Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, honourable members. My name is Ken Kramer and I am the chair of the national board of directors of Muscular Dystrophy Canada, and a lawyer and president of KMK Law Corporation, a law firm located in downtown Vancouver.
Since 1954, Muscular Dystrophy Canada has been committed to improving the quality of life for the tens of thousands of Canadians living with neuromuscular disorders. Our organization provides funding for leading research for the discovery of therapies and cures for neuromuscular disorders. We also provide various services to Canadians with neuromuscular disorders, including assistance in the purchase of wheelchairs. I'm here to make you aware of a lamentable situation with regard to the funding available for persons with disabilities and to offer solutions that I hope you will strongly consider.
There are currently major inconsistencies in the levels of service, funding, and accessibility offered between provinces when it comes to wheelchairs. The result of this lack of funding is that non-profit organizations such as MDC are obligated to use a significant portion of their limited funds to pay for people's wheelchairs, instead of allocating it towards the research that will find a cure for degenerative disorders.
While some provincial programs will cover the entire costs associated with purchasing a wheelchair, others will only provide funding for children or for those who are on social assistance. While some provincial programs boast wait times of six to eight weeks to obtain a wheelchair, others take over six to eight months to provide medically necessary equipment. Some provincial programs offer readily accessible information about their program requirements and processes. Others, however, don't even have an official wheelchair program in place, making the necessary information very difficult to find.
Wheelchairs are a fundamental need for those who require them. Those in need should not have to deplete their savings before receiving funding from the government. If the government state is willing to pay for someone to obtain a hip replacement so that they are able to walk, then it should also pay a person's wheelchair if that is what he or she needs to get around.
To that end, MDC, along with five other like-minded organizations, has recently launched a national wheelchair strategy in which we ask the government to implement the following three important pillars: one, national standards to ensure that the levels of service and funding provided to those in need of a wheelchair are consistent across provinces; two, federal transfer payments to enable all provinces to provide full funding for the residents' wheelchair needs; and three, the creation of a one-stop-shop information venue whereby information about the various provincial programs, requirements, processes, and contacts would be available through a national phone service and website.
MDC believes that these measures are directly linked to helping Canada secure a prominent place in this emerging global economy. By implementing the above-mentioned ideas, Canadians with disabilities will have an increased chance of obtaining the necessary skills to contribute meaningfully to society. Without a national wheelchair program, as is the case now, some Canadians with disabilities will find it more affordable to rely on social assistance rather than working, since being employed would mean that they would have to deplete their entire savings to obtain a wheelchair, a purchase that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
For example, the chair that you see me now in cost approximately $25,000. Because I can be independent through the use of this highly sophisticated electric wheelchair, I am able to run a successful law firm in downtown Vancouver where I employ three other people. Without this chair, I could not contribute to Canada's economy nearly as much as I do now. The notion that a person with a disability cannot afford to work because of what he or she will have to pay for a chair is wrong and certainly does not further Canada's economic situation. The time has come for wheelchairs to be a core part of our national health care strategy.
We call on you esteemed members of the finance committee to help make the national wheelchair strategy a reality. Every Canadian deserves to live with dignity, independence, and the opportunity to contribute to his or her community. Without a prescribed mobility device, however, many Canadians cannot participate in making Canada stronger and more productive.
Thank you.