Ending Disability Poverty Requires Systems Change
Disability poverty in Canada is shaped by five interconnected structural forces: financial security, policy design, administrative accessibility, social inequities, and political will.
A determinant is a structural force that shapes whether a person will be pushed into - or kept in - disability poverty.
Together, these factors influence whether disabled people have adequate income, can access public supports, and benefit from policies intended to reduce poverty.
Financial Security
Disabled people need income supports that provide real financial security.
Financial security means having enough income to cover basic needs and disability-related costs - without falling further behind when those costs rise.
| Our work: We advocate for stronger income supports, monitor the implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit, and push for policies that reduce poverty rather than deepen it. |
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Policy Design
Disability supports must work together across federal, provincial, and municipal programs.
Policy design shapes whether programs across governments reinforce each other - or cancel each other out through clawbacks, gaps, and conflicting rules.
| Our work: We bring together policymakers, researchers, and community leaders to identify policy gaps and advocate for coordinated reforms across governments. |
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Administrative Accessibility
Support systems must be accessible so people can actually receive the benefits they qualify for.
Administrative accessibility determines whether the process of applying for and receiving support is designed around people - or creates barriers that push them out.
| Our work: We advocate for simpler application processes, reduced paperwork, and fair eligibility rules for programs like the Disability Tax Credit. |
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Social Inequities
Disability poverty intersects with broader inequalities in housing, health care, transportation, and employment.
Social inequities shape who faces compounded barriers: disabled women, Indigenous people, racialized communities, newcomers, and people in rural or remote regions are disproportionately affected.
| Our work: We elevate lived experience and work with community partners to highlight how these inequalities shape disability poverty. |
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Political Will
Ending disability poverty requires sustained leadership and government action.
Political will determines whether disability poverty stays on the national agenda - and whether reforms translate into real change in people's lives.
| Our work: We mobilize communities, engage decision-makers, and hold governments accountable for progress. |
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