Evidence of meeting #126 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was accessibility.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
They are indeed.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Do you believe Canadians living with disabilities are in a cost of living crisis? Have families who are caring for family members living with disabilities been disproportionately affected by a cost-of-living crisis, in your perspective?
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
The simple answer is yes. The slightly more complicated answer is yes, definitely.
About one in five caregivers in Canada is out of pocket to the tune of about $1,000 a month, just based on their care responsibilities alone.
About the same number—one in five Canadian caregivers—earn less than $20,000 a year, so trying to find $1,000 a month for extra costs when you're already living on a fairly limited income is a pretty tough job to do. When costs keep going up at the grocery store, on the hydro bill and at the pump, you feel that pinch more and more every day.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you.
What are some examples of some of the ongoing hidden costs you hear about, whether it's home renovations, medical supplies, medical equipment or others?
Have those items gone up proportionately higher than the inflation rate?
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
That's a very good question.
The problem is not so much that they're hidden. They're in plain sight. You know you're going to need to do a home modification. You know you're going to need to purchase a certain number of packages of a dietary supplement—Ensure, for example, or incontinence aids and stuff like that. They're not hidden costs because you know they're coming, but the part that's hidden is how high those prices will go every time you go to the grocery store.
We have seen less of it, but we're now seeing across Canada shortages of Ensure, this critical dietary supplement. In some places there were shortages and in other places the prices were skyrocketing pretty quickly, over and above the increases in the cost of living that we were living with, particularly in those periods of higher inflation.
We've started to see some of those prices stabilize and the supply chains have stabilized as well, but the base price for a lot of those aids that people with disabilities desperately need remains high.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Based on your experience, would caregivers often be the ones who take care of things like scheduling or managing appointments and health care needs, as well as helping fill out any government paperwork for benefits, as an example?
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
Absolutely, yes, and I can say that both professionally and personally, as a caregiver myself.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Have you heard if the Liberal government policies of the Canada disability benefit are fraught with redundant bureaucracy and red tape for persons with disabilities and those who support them?
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
I think there is a big opportunity for improvement here.
The suggestion is that the disability tax credit will be one of the ways through into the Canada disability benefit. Our position is that it is fine as one avenue into the disability benefit. We stand with our allies who say that the eligibility for provincial disability supports should also be considered automatic acceptance into the Canada disability benefit.
However, for the disability tax credit, this is why I threw in that line about taking a massive hammer to the disability tax credit. It is Kafkaesque, bureaucratic and very difficult to access. It can be good and it can make a difference in the lives of a lot of people, but if the barriers are sky-high to get in the door in the first place, it shouldn't really be considered as the open door to the next bit of support from the government.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
On a different topic, have you heard of specific barriers for persons with mobility assistance needs being created by different or conflicting rules from different levels of government, such as in building construction or road infrastructure or with various types of transportation?
October 1st, 2024 / 12:35 p.m.
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
Not specifically, but if you will indulge me with an example around the disability tax credit, I was born missing an arm. I have worn a prosthetic my whole life. I have claimed a disability tax credit myself and have for a long time. I know of people in a similar situation, missing another limb—a leg or another arm.
I have never had to reapply for the disability tax credit, but there are people I know with the same condition, from birth missing a limb, who every few years have to prove once again that they are still missing their limb. That, to me, is an example of an improvement that could be made probably tomorrow with some really good, dedicated work on the part of the Canada Revenue Agency to make all of this easier to access for people with disabilities.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
I'm sorry. Did you say that they have to keep proving—
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
Periodically, yes—
Conservative
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
It's not exclusive to missing a limb. It's true of mental health and other disabilities as well. I used that as an example because I know it a little better.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Wow. Thank you for that.
We heard comments from a previous witness, Paul Clark, who was here telling us about mobility devices. They can go further and faster, but accessible infrastructure is often designed for the mobility devices of 50 years ago.
Have you heard any comments from the caregivers you work with who may have challenges with infrastructure not keeping up with the technology of today?
Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
I certainly have, particularly in the context of power wheelchairs. You're right to say that many of the standards—both provincially and from the Canadian Standards Association—are based on the post-Vietnam War manually operated wheelchair that is ubiquitous all over the world.
However, more and more people are using power wheelchairs, which are life-saving and mobility-saving aids that make it possible, as you said, to go further and faster and to live your life in a more liberated, independent way. Things like doors and the like are not built wide enough for those.
Liberal
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My questions will be directed towards Christina Bisanz.
Christina, you covered a lot of ground in your comments, and I'd like to unpack a bit of that.
Based on your many years of experience supporting seniors through the CHATS organization across York Region and Simcoe County, as well as on your role as a municipal councillor, can you share some of the barriers the federal government can help better address?
Chief Executive Officer, Community and Home Assistance to Seniors
Thank you, MP Van Bynen, for that question. It's a great question.
I think this study has an opportunity to look into some of these issues. There are opportunities that may be available to individuals so they can better access services and so forth. If you don't have the basic ability to enter a house or home, wherever that may be, because of a wheelchair or what have you, it adds yet another layer of challenge and inaccessibility to those who could otherwise live quite independently in their own homes.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Would you suggest the federal government include some of those standards in the building code that applies nationally?
Chief Executive Officer, Community and Home Assistance to Seniors
I think we have the universal design standards available to us. Canada has actually been lauded for those universal design standards. The challenge is getting them implemented.
As I indicated, there are a number of reasons that developers and the building industry have not necessarily responded, and why building codes have taken a long time to make changes and recognize that those design standards should be part of those codes.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Given that federal, provincial and municipal governments have different jurisdictions and responsibilities, how would you envisage them working together for the benefit of persons with disabilities?
Chief Executive Officer, Community and Home Assistance to Seniors
Well, I think there is an opportunity, for example, to offer training programs to architects, builders and developers on universal design principles through partnerships with educational institutions and professional organizations at all levels. Also, perhaps look at ways to provide financial incentives, such as through tax credits or grants, to developers who incorporate those universal design principles in their projects.
Finally, engage with groups like CHATS, disability advocacy groups and other stakeholders to gather input in order to ensure standards meet the needs of all users. We've heard from other presenters today. I think we're all sharing common thoughts and recommendations on what needs to change and what can be changed to alleviate some of these barriers to and challenges for accessibility.
Liberal
Tony Van Bynen Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
We've had a lot discussion about the hard infrastructure that needs some attention. I'd like to spend a few minutes on social infrastructure.
I'm going to give you an opportunity to explain what NORCs are and how they may be a part of the solution toward providing service and accessibility for people with disabilities.
