When someone is dawdling over a job, we used to hear “fish or cut bait” alot down in Kings County. The expression is actually American from the 1840’s and often has a political context.
PEI Disability Alert is asking all political leaders to fish or cut bait on the Disability Support issue. Today each of the leaders got the following letter with a request for a reply.
May 17th, 2007
Statistics Canada and Chester Gillan, Minister of Social Services and Senior advise us that 19,000 Islanders have a qualifying disability, which means they a disability that materially impairs their everyday life. Yet on April 3rd of this year, Minister Gillan advised the Legislature “Today more than 1,000 Islanders are benefitting from the Disability Support Program in their daily lives and work.”
Simply put, that leaves 18,000 who have a disability without any disability supports from PEI’s Disability Support Program.
Statistics Canada further publishes that 8,000 of the 18,000 are aged 65 and older. The DSP excludes them from even applying for help. The DSP Policy says “The applicant: must be age 64 years or under when they apply for the program;”
Seniors, sometimes our most vulnerable citizens, cannot even apply for help with a wheelchair, scooter, walker, hearing or any of the items as available to Islanders with disabilities aged 64 and younger. Seniors built this Island and this Country: they deserve better treatment than a blanket exclusion from a program they need.
What will you do to include all Islanders with disabilities under Disability Support Program coverage, should your political party form the next government of the Province of Prince Edward Island?
Your response, or non-response, will be posted on our website and shared with the media.
Sincerely, Stephen Pate, Director
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