How the OAPD Report Confirms the Crisis for Disabled Albertans

The latest report (which was released very quietly) from the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD) confirms what Alberta’s disability community has been saying for years—our supports are failing, policies are regressive, and disabled Albertans are being left behind.

While the Alberta government claims to be helping disabled people become more independent, the OAPD’s 2023-2024 report paints a different picture:
📌 2,500+ Albertans sought help from the OAPD—many facing evictions, poverty, employment discrimination, and systemic barriers.
📌 AISH is not enough. The cost of living is outpacing support, and people are choosing between food, rent, and medication.
📌 Employment policies are failing. ADAP is being framed as an "opportunity," but there’s no guarantee of accessible jobs.
📌 Education supports are collapsing. Disabled children are being sent home, denied access, or placed in seclusion rooms due to lack of school accommodations.
📌 Legal support is inaccessible. Disabled Albertans struggling with housing, benefits appeals, and discrimination cases have nowhere to turn.

👉 How much more evidence does the Alberta government need before they stop gutting disability supports?

📢 The Data Speaks for Itself:

The OAPD report provides undeniable evidence that the Alberta government’s policies are failing disabled Albertans across all sectors—income security, housing, employment, education, healthcare, and justice.

🔴 AISH & Income Support: People Are Falling Further Behind
📌 The cost of living has skyrocketed, but many on AISH are still being pushed deeper into poverty due to rising rent and inflation.
📌 The OAPD confirmed that rental increases of up to $700/month have made it impossible for disabled Albertans to afford housing.
📌 Evictions are on the rise, and people on AISH are being discriminated against by landlords.
📌 Food insecurity is worsening—people are contacting OAPD because they cannot afford to eat.

💬 “Individuals spoke of how their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter were not being met. This leads to duress, exacerbating their health concerns, and thus impacting their ability to live a full and meaningful life.” —OAPD Report

🔴 ADAP: A Dangerous Experiment in Forced Employment
The Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) is being sold as a way for disabled Albertans to "gain employment while keeping some benefits." But the OAPD’s findings confirm what we feared:

📌 ADAP will reclassify disabled Albertans as "employable" without actually ensuring they can find work.
📌 The government is pushing people off AISH under the false promise of employment while cutting funding to disability employment organizations.
📌 There is no plan to ensure workplaces are actually accessible.
📌 If someone loses their job, they may not be able to return to AISH, leaving them with no income security.

💬 “People with disabilities should not be punished for getting a job… Every dollar they earn… should be helping make them better off.” —Minister Jason Nixon

But how does this work when Alberta has no accessibility legislation and no protections against workplace discrimination?

🔴 Disabled Students Are Being Denied Education
📌 Parents contacted the OAPD in distress because their disabled children are being sent home due to lack of school supports.
📌 Educational assistants are on strike, leaving disabled students without the help they need.
📌 Some schools are outright refusing to accept disabled students, telling parents they "don’t have the resources."
📌 The use of seclusion rooms remains a horrifying reality, isolating disabled children instead of providing actual support.

💬 "Parents report asking for information such as policy or procedure for room use and not receiving it. Some children are being denied education altogether because parents cannot find a school that will accept them." —OAPD Report

If the government is serious about inclusive education, why are children still being denied the right to learn?

🔴 Healthcare & Mental Health: Gaps Are Widening
📌 Finding a family doctor is nearly impossible—disabled Albertans are being denied medical forms they need to access benefits.
📌 People on AISH who transition to seniors’ benefits lose crucial healthcare coverage, leaving them with higher out-of-pocket costs.
📌 Mental health services are failing disabled Albertans.
📌 Transportation barriers prevent access to therapy and medical care.

💬 “Without a doctor, individuals cannot access programs or accommodations, often leaving them in a precarious financial position.” —OAPD Report

If disabled Albertans can’t even access a doctor, how can they be expected to navigate Alberta’s broken disability systems?

🚨 What Needs to Happen NOW

📌 Reverse the $49 million AISH cut—disability benefits should increase, not shrink.
📌 No one should be forced off AISH without a real job guarantee—ADAP must not become a tool to reduce government spending.
📌 End education discrimination—every disabled child deserves access to inclusive learning.
📌 Alberta needs accessibility legislation NOW—disability employment won’t work without legal workplace protections.
📌 Disabled Albertans must keep their full Canada Disability Benefit—no clawbacks.

📢 How You Can Take Action

🚨 The OAPD report proves that Alberta’s disability supports are crumbling. It’s time to act:
📢 Share this post to make sure people know what’s happening.
📨 Contact your MLA—demand answers on why AISH, ADAP, and accessibility policies are failing.
🔎 Follow disability advocates—we need to keep the pressure on.

💬 What’s your biggest takeaway from the OAPD report? How have these policies affected you or your loved ones? Drop your comments below.