There are many areas where change is needed, as your responses show
BC Disability
January 17th, 2022
If the government had to do what you ordered them to do, what would you tell them?
We asked you this question, and you came up with great responses, from dental and mental health support, to PWD increases, home care improvements, and a lot more!
"I would order absolutely NO homeless humans on the streets of Canada"
"I would tell the government to make sure accessible AND affordable housing is available. Not market rate which is affordable for no one, but truly affordable."
"Make medications free or otherwise affordable. We dearly need universal pharmacare as being off of work already makes day to day costs difficult for us, but then spending what little money we have on expensive yet necessary life-saving medications taps us out."
"My order would be for the federal government to bring forward the Canada Disability Benefit immediately"
"I'd order free access to quality psychologists. Disability & mental health need funding badly."
I'd order free access to quality psychologists
"Make sure disability payments are at bare minimum what a person working minimum wage would earn, with no claw-back"
"Provide an info hub where people can sign up online and be matched to the services they need. The resources are here but there is a disconnect that makes it incredibly difficult to find proper information."
"Make all handicapped parking free. A lot of spots are not near parking meters and even if they are, they are not easily accessed by someone in a chair."
Make all handicapped parking free
"Re-evaluate home and community care. If the care plan was expanded from just personal care, or even returned to what it used to be, to include some meal preparation, light housekeeping and shopping it would certainly be appreciated and cost less too."
"Immediately increase the Persons with Disabilities rate to $2000 so people like me can afford food and not have to spend all most of my money on rent and bills"
Immediately increase the Persons with Disabilities rate to $2000
"Give disabled people autonomy over their finances! My husband would have to make less than $9000 a year for me to receive provincial disability benefits. That is absolutely sickening. I have no health insurance, so I haven't been to the dentist in over 4 years. My husband can't afford it while paying my way."
"Inclusiveness and kindness should be mandated. No more separation."
"An increase anywhere. Pensions, PWD, anywhere. I just received my letter for a rent increase in March. I know this will continue every year and soon I will need to go somewhere. Our pensions annually increase one dollar. What does that do?"
"I would ask for affordable dental. I really need to see a dentist as I have constant unbearable tooth pain with a few of my teeth cracking."
I would ask for affordable dental....I have constant unbearable tooth pain
"Keep the existing Autism Funding Unit model, but modify it to be income-based so those who have the means to easily afford services do, and update it as $6000 does not go very far for services with a complex child."
"Create more services that allow young people with disabilities to stay in our homes. Things like someone to go grocery shopping for us, preparing meals, driving us to appointments, cleaning and doing laundry, etc."
"More support for single moms after and during the experience of domestic and child abuse. So hard to find the supports you need while you also are a person with disabilities and trying to keep your physical strength."
Spencer van Vloten is the editor of BC Disability. To get in touch, send an email to spencer@bcdisability.com!
