So, to much fanfare last week PM Steve announced that Ottawa will fund $30 million over five years for spinal cord injury research and rehabilitation. That is a noble investment, but seriously short of what the government should be doing on income support and accessibility programs for persons with disabilities.
The Conservative government still smacks of the Bob Ringma mentality "if I hired blacks or gays, and my clients found it offensive, I would make them work in the back of the shop," Harper's former Caucus colleague was memorably quoted as saying.
For the Conservatives there are deserving and undeserving poor. They will provide incentives for rich parents with disabled kids, but not supports for persons with disabilities who want to work. They fund mosquito bednets but not AIDS research and health care in Africa.
Which brings me to the irony of the Rick Hansen announcement. In meeting with the Prime Minister, Hansen couldn't get his wheelchair into the Langevin Building and was forced to go through the back alley through a freight entrance. Hopefully, with egg on his face, Steve will commit more money to improving accessibility for persons with disabilities in next month's budget.
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