Human Resources Committee on Oct. 1st, 2024

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Yes. I know that we brought forward many amendments for that bill. This whole side of the table voted for a lot of those amendments to make sure that there was accountability and enforcement. Why would we go through all of this work and not have any enforcement or accountability? It just doesn't seem like a good use of resources.

You've mentioned a few times this one-stop shop, basically, this agency where you suggest that everything would be. Would you say that if something like that were implemented, everything else would kind of fit together? Would that be the most important recommendation? What would you recommend?

[David Lepofsky]

There are two things, really, at the top of the list. One is the one-stop shop. The other is that accessibility standards regulations have to be enforced.

Let me make this clear. If you want people to remove barriers, yes, we could bring human rights complaints and then die of old age waiting to get them heard. Yes, we could bring CTA or CRTC complaints about the same thing, but instead, the whole purpose for this act—which the minister at the time, Carla Qualtrough, got absolutely right—is that we shouldn't have to fight barriers one at a time. Let's pass accessibility standards regulations that identify the barriers to be removed, and the timelines. Without that, nothing else does much. They haven't passed any of those in five years.

Accessibility Standards Canada has come up with volunteer guidelines, but that's all they could do. Commend them for their efforts and commend them for doing what they could do, but as I said before, it's thin gruel. Nobody would obey the speed limit if it were voluntary.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Hewitt, I'd like to turn to you, if possible.

You've mentioned a couple of examples of barriers. I think a lot of times people think of a barrier as something that's only physical, but there absolutely are invisible barriers that we don't necessarily see. I would chalk this up to too much bureaucracy or red tape, which makes it difficult for people to be able to access the supports they need.

I know that you mentioned a couple of examples previously, just with the CRA. Are there any other invisible barriers in place, knowingly or unknowingly from the federal government, that if removed would make it easier? I can think of plain language, for example, as being something so simple. We can just change the language to make it easily read and understood.

Is there anything that you would suggest the federal government could change?

[Michelle Hewitt]

Certainly Ms. Gray knows that I have MS. MS Canada has long fought for people with invisible disabilities and how that happens in our society.

I gave the example of my friend Glenda, who, as I say, is non-verbal. The attitudes that people who have communication disabilities face.... Often, first of all, people start to shout at them, because they decide that they're deaf, or they treat them as if they had intellectual disabilities, but, really, she can't speak.

It's very simple that our system has so many things built into it, as I say. The CRA says they can only deal with.... I have this issue myself. They could only deal with a phone call, and the wait time was so long, and I have severe fatigue. Then it went into the time in the day when I go to sleep.

I think, with the DTC and this example, that it sounds like the CRA is in my headlights, which they certainly are, but these attitudes are fundamental to how we approach all barrier removal. I think that the invisible barriers in our society are the most insidious, because people say that they—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Hewitt.

[Michelle Hewitt]

—don't believe you because there isn't a test.

I'm also diabetic, and for a long time I said that my MS.... There's no test that can prove my invisible disabilities, which I believe are—I'm struggling for words now, which is one of my disabilities—worse than my mobility disabilities. I am also diabetic, and I can take a blood test every day and tell you exactly how my diabetes is.

I think that what we have is an attitudinal problem. That also comes with that lack of belief and also that sense that, like that quote from 58 years ago from Paul Hunt, disabled people are thought of in isolation, and we're not thought of as part of society.

A blind friend said to me that our streets are full of these accessible devices for everybody, such as street lights, and she doesn't need them. If we flip it the other way around—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Ms. Hewitt, I do have to move on.

[Michelle Hewitt]

I'm sorry. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Falk.

To conclude this round, Mr. Long, you have five minutes.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon to my colleagues.

Thank you to our witnesses. Again, it was very compelling testimony.

Mr. Lepofsky, my name is Wayne Long. I'm a Liberal member of Parliament, the member for Saint John—Rothesay. I have a blue blazer, a popping pink shirt and messy brown and grey hair today.

Mr. Lepofsky, you have my respect. With MP Falk and MP Chabot, I was a part of this committee in 2019 when it passed the accessibility act. We're very proud of that.

One thing I'll say about you, Mr. Lepofsky, is that you always told it like it was, the good and the bad, so you have my respect.

Ms. Hewitt, I do think that the Leafs will win the Stanley Cup this year.

Also, Mr. Mills, you came through New Brunswick. You were north of Saint John, I believe, and I don't believe I've met you, but you have my respect for what you did.

I hearken back to 10 or 11 years ago and one of our good friends. His name is Andy Bell, and this is a side note. His father's name was Tom Bell, and Tom Bell was a Conservative member of Parliament in Saint John—Rothesay for almost 25 years. Andy is disabled; he's in a wheelchair. Again, this was 10 or 11 years ago.

I remember a group of us saying, “Listen, Abber,” as we called him, “let's go out for dinner.” We decided that we were going to go out and we picked him up, but it became very apparent how few restaurants we could get into. You know, again, we never really thought about it, but I would say that out of the 10 we had selected, there were only two of those restaurants that we could get a wheelchair into.

I also think back to my time. I've been a member of Parliament since 2015, but I think back to how many events I've attended in my riding that really weren't accessible to people with disabilities.

I have a question for you, Ms. Hewitt and Mr. Mills. We have moved forward, and people do mean well, as you said, but that doesn't get us to where we need to get.

We'll start with you, Ms. Hewitt. What specific recommendations would you suggest to the committee that we include in the report to ensure meaningful progress towards a barrier-free Canada? What more would you recommend that we put in this report?

[Michelle Hewitt]

First of all, you have to make the strongest statement possible that this situation is not acceptable. Sixteen more years is not acceptable. We would like to hear that echoed by all party leaders. David speaks long and hard about all the pieces of legislation and all the teeth, or the lack of teeth; at some point, somebody has to say, “Enough.”

I will pass my time on to somebody else, but I strongly believe that as disabled people, we need allies. Our voices alone are not enough, even though we are 27% of the population. We need your voices to say, “Enough. No more. No more messing around with this.” As David says, “Not another dollar spent.”

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Mills.

[Kevin Mills]

I'm speaking specifically about the bike route and about disabled travel in general.

When I talk about a bike route, I'm thinking about something that, when it's made, considers a wheelchair, meaning things like width, being signed, and being easy to follow. The surface has to be paved; it can't be gravel.

We were cycling by a trail that goes across Canada, and honestly, it looked beautiful, but it was more for ATVs. It's not something I could access. It has to be a specific marked route.

Along the way, we should be able to find hotels, or campsites that are truly accessible and meet that standard for a shower, so that it's not just grab bars in a bath tub. It's a specific standard for travel.

Finally, flying home was so difficult. That was probably one of the hardest parts of the trip. There has to be legislation to allow someone to sit in a wheelchair on a flight. That would have made the flight home much easier for me.

I think a trail across Canada would be pretty amazing.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Mr. Lepofsky, I'll ask you for a short closing comment.

[David Lepofsky]

Everything you need is in the nine-page brief we've submitted. It's been emailed to every one of your offices. The government will post it on your website. It's at aodaalliance.org/Canada, probably at the second link. We suggest the findings you should make and the recommendations you should make.

Ask those questions. Are we 25% of the way? No. Have we removed a significant number of barriers due to this act in five years? No. Therefore, the law needs to be strengthened, and we've given you 10 ways to do it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Long.

Mr. Lepofsky, thank you for appearing again. Mr. Mills, Monsieur Lupien, Ms. Hewitt, and Mr. Salgado, thank you, as well.

This concludes the first hour. We'll suspend for a few minutes while we transition to the second panel.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Committee members, welcome back to the second and final panel for today.

Again, I would remind all the witnesses to speak slowly for the benefit of the interpreters.

We have, appearing in the room, from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, James Janeiro, policy and government relations, and Christina Bisanz, chief executive officer, Community and Home Assistance to Seniors.

We had scheduled Mr. Bill Adair, but he is not reachable at the moment.

We will begin with Mr. Janeiro for five minutes.

Mr. Janeiro, you have the floor.

[James Janeiro, Director, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you again today. A special thanks go to MP Tracy Gray for helping make it possible to come back and speak to you.

My names is James Janeiro, and I'm with the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence.

Our mandate includes caregivers, care providers and care recipients of all sorts. As such, disability is central to our mission and informs all of our funding priorities and convening opportunities, as well as our policy and advocacy work.

One in four Canadians is a caregiver today, and half of all Canadians will be a caregiver at some point in their lives. Half of all Canadian women already today are caregivers in 2024. Our recent survey report, called “Caring in Canada”, from May of this year, showed that about one-fifth of all caregivers support someone with a physical or intellectual disability, including parents and loved ones supporting children and adults with lifelong disabilities.

The passage of the Accessible Canada Act was a watershed moment for disability inclusion in Canada. In the months since, Canadians with disabilities have seen movement on implementation and standards development. Some excellent progress has been made. We now have a chief accessibility officer and an accessibility commissioner, millions of dollars have been allocated towards coverage of medical costs for the disability tax credit, and the employment strategy is well under way.

Perhaps most importantly, the federal government has allocated millions of dollars to the Canada disability benefit, with the promise of more to come. This is farther than we were, but not as far as we could or should be.

Millions of people with disabilities and the caregivers involved in their lives are crying out for help paying the bills—plain and simple. In 2021, Disability Without Poverty published a report card showing that 16.5% of people with disabilities live in poverty—more than 1.5 million people. In contrast, 8.5% of people without disabilities across the country live in poverty. Inclusion Canada reports that the problem is particularly acute for people with intellectual disabilities, who face a poverty rate of some 75%.

What does this have to do with caregivers? One-fifth of the caregivers in our survey reported supporting someone financially. Much of this can be traced to caregivers providing financial support to their loved ones with disabilities due to pervasive and deep poverty rates. Every dollar spent supporting someone they love means fewer dollars to pay the rent or purchase groceries for their families. One in five caregivers earns less than $20,000 a year. For caregivers who earn around or less than the median household income of $68,000 a year, nearly half report experiencing financial distress as a result of their care responsibilities.

Much needs to be done to get more financial supports into the pockets of people with disabilities and their caregivers. A Canada disability benefit is the future, and one that I hope will become a reality very soon.

In the meantime, the immediate next logical step within the context of this report is to focus on making existing programs and services properly accessible. Too many people with disabilities and too many caregivers are still unaware of the benefits to which they may be entitled and how to apply for them. Only 12% of caregivers said the person they support receives financial supports, and a mere 8% of caregivers receive the Canada caregiver credit. Those who have tried almost universally report finding the process arbitrary, opaque and even Kafkaesque.

I hope that the Accessibility Standards Canada technical committee that is developing standards in this regard will consider the views of people with disabilities and their caregivers and strive very hard to make the Canada disability benefit, Canada caregiver credit and of course the Canada disability benefit as accessible as possible. In the meantime, let's take a massive hammer to the disability tax credit and make it as simple as possible to access for everyone.

People with disabilities and caregivers need help today. The framework and early steps under the Accessible Canada Act set the stage for making present and future support more accessible for all Canadians.

Thank you for the opportunity, and I look forward to your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Janeiro.

Committee members, I have to suspend for a couple of moments. We are having technical issues connecting with the people appearing virtually.

I will suspend for two moments.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

The committee will resume. The technical issues have been resolved.

We will now turn to Ms. Bisanz. Ms. Bisanz, you have five minutes, please.

[Christina Bisanz, Chief Executive Officer, Community and Home Assistance to Seniors]

Thank you so much for this opportunity to be here to address all of you.

My name is Christina Bisanz. I'm the CEO of CHATS, Community and Home Assistance to Seniors.

We're one of the largest multicultural, non-profit seniors organizations in Ontario, serving some 8,000 older adults and their caregivers in York Region and south Simcoe. Our mandate is to advocate and deliver high-quality, person-centred home and community services to older adults and their family caregivers, providing dignity and choice for aging at home.

I'd like to thank MP Tony Van Bynen for inviting us to present to you today.

CHATS is pleased that this committee is undertaking this study to consider progress towards the goal of building a barrier-free Canada by 2040. All around us, we do see evidence that many municipalities, communities and organizations are addressing elements of this goal.

As of the latest data, over 560 communities in Canada have committed to becoming age-friendly by making changes to policies, services and structures to better support and enable older adults to age actively.

Senior-friendly standards offer numerous benefits to older adults, enhancing their quality of life in several key ways: meeting basic needs, promoting mobility, encouraging social connections and enhancing safety through design elements like non-slip flooring and better lighting to reduce the risk of falls and injuries.

While it's important that communities are looking to implement age-friendly standards, I'd also like to emphasize that this committee consider the importance of universal design standards to support older adults to live independently and safely in their own homes.

The aim of universal design standards for housing is to create living spaces that are accessible and usable by everyone, regardless of age, disability or other factors. Consider that by 2050, 10 years after the time frame of this study, the number of seniors over 65 will be double what it is today. As our population ages, it becomes increasingly crucial to adopt universal design principles that cater to their diverse needs in the near term.

Currently, Canada faces a significant shortage of housing, especially housing that is more affordable. This is compounded by the reality that builders are not constructing enough accessible housing.

We understand that several factors have impeded the housing industry's progress towards adopting universal design standards. They include higher costs and a lack of incentive. Changing building codes and regulations can be slow, thereby impacting accessibility requirements to new developments.

Some builders may also underestimate the demand for accessible housing by assuming it's just a niche market, but at CHATS, we see a growing need for accessible homes, especially when family members are looking to support their older loved ones by living together.

Unfortunately, modifying existing homes, despite various tax credits that have been made available, is often more expensive and complicated than building accessible homes from the start.

With over 93% of older adults preferring to age in the right place for them, it's clear there's a strong desire for homes that can adapt to changing needs. Universal design principles can help create homes that are safe and comfortable for aging in place.

These principles are not just about making spaces accessible but also about creating environments that are usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

The fact that 38% of adults aged 65 and older have a disability underscores the necessity of homes that accommodate various physical needs. As well, the high percentage of older adult renters, at 32.8%, indicates a significant demand for accessible rental housing.

Norway is often considered a leader in universal design, particularly in the context of housing and public infrastructure. They've integrated universal design into national policies and legislation. Accessibility is a legal requirement.

This approach is also supported by comprehensive planning: Municipalities are required to consider universal design in all planning and building activities, essentially making accessibility a fundamental aspect of urban development.

To be successful, integrating housing with essential services is a key aspect of creating supportive environments for older adults. This includes proximity to health care, transportation and community services. These social connections, which are crucial for healthy aging and reducing the negative impact of loneliness and isolation on mental health and well-being, add considerable costs to our health and social care system.

Investing in universal design is not just a matter of convenience; it's a matter of necessity. As we look to the future, we must recognize that the demand for accessible housing and communities will only grow.

At CHATS, we're committed to advocating these changes.

We work tirelessly to support older adults through our programs and services, but we cannot do it alone. We need the support of policy-makers, developers, architects and the community at large. Together, we can create environments where older adults can thrive, live independently and enjoy the quality of life they deserve.

In closing, I urge all of you to consider the options to promote and expand the importance of universal design in our communities. Let's build a future by 2040 in which all citizens, regardless of their ability, can live with dignity, safety and independence.

Thank you for your attention and commitment to this vital cause.

I look forward to your questions and comments.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madam Bisanz.

We're going to go to Mr. Adair, who I understand is now in the virtual room.

We're going to begin with you, Mr. Adair. The translators will tell me if the sound is okay.

You can begin when you're ready, Mr. Adair.

[Bill Adair, Executive Director, Spinal Cord Injury Canada]

Thank you.

I am Bill Adair, executive director of Spinal Cord Injury Canada, a board member of Accessibility Standards Canada, a member of Minister Khera's disability advisory group and a Canadian citizen who has a disability. Spinal Cord Injury Canada is also a member of the Canadian Transportation Agency's accessibility advisory committee.

Believe me when I say that I have been paying close attention to the progress of the Accessible Canada Act. In October 2018, I presented to this committee as part of the Federal Accessibility Legislation Alliance. At that time, we made 12 recommendations. I have included these in my written report, but I will comment on some of them now.

The very first recommendation was to create a culture of inclusion and equity. We recommended that all people employed by the federal public sector engage in an intensive awareness and education program about disability, access and inclusion. Legislation alone is not enough to develop inclusive attitudes and equitable practices.

This recommendation was not included in the act. In the last five years, we have witnessed how Canadian culture and our federal government have not shifted to be inclusive of people with disabilities in Canada. For example, low COVID payments, the introduction of MAID for people with disabilities during COVID and a lacklustre Canada disability benefit all demonstrate this fact. Oh, ableism is strong and present.

Another recommendation back in 2018 was to ensure that people with disabilities are compensated for their expertise. We said that funding will make or break this legislation, so make it available to people with disabilities and organizations. Time after time, federally regulated entities approached people with disabilities and organizations, asking for advice on their accessibility plans or progress reports but offering no compensation. They can tick the box for reaching out to us, but entities that must comply with the act should have a yearly budget line to do the expected work.

On another point, we recommended expanding compliance. We felt that entities that receive funding from the Government of Canada should also comply with the act. New standards and regulations could clarify expectations. However, this point is moot as, sadly, only one standard from Accessibility Standards Canada has been released in five years. There has been no follow-up with a regulation. There is so much work to do.

Ironically, another one of our recommendations was not to delay and that all standards and regulations be implemented within five years.

We also recommended that people with disabilities be included in the fabric of the act. Inclusion honours the principle of “nothing about us without us” and provides employment opportunities. Generally, I think Accessibility Standards Canada has incorporated this principle. However, I am concerned that we not lose momentum with the turnover of the CEO, the chair of the board and several board directors all at the same time. These changes could reduce the board's effectiveness in providing governance and oversight. The board needs to be supported to fulfill this role, while the staff focuses on operations. Otherwise, a large part of the disability leadership of the act is lost.

Speaking of disability leadership, it is also fair to say that progress stalled because of the delay in hiring the accessibility commissioner and the chief accessibility officer. The government did not appoint them until the spring of 2022.

With regard to employment opportunities, the federal public service was to hire 5,000 people with disabilities. I don't know how close we are to this number. I do know that some people have been hired on contract, which is great. However, I know of several who do not have access to a pension because they are not full-time employees.

Currently, the public service is on track with its accessibility plans and progress reports, but large private sector organizations are only at 52%. Small entities are only at 12%. The disability community fought hard to ensure that the act had a mechanism to enforce compliance through fines of up to $250,000 per day. Why haven't the fines been used? What are we waiting for?

Ultimately, a significant barrier to our progress is the lack of coordination and collaboration among the act's primary roles. The Government of Canada should identify one role responsible for coordination, collaboration and communication among the major players responsible for implementing different areas of the act.

The person in this role should be ready to take charge. They should keep track of progress and report on it. They should ensure that when we reach 2040, we can look back and be proud of our success and our barrier-free Canada. If we keep going the way we have for the last five years, we will all look back with disappointment.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Adair.

I want to advise the committee that we'll have one six-minute round and then we'll suspend to conclude with committee business.

Ms. Gray, you have six minutes.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all the witnesses for being here today.

My first questions are for Mr. Janeiro.

Many caregivers are family members, are they not?