Closing the Disability Equity Gap through Consensus on Definition

New analysis: Why definitions of disability matter Maytree’s “Social Assistance Summaries, 2025” includes a spotlight on how definitions of “disability” vary across Canada – and how this directly affects who receives support. THE GAP: More than 750,000 people qualified for disability benefits through social assistance in 2024-25, yet the federal government projects only 610,000 people will receive the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) by 2028-29 - a gap of at least 140,000 people. THE PROBLEM: Most provincial/territorial definitions are broader than the restrictive federal Disability Tax Credit standard (DTC). Since CDB eligibility is tied to the DTC, those 140,000 people who have already been deemed to have a disability by their province or territory will not qualify for the CDB. THE SOLUTION: Adopt a more inclusive federal definition that encompasses provincial and territorial approaches. Read the spotlight: https://lnkd.in/gcNxkQBF   #DisabilityRights #CanadaDisabilityBenefit #InclusivePolicy

Reflections from the Australian Disability Strategy Forum At the Australian Disability Strategy forum, the AIHW presented data on avoidable deaths and preventable harm among people with disability. I don’t read those words abstractly. My daughter was born with a brain contusion and severe head injury after I repeatedly said I was in labour and was not believed. I advocated. I spoke clearly. I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t enough. That experience changed how I understand self-advocacy. Because self-advocacy on its own does not guarantee safety. A system can still dismiss you. Delay. De-prioritise. Strategic self-advocacy is different. Strategic self-advocacy means systems are structured to respond when someone raises risk. It means escalation pathways are clear. It means warning signs are recorded. It means patterns are tracked across datasets. It means preventable harm is visible — and therefore harder to ignore. That’s why the AIHW poster matters. When disability identifiers are inconsistent, harm looks isolated. When harm looks isolated, it becomes easier to treat as unfortunate rather than systemic. Integrated data is not administrative tidiness. It is one mechanism for accountability. No parent should have to rely solely on being persuasive in a moment of crisis. Systems must be designed to listen. That is what #StrategicSelfAdvocacy means to me. #Disability #AustralianDisabilityStrategy #HealthEquity #InclusiveSystems #StrategicSelfAdvocacy

New Zealand's disability support system is about to change significantly and most families aren't ready for what that means for documentation. When a funding reassessment goes wrong, when an ACC review comes up, when a complaint is filed, the families and support workers who survive that process intact are almost always the ones with written records. Not memories. Not "I'm pretty sure I mentioned it." Dated, timestamped notes that tell a clear story. That's a gap we built MyLog to close. MyLog is a care diary for disabled people, their families, and support workers, built specifically for the New Zealand context. It lets everyone involved in a person's care log daily notes, share updates, and build an audit trail that protects them when it matters most. We have a product that actually solves a real problem for real families, right now, when the stakes are highest. If you work in disability support, social work, or family services, or if you know someone navigating Whaikaha, ACC, or WINZ, we would genuinely appreciate you sharing this. 14-day free trial. Plans from $15/month. Unlimited caregivers. 👉 mylog.co.nz If you've got 2 minutes and want to see it in action: https://lnkd.in/e8dSS39y

The federal government has introduced the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to support low-income working-age persons with disabilities. For families receiving it — or expecting to — the first tax question is simple: Is the Canada Disability Benefit taxable? https://lnkd.in/gDqYpvy6

Thank you to Seamus Logan and Daniel Francis MP for bringing these critical issues to the forefront. We’re encouraged to hear our research on the underfunding, inaccessibility and fragmentation of wheelchair services cited in the debate.   We also welcome the call for the Government to appoint a dedicated minister responsible for wheelchair services — a key priority we’ve long championed.   For young wheelchair users, the right wheelchair is not optional. It is fundamental to independence, education, work, and long‑term health. The right wheelchair is the real difference.

Some really important discussion in this debate around access to community equipment, waiting times faced (particularly for children and young people) and the need for a dedicated Minister

The federal government has introduced the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to support low-income working-age persons with disabilities. For families receiving it — or expecting to — the first tax question is simple: Is the Canada Disability Benefit taxable? https://lnkd.in/gwzpfhdW

The NDIS exists because society built barriers. Now people are blaming disabled people for the cost of removing them. A recent article in the Australian Financial Review framed NDIS spending as "$12 billion on walks, movies and haircuts". That framing deserves closer examination. The NDIS does not fund haircuts or movie tickets. What it funds in many cases is the support a person with disability may require to access everyday activities that most people take for granted. For some participants that may mean assistance with mobility, communication, behavioural support, supervision, or navigating environments that were not designed with accessibility in mind. The support is funded. The activity is not. When media reporting focuses on the activity rather than the support required, it risks creating a narrative that disability supports are luxuries rather than tools that enable participation. This matters. The NDIS was established with the goal of supporting people with disability to participate in social and economic life. Community participation is not an indulgence. It is a fundamental part of inclusion, wellbeing and citizenship. It is also worth remembering that the majority of NDIS expenditure flows directly back into the Australian economy through wages for support workers, allied health professionals and disability service providers. Disabled people are not an abstract policy problem or a budget line. We are children, parents, siblings, workers, taxpayers and community members. And disability is the one minority that anyone can join at any point in their life. A mature policy conversation about the sustainability of the NDIS is important. But that conversation must start with an accurate understanding of what the scheme actually funds and why it exists. Participation in community life is not a luxury. It is part of living in an inclusive society. #NDIS #DisabilityRights #DisabilityJustice #AccessibilityMatters #DisabledVoices #AustralianPolitics

I could not have said it better myself, the NDIS is not paying for a persons hair cut or their moive tickets, they pay for the supports that they need to get to these everyday activities, and if a person with a disability has a support worker that is going to the movies with them, their is times where they also have to pay for the ticket of their support person, while being on a fixed income, but where is the reporting on that? Where is the YouTube documentary on the added cost of being a person with a disability?

Why Disability Sector Australia Is Being Built Now The disability sector has reached a critical point. Over recent years, service providers have faced compounding pressures, workforce shortages, rising costs, regulatory expansion, and pricing decisions that increasingly challenge sustainability. At the same time, policy reform has accelerated. While these reforms are often well-intentioned, too many decisions have been made without sufficient connection to real-world service delivery. Providers, particularly small, regional, and emerging organisations, have felt the impact first. Disability Sector Australia (DSA) is being built now because the sector can no longer afford to respond late, react individually, or absorb system change in isolation. #Disability #NDIS #Australia #ServiceProvider