Resources for People Living with Disabilities
Over 20% of Canadians qualify as a person with a disability.
This may include you or someone you know. Your disability may be physical, intellectual, or emotional in nature, or present a combination of challenges. It may be easily observed or it might be invisible to other people.
Either way, there is no denying that the challenges of living through a pandemic with a disability are many and varied – including difficulties of access to medical services, community supports, educational supports, and navigating an increasingly uncertain economy.
Resources for People with Disabilities in Brantford
In Brantford, two good starting points for community support services are Ontario Works and Community Living. Both organizations are excellent sources for information, resources, and referrals to resources that may meet your specific needs more closely.
Everyone with internet access (or friends, family, or supports with access) are also encouraged to be proactive in seeking out everyday resources on useful topics.
For example:
Organizations like RickHansen.com offer recommendations for safe shopping guidelines, supporting children and youth, financial assistance, mental health resources, and lists such as How People Without Disabilities Can Help.
The Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) offers guidelines to the public on maintaining social distancing with service animals, as service animals are not typically trained for such practices and may not be prepared to navigate public spaces with distancing in mind.
The Active Living Alliance For Canadians with a Disability offers guidance on maintaining home work-out plans, overcoming emotional exhaustion, and understanding the importance of using respectful terms when speaking with or about people living with disabilities.
People First of Canada advocates for people with intellectual disabilities and promotes the use of plain language when it comes to communicating COVID-19 resources inclusively. While some examples are regionally specific, there are useful downloadable documents that explain PPE, the symptoms of COVID-19 and how to prevent infection, and things to do while staying at home.
At home or at work, this brief guide to computer hardware by the office for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) provides a useful starting point for anyone setting up a workspace. Where website design or customization is a factor, consult these Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Financial Realities and Advocacy
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, people with disabilities (or who have children or adult children with disabilities) were statistically more likely to be under-employed or living in poverty. Now, even though the costs of safe self-isolation and physical distancing tend to be higher for people with disabilities, qualifying for the CERB can complicate things financially for Ontarians with disabilities, up to and including tax complications, claw-backs, and dollar-for-dollar deductions from social assistance.
In a May 2020 survey of people who have disabilities, the vast majority of respondents expressed concerns about affording or obtaining groceries, protective equipment, prescriptions, medical treatment, and housing. Some specifically stated fears of social isolation and being denied care should Canada’s healthcare system become overburdened by COVID-19.
Everyone should consider supporting the initiatives that help make Canadian communities safer and more functional. Acknowledging and advocating for policies like these Recommendations to the Canadian Government From Disability Related Organizations in Canada can remind governments at any level that a significant number of people in any given community are likely to face challenges (and heightened risk) due to having one or more disabilities.
There are an incredible range of physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges that face Canadians right now, and it would be a mistake to assume that everyone has the same needs. The COVID-19 pandemic is a universally shared challenge, and it is important that as many people as possible remain informed about developments and have access to vital resources.