Last Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 | 11:13 AM AT
CBC News
The director of P.E.I. Disability Alert hopes increases in disability funding included in Tuesday’s budget will be enough to provide Islanders the assistance they need and deserve.
Stephen Pate has spent the last several months lobbying for extra money for the Disability Support Program, which provides things like wheelchairs and hearing aids for people who need them, and government increased the program’s budget by 11 per cent to just over $9 million.
But Pate worries the funding will still fall short of the demand.
“Two years ago, the demand was for $8.7 million, just a natural demand within the program,” said Pate.
“That’s last year’s demand. Like I say, my friend who needs a scooter, will he finally get it? Because they wouldn’t give it to him last year, even though he had all the documentation from the doctors that he deserved it. So will he get it? I hope so.”
Pate said he expects people with disabilities will continue to have their requests denied and their funding cut even with the boost to the budget.
Leave a Reply