Each of you almost surely has been touched by an episodic disability. An episodic disabling condition or disease is lifelong, but it differs from persistent or progressive disabling conditions. The period of disability in an episodic condition can vary in severity and duration. There may be advance notice of an episode, or it may come on quite unexpectedly.
Examples of conditions that can be episodically disabling include mental health disease, arthritis, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease and colitis, and asthma. I could list more. All too often these conditions have a negative impact on workforce participation and income security.
An increasing number of Canadians have an episodic disability. In part, this is probably because we're better at diagnosing and managing these chronic conditions. It is estimated today that over four million Canadians live with arthritis; about 20% of Canadians will have a mental health disease episode during their lifetime; between 55,000 and 75,000 Canadians have MS; and about 63,000 Canadians live with HIV/AIDS. The combined impact is staggering, and the current income support policies are inadequate.
More flexibility in disability income support programs would facilitate increased labour force participation for Canadians. Creative solutions are required.
I want to give you an example of an episodic disability. I want to tell you about “Jill”. Jill isn't a real women, but her story is built from the realities of thousands of Canadians whom the Arthritis Society talks to every day.
Jill is a 50-year-old woman. She has worked for over 25 years. Seven years ago she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. As a result of prompt diagnosis and good management, Jill lived a very full and complete life until last year.
Last year she started to exhibit flares in her arthritis. Sometimes she'd have to be off work for a day, sometime for a week, and more recently a month. Unfortunately, Jill only gets 10 sick days a year, so she's struggling. Her doctor is telling her that he cannot guarantee that her disease will be better managed.
Last month Jill faced the choice that she had to quit her job. However, if Jill had been able to use the employment insurance sickness benefit in a more flexible way over a longer period of time, she would have been able to stay engaged in the workforce.
It's not about more; it's about different.
We have three recommendations for you today. Our first recommendation is to make the employment insurance sickness benefit more flexible, making it easier for people with episodic disabilities to stay in the workplace by allowing people to work part time and receive partial sickness benefits for 75 full or 150 half days, instead of the current 15 weeks.