Income Security
Our Vision for 2015
No person with a developmental disability lives in poverty.
Many British Columbians with developmental disabilities live in poverty. Many are poor because they cannot find jobs, or can only find jobs that pay very low wages. Some people with disabilities are able to qualify for disability benefits provided by the provincial Ministry of Housing and Social Development (called Benefits for Persons with Disabilities, or PWD). But often, this isn't enough money to pay for basic things.
When someone does not have enough money, their health and well-being are affected. Being poor means living in poor housing, not being able to eat the proper foods, and often not getting the health and support services that they need. It often means not having opportunities to meet other people or participate in community life. Poverty often leads to poor health, social isolation, and homelessness. Read BCACL's adequate income social policy here.
Photo above: Taken at the BCACL poverty forum in November, 2010. Participants discuss ways of addressing the persistent poverty faced by people with disabilities. The forum ended with a call for a poverty reduction strategy in B.C. Read more about the forum here.