October 17th is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. People are talking about poverty today. This is very important. My name is Lauren Gopaul. I study Health Studies at Western University. I have learned about intellectual disability and poverty. I want to share what I have learned. Do you want to take action? I have some ideas.

All across Canada, people with disabilities live in poverty. People on disability income assistance live in poverty. People with disabilities who can’t afford the added costs of supports live in poverty. This includes personal equipment, learning resources, and housing accommodations. People who aren’t supported to work live in poverty. 3 out of 4 people with an intellectual disability live in poverty. It’s a big systemic problem.

But, Canada has promised to help end poverty. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to create a better world for everyone. Goal 1 is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere. The theme for this year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is Acting Together for Just, Peaceful, and Inclusive Societies. Imagine what inclusion could look like if Canada took action, met SDG Goal 1, and ended poverty.

Poverty and Health:

There are reasons why more people with disabilities live in poverty. There are barriers to education, work, healthcare, housing, and money. These barriers are also called social determinants of health. They can impact if a person will get sick or acquire a disability. The World Health Organization says that of all the social determinants of health, poverty is the greatest threat.

Stigma:

There’s still a lot of stigma around disability. People think health challenges are just because of the disability itself. But research shows that social determinants play a bigger role in people’s health than their disability.

Canada Disability Benefit:

The government is working on a new Canada Disability Benefit. The benefit could lift people out of poverty. It could have a huge impact on health. But the government’s current plan is to offer people with disabilities a maximum of $200 a month, or $6 a day. This is nowhere near enough to lift people with an intellectual disability out of poverty. It won’t have a big impact on people’s health.

My call-to-action:

Poverty is the greatest threat to health, and people with disabilities are hugely impacted. We can start to fix this by pushing the government to increase the Canada Disability Benefit amount. Disability rights are human rights, Poverty is a violation of basic human rights!

How can you take action?