Winnipeg - Women living with Disabilities
November 30, 2005

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The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities hosted our 3-hour discussion group. Many active women within the community came to our workshop to speak up and discuss concerns regarding their situation. The issues raised ranged from the challenges of raising children when living with a disability, to the general attitude of the public in terms of acquiring employment, receiving wrong diagnosis, the realities of getting an education and limited access to current technology. Many women with disabilities need special diets, this can be a great barrier to their health when there is little to no financial support; eating healthy is very difficult for those living with low incomes.

Safe and accesible housing with clean air and no mould improves health. Women know this, yet there is a lack of good and affordable housing in Manitoba.

The following ideas were generated by workshop participants as part of our gender budget consultations. Please note that this list does not represent the official position of the UN Platform for Action Committee Manitoba (UNPAC). Neither UNPAC nor all of the participants have endorsed these suggestions.

1. What are key concerns for women in your community?

• Housing
  • Affordable, with clean air, no mould, non-smoking
  • accessibility (wheel chairs)
  • There is no registry of “clean air” buildings
  • Safe, accessible housing improves health
• Employment & Education
  • Getting an education
  • Employment opportunities
  • Lot’s of women doing volunteer work
  • Penalized for doing paid work as any earnings affects pension
  • Being forced to be self employed, because disability doesn’t allow you to work a regular work day. (need for flexibility)
  • Supports for students. Canada study grants only eligible by income
  • Post secondary education very expensive
• Technology
  • Access to technology
  • Computer skills are everything
• Handi-transit Complaints:
  • Losing information because of power loss
  • Drop off in unsafe places
  • Drivers attitudes, rude and impatient
  • Don’t wait long enough
  • Show up too early
  • Not helpful
  • Extra charge for wheelchair
  • Transit discriminatory to those who can not afford passes or tickets
• Lack of support & awareness
  • easier to get supports (ie computers) if you’re in school or in the workforce.
  • What if you just want to connect with the outside world and you're at home?
  • Lack of awareness of services that do exist (ie ILRC, REES) people only know SMD
  • Information and services not co-ordinated
  • Snow removal, snow piles on corners where curb cuts, very difficult to get around
  • Wrong diagnoses
  • OTHER peoples' interpretations
  • Lots of discretion among social workers
  • People get told different things about what is covered
  • Discrepancies in how people are treated
  • Some social workers are willing to work harder than others
  • Attitude of general public and service providers (people think you aren’t trying)
  • Physical vs. invisible disabilities
  • EIA too low
  • Special diets cost more
  • Challenges associated with raising children
  • Not too may services specifically for women with disabilities
  • Other factors such as sex and race create additional barriers
  • “cultural awareness” “disability awareness”

2. a) What Government programs and services have really helped to meet women’s needs and concerns? How could they be expanded upon or made better?

• Osborne House - time needs to be extended to more than three weeks as housing is not available
• Vocational Rehab services – for people with disabilities being supported by family members, paying for education at Red River
• Daycare at High School (RB Russel)
• EIA disability component – but rates way too low, 80$ a month for disability
• “My government pension works (double CPP) – everyone should have access to it – a survival rate – "I can afford that extra cup of coffee”
• Vocational Rehabilitation Programming (training toward career of choice)
• Handi-transit – necessary but needs to improve
  • Customer service
  • Wait times
  • There is a growing need for this service
  • Government controls? Regulation?
• Self managed/attended care. “PACE” program.
• Visitibility Program

2. b) Are there programs or services that should be stopped because they are not working?

• Tax system doesn’t work – what you get from one level of government, the other level of government takes away
• Dealing with inhumanity attached to system (not treated well by workers)
• EI - 55% is practically nothing if you make as little as do some of women with disabilities and also often don’t have enough qualifying weeks
  • You can’t get rid of it but needs to be drastically changed – rates increased
  • Self employment/contracts (which lots of women with disabilities do because they can’t fit into regular work schedules) - not eligible for EI at all.
• Improvements need to be made with the clearing of snow and road repairs
• Improvements to school supports from grade 1-12
• Legal aid – wait is very long

2. c) What other ideas do you have for programs and services that could meet women’s needs?

• Manage money better
• Education for employers re: abilities of the disabled (differently abled)
• Improved pharmacare
• Incentives for special needs teachers (we need more of them)
• Affordable housing
• Bigger income
• Care for farmers
• Advocacy group – ie. DAWN (inactive because of lack of funding) Not a lot of advocacy going on, especially for women
• EI needs to be fair (contract work/part-time work for women)
• Increased knowledge of services like a book that says women’s rights and what you are eligible for
  • They did one for welfare but welfare didn’t like this
  • EI books only available on-line
  • People don’t know about the programs
  • Rules change frequently
• Support groups for women so they don’t feel so alone (have that for people with addictions but not for people with disabilities) –Maybe through MLPD or ILRC
• Someone who goes around talking to people about women’s rights so they know their rights (go to essential places)
• Mb spends lowest on housing – SPEND MORE and make it accessible – people end up living in very unsafe parts of the city and also inaccessible
• Six weeks in crisis shelter before housing becomes available
• Education re: disabilities for everyone. Integrated into school system.

3. What ideas do you have on how the Government could earn more money? Use the creativity you have learned from your experience as a woman living with a tight budget.

• The “system” of GST
• Don’t lower tax, possibly increase if money will be re-distributed properly
• Lower tuition costs/books
• Increase safety downtown and that will increase business/revenue
• Penalize drivers within city. More cameras/fuel tax etc
• Increased media awareness about the needs of women with disabilities
• Redistribute existing resources (different ways of parcelling out $) Lots of waste. Projects not completed.
• Don’t spend enough on essential services, but spend a lot on inessentials (office furniture, arena, building condos)
• Fund more neighbourhood initiatives rather than big projects and corporations (ie Arena)
• Put people back to work through proper training and supports they need. Will get taxes back.