LAKELAND - Disability groups in the Lakeland are cautiously optimistic about the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program announced by the province Feb. 4, which many current and future AISH recipients will be moved over to when it officially launches in July 2026.
Robert Goulet is the CEO for the Dove Centre, a non-profit supporting adults with developmental disabilities in Bonnyville and Cold Lake. He said the idea of getting people with disabilities to work more without losing access to Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) is not new.
“I think that's a really great idea, and it certainly doesn't hurt to try that. It could get more money in people's pockets, get them off the system, save the government some money that they can apply to other people in need. Right now, we have people on a waiting list. The government has a critical and urgent mandate, and maybe if they save some money through the employment part or the AISH part, they could put some people who are waiting that are not so critical, but still need the support in place,” said Goulet.
One concern he did raise was what would happen if someone who has been receiving AISH or ADAP loses their job.
“I'm hoping there's a back door that if people fall through or [a job] doesn't work out that they don't get a long waiting period to get some financial support,” said Goulet.
Allison Yopyk is the Director of Careers and Inclusion Support Services at St. Paul Abilities Network. SPAN is a non-profit which supports people living with conditions that make full participation in the community more challenging. Yopyk said she thought the ability to maintain health benefits even if income supports were no longer required was a very positive thing but expressed concern about the medical review board.
“People with disabilities, it may not just be a medical need, but how well they function or are able to adapt to what employers are looking for and what is expected of people,” said Yopyk.
The New Democratic Party’s critic for Seniors, Community and Social Services, Marie Renaud said the ADAP opens a door to changing eligibility for AISH and does not believe it will impact the unemployment rates for people with disabilities.
“It is alarming that the UCP government has given themselves the power to go through the list of the 77,000 AISH recipients and decide which of those people should be working and supporting themselves and who doesn’t need to. This will also apply to future AISH recipients,” said Renaud.
According to Renaud, there is no plan to identify, remove, or prevent barriers to employment.
In the announcement, Minister of Seniors, Community, and Social Services Jason Nixon said the government will be expanding employment supports for people with disabilities.
“Some of these employment supports include career planning, resume assistance, interview preparation, training, exposure courses, simulated work sites and supported job placements. The goal is to help people increase their independence, their earnings and their participation in the community,” said Nixon.
Goulet said he hopes expanded support will mean more resources for the organizations already providing those services to the community, like the Dove Centre.
“I want to keep my people employed. We've been doing this for 50 years [in Cold Lake] and in Bonnyville, and we're decent at it,” said Goulet.
He said one of the things they do is provide a support person who goes to work with the disabled person receiving support.
“The goal is to get them efficient enough so that we can kind of phase out, and then we could still be in the background. If a blip comes, then we can pull back in and smooth things over, get things running smoothly again,” said Goulet.
