Disabled Canadians ask who will fight for them

Disabled Canadians ask who will fight for them

Edmonton Journal

Wed Apr 20 2011

Page: A5

Section: News

Byline: Greg Markey

As the federal parties get close to the home stretch of the election campaign, party leaders are courting several different markets for votes: families, seniors, small business owners. Although usually under the jurisdiction of the provinces, some disabled voters are worried their concerns are not being addressed by the federal leaders, said one person who contacted Postmedia News via openfile.ca to ask where the parties stand.

"Another election, another disappointment . The party platforms have no mention or promises about assistance or funding for people with disabilities who rely on education, or medical professionals . What are the federal parties offering to citizens with disabilities?" wrote Dan Pagan from Calgary.

Conservatives
As part of the Conservative's economic action plan, some projects have been undertaken to assist the physically disabled. Stimulus funds allowed for 300 projects that made government buildings more accessible to those with disabilities. The Conservatives also introduced a Registered Disabilities Savings Plan in 2008.

It also increased the Child Disability Benefit, and increased the amount of medical expenses that can be refunded. Existing tax credits were made available to those already eligible for the Disability Tax Credit.

Liberals
The Liberal party has pledged to work with the disabled, the organizations they work with, as well as the provinces, to examine ways to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (CRPD).

The Liberals also want to protect disability benefits from being lost to bankruptcy of the companies that manage these pension funds. A Liberal government would provide $700 million more annually, for Guaranteed Income Supplements for seniors, and would benefit those seniors with disabilities. The Affordable Housing Framework would provide $550 million to build more affordable housing for vulnerable groups, one being the disabled.

NDP
The NDP proposes increasing the Canada Student Grants program by $200 million a year, to give disabled students more access to a post-secondary education.

Other aspects of the NDP plan mirror the policies of the Liberals.