$ 1 million dollars taken from Islanders with disabilities in provincial budget

April 10th, 2007 Mitch Murphy, Provincial Treasurer, brought in a budget that was supposed to satisfy Islanders with Disabilities.

The government increased the DSP budget by $900,000 after last year’s cut back of $1 million.

Support for an additional 110 Islanders with disabilities will not be in the budget because of the cut back.

“I am deeply saddened by this Budget” said Stephen Pate Disability Alert founder and director. “This budget is a financial shell game that will do little to help the thousands of potential DSP clients. It will do nothing for seniors with disabilities, the learning disabled or the mentally disabled.”

 

“The current budget estimate of $9 million is $100,000 less than the budget should have been last year” Pate added. “Considering the Minister’s announcement of 9% increase in Health spending, the DSP budget should be $10 million this year. Almost restoring last year’s cut back shows the low regard with which Minister Gillan holds Islanders with Disabilities.”

What would that money do? It would provide the needs of 110 additional Islanders with disabilities.

It would fund the needs of autistic parents currently fighting at the Human Rights hearings; it would fund wheelchairs, scooters, assistive devices of all types.

It would provide community access supports, transportation supports for Pat and the Elephant.

There are thousands of Islanders with disabilities who have needs that cannot be met when the government cut funding to this program.

There is no mention in the Budget of the other pressing needs that the government is excluding from the Disability Support Program: seniors with disabilities, the learning disabled and the mentally disabled.

“19,000 Islanders have qualifying disabilities while the Government is proudly assisting only 1,100 of them” said Pate. “Disability Alert will continue to press the Minister and the government to fund this program to include all Islanders with disabilities. The current budget amount is inadequate to meet those needs. We cannot applaud the Government for merely returning the money they stole last year.”