When I saw this quote I couldn’t help but think of the BC Liberals. People with disabilities are currently being attacked by the very people who were voted in to look after our interests. Taking a program that works, the bus pass program, and making it almost 14x more expensive (from $45 a year to $669 a year) for a group of people who live under the poverty line and cannot currently afford food, housing, medications, medical needs, therapies and/or adaptive equipment, etc. is an attack, make no mistake about it!
The Liberals say they want to make the system more equitable for those who live in communities where the bus pass and/or transportation subsidy cannot be used. However, instead of making it more equitable by looking for solutions in these communities or helping people in those communities with additional resources, they have made the system more equitable by making it harder for more people across BC to access transportation and all that transportation means to people with disabilities: independence, access to medical appointments, ability to do errands, have a personal life, become employed, and/or participate in their community. This is not the equity people with disabilities were looking for. And this is an attack on the fundamental right of people with disabilities to not be isolated through government policy. We thought we had, as a society, come further than that.
The BC Liberals have previously announced they want BC to be the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities, but this is most definitely a step back in time. If they want to be the most progressive province for people with disabilities start with an apology for this mean-spirited change, revert the bus pass program back to $45 a year, increase the rate to properly reflect the lack of a raise for nine years plus the current cost of living and help those in communities who can’t access transportation through the bus pass or transportation subsidy programs. There are advocates and organizations who are waiting and willing to work with the province to correct this mistake. BC Liberals, recognize the mistake that was made and work with us to move forward. Stop this attack on people with disabilities!
(Quote in photograph: Attacking people with disabilities is the lowest display of power I can think of. Morgan Freeman)
