More than halfway through a five-year plan to overhaul supports for people with disabilities, a progress report shows the Nova Scotia government lagging behind on several targets.
Advocates say steps have been taken in the right direction but they’re disappointed with the pace of change.
The province says it’s proud of what it’s done so far and is confident it will achieve the plan’s ultimate goals on time.
In a news release Friday, the Disability Rights Coalition highlighted what it described as “critical” areas where the province has missed benchmarks. It’s behind on moving people out of large institutional settings, including nursing homes, creating new support options for community-based living and hiring specialized staff for the disability support program.
“I’m upset,” said coalition spokesperson Leta Jarvis. “They’re not pushing it very much. They’re not getting people out into community fast.”
Jarvis, who has an intellectual disability, was in and out of institutions for decades, starting in her childhood. She now lives in an apartment, with support provided by the province and a non-profit called People First Nova Scotia.
She said her brother, who also has an intellectual disability, is growing impatient as he waits for an opportunity to move.
“The only thing I can tell my brother is … just hang into it.”
Leta Jarvis, right, with her brother, Paul, seated, and his fiancee Maryanne. (Cindy Carruthers/Submitted)
In a landmark ruling in 2021, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal found long-standing systemic discrimination in the province’s treatment of people with disabilities, including institutionalization and indefinite wait times for support.
In 2023, the province, the coalition and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission agreed on what steps would be taken to change the system. The plan, commonly referred to as the remedy, has targets sprinkled throughout and a final deadline of March 31, 2028.
This is not the first time benchmarks have been missed.
No one from the Department of Opportunities and Social Development was available for an interview Friday. A spokesperson said that while “timelines and targets are helpful markers along this path,” the final deadline is the only legal requirement.
“We remain confident in our ability to do that and committed to building a future in this province that reflects the spirit of the Remedy: one that is free of discrimination, where Nova Scotians with disabilities are supported to live a good life in their community of choice.”
They highlighted that government has spent $200 million in the past two years to build the foundation of the remedy.
Earlier this week the department announced the start of a home-share program that is an element of the plan.
Kim Long, vice-chair of the Disability Rights Coalition board and mother of a 20-year-old son with an intellectual disability, said in spite of the slow pace, she believes the people working on the remedy are doing so in earnest.
“It’s their vocation, they’re passionate, but it’s still the government,” she said, adding that she thinks bureaucratic red tape and the need to collaborate across multiple departments have contributed to the delays.
Long said she’s optimistic the province will complete the work by the end of the five-year period. But she’s looking for the transformation of the system to be measured in more than just numbers.
She said the truest reflection of change is in the experiences of people with disabilities and their family members and caregivers.
“We don’t want the province to check a box for the sake of checking a box. We want to make sure that people are truly having a better life and are provided with opportunity and choice,” she said.
The coalition is inviting people affected by the remedy to share their experiences with either the organization or other advocacy groups. Long said that feedback will be increasingly important as more changes come into effect.
MORE TOP STORIES
