George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette

Economic hardship, anger and untenably long waitlists have taken root in Alberta because of UCP mismanagement of the disability file, an opposition critic charged recently.

Marie Renaud added that issues harming Albertans with disabilities extend beyond a lack of accessibility legislation. But the government needs to act on that too, she said.

“Our focus got larger (than accessibility legislation) because of the other disasters and fires that have been created in disability services,” said Renaud, the legislature member for St. Albert and the NDP’s community and social services critic.

People with disabilities appear to be “sort of a second thought” for the government, said Renaud. “I get the sense that this is a group that is not a priority for them. When things go well, maybe they’ll throw a few million somewhere. And when things get bad, they’ll do things like deindex or cut programming or hide information from people.”

Renaud said that “hundreds of thousands of Albertans and hundreds of thousands of family members are seeing firsthand the hurt and the harm that is being caused, and it’s not just a little bit, it’s a lot of harm.” 

The UCP maintains that the disability file does have its attention. “Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring Albertans with disabilities have the supports and resources they need,” said an emailed statement from Amber Edgerton, press secretary for the Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services.

“Alberta has the highest provincial disability benefit rates and most robust disability programs in Canada, and we continue to expand and improve these supports,” she said.

The NDP last month used one of the final days of the spring sitting to swamp the legislature with statements and questions about services to people with disabilities.

Advocates, allies and Albertans with disabilities rallied outside the legislature building the same day, calling for action on income support, accessibility legislation, waitlists and “meaningful consultation” with the community. Crowd size estimates ranged from dozens to hundreds of people.

“I don’t really think they (the UCP) understand the enormity of the pushback that’s coming. I think this is just getting going,” said Renaud.

A major issue is that Albertans receiving support under Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, or AISH, won’t get an extra payment worth up to $200 a month through a federal disability benefit that starts in July.

Alberta is not exempting the benefit from the AISH calculation, meaning those with disabilities will have to fill out the paperwork to get a benefit they qualify for — yet will see no actual increase in income.

“This government has decided that AISH is generous enough, so they’ll reduce it by the amount of the benefit,” Renaud said.

But Edgerton’s statement suggests that the NDP aren’t seeing the whole AISH picture.

Through AISH, Alberta has the country’s highest core disability benefit rate. AISH clients receive on average over $2,300 in tax-free benefits per month, made up of the core benefit of $1,901 plus personal and medical benefits worth an average $400, Edgerton’s statement said.

The ministry’s information places AISH at $533 higher than the Ontario equivalent, $544 higher than Manitoba, $515 higher than Saskatchewan and $417 higher than B.C. 

“Alberta significantly exceeds the federal benchmark of $1,814 per month and provides the highest level of support in Canada,” said the press secretary. “We invite all of our provincial counterparts to step up and match Alberta’s generous rates.”

Waitlists for uptake under two programs are causing lasting damage to Albertans, Renaud said. The programs are called Family Support for Children with Disabilities, or FSCD,  and Persons with Developmental Disabilities, or PDD.

“The last time we saw the lists was in 2021 and there were thousands of families on them,” said Renaud. “Now that’s got to be over 10,000 families waiting for services that are just collapsing, and the stories are so intense and horrible. I mean, they’re just awful.”

Edgerton said spending is up, pointing to a record $3.6 billion in the 2025 provincial budget to support Albertans with disabilities. The number represents a year-over-year increase of $150 million, she said, and it includes an $83-million increase to PDD and a $30-million increase to FSCD.

Said her statement: “Demand for disability programs remains high, and we’re working hard to connect families to services as soon as possible. Alberta’s growing population, coupled with an increase in the prevalence of disability, has put increased pressure on programs to keep pace.”

Last year, the government spent $26 million to address the PDD waitlist, “resulting in a significant reduction” in its length.

In the legislature, Premier Danielle Smith said that what was then called the Department of Seniors, Community and Social Services had “a lot of issues to be dealt with.” The minister, Jason Nixon, was “working through them one at a time.”

A minor cabinet shuffle after the spring sitting saw Nixon’s ministry renamed assisted living and social services.

Renaud rejects that the province is methodically addressing issues.

“It’s absolute crap is what it is,” said Renaud. “You’ll also hear these ridiculous statements from the minister, like, well, you know, autism rates are through the roof. Certainly we have more diagnostics and the science has gotten better. But for some other disabilities, the rates have actually gone down, so you’re never getting an accurate picture.”

She continued: “They’ve completely shut down intake unless somebody is in immediate harm to themselves or others. And in the interim, you’ve got thousands and thousands of people lingering on the waitlist, and the harm is just getting compounded, not just to families but also to communities. The loss of potential for these little children is just astounding.”

Early intervention is critical for children for the control and reduction of the effects of their disabilities. “You need to reroute the trajectory of a child’s life. And we know that these little ones are waiting for years.”

Renaud added: “They’re missing every opportunity for early intervention, and so that is going to compound their needs as they get older. It’s just such a bad situation and it’s so preventable.”

The government has not yet introduced an accessibility bill, despite a 2023 call by Alberta’s official disability advocate to join almost all other Canadian provinces and pass one.

A report from the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities said: “Alberta’s current disability policy exists as a patchwork of over 30 different pieces of legislation, but there is no comprehensive legislation that sets out clear principles to ensure a consistent approach to accessibility. Provincial accessibility legislation presents the opportunity to create consistency regarding accessibility standards across federal and provincial regulated entities.”

Not made public until this year after a freedom of information request filed by disability advocates, the 130-plus-page report recommended a law that functions as a framework to “identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers to Albertans, with the goal of making the province increasingly and consistently more accessible to people of all abilities, disabilities and backgrounds.”

Among the provinces, only Prince Edward Island and Alberta don’t have an accessibility act. Through the Accessible Canada Act of 2019, the federal government is pushing for a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

Nearly 23 per cent of Albertans aged 15 and older identify as having a disability that impacts their lives, says the Alberta advocate’s report. A disability can by permanent, temporary or episodic, and it often interacts with factors like gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status, the report says.

Said the statement from Edgerton: “Our government continues to take steps to ensure the province is accessible for all Albertans.”

Last fall, the government introduced an updated Accessibility Design Guide that builds on barrier-free approach to building codes “so all Albertans can move safely and efficiently through their communities,” she said.

“We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities and Alberta’s disability community as we work to improve quality of life for Albertans with disabilities,” Edgerton said.

The work will help ensure “Alberta remains the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

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