Opinion: | Calgary Herald

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The recent federal budget commitment to the Canada Disability Benefit has left me with mixed feelings.

On the one hand, I’m proud of what the disability community has accomplished in less than four years. Canada is now the only country in the world with a funded commitment to end disability poverty. On the other hand, the amount budgeted falls short of the federal government’s commitment to end poverty for 1.4 million Canadian adults with disabilities.

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It’s been nearly four years since the federal government promised a Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to lift Canadians with disabilities out of poverty.

Twenty-seven per cent of Canadians aged 15 and over have at least one disability, and working-age Canadians with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty compared with working-age people without disabilities.

In April, the federal government finally included the CDB in the budget. So it’s time to celebrate, right? Yes and no.

While the introduction of the CDB marks a significant milestone for the disability community, individuals and groups who advocated for this benefit point out that it falls short of expectations.

Why? Because the promise was to lift people with disabilities out of poverty, yet the budget announcement states that the benefit will provide a maximum of $200 per month (which works out to $6.66 per day). In Calgary, $200 a month covers an adult bus pass and one modest trip to the grocery store.

As a person with a disability  who lived off low-income support for more than a decade, I know that $200 a month isn’t enough to lift someone out of poverty. But it is a step in the right direction. A bus pass and a trip to the grocery store are important things.

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While the new CDB may not be everything we’d hoped for financially, its introduction is a significant cultural breakthrough for the disability community. When that community comes together, it is a sign that change is possible and that most Canadians support it.

We must not lose sight of what we’ve accomplished. The CDB is a milestone that should be celebrated.

We, the disability community, allies and advocates did it. We persevered through a long legislative and consultation process. And created something from nothing in less than four years.

Every party in the House of Commons supported the CDB Act. There was unanimous support from every member of the House of Commons and unqualified support from the Senate. This seldom happens, given the current polarization and strained federal-provincial relationships. These changes are a testament to the effect we can have when we unite for a common cause.

In opinion polls, 89 to 91 per cent of Canadians resoundingly supported a CDB that would bring Canadians with disabilities to the poverty level or higher.

Thank you to all the advocates who wrote letters, attended demonstrations, hosted discussions, sat in panels, attended events and lobbied for the CDB. Thank you to the citizens, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, funders, media, politicians, policymakers and researchers.

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Our work isn’t finished, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate this critical milestone. It’s a big move forward for people with disabilities that will pave the way for even more significant change.

Ultimate success is lifting people with disabilities out of poverty in Canada. Are we there yet? No. But let’s celebrate that we’ve achieved something meaningful together.

We have solidarity and momentum — perfect conditions to push for more.

Andrea van Vugt is a disability advocate from Calgary. She founded Disability Pride Alberta, worked as a leader in the Disability Without Poverty movement and is a strategy consultant. 

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