Community Resource Project by

How disability and poverty intersect

Petrese — 2023-10-24 00:15:00 UTC

Poverty in Victoria

Petrese — 2023-10-25 00:36:46 UTC

According to Victoria Buzz,

one in eleven families in Greater Victoria are consider low-income.

14% of all local children currently live in poverty.

Why?
The cost of housing is too expensive. Owning a home is less accessible in modern times.

Petrese

Disability in Victoria

Petrese — 2023-10-25 00:44:19 UTC

As of 2017, there are 89,250 Victoria resident living with one or more disabilities.

Petrese

What is poverty in Victoria?

Petrese — 2023-10-25 04:02:21 UTC

The poverty line in BC for a family of four (two adults and two children) is $40,000 a year.

Families that income is below $25,000 a year receive a full benefit amount.

Petrese

BILL C-22

Petrese — 2023-10-30 01:42:41 UTC

As of June 22, 2023, the Canadian government passed the bill C-22 to become a law. The law is proposed federal income support to help move disabled families out of poverty. This bill is attended to financial security of working-age Canadians (18-64) living with disabilities.

Petrese

What are the qualifications for disability in Canada?

Petrese — 2023-10-30 02:00:09 UTC

In order to qualify for disability support, a person needs to be considered “totally disabled”. The person must be unable to perform all essential and material duties.
The first step is receiving the benefit for two years. After two years, they will have to go through another set of tests to determine if their disability is considered long-term.
A list of possible qualifications for long-term disability benefits:

Arthritis
ADHD
Asthma
Alzheimer’s disease
Bipolar disorder
Bell’s palsy
Cardiovascular disease
Cancer
Depression
Drug addiction
Diabetes
Sleep disorders

Petrese

What Support is Given to Low-Income Families with Disabled Children?

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-06 02:17:49 UTC

British Columbia has a number of funding opportunities for low-income families including added funding for families with disabled children. These programs aim to reduce barriers to education, sports, and financial well-being

Some of these resources are:

The Affordable Childcare Benefit
(offers an additional $150 for families with special needs kids)
BC Autism Funding
Caregiver Respite Funding
Child Disability Funding
CKNW Kids' Fund
Down Syndrome Resource Foundation Bursary Program
Goodlife Kids
Home Adaptations for Independence (HAFI) Program
KidSport
Kiwanis Children's Fund
Make-A-Wish Foundation BC
MCFD Special Needs Funding
NSDRC Summer Bursary Program
Student Aid BC
Variety- The Children's Charity

Zara

The Queen Alexandra Centre & Children's Health Foundation of Vancouver Island

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-06 02:29:50 UTC

The Queen Alexandra Centre is based in Victoria and has been running for 95 years. It specializes in supporting disabled children and their family on Vancouver Island. They offer a number of supports including housing for families travelling for healthcare, enabling access to resources and therapy for young children, providing funding for families with disabled children.

Some of their programs are mildly inaccessible but only require a medical referral.

They are part of the Children's Health Foundation which also has facilities in Sooke and Westshore.

Zara

What Barriers are there to inclusive childcare in BC?

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-06 02:53:46 UTC

The lack of ECEs and places for children in childcare programs poses the risk of a disabled child not being given the assistance and support they need in a childcare program due to overworked and under supported ECEs. One-on-one work between a child and ECE allows for that individual's needs to be met and also fosters a more inclusive environment.
Often even after acquiring a spot in childcare, parents have reported that their children are not allowed to participate with the other children, often pushed aside with a completely separate activity. This has extended to exclusionary instances surrounding play where parents are told their child cannot model for other children how to appropriately play.
Children who do not have a formal diagnosis are often excluded from funding or other disability focused programs. Furthermore, in some cases children have been dismissed from childcare entirely upon gaining that diagnosis.
Being unable to find adequate childcare frequently results in parents having to quit their jobs to be a full-time carer for their disabled child. This increases the strain within a family as the cost of living and housing instability rises. Additionally, this role most commonly falls on the mother who takes on the brunt of emotional and physical labour in the household. This all culminates to a decline in mental health as families are spread thin.

Zara

How does BC help families financially?

Petrese — 2023-11-06 04:31:47 UTC

There is a BC family benefit (BCFB), which is a payment to families with children under the age of 18.
Each month a family (that income is between 27,354 to $87,533) will receive:

$775 per month for the first child
$750 per month for the second child
$725 per month for each additional child

Petrese

Victoria Society for Children with Autism

Petrese — 2023-11-06 04:44:03 UTC

The Victoria Society for Children with Autism (VSCA) has been serving Victoria for over 50 years. They are a non-profit society that is volunteered led. It entails a $20 per family membership.

Programs offered include:

monthly parent-focused support groups
monthly social gatherings and outdoor activities
access to resources and information about the autism spectrum, with an extensive lending library

Petrese

Private Autism Assessment

Petrese — 2023-11-06 04:53:35 UTC

Dr Kelly office is the only doctor providing private autism assessment in Victoria. The assess children, youth and young adults from ages 1 to 25.

For their private practice there is a wait list for approximately 8 months.

Since it is a private practice, the assessment cost $2950.

Petrese

Seeking Childcare with inclusive care

Petrese — 2023-11-06 05:09:10 UTC

Preschoolers are left on wait list because of the lack of inclusive care educators. This is leaving families not being prepare for kindergarten. Due to staffing shortages, childcare’s will not accept children with disabilities.

Petrese

Stigma towards autism

Petrese — 2023-11-06 18:14:52 UTC

There is a lack of knowledge that creates ignorance, prejudice and discrimination towards people that have autism. This discrimination comes from media and in culture. A common misconception of people who have autism is that they will be hard to manage. This is seen in centres leaving children on the wait list because they do not have “extra hands” to manage the student. This stigma also affects the families due to association. People will prejudge the whole family.

To reduce stigma, it is important to create a “autism friendly” place.

Petrese

What does disabilities look like?

Petrese — 2023-11-07 00:38:01 UTC

Petrese

How is Victoria inclusive?

Petrese — 2023-11-07 01:01:49 UTC

Habitat Systems has been adding inclusive parks around Greater Victoria. These playgrounds includes many crawl tunnels, accessible from ground level, as well as slides, climbers, play panels and the Sway Fun glider. This benefits the children’s need for outdoor play.
Inclusive care at parks also looks like communication boards. These provided a bridge for communication gaps for children of all disabilities.

Petrese

Summary

Petrese — 2023-11-16 02:36:49 UTC

In conclusion, we feel as a group that disability and poverty are connected because living with disabilities can be a barrier in people's lives, which potentially leads to financial hardships. We found resources that are for people living with disabilities in British Columbia. In addition, we found resources for families with children who have disabilities. These resources span across housing accessibility, educational grants and tools, athletic opportunities and more. We also discovered barriers children may face while having a disability, such as a lack of well-qualified and supported ECEs and a lack of social inclusion in childcare spaces. We hope to show our class the importance of inclusive care throughout our pedagogical practices as well as to raise awareness surrounding the problems which disabled families are facing within British Columbia as financial stability is becoming increasingly strained.

Petrese & Zara

Child Disability Benefit

Petrese — 2023-11-16 03:59:45 UTC

The Child Disability Benefit is for families that have a child under the age of 18 living with a disability. The family is eligible for $261.41 per month for each child tax-free. A family can apply after getting diagnosed.

Petrese

Can you receive both CDB and BCFB?

Petrese — 2023-11-16 04:06:04 UTC

Yes! A family can receive both benefits for the same child.

Petrese

Questionnaire

Petrese — 2023-11-16 06:34:59 UTC

Petrese

Inclusion Canada's Surveys 1/3

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-18 22:34:18 UTC

Inclusion Canada surveyed the Canadian's with disabilities in regards to their feelings on the current disability benefits offered by the Canadian government. This infographic highlights how many disabled Canadians who have not experienced poverty feel as though they are "one step away" from poverty and the stigma they face when trying to receive help.

Zara

"Poverty makes life hard, not disability.": Inclusion Canada 2/3

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-18 22:38:11 UTC

Inclusion Canada highlights changes to disability laws and regulations, proposed by disabled people, in order to make life in Canada more accessible

Zara

Disabled Voices: Inclusion Canada 3/3

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-18 22:40:02 UTC

Frequently the disabled population has their needs assumed and are spoken for without being allowed an input into the system they are inherently a part of, this graphic sheds light on some disabled perspectives in Canada.

Zara

Resources for disabled Indigenous families

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-19 00:05:55 UTC

The Jordan's Principle group and RRAP-D aim to bring accessibility to Indigenous families, specifically those living on reservations equal access to tools which improve quality of life for intersectionally disadvantaged families.

Zara

Correlation between income and disability: Disability Without Poverty

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-19 00:11:17 UTC

This article explores recent statistical findings in terms of disability and how it intersects with other marginalized communities within Canada. Ultimately: Canada's infrastructure has many gaps between the individual programs provided to disabled people in order to fully meet their needs and improve quality of life.

Zara

Angus Ried study on poverty in Canada

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-19 00:15:28 UTC

This infographic displays how the majority of Canadians experiencing financial struggles overwhelmingly overlaps the disabled population of Canada. Average household income suffers when a family is faced with disability.

Zara

Disability x Poverty

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-19 01:21:16 UTC

The issue regarding the intersections of disability and poverty is complex and multidirectional.

Experiencing poverty during childhood increases the chance of developmental disorders and unmet needs; experiencing a disability in the family causes extenuating circumstances which push a family towards poverty due to lack of accessible resources.

Zara

Disability Statistics in Canada

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-19 01:26:20 UTC

Adults with disabilities are half as likely to get post-secondary degrees
Adults with disabilities have a lower median household income
48% of respondents to Disability Credit Canada's survey believed Canadians were more likely to climb the corporate ladder if they hid their disabilities
only 10% of Canadians with disabilities are fully included in society
more than 1.4M Canadians (aged 15-64) reported needing help with daily physical activities

Zara

Parents faced with choosing foster care due to lack of accessible resources

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-19 01:30:31 UTC

14 of 68 people surveyed said they only placed their child in care in order to get their child adequate supports for their needs. Waitlists and lack of placement options/ trained healthcare or childcare professionals contributes to the separation of families.

Zara

Rad Families Reading

rk5rrx72kh — 2023-11-19 01:39:48 UTC

Krista Lee Hanson writes about the struggles for accessibility and inclusion in American education systems & public accessibility for disabled families as a whole. She discusses her families leftist approach to disability parenting and the learning hurdles which accompanied it.

Zara

TAPS (Together Against Poverty Society)

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 22:16:58 UTC

TAPS is a community support network offering various services to those in dire financial situations. I have personally mad use of their help regarding a residential tenancy dispute. In addition, they also provide:

Aid in accessing and navigating the process of application for disability and income assistance, as well as associated potential benefits
Help with filing taxes and any tax projects

They receive funding both from government and private institutions and are both employee and volunteer operated.

Timothy

Umbrella Society

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 22:21:54 UTC

The Umbrella society is a free community resource service offering a variety of services, including:

Drop-In Counselling for both addictions and/or mental health
Crisis phone calls
Housing access and advocation
Outreach
Connecting clients with relevant support groups

Another personal recommendation here.

Timothy

Legal Aid BC

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 22:24:41 UTC

Legal Aid BC offers legal advice for those who cannot afford a lawyer. While they cannot represent a client themselves, they are connected with a network of lawyers sympathetic to their work who will often take cases on a sliding scale fee, based on the client's situation. Very helpful for laypeople trudging through the complexities of our legal system.

Timothy

Outpatient Treatment for Mental Health

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 22:30:54 UTC

Also known as USTAT (Urgent Short Term Assessment and Treatment), Outpatient Treatment is an alternative to getting psychiatric aid through a hospitals. It is a branch of Island Health, and provides many things beyond immediate assessment.

Individual therapy
Group education courses on mental health
Other community resources available
Connecting clients with other available treatment options

Besides their main office in Victoria, there are eight other locations serving cities across the island.

Timothy

Mental illness in metropolitan, urban and rural Georgia populations

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 22:40:22 UTC

Study conducted in 2013 in the United States, comparing populations across economic demographics and the prevalence of one or more mood disorders.

More statistical than analytical, the numbers nonetheless do support the theory of increased disposition towards mental health disorders amongst those struggling with poverty.

However, it should be noted the results came from self-disclosure, and took no data on familial histories, comorbidity with other illnesses or substance abuse, or other extenuating factors. The authors recommended follow-up to further break down the components of respondents'' conditions.

Timothy

Poverty and mental health: policy, practice and research implications

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 22:47:22 UTC

This study was conducted in Glasgow, Scotland, which "contains some of Western Europe's areas of greatest concentrated poverty and poorest health outcomes."

The researchers provided three main suggestions to address the issue:

Reinvigorate social psychiatry and influence public policy
Tackle intersectional stigma and disadvantage
Embed poverty-aware practice and commissioning

These priorities can easily translate cross-culturally and be applied in any Western society struggling with such public distress. The next question is how.

Timothy

Unemployment, Mental Health and Substance Use

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 22:56:43 UTC

Page from the CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association)

Mental health leads to stress, stress leads to difficulty finding and maintaining work, unemployment leads to deteriorating financial circumstances.

The page has simple information on the costs of unemployment to the individual and the community, as well as explains why people struggling with mental health (or addictions issues) are an underemployed demographic.

It also offers some suggestions for individuals in those situations to overcome their hurdles, more than just "get a job". The page has recommendations on alternatives to working should the barrier be too much, as well as ways to better live one's life when unemployed, which in turn improves mental health and opens up possible employment abilities down the line.

Timothy

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 23:16:04 UTC

This is a scholarly article which concludes that "a fundamental shift is needed in the perception of fitness for work; specifically, the commonly held idea that it is not appropriate for people to work unless they are 100% fit and healthy."

This is in line with my other post from the CMHA, who suggest alternatives and graduated exposure to the work force.

Timothy

Perspectives in poverty and mental health

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 23:23:15 UTC

Rigorous and in-depth study comparing and contrasting poverty rates and mental health guidelines between OECD countries.

It also examines the interaction of the neighborhood on an individual's mental health for those in the "absolute poverty" bracket, i.e the exacerbation of stress-induced mental illness in communities where poverty is pervasive.

Timothy

How The Loss Of U.S. Psychiatric Hospitals Led To A Mental Health Crisis

trbullock87_ — 2023-11-19 23:32:34 UTC

Though this NPR article is specifically about the phenomenon in the US, we experienced (and still do) the same thing here in Canada.

The widespread closure of Psychiatric Hospitals in North America had both an immediate and lingering effect. Firstly, when they closed, the cities were flooded with patients who had been otherwise deemed incapable of functioning in society due to the severity of their mental illness. The closings offered little to no follow-up, support, or treatment options to those discharged, meaning the vast majority immediately fell into metropolitan homeless populations. Secondly, with no new facilities built, the few which remained open stay at capacity and have no available space or resources for future generation who find themselves in similar circumstances.

While it is true that the conditions in some of these facilities were horrible (Thanks Geraldo), this was not consistently the case and their shutdown, along with the fallout that came with it, has undeniably changed society.

Timothy