Dozens of Alberta disability recipients march on Stephen Avenue over cuts and delayed payments

Dozens of Alberta Disability Assistance Program recipients marched down Stephen Avenue on Tuesday to protest funding cuts and delayed payments since the program replaced the Assured Income for Severely Handicapped (AISH) program on July 1.

ADAP reduced monthly support from $1,940 to $1,740 — a $200 cut affecting thousands of Albertans with disabilities. Nary Salvani, one of the protesters, said she has not received any ADAP payments since the transition, attributing the gap to the province's inability to execute the switchover properly.

"For the first time ever, ADAP didn't pay me not a cent of my income," Salvani said. "They're not prepared to do that."

Jesse Prost, who lives with schizophrenic hallucinations and works part-time as a retail clerk, said the $200 reduction leaves recipients unable to afford rent. "That's not even enough to cover rent," he said. "Survival isn't living."

Prost added that employment discrimination against people with disabilities makes the cuts even more damaging. "The biggest issue comes down to education and workplace discrimination," he said. "It's all fine and dandy until your boss goes, no, I don't want to work with you."

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) is pushing to reverse the legislation. Bobbi Jeann, a longtime disability advocate, said the government failed to consult meaningfully with those relying on the program.

"They're not listening to what needs to be taken care of," Jeann said. "They consulted with no one. I went to a couple of the town halls online that they had and they wouldn't even allow us to speak."

Alberta's Assisted Living and Social Services ministry said it stands by ADAP, claiming the new program removes the "one-size-fits-all approach" of AISH.