Riel
Manitoba Liberal Party (MLP) - Candidate: LeAmber Kensley
Q: How have disabilities played a role in your life and the lives of your loved ones?
Disability has been a fact of life in my family since I was a child. Both of my parents were Polio survivors. As a result, they had lifelong complications, though they were very lucky to live full lives despite that. Spina Bifida is common in my family, and everyone has been genetically tested with regards to it. So we were constantly aware of the risk of childbirth. My nephew had a severe form of it when he was born, and he died of complications of it just before his 12th birthday. I was often his caregiver, supporting his mother in her journey as a parent and caregiver for a seriously physically limited child. I grew up in Riel and was part of the volunteer program at St. Amant Centre in grades 7-9, working with people who resided in St. Amant or who attended school there. One of my children was lucky enough to participate in that same program. My family also has a lexicon of disabilities in reading and writing, dyscalculia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc. Most of my generation were undiagnosed until adulthood, and it was a fight to get my children the assessments they needed. Two of my children also have mental health challenges. One has Schizophrenia that started in childhood. The other has PTSD because of being relentlessly bullied and assaulted by another child in elementary school.
I identify as a person with disabilities. I have several collapsed disks and compressed nerves from multiple motor vehicle accidents that have resulted in persistent migraines, post-concussion syndrome, chronic pain and neuropathy in my hands and feet.
People with disability, are just that, people, and this was ingrained upon me from the beginning. As a Rehabilitation Counsellor working with Spinal Cord Injuries, and having over 15 years working with addictions, I help people with both physical, mental and emotional challenges adjust to their disabilities.
Q: Which one of DMVote’s 5 priority issues is of the greatest interest to you and why?
Ensuring basic needs like housing is a personal priority because of my experience for my family and for my clients. As a Rehabilitation Counsellor, I often find myself helping my clients look for safe, affordable and supportive living arrangements. People need safe housing that meets their needs to live as independent lives as possible. This is not affordable for most, especially if your disability is an un-compensatable injury. Without stable housing, it is hard to meet the person’s other needs. I believe we need a mixed-use model of housing, whereby we have multiple age ranges and abilities housed together to form a community that contributes to each other. The Manitoba Liberal plans for seniors housing would also benefit those with disabilities and should be expanded to meet the unique needs of the disability community.
The Manitoba Liberals have pledged to bring in Universal basic income for those on disability, and I have been advocating on the policy level to stop using a partner's income against basic needs assessments. While partners can and do contribute to each other financially, we understand that the reality of this economy is that the basic levels of income needed are beyond a single supporter in most cases.
Q: Disability discrimination has made up the largest share by far of all the formal complaints lodged with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission over the last 20 years. What do you think accounts for this and what do you think needs to be done to address it?
The larger percentage of complaints about disability likely reflects the perception of how much must be done to accommodate people with disabilities. There are persistent myths that they will require more sick time, they will be unable to fulfill the basic needs of the job, or the cost of accommodation will be too expensive. Research has shown these myths are false and that persons with disability are more loyal, harder workers, and are able to get the required work done. Employers, housing, and education all fail people with disabilities because those being asked to accommodate them place their own efficiencies above the dignity of every single participant.
I believe that the underlying issue here is a lack of empathy. (My definition of empathy is the ability to place oneself in the position of another). I believe in a system of education that requires folks to learn in an empathetic way about the challenges other people face. I have participated in the Schizophrenia Society's experiential awareness programs, and I am aware of other similar programs for living in poverty and with blindness. These types of educational opportunities are invaluable for promoting empathy and understanding of the real issues people with disabilities face every day. I believe schools should have disability awareness education from elementary school through university.
We must also strengthen our legislation regarding accommodation and requirements for accessible services, buildings, education and workplace inclusion. The legislation must be enforceable with real consequences. Governments need to work with Non-Governmental Organizations to:
- Create affordable housing that is accessible to a variety of people.
- Appropriately fund agencies like homecare, to help people live in the community independently with dignity.
- Institute a basic living wage that is not affected by working income or marital status to lift people out of poverty.
New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP) - Candidate: Mike Moyes
Q: How have disabilities played a role in your life and the lives of your loved ones?
As a teacher, I have had the pleasure of working with students of all abilities. Many of my students have persevered through learning disabilities, physical limitations, or cognitive challenges. The commonality from all my students is that they were all deserving of respect and the right to live with dignity. My experience with a wide variety of students has shaped my outlook as a person. I believe every person has inherent value and we need to work as a society and within government to ensure full inclusion. This includes providing supports where necessary and making decisions through a lens of inclusion.
Q: Which one of DMVote’s 5 priority issues is of the greatest interest to you and why?
While each of the DMVote’s priority issues is critical to moving toward improved inclusion, I have the greatest interest in improving the employment of people with disabilities. This is because I believe that a job is something much more than a pay cheque. I believe the ability to apply your talents in an area of interest is vital for ensuring that everyone is able to take part in all aspects of society. Additionally, I believe that increasing the job opportunities for people with disabilities will help everyone to achieve greater autonomy and independence.
Q: Disability discrimination has made up the largest share by far of all the formal complaints lodged with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission over the last 20 years. What do you think accounts for this and what do you think needs to be done to address it?
People with disabilities in Manitoba have basic human rights to fully participate in all aspects of life. What we see, however, is that there are often systemic barriers and stigmas that prevent people from being able to do this. We need the Government of Manitoba to take action to ensure that people with disabilities are able to be included in all areas of society and to ensure that they are provided a life with dignity at work, school, and within public/private spaces. The Manitoba NDP supports working with the community to implement and enforce the Accessibility for Manitobans Act, education and awareness campaigns, and proper funding for disability supports – including raising wages for disability support workers. Furthermore, the Manitoba NDP believes that people with disabilities need to be at the decision-making tables. We look forward to working with the community in regular consultation from the start – including as part of our new Premier’s Business and Jobs Council.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (PC) - Candidate: Rochelle Squires
Q: How have disabilities played a role in your life and the lives of your loved ones?
Like many Manitobans, I have loved ones with developmental and physical disabilities and see first-hand the importance of creating an environment for them to grow and thrive in.
Q: Which one of DMVote’s 5 priority issues is of the greatest interest to you and why?
Providing dignified income support is a priority to me and our PC team. The advocacy work of Disability Matters Vote before the 2019 provincial election directly led to the development of Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities, a new income support program our PC team delivered, designed for individuals with severe and prolonged disabilities.
The newly launched program recognizes the unique circumstances and needs of the individual and provides monthly financial benefits to assist with basic needs, shelter, and other special needs. This program is the first income support program in Manitoba that is indexed to the rate of inflation.
Making sure we’re getting this new program right is of the upmost importance. A re-elected PC government will ensure an initial review is conducted with the involvement of the disability community.
Q: Disability discrimination has made up the largest share by far of all the formal complaints lodged with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission over the last 20 years. What do you think accounts for this and what do you think needs to be done to address it?
Lack of awareness could be a contributing factor. Public information campaigns are an important way that we can fight back against discrimination and encourage equity. Our PC team remains committed to actively and continuously working with the business community to promote Manitobans with disabilities as valuable contributors to the workforce and economy.