Provincial follow-up will be key to federal disability act, advocate says

The key to the success of the federal government's proposeddisabilities and accessibility act will be whether P.E.I. follows up on it, says one of the Islanders involved in process.

Tony Dolan, past chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, said at a federal consultation into the legislationyesterday that manyof the issues that directly affect people with disabilities areunder the provincial government's umbrella.

• Minister Carla Qualtrough says Canada's new disability act will 'make history'

"Your hope is that when the federal legislation passes that provincial legislators will move on [it.]," said Dolan, who was a"local champion" at the session. "Provincial legislation covers things like education, it covers health care, it covers housing, that are outside the realm of federal legislation."

Canada's first-ever minister of persons with disabilities, CarlaQualtrough, will use theinformation gathered from 18 cities to develop legislation she has said will "make history."

Finding work a challenge

About 30 Islanders attended theconsultations in Charlottetown, raising concerns aboutpoverty, employment, transportation and public awareness.

Heidi MallettofPEI People First, a self-advocacy group for people with intellectual disabilities, said income is akeyissue.

"It is a challenge for them to find employment across P.E.I. because there's a lack of employers" who realize people with intellectual disabilities can do the job, she said.

According to the government, there are approximately 411,600 working-aged Canadians with disabilities who are not working but whose disability does not prevent them from doing so; almost half of these potential workers are post-secondary graduates.

Invisible disabilities

Charlottetown's Sarah Flohr, who has multiple sclerosis, said public transportation is important to her, as is educating people about how MS fluctuates unpredictably.

"Defining a disability to allow the inclusion of diseases that are sometimes invisible, essentially, is very important," she said.

The public can make their thoughts and concerns known until February.