Ontario must do better

A recent article in the Windsor Star - "Disabled seek voice in vote"- highlights many of the issue facing adults with disabilities in this province. For many, elections are a time to remind those begging for votes that strong and progressive social policies do in fact matter. Indeed, it is time for real and progressive action in this province around disability issues.

For many persons with disabilities, moving into the adult world of disability supports means losing access to a significant number of supports and services (although services for school aged children have certainly not been immune to cuts). As this article illustrates, for many young adults with disabilities this means long waiting lists to access even the most basic supports, isolation and exclusion, and inadequate support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

Yet despite these troubling realities, persons with disabilities in Ontario continue to face cuts to necessary services and supports. Recent reports around the impact of cuts to Ontario's special diet program illustrate this. Little, outside community demands, is being said about the sate of disability supports and services during this election campaign. Simply put, persons with disabilities in Ontario deserve better.