Disabling Poverty, Enabling Citizenship

Michael J. PrincePresentation to the Manitoba Disabilities Issues OfficeCelebrating the UN International Day of Persons with DisabilitiesDecember 3, 2014, WinnipegCanadian Museum for Human Rights

OutlineBackground

Key Findings

Reform Principles

Policy Recommendations

Next Steps

BackgroundCommunity University Research Alliance

(CURA) funded by Social Science and Humanities Research Council, 2008-2014

Co-Principal Investigators: Yvonne Peters and Michael J. Prince

Community partners: CACL, People First of Canada, Canada Without Poverty, Caledon Institute on Social Policy

Academic partners: University of Manitoba, Québec a Montréal, Toronto, Ryerson, Victoria

Four Themes: Poverty and Exclusion; Income Security and Social Policy; Poverty, Disability and Equality; Policy Reform: Roles of State and Society

Key FindingsThrough working age years (15-64), people with

disabilities twice as likely to live in poverty Two-thirds of total income for low income

people with disabilities is government transfers, while for low income people without disabilities it is market income

Largest component of income for working-age disabled poor is social assistance

Advances in legal protections for people with disabilities on access, less so on poverty alleviation and in advancing economic and social rights

UN Convention has potential for positive change

Reform PrinciplesImproving living standards as a human

rightPromote savings and accumulation of

personal assetsFacilitate employability and work in

inclusive settingsAdvance reasonable accommodation

and equality rightsEnable opportunities for democratic co-

construction or engagement in policy development

Policy Recommendations to the Canadian GovernmentEstablish Refundable Disability Tax

CreditExtend EI Sickness BenefitExpand Working Income Tax Benefit

Disability SupplementImprove access to RDSPsEnhance Canada Disability Child BenefitIntroduce Accessibility LegislationReinstate Court Challenges ProgramDevelop action plan on UN Convention

Policy Recommendations to Provincial GovernmentsModernize income assistance

programs: asset limits, earnings exemptions, shelter, indexing benefits, supports for transition to employment

Child and Family Benefits/Tax Credits: add a disability supplement

Implement Trust Fund legislationAmend labour law to protect against

bankruptcy the income support for Long-Term Disabled (LTD) employees

Policy Recommendations to all Governments in CanadaDevelop a new statement on

inclusion, accessibility, disability and participation to guide policy development and program reviews and to share effective practices

Establish a permanent joint government-disability advisory group to ensure progress on objectives and activities

This group would produce an annual report to ministers and legislatures

Next StepsIntended audiences: (i) individuals,

families, advocates and groups in the disability community and related poverty community across the country; (ii) policy and decision makers in provincial/territorial and federal governments

Further discussion and definition of issues on poverty and disability

Working together, raising awareness, and developing solutions to enable citizenship

Thank you

Michael J. PrinceLansdowne Professor of Social Policy

For more details and background papers visit the website of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities www.ccdonline.ca