The Problem
The problem in 140 characters or less: Individuals with developmental disabilities lack the resources they need and funding in order to help them reach their potential and be successful.
Further, there has been recent cuts made by the provincial government in programs which are designed to help this population, making it more difficult for special education programs.
•There are currently 42,000 students enrolled in special education in the Toronto District School Board alone, more than 1/68 children have autism or some type of developmental disability.
•This number has increased by 26% in recent years
•After high school (once student reaches 21 years of age), they must now enter the workforce or continue getting support services
•The problem is many still need support and this is very costly. If you do not come from a family with money, this proves to be extra challenging.
•The government provides “passport funding” however, not everyone gets this and there are over 14,402 individuals since December of 2015, still on the wait list and some wait up to 6 YEARS!! Passport funding is money from the government which allows the individual to choose appropriate day programs so that they can further their education or if they simply need more supportive services.
•In the meantime, many sit at home and wait until they can use these resources to be successful and reach their potential
"Funding is based purely on numbers [of students] and not on need."
The Saskatchewan government announced in June it will eliminate 14 teaching positions and 60 educational assistant positions.
"If our education and learning opportunities stopped after High School, many of us would not be able to obtain any job that allows us to live a comfortable life style" --Matthew 2019
"I work with adults who have developmental disabilities every week through a program I run at school called Mighty Hawks. It is truly amazing that when you give them the chance, they have so much potential and passion to learn and grow. They are no different than me or you. They have goals they want to see accomplish, but with the way their education system works, it becomes increasingly difficult. Some of them had to wait 6 years out of high school to get into a day program! That is 6 years of lost opportunity!! It breaks my heart." --Christina 2019
Everyone deserves the equal right to an education. Some people may just need additional support to get there but thats okay. We are all human. We need to start helping each other out more, rather than competing. My son has a disability. He has had a much more difficult time at many things, but one thing that makes him so special is his unapologetic attitude of being proud of who he is. Mary- 2019