in attendant care dynamics through a disability lens. 💻

Sexuality and Access Town Hall | Social & Applied Human Sciences Join our virtual Town Hall to discuss accessing sexuality supports in attendant care dynamics through a disability lens. Inspired by Cory Silverberg and Fran Odette's 2011 project, we aim to bridge the gap in starting conversations. Led by Wallace and Melanie from t6talk, Brantford, and collaboratin...

“It’s a lot cheaper for the system to end people’s lives than it is to support them to live well.” , Executive Vice-President of Inclusion Canada

This article talks about people with disabilities living in poverty and dying by assisted su***de. The two issues are highly connected 🔗.

Legislated poverty and medical assistance in dying (MAiD) on the basis of disability are both symptoms of a broken and ableist system 💔. They both show us that Canadian governments don’t fully value people with disabilities.

We expect the Canada Disability Benefit to be adequately funded 💰. And we’re calling for changes to Canada’s discriminatory MAiD law. We need both. And, we need a pretty significant culture shift.

Read "Canadians with disabilities remain locked in ‘legislated poverty,’ and many want to die": https://inclusioncanada.ca/curated-news-content/

It’s National Indigenous Peoples Day! Today, we recognize the heritage and contributions of our First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples. We work alongside partners such as Indigenous Disability Canada to continue to learn and grow in our relationship and understanding.

Almost 1 in 3 Indigenous people have a disability - a much higher rate than the general population. A truly inclusive Canada must end the stigma and discrimination that is a day-to-day reality for indigenous people across the country.

We acknowledge we are settlers on their land and encourage you to learn as well. Check out this site to learn on which traditional territory you live on as settlers: https://native-land.ca/

⏰ REMINDER: The proposed Canada Disability Benefit is nowhere near enough to raise people with disabilities out of poverty and falls short of the government's promise. You can tell the government to change this.

Please sign this petition to fully fund the CDB, and broaden the eligibility.

Hurry, tomorrow afternoon (June 21 at 2:43 PM EST) is your last chance!! Let's help this petition get lots of signatures!!

Are you on any medications? They might make you more likely to overheat 🥵. It can’t hurt to ask your pharmacist! During this heat wave, stay cool and hydrated and to check up on your friends 💧.

Please share: What are your best strategies to stay cool?

For more info, visit https://yhoo.it/4csU3Ep

📺Reminder - webinar is today. There is still time to register.

We hope you can join us for a discussion on partial-day school attendance.

Register ➡️ http://bit.ly/4cbkdLN

More info below 👇

📺 Please join us on June 20 @ 6pm EST for a Zoom round table discussion with special guest NB Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock as we focus on concerns about partial day attendance in Canadian schools 🏫.

👉Register here: https://bit.ly/4cbkdLN

✍📖 Mr. Lamrock recently released a report on this issue: https://www.cyanb.ca/home

We know and have made clear that the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) proposed by the federal government is not adequate 👎.

We will continue to fight for a benefit that will live up to the intent of the law and bring people with disabilities out of poverty 💲.

The provincial and territorial (P/T) governments must also not claw back the benefit. It is meant to be a supplement, not a subtraction.

📝✍ We, along with 80+ other organizations, wrote to P/T governments requesting that they pledge not to claw back or reduce the CDB from their respective disability income support programs.

See our joint letter here: https://bit.ly/4cs1KuH

Happy Autistic Pride Day! Today is a day to celebrate diverse Autistic identities and the amazing contributions that Autistic people have made, especially in our understanding of neurodiversity. Let's embrace our differences and make the world a more inclusive place for everyone.

With expensive food, rent, transportation, and more, people on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) are struggling to make ends meet. They often end up homeless, forced to take up unpredictable jobs, or borrow money from friends.

We know that ODSP is not enough but we also know that the current planned Canada Disability Benefit is nowhere near the level it should be to make a difference. This needs to change!

Read about the stories of ODSP recipients in "Here’s how Ontarians on ODSP are trying to make ends meet": https://inclusioncanada.ca/curated-news-content/

📢Are you a parent who's child has experienced partial day school attendance? 🏫

We invite you to webinar this week 🗓️June 20th.

Special guest - , New Brunswick Child &Youth Advocate

Registration link is ➡️ http://bit.ly/4cbkdLN

More details below ⬇️

📺 Please join us on June 20 @ 6pm EST for a Zoom round table discussion with special guest NB Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock as we focus on concerns about partial day attendance in Canadian schools 🏫.

👉Register here: https://bit.ly/4cbkdLN

✍📖 Mr. Lamrock recently released a report on this issue: https://www.cyanb.ca/home

Happy Father's Day! A special shoutout to all the fathers and father-figures who are committed to creating inclusive lives for their children and others in their life. We hope this day is full of joy and celebration for you.

⏰ REMINDER: The proposed Canada Disability Benefit is nowhere near enough to raise people with disabilities out of poverty and falls short of the government's promise. You can tell the government to change this.

Please sign this petition to fully fund the CDB, and broaden the eligibility.

Hurry, the deadline is June 21! Let's help this petition get lots of signatures!!

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4993

Tying disability income assistance applications to doctors is problematic due to the creation of undue delays and healthcare strains, discrimination against people with disabilities, and issues in defining disability. This article explores some alternatives.

Read "Stop tying applications for disability income assistance to doctors":

Physician gatekeeping complicates disability income assistance B.C.’s cumbersome application process and physician gatekeeping delay access to financial, health and housing supports, infringing on human rights.

The absence of Sir. Robert Martin was strongly felt at this year's COSP at the United Nations. We were honoured to attend the celebration of his life as hosted by the New Zealand Mission at the UN yesterday. 💔

Sir Martin has had a profound global impact on the inclusion movement. 💜

His tireless work and advocacy will continue to inspire, but he will be greatly missed. We certainly felt his presence this week and we will continue to go forward with our collective work, inspired by the trail that Sir Martin has blazed.

For a short video of the work and life of Sir Robert Martin, please see the video below as shared by our friends at INCLUSION INTERNATIONAL :

https://www.facebook.com/inclusioninternational/videos/452222844080875

UPDATE ON CANADA DISABILITY BENEFIT

📢The federal government this week provided numbers that admitted their plan for the Canada Disability Benefit will only assist in bringing 25,000 people with disabilities currently living in poverty above the poverty line.

We know this is completely unacceptable. 😠

The Canada Disability Benefit legislation is to bring all people with disabilities out of poverty. Not some. There are approximately 1.5 million people with disabilities living in poverty in Canada. The government's plan would only help 1.7% of these people, and by the government's own admission would not be helped until four years from now (2028).

This is a broken commitment and is not in line with the legislation or the spirit of the government's promise.

This must change. You can help.

✍️ Tell your MP, and sign this petition: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4993

See the government's full written response to Members of Parliament issued earlier this week: 👇

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24737946-ministerkhera-e?responsive=1&title=1

📺🖥️For more on this story, please see June 13 "Canada Disability Benefit won't lift 'hundreds of thousands' out of poverty, new numbers confirm" on our website: click here 👇 https://inclusioncanada.ca/curated-news-content/

Petition e-4993 - Petitions There is no obligation on the part of the House of Commons or any Member of Parliament to authorize the publication of an e-petition or to present an e-petition or a paper petition to the House of Commons. Neither the House of Commons nor any Member of Parliament authorizing the publication of an e-...

“We want Canada to be a place where people with disabilities can afford a good life, not a state funded death.”

Watch past President, Robin Acton, address the UN General Assembly at . Robin highlights critical issues facing people with disabilities in Canada.

Join us in advocating for a more inclusive Canada.

Past-President Robin Acton speaks at the United Nations (COSP17)

This morning from the 🇺🇳: We’re hosting a virtual side event on legal capacity & supports for decision making at 10am ET. There's still time to register & join us!

👉http://bit.ly/3V7YUDW

Read our client op-ed in today's Policy Options -- from Jill Teeple, Vice President of Inclusion Canada:

The disability tax credit needs immediate reform
It’s a complicated benefit with low uptake, and now it’s the proposed gateway for the Canada disability benefit.

Its shortcomings must be fixed.

Read via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:share:7203488125065543680/