A DISABILITY POLICY FRAMEWORK – WE CAN SUPPORT

In June of 2007, six years after the release of the Saskatchewan Disabilities Action Plan, the Government of Saskatchewan finally responded with the Disability Inclusion Policy Framework.  For IDEA Regina this long anticipated response fell far short of what it had hoped for and we urged the citizens of Saskatchewan to reject the Disability Inclusion Policy Framework.  It is not a vision or plan to meet the needs of people with disabilities in Saskatchewan. (Click here to download a pdf of the Framework. The Vision is located on page 8.)

In short, IDEA Regina finds:

The Framework Vision statement: "Saskatchewan people with disabilities participate fully in the economic and social life of their communities and the province." fails to open the future for people with disabilities and sets people with disabilities as a class of citizens separate from the rest of Saskatchewan.               

The Framework Goals talk only about reducing barriers and not eliminating barriers.

The Framework Principles are meaningless. Each Framework principle talks about what  'should' happen instead of what 'must' happen to ensure the inclusion of citizens with disabilities.

A full critique of the Framework can be found here.

In August of 2007 IDEA Regina challenged the Saskatchewan Government to revise the policy framework to meet the needs and interests of people with disabilities.

January 30, 2008 the Minister of Social Services responded by letter to our challenge and that of many, many others in the disability community, when she announced that a review of the policy framework would take place.  We applaud this move and offer for discussion a Disability Policy Framework – We Can Support.