COMMENTARY: Being disabled is not cause for inspiration. Fighting discriminatory policies is.

As someone with a disability, I can tell you that having a disability, whether it be a physical disability such as Cerebral Palsy, or an invisible disability such as fibromyalgia, is not a cause to be considered inspirational.

Many people have misconceptions about people with disabilities.

I use a wheelchair for mobility, and I was out trick-or-treating with my friends for Halloween when I was younger. The lady who was handing out the treats looked at me and said, “Poor little thing.” She looked at my friends and said, “What happened to her? Can she talk?” My friend started hysterically laughing and said, “Can she talk? She has never stopped talking.”

We, in the disabled community, often are called an inspiration. My question to a stranger who instinctively wants to call me an inspiration is, an inspiration for what? You don’t know me or what I have achieved. Am I an inspiration because I am pushing my wheelchair independently in the grocery store? Or am I an inspiration for trying to change policies that discriminate against people with disabilities?

March 25th is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. I live with Cerebral Palsy, which is defined as a group of disorders that affect movement and muscle tone or posture. It’s caused by damage that occurs to the immature developing brain, most often before birth. Everyone’s conditions are different. There are four types of Cerebral Palsy: Spastic, Ataxia, Dyskinetic, and Mixed. I know many people with Cerebral Palsy, and everyone’s needs are different.

For those of us who live with a disability and are on social assistance, we face double discrimination: we are the ‘undeserving disabled.’

Most people I know, including myself, would rather be working full-time to contribute to society in a meaningful way. We pay our taxes like everyone else, but we have no choice but to access social assistance that puts us well below the poverty line. According to the Saint John Human Development Council, a living wage in Saint John is $21.60 an hour and Fredericton’s is $21.45.

Social assistance rates are currently $726 a month for someone who does not qualify under extended benefits. For people who qualify for the disability extended benefits program, the social assistance rate is $832. It has been forecasted that the amount a social assistance recipient receives will increase slightly in April 2023.

While social assistance rates are low, having a disability is extremely costly. To find adequate housing for someone with a disability is extremely rare in the current housing crisis, especially at an affordable rate. The cost of medication or other medical equipment such as a manual wheelchair, electric wheelchair, walker, or cane is out of reach for many. These are not luxury items but essential to anyone who needs them.

Many medications and essential items are not covered by the province’s health card. As a result, many people end up having to pay out of pocket. As I’m sure everyone can relate to in today’s economy, with an already tight budget this may cause undue hardship. Many people rely on loved ones or friends just to get by if additional medical expenses arise. The sad reality is many people do not have friends or family to lean on for financial assistance. Some people have to decide what bill is less important or urgent, what meal they should skip today to cover the additional cost.

I have achieved many things in my lifetime. I am on two volunteer boards for people with disabilities and I have been fighting to change unjust policies for those that rely on social assistance with a disability, including the Household Income Policy. This policy has stopped me from marrying my partner because to do so would deny me social assistance benefits.

I am currently working part-time. My mission in life is to help spread awareness about various disabilities. I want to change unjust policies. I want to ensure everyone has equal opportunities and access to what they need. I am very outspoken and a proud disability advocate who wants the best for everyone in the world. I am currently trying to break down the stigma about disability and help create equal opportunities for everyone. I am striving to make New Brunswick the best it can be.

Everyone deserves equal access to buildings, to be treated with dignity and respect no matter their background or circumstances. Treat people as you want to be treated. We should unite together, and help our world evolve and prosper. Alone we are one, together we are stronger. The disability community’s needs must be met. We can set a good example for other provinces and demonstrate true inclusiveness and diversity.

Kaitlyn Layden is a disability rights advocate in New Brunswick.