Community Living Ontario

‘Society has to invest in the capacity of its citizens,’ says Keith Powell
Wednesday January 11, 2012 -- Kristian Partington

Shortly before the Christmas break, Community Living Ontario executive director Keith Powell reflected on the year closing out and the new one ahead, and as he considered the numerous challenges facing the developmental services sector he spoke with a great sense of urgency.

He also spoke with a sense of pride as he reiterated that challenges are surmountable, despite their daunting immediate scope, and they are so because of the resilience of the thousands of people across the province committed to the inclusion movement.

This is no easy movement to be a part of, however, and more than any time in recent history, Powell says, it’s imperative that the movement speaks as one voice in terms of convincing society at large to tackle the massive burdens placed upon people who have a disability and their support networks.

“Society has to invest in the capacity of its citizens,” Powell says, and governments must face the reality that to this point in time, there have been few attempts to map out a path towards sustainable support for one of the more vulnerable segments of our society.

“There must be a long-term vision and plan,” he says.

It takes a massive amount of political will, however, to make the necessary investments, and unless elected officials and the bureaucrats who support them fully understand the reality of the challenges facing people with disabilities, Powell is worried the investments will fail to materialize.

This is why a single, unified voice is crucial moving forward; a strong voice speaking loudly that states unequivocally that society has moral and legal obligations to honour the gifts and possibilities of everyone, regardless of ability.

The rampant poverty that plagues people who have a disability in Ontario is “absolutely deplorable,” Powell explains, noting that miniscule Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) increases don’t come close to addressing the dire needs of those who rely on them.

“The scale of the problems confronting the Developmental Services sector is staggering and cannot be ignored,” wrote Community Living Ontario president Deborah Rollier in a letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty at the beginning of December.

The needs and challenges are massive, Powell points out: 12,000 people waiting for housing support; 10,000 or more waiting for support for daily activities; adults with intellectual disabilities cared for by aging parents, paralyzed with fear of what happens when they pass away; critical need for investments in inclusive education and employment supports; unprecedented labour unrest due to withdrawn funding promises.

“This is unacceptable in a wealthy, contemporary society and should not be tolerated by any of us, especially by those in government who have the capability and responsibility to rectify the situation,” Rollier wrote in her letter.

The new year is rapidly unfolding, and the Ontario government is in the process of pre-budget consultation as it prepares to reveal a new budget this spring.

Powell says the time for the unified voice to speak loudly is immediate.

If you have questions or comments of would like to learn how to lend your voice to the call to action, please contact 800-294-0051, ext. 24, or e-mail kristian(at)axiomnews.ca.