After reading about the construction of a new building for children with learning disabilities or autism as young as two years old, Kathy Myketyn looks at how society deals with people with learning disabilities over the last 90 years or so. “Step-up to add your voice for those who have none, to stop this human rights travesty,” she writes.
Kendall Worth speaks with NS NDP leader Gary Burrill and others about CERB. Early on in the COVID lockdown people on income assistance who held part time jobs were told by Community Services to apply for CERB. For the time being they receive more money, but there have been lots of headaches.
Kendall Worth: “I have heard from several people on CERB who received an email on Thursday July 30 that has them very concerned, because it says people will lose CERB money they were counting on.”
“The way that we’re looking at it, regardless of whether there’s four residents or 40 or 400, you’re taking children away from their families. What the press release says is that it will house children from two to 18 years old. No two year old should be removed from their family. No parent wants to have their child sent to live somewhere else, they will only agree when there are no alternatives provided, says Patricia Neves, Acting Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Association for Community Living.
Last month Community Services told Income Assistance recipients who qualify that they must apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). We are hearing that this decision has raised many questions and quite a bit of anxiety.
At present, there are many hundreds of vulnerable people living in large and small congregate settings across the province, many with challenging physical and mental health needs. And there are chronic staff shortages being further exacerbated by the pandemic. So how do we go forward?
We believe one of the key ways to do this is to support the people caring for them. We need to recognize the essential role they are playing with our population during these uncertain and frightening Covid-19 times.
People who are receiving income assistance (IA) benefits and meet the program conditions can apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and will receive the full $2000 monthly payment. Reporting by Robert Devet and Kendall Worth,
A quick story on the lack of support for people on social assistance during this godawful pandemic. “I have multiple chronic illnesses that put me in the high risk category from COVID-19. Not just from the illness itself, but also, if I do get sick it will likely worsen, maybe permanently, all the illnesses I’m already struggling with.”
Facing the same threat of coronavirus, a new order issued by Dr. Strang institutes more accountability for nursing homes than for institutions for people with developmental disabilities. That leaves Community Services off the hook, and that is wrong, says human rights lawyer Claire McNeil. As well, protocols around isolation of infected residents need to be revisited.
We rightly hear a lot about the COVID-19 related risks faced by people incarcerated in Nova Scotia’s jails and prisons. What is more or less forgotten is that the 800 to 900 citizens labeled as living with disabilities who live in institutions in this province are facing the very same risks.