Photo: http://www.pnrstatus.co.in/

This article is about a member of my family who is differently-abled. The story is meant to give you a small glimpse into the unique challenges he faces, even though he lives in the “developed” country of Canada, which has an extensive social safety net. The story also demonstrates the degree to which the lives of differently-abled people are controlled by government agencies that exist to help facilitate independent living.

Sam, as we’ll call him, is in his mid-thirties, born and raised in Ontario. The most significant medical diagnoses assigned to him since birth is glaucoma, a disease that will eventually take his sight. Sam has been labeled “legally blind” since childhood and at the age of 18 qualified for ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program), the benefit available to differently-abled Ontario residents. His application was initially approved without any difficulty and his benefits were around $770-$780/month. He also lived in subsidized housing because market rents were not affordable. On surviving with such a small income Sam says, “I don’t think I found it as hard as most. Or maybe I just didn’t complain as much.”

As you can imagine, Sam faces many challenges to acquiring and holding down a job and consequently has never had one. He doesn’t fault employers. Most seem to believe he is capable of doing the jobs he applies for. The main reason why his applications are turned down, he’s been told, is that insurance companies won’t cover potential liabilities.

As his vision deteriorates it’s increasingly unlikely that Sam, who has never been employed, will find work. He once, though, attempted to start a business with some partners. His role in this enterprise was to design business cards, which he was able to do with the help of computer technology. The business failed and Sam quit after a year because it wasn’t really going anywhere. He notes that many successful business owners have a string of failures before they learn from mistakes and finally succeed. Sam doesn’t have any issue with trying self-employment again but he wouldn’t be able to do it alone and needs partners. Also, he’s not sure he could go back to designing business cards at this point because his vision isn’t as good as it was.

There are people out there who still receive ODSP benefits while they are developing a business. Deductions are made to their benefits based on what the business earns. However, this option isn’t something Sam can take advantage of right now because he is no longer receiving ODSP support.

That is because Sam left Ontario for four years ago in search of a better life. His online research suggested to him that people with disabilities had better supports in the States and were able to find jobs. So he and his partner left for Texas. Sam believes this was a huge mistake. On arrival he found that much of the information he researched was inaccurate. Furthermore, he was not eligible for most of the available supports.

He and his partner decided to leave Texas and move to Alberta to her reserve, outside Edmonton. There Sam moved into the house of his partner’s mother. Back in Canada, he immediately set out to apply for disability benefits but this was not a simple undertaking. There was no public transportation between Edmonton and the reserve. Sam and his partner were both blind and could not drive. Sam had to hire someone on the reserve to drive him to Edmonton and back so he could apply for benefits. This was true for all his appointments related to following up with his application, including medical assessments. When Sam mentioned the difficulties involved in getting to and from Edmonton to follow up on his application, he was callously told to move to Edmonton.

In the end his application was denied on the basis that Sam had not exhausted all of his options to find gainful employment. The assessment acknowledged his disability but maintained he was able to work. Sam was referred to an agency that supposedly helped people with disabilities find jobs. When he turned up for his appointment, the staff didn’t understand why Sam had been referred to them. It turned out this particular agency specialized in helping people who had been temporarily disabled get back into the workforce. Sam’s disability was permanent and progressive. They couldn’t help him.

Sam didn’t apply for “welfare” because friends had told him that social assistance recipients had a hard time accessing disability benefits. Though he learned later this was not true, Sam had no way of knowing how false this information was. None of the workers in the system told Sam what other programs he might be eligible for. Checking out his eligibility for any programs required him to access websites and documents he had to read and, of course, that was a problem.

Hitting a brick wall at the end of each path he took, Sam’s relationships with his partner and her mother were impacted. The fact that he was unable to financially contribute to the household was a source of friction. Eventually, Sam’s relationship broke down and he returned to Ontario.

He was invited to move in with a friend living in Scarborough, a single mom, also blind, receiving ODSP benefits. Sam was happy to be home after being out of the province for a total of four years. He applied for social assistance immediately and began processing his ODSP application. Again, there was paperwork to be filled out, medical assessments to be done and deadlines to meet. He complied with all requirements in a timely fashion. This included finding a new doctor willing to do the comprehensive exam as well as fill out the detailed and extensive paperwork in a timely fashion. Nevertheless, the forms were completed and submitted on time.

Seven months later news came in a letter, which of course Sam had difficulty reading, but he managed. The letter rejected his ODSP application, stating that the reason for his ineligibility was to be found in section 4.1 of the Family Benefits Act. Sam actually found that section of the act and, despite the difficulties, read it. He disagrees with the conclusion that he is ineligible. Before he could formally appeal the decision, Sam needed to write a letter asking for a review of his file. He managed to do this and ten days later was told the decision would be upheld. He had 30 days to apply to the social benefits tribunal that handles the appeals process. With a bit of help he got the paperwork in order and sent off the application.

A letter confirming receipt of his appeal application and advising him of the date of his hearing recommended that he get legal representation. Sam went to a local legal clinic and was told that because they are overwhelmed with cases, they would not be able to represent him at the appeal but they would help him prepare.

Sam wonders if it’s worthwhile visiting another clinic to see if he can find representation but he’s not sure which clinic would be best to approach. Another option might be to find a legal student who would volunteer to work with him but he doesn’t know how to go about finding one. Yet another option, which he is pursuing, is talking to his local MPP to see what help might be available.

In the mean time, Sam is on social assistance receiving $140/month. This is the maximum he can receive because his roommate is an ODSP recipient. Any financial support Sam receives from his family will be deducted from his cheque.

To complicate matters further, a child welfare agency has advised Sam’s roommate to kick him out because he is not adequately self-sufficient. The roommate feels the agency has subtly hinted that they might consider seizing her child if she doesn’t kick Sam out. As a disabled Indigenous woman, the roommates chances of having her child taken away are astoundingly high. So, Sam is looking for subsidized housing but it’s not likely he’ll find anything soon. Being adequately housed at the moment he will not be anywhere near the top of the waiting list. He’d have to be homeless to be considered a priority. Sam’s family can’t help him in this regard. Most family members are living in subsidized housing themselves, are under-housed or live outside urban areas, which would again complicate Sam’s ability to access supports and services.

Dire as it is, Sam’s situation is probably not the worst. What happens to differently-abled women with children or folks living in abusive situations? Nevertheless, Sam is terribly concerned that if he becomes homeless he will be ineligible for any benefits and his life will continue to spiral downward.

How many Sam’s are out there, falling through cracks, being abused, ignored or callously treated by a system meant to support them? This is one real-life example of how multiple cuts to the system have impacted the most vulnerable members of our community.

The good news is that Sam’s spirit is not broken. Anyone who can provide legal assistance or otherwise support Sam is welcome to contact the author of this article.

 

Zainab is an author, community organizer and educator.  Among her publications are “Indigenous Peoples and Black Peoples in Canada: Settlers or Allies” for Breaching the Colonial Contract: Anti-Colonialism in the U.S. and Canada.  She also contributed to Strong Women’s Stories: Native Vision and Community Activism and authored the feminist science fiction novel Moons of Palmares.  Zainab is a frequent contributor to Muskratmagazine.com and rabble.ca.  Her a newest publication, Wielding the Force: The Science of Social Justice, explores the emerging science and its relevance to social justice, activism and community organizing.  For more information about Zainab’s work: www.swallowsongs.com. 

Photo: http://www.pnrstatus.co.in/