Organization/Business: Every Canadian Counts
Short Bio or Organizational Mission: There is an urgent need to provide disabled Canadians and their families access to a fully funded program that meets their needs for a decent life. Currently they are denied even the most basic supports and services. The crisis is clearly illustrated by disability poverty and homelessness, while so many desperately seek access to needed services. Lack of services, weak provincial support systems, and the absence of a national strategy to address this crisis is unacceptable in Canada in this day and age.
What do you want people to know about how you or your organization is creating change in our community?
Every Canadian Counts is calling on Canadian governments to work together to develop a national publicly funded disability program to ensure essential disability supports are available to all disabled Canadians. We have engaged with many MPs, MPPs and organizations to raise awareness of the benefits of such a program, not only in human value, but the economic value it will bring to the country. Australia began this process in 2010 with it being fully implemented in 2017. We want the same for Canada, only better.
What are you working on that you would like to share with the community? :
It starts at home. Even though this is a national endeavour, we must bring awareness to disabled Canadians locally, their caregivers, supporters and local politicians that there is a much better way. We want to bring disabled people from every political riding into the same room as their MP to openly discuss hardships and challenges they constantly face. It is only through this face to face encounter that understanding and solutions can be identified and achieved.
Funding for this would be through wage deductions, much similar to EI or CPP contributions, and deducted at the source.
To get involved contact me at hubertvn@everycanadiancounts.com
Contact Name: Hubert van Niekerk
Contact Email: hubertvn@everycanadiancounts.com
Website: https://everycanadiancounts.com