Ford, Ontario PCs needs to do more for those with disabilities: advocate

With the provincial election less than a month away, a disabilities advocate tells CityNews every Ontario political leader, except for Doug Ford, has made major election pledges to get rid of the accessibility barriers faced by more than 2.6 million Ontarians.

David Lepofsky, a lawyer and chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, is calling on the premier to step up and acknowledge this vulnerable population.

“Every voter either now has a disability or someone you love has a disability or people get one as they get older. Disability is a critical issue in this election,” he says.

The Disabilities Act Alliance is a major grassroots and non-partisan disabilities coalition. Lepofsky says every election they reach out to each party to see what kind of pledges they plan to make for those with disabilities.

He said this year, for the first time in two decades, the Progressive Conservatives did not respond to their request.

“Under Ontario law, the provincial government is required to lead Ontario to become accessible to people with disabilities by 2025. We are not going to make that deadline because of failures of previous government,” says Lepofsky.

He added every other party has presented detailed pledges to make Ontario accessible for people with disabilities.

“Our goal in the next month leading up to the election is to get Doug Ford to actually come forward and do what his party has done in every election in the past two decades, to do what the other parties have all done in this election, which is to come forward and make detailed pledges,” explains Lepofsky.

Lepofsky reiterates they do not support any party during the election, but make public what they have promised to those with disabilities.

“We want voters to look at them and consider them, but in varying ways, the Greens the NDP, and the Liberals have each made, not all, but a number of the commitments we’ve wanted.”

Some of their main changes they would like to see from the next party that forms government are  detailed by Lepofsky.

“We want schools, colleges and universities to become accessible places for students with disabilities. We want an effective employment accessibility standard to enable people with disabilities to get competitive employment and we would like to see an assurance that government money will never be used again, as it has been in the past, to create new barriers that impede people with disabilities.”

NDP MPP Joel Harden, the party’s critic for Accessibility and Persons with Disabilities, says if his party is elected, their government would raise Ontario Disability Support Payments, which haven’t been adjusted for the rising cost of living in years.

“The maximum benefit one can have on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), that’s over 500,000 people in our province, is $1,129 per month with a $475 housing allowance. There is nowhere in the city here in Ottawa or in the City of Toronto where you can live with dignity on that.”

The NDP part has pledged to immediately increase ODSP payments by 20 per cent and have them indexed to inflation.

In a statement, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca tells CityNews that if elected, the government would hire 5,000 more special education workers and reduce wait times for school services for students with autism.

The Liberals say they would also build at least 2,500 more supportive homes and increase funding support for them. They would also create new accessibility standards for education and health care, and address accessibility barriers in the way we construct homes and buildings.

CityNews reached out to the PC government, and a spokesperson for the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility wrote, “The government continues to make the province more accessible and inclusive through its investments and supports.”

“Programs like the Rick Hansen Accessibility Certification for public buildings, Inclusive Community Grants, Main Street Revitalization, Enabling Change Grants and numerous Employment and Skills Training Supports demonstrate the unwavering commitment towards this goal.”

Lepofsky and the Disabilities Act Alliance say come the June election, it’s important for people living with disabilities, and their allies, to vote for candidates promising to support their needs.

“Disability is a critical issue in this election. And it’s it’s really important that all the parties make commitments.”

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With files from Meredith Bond