A Deadly Ableist Plan

In 1979, the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program was created. The purpose of AISH has historically been to provide financial and health benefits to Albertans with permanent medical conditions that prevent them from earning a living. The core financial benefit has increased over the years; however, the only time that it was ever on par with the poverty line was in 2012 when it was $1,588.00 a month. Since then, the core benefit has remained below the poverty line. While Alberta's New Democratic Party did tie AISH to the rate of inflation when they were in government in 2018, it was deindexed by the United Conservative Party when they formed government in 2019.Then in 2023, theUCP did re-index AISH and tied it to the low end of Alberta's Consumer Price Index, or 2%, but this only increased AISH a small amount over the last two years. The current AISH amount is $1,901.00. However, because they clawed back the federal Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), the core amount for many people has gone down to $1,701. A person can work on AISH and earn up to $1,072.00 per month before their financial benefits are clawed back.

Why am I giving you a history lesson on AISH? Because on Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 the government passed Bill 12: The Financial Statutes Amendment Act, which includes a new disability program that will put the lives of at least 79,000 Albertans with severe disabilities in danger. The program is called the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and it is set to go into effect in July 2026. When the government initially introduced ADAP, they claimed it would increase the amount a person could earn before their benefits were clawed back. 

Unsurprisingly, they lied...

In July 2026 they will move 79,000 severely disabled Albertans off of AISH and onto ADAP, and then expect them to find a job. They have said they will immediately move those in hospice or continuing care homes back onto AISH. However, everyone else will either have to find a job or reapply for AISH. Now, let me tell you why this is such a dangerous plan.

With the creation of ADAP they have changed the definitions of who AISH and ADAP are for. AISH will now be for anyone who has a disability that permanently prevents them from working. The core financial benefit for those on AISH will be $1,940.00 a month. They will receive health and personal benefits as well. Those that can work will be able to earn up to $350.00 but any additional earnings will be fully clawed back from their financial benefit. 

ADAP will be for anyone who has a severe disability that substantially impedes their ability to work. The core benefit will be $1,740.00 a month. (Initially, the benefit rate will stay the same as AISH from July 2026-December 2027 for those already on AISH).  However, their health, financial, and personal benefits are not guaranteed. This means that the government can stop or change benefits for a person at anytime. The financial benefit rate is also no longer tied to inflation, which means that the benefit rate can be changed without public debate, and, freezing or reduction of benefits can happen quietly. A person on ADAP can earn up to $350.00 before their financial benefits will start to be clawed back. The government has not said what the rates of reduction will be yet. 

If a person wants to reapply for AISH or apply for either program, they will submit one form for both programs. They will have to be reassessed by a medical professional, something that can cost up to $300.00 Their application will be reviewed by a panel of government-appointed professionals. The decision made by this panel of which program a person is best suited for is final. That means that there is no option for an appeal. 

So, why is this bad? I'll give you a few reasons...

1. Just because a person's disability substantially impedes their ability to work, it does not mean they will be able to find a job that meets their unique accessibility requirements. The government has done nothing to address the barriers to employment, including the creation of an Accessibility Act. Alberta is one of the only provinces that doesn't have one. While we have made some strides in inclusive employment, and while the government claims they will do more to support inclusive employment, there are systemic barriers that are not being addressed by anyone.  This means that there's no incentive for employers to hire people with disabilities. As someone who used to live in a small town, some employers simply refuse to hire someone with a disability. Because the systemic barriers to employment have not been addressed, it means that people who suffer with things such as sensory issues or chronic pain won't be able to find employment. There's also the fact that the unemployment rate in Alberta is already high. And the government has also cut funding for employment support organizations like EmployAbilities and Gateway Association.  If a non-disabled person can't find a job, how will a disabled person find one? 

2. The government is putting a person's fate in the hands of a review panel that doesn't know them or how their disability affects their day-to-day life. With no option for appeal, it means if the review panel gets it wrong, that person is up a creek without a paddle.

3. With the amount you can earn before clawbacks being lower than it was before, it will push people into deeper, abject poverty and put more of a strain on services like health care, food banks, shelters, and mental health. Houselessness will increase because people cannot find jobs that pay the bills. This program forces people to decide between eating, taking their prescribed medications, and paying their bills. It will also push some to consider Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID).

4. It will cause people to stay in abusive relationships or at abusive jobs because they can't afford to leave. No one should be forced to endure abuse simply because they're trying to live.

So, why should you care about this? Why does it matter?

1. It's a waste of your tax payer dollars. We already have AISH. We already have a program that allows people to work if they can, and supports those who can't. Is it perfect? No. Can it be fixed? Yes. This government is choosing to create an additional program, and a review panel. Not to mention the added strain this will put on other services. These things will cost money that they don't need to spend. Why reinvent the wheel when you can fix the one you already have?

2. Just because this doesn't affect you or your loved ones today, doesn't mean it won't affect you tomorrow. Disability does not discriminate. It's ademographic that intersects with every other demographic. It's also the fastest growing minority. An average 25% of Albertans have a disability. That's 1.5 million people. That number will only increase.

3.  It's bad for the economy. The estimated buying power of people with disabilities and their families, in Alberta alone, is $15 billion dollars spent mainly inside Alberta. Lower benefit rates, lower income exemptions, and lack of employment income will mean that people with disabilities and their families won't be able to afford to buy as much, thereby not being able to help stimulate the economy. 

In the words of Gandhi, "The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members." 

The UCP has made it incredibly clear they do not care about supporting the most vulnerable in society. The only people they care about are themselves and their friends. 

Cruelty really is the point.

Sources:

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2023063-eng.htm

https://www.zacharyweeks.ca/blog/bill-12-aish-to-adap?fbclid=IwdGRleAOl_9tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEec6ovmU4RRGJXKrf3KfZ0JRNUQCCX2TOk--2cokUCA0pt68Gila0WOu21-gQ_aem_QpbQRGQU_pNDlKVGRHfqVw

https://www.rod-group.com/research-insights/annual-report-2020/

 

Why I Left ATCO

Recently, while attending Gateway Association's Mayor's Luncheon, I had the honour to hear Sumana Jeddy speak. She spoke about workplace wellness and burnout. It resonated with me in a way that I wasn't expecting.

Those who know me know that I loved working at ATCO Electric in terms of their culture, my coworkers and their value system. ATCO Electric is an incredible employer; they're a beautiful example of inclusive employment, in case I didn't make that clear by talking about them for an hour at the Mayor's Luncheon!

I spent a long time being hard on myself for leaving ATCO. I felt stupid for leaving such an amazing company with amazing pay and incredible coworkers. And, truthfully, I never really understood why I left until Sumana gave her talk at the Mayor's Luncheon.

The word is burnout. I burnt out.

The truth is, no matter how incredible or accommodating an employer is, burnout doesn't really care about that. Burnout leaves you feeling empty. For me, the best way I can describe it is feeling like an assembly line worker.

I would get up, go to work, do my job, go home, eat, and sleep. Repeat. There was no joy or fulfillment in what I was doing. There was no passion or excitement about my work. I wasn't present at home, and I could feel it. My wife could feel it. She told me after I quit that she felt like she got her husband back.

Even typing how I was feeling, remembering the roboticness of my job, it makes me feel physically ill. And again, it had nothing to do with the people or the culture at ATCO. Absolutely nothing.

Thinking about it now, I think that guilt I felt for quitting is due to a very toxic traditional ideology that you have to stay at a good paying job because it pays the bills. Your mental health should never suffer because you need to pay the bills.

Your mental health is, in my opinion, more important. Because if you don't take care of yourself, you aren't going to be there to pay your bills. So, be kind to yourself.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to yourself because your health matters, your happiness matters, and YOU matter!

How my Definition of Family was Shaped

When I was contemplating writing my memoir a realization hit me so hard it felt like a bullet train moving full speed down the railroad track and hitting me full force in its wake.

Before I share this story, I need to preface it by saying my family is amazing. I didn't have a bad childhood, I never went without. My parents separated when my sister and I were young, but they didn't stop being great parents. I had all of the things I ever wanted or needed. And I wasn't affected by their separation in the normal sense. My parents are more incomparable than trying to play a VHS tape in a DVD player.

Having said that, what I realized was, that it did affect me on some level. It affected my view of what a real family was. What it meant to be part of a family unit. And yes, both of my parents did their absolute best to make sure that I felt loved and all of that. I'm just trying to make it clear that I'm not saying, in any way that my parents did anything wrong. I have amazing parents and I'm lucky to have had them as parents.

There were two men, two families, that helped me define what family was. Tim Kennedy and Rob Ceal.

Tim was one of my mom's boyfriends when we lived in Devon, when we were younger.. Tim and his daughter Leah actually lived with us for awhile. Now, some of you that knew Tim are currently thinking Oh Mike, he treated your mom horribly. and He was an alcoholic and sbusive. Yes, I know all of that. But, as a child I never, ever saw any of it . He would read us stories in bed every night, he would take us for bike rides, play video games with us. Do all of the things that, as a child, make you feel loved and cared for. That's how I remember him. He and his daughter Leah were the closest thing, and will slways be the closest thing, I've ever had to a step dad and step sister. They taught my young self more about being part of a family than they will ever know. Tim sadly passed away from alcoholism a few years ago. I never got the chance to tell him how much he meant to me, and maybe that's because I didn't know until now. All that I can hope, is that somehow he knows.

The other man, the other family, was Rob Ceal. More so, Rob Ceal and Michelle. Rob was my ex and best friend, Randi's, dad. After he and his wife Joanne divorced, he got together with Michelle. Being a part of their lives, getting to learn from them, meant more to me than they'll ever know. Rob taught me so much about loyalty, honour, family, devotion. He lead his life by example and, oh boy, those examples are enough to fill a hundred volumes of 1,000 pages in size 12 font, double sided with no spaces. When I was around Rob and Michelle and his family, I felt like I was part of it. I felt loved, included, accepted. And it may have been to my detriment. After Randi and I broke up, I was so heartbroken that I was losing the love of that family, because it felt like my own. I felt like I was part of that family. Hell, when Rob and Michelle broke up for a bit and I heard about it, it literally broke my heart. It hurt more than my parents separation ever did. I think, had I understood better at the time, why I was having such a strong reaction to this, I would have handled things better. And to all of the Ceal family, I'm sorry for how I did handle it.

These two families, these two men, taught me more about love, life, family, then they will ever know. If they ever met in the great beyond, they'd be best friends, I have no doubt.

So, all that I know. All I can say, is thank you. Thank you to Tim, Leah, Rob, Michelle, Randi, Raye, Anna and Bobbi. You all taught me enough about family to last a lifetime. I love you all. 

Why Being Full Time Means So Much

For most people in society, they go to school, get a degree, get a job and slowly climb up the ladder at that job. For most people, that can afford it and are able to endure years of schooling after high school, this is how their life goes.

However, if you are a person with a disability, your future may look a little different. For me, it did for a long time. I have tried going to post secondary school, online and in person, a total of four times. Due to a myriad of circumstances, including my PTSD from what I endured in junior high school being too high, I am unable to complete a course in a school or online setting.

When I first moved out on my own, with my friend and ex, I was being told by certain friends and family that I didn’t need to work because I was getting Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). in fact, I remember my mother telling me once that, I didn’t want to work too much because I would lose some of my AISH. so I bought into this belief. This ideology that became I have a disability, and because I’m getting money each month from the government, that I didn't need to work. However, this belief meant that I began relying on my ex, who was working, to pick up the bigger tab for the things i couldn’t afford. This was absolutely not ok, and I will never put that kind of financial burden on anyone ever again. I learned this when we broke up and suddenly I had to pay for things on my own.

In 2015, I moved to Edmonton and got a job with the Self Advocacy Federation. I was making about $200 a month, which helped a little bit with the bills, but it certainly wasn’t much. I left that job for the last time in 2019 due to a toxic work environment which was negatively affecting my mental health.

in February 2020, I got a job doing scanning for a department in a little company called ATCO. This job was part time, 18.75 hours a week, and paid a lot better than my first job. They paid me an inclusive rate for the work i was doing. In 2021 I moved to another department where I entered material requisition. I was still working part time and still getting paid the same rate.

in December 2021, I got the best Christmas present I could have ever asked for. I was told, that as of January 31st I will be made permanent full time and will be moving up from a clerk 1 to a clerk 3! I know my friends and family are tired of me gushing about this. However, most of them don’t understand the reason why. Most of them don’t understand the amount of relief and hope that a full time job with, as my grandmother in law put it, professional pay, fills me with.

Most people, luckily, don’t know the struggle of living pay cheque to pay cheque. They don know the struggle of wondering if you have enough food for the week. They don’t know the struggle of wondering what kind of financial security you will have after you retire. They don’t know the struggle of wondering if you’ll ever be able to afford a down payment on a house.

I don’t boost about this because I‘m some kind of egocentric, heartless person. I wholeheartedly believe that every single human being deserves the kind of financial security I will have because of this job. No one should have to live in poverty. No one should ever have to wake up every day worried about money. This job only serves to make me a stronger advocate for inclusive employment and for universal basic income.

Everyone deserves the overwhelming gratitude, elation and relief I feel.

Thank you, ATCO!

Telling My Story, in my Words

Someone, someone who I look up to and admire, said to me the other day "You need to take your story back. Tell it in your own words." Initially, I brushed it off. However, this person, Kathleen, has a tendency to say things that stick with you. So, because of that, I am going to tell my story, in my own words. You may be wondering why I am doing this. I am doing this because my mother loves to tell everyone what a "miracle" I am. She loves to tell people all the things that I went through when I was young. She tells these stories to everyone that will listen and I absolutely hate it. When you have a disability, unfortunately, there are three things that can happen when people hear your story. 1. They think you're a precious miracle from heaven. 2. They pity you. 3. They appreciate what you've gone through and see how far you've come. Number three rarely happens. So, for that reason, I am going to tell my story. Because, if one more person says I'm a miracle, I may lose my mind.

I want to preface, this story by talking about disability pride. In the disability community, there is such a thing as disability pride; the pride of having a disability. And there seems to be a stipulation in our community that everyone must feel that, and if you don't, you need to be taught to feel it. There are many people that are proud to have a disability, and that is great, amazing. I am not one of those people. I'm not ashamed of it either, but to me, it just is what it is. I believe in predestination. I believe that our spirit planned exactly how our lives would pan out before we lived them. So, to me, having a disability is just part of the plan for me in this life. It's like being gay, it's predestination. But, no, I don't feel pride for having a disability. Now, why am I prefacing this? Because I fear that there are some people in the disability community that will take offence to that, and I just want to explain why I, personally, do not have disability pride.

Ok, here we go...

I am visually and hearing impaired, as most of you know so let's skip that part. I was born with a syndrome called CHARGE Syndrome. It stands for Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia choanae, Retarded growth and development, Genital abnormalities, and Ear abnormalities. I was born with three heart defects and had open heart surgery to repair them when I was very young. I also have abnormal ears, floppy ears. I did have breathing issues (atresia) when I was young and was on both ventalin and oxygen. When I was young, I also had problems swallowing, I use to have to drink thickened beverages, which were mostly disgusting (except the chocolate milk which, of course, they stopped making!) I also had a G-tube up until I was eighteen. When I was very young, I had to be sectioned as well due to issues with my lungs. I was also born with a clubbed foot, which was corrected when I was young. I also died for a few minutes when i was a baby, however our neighbors saved my life, thankfully

I'm sure that I am missing some stuff, but to me, that isn't the story. The story isn't about the struggles I went through as a child. It isn't about the problems I had as a baby. It's about the fact that I overcame it. It's about the fact that I got through it, and that I am the person I am today. I always say the hardest things we go through in our lives are the things that make us the strongest. We are all here to learn something, to be taught something. But the only way we are going to learn new things, is by looking forward, not looking back. The past has already happened, we cannot change it. What we can do, what we should do, is learn from it, and use what we learnt to make tomorrow better. I can't change what has happened to me in the past, but I'm still here, which means I have the ability to make tomorrow better than yesterday. We all do.

To learn more about CHARGE Syndrome please visit:

https://www.chargesyndrome.org/about-charge/overview/

Proud to Call You Mine

As you can probably guess by the title, and just maybe the photo, this post is about my girlfriend and love of my life, Charlie. You might be wondering why I decided to write a post about how and why I'm proud to call her mine. It should be self explanatory, right? When you love someone you should always be proud of them, no matter what they do. And, of course I am. But this pride is on another level and for a different reason. It's the kind of pride that makes your tummy get that weird butterfly feeling. It's the kind of pride where you smile so big and tears fill your eyes as you write a blog post about it. It's the kind of pride that you just want to yell to the world about. So, that's what I'm doing.

Well, ok maybe not the whole world. But, if you're reading this blog, I'm yelling it at you.

I am not going to give great details about this story because it is not my story to tell. Charlie has a wonderful blog of her own on this very website, called The Rollercoaster of Mental Health. I highly encourage you to go check it out, and learn about her journey with mental health. The story that I will tell is one from an observers perspective---a very proud observer.

Charlie has been dealing with the Canadian Mental Health system for about 2 and a half months, but she's been dealing with mental health issues for years. I will never truly know what made her ask me for help initially. I'll never know if it was because she felt safe to ask me, if she was just tired of fighting with her mind, or if she just decided that June 2020 was the right time. I don't know, and honestly it really does not matter. The fact that she reached out and asked was a huge step in and of itself, especially considering that she had been dealing with this for years.

She ended up going to three hospitals in two days. Two of those hospitals need to have their mental health unit re evaluated. The third hospital wanted to send her home. If Charlie had not fought as hard as she did to get in, I don't know what would have happened. Even though she was feeling horrible mentally, even though she was so tired of fighting, she refused to stop. And finally, she was admitted. I find it really awful though. Why do you have to have a psychotic episode or attempt to end your life in order to be taken seriously in the mental health system? Why do people that ask for help, that want help, why do they get turned away or treated like their problems aren't serious?

Charlie's first stay in the third hospital did not last as long as it should have. As she will tell you, it was because she got really good over the years at hiding how she was really feeling; acting like she was fine.

Her second stay at that same hospital has lasted a little over 6 weeks at this point and she has made incredible progress. She has been trying very hard to be more open and honest with how she is really feeling. She has started asking people for what she needs instead of doing what she thinks they want. And she has even asked for testing to be done so that she, we, can have a concrete diagnosis.

I can tell you that I have met a lot of people in my life with mental health issues. I can also tell you that I have never met someone who has leaned into their recovery, fought so hard to get the help they need and understood that they need to be in a safe environment like Charlie. To me, she is an example to people suffering with mental Illness. She is an example that you can get better. You can get the help you need. Our mental health system sucks. Hands down. Globally, it sucks. But what Charlie has taught me is that if you don't give up, if you keep fighting, you can find the crack in a broken system. You can find a rainbow in a thunderstorm.

So yeah, I'm pretty damn proud to call her mine.

The Truth About Love...As I See It

Love. That tiny little word that holds so much meaning, so much emotion, so much heartbreak, so much beauty. Love is, as we know, shown in multiple ways. The love you have for your parents or guardians, the love you have for your spouse, your kids, and even yourself. It's shown and felt in different ways. But at the end of the day, each cup runneth over with the same amount of love. What that means is, we don't have to try and choose who we love more in our life. We have the same 100% amount of love for everyone in our lives. Even though that love is shown in different ways, the amount never has to change.

If there's one thing I could tell you, that I've learned about relationships, it's to never, ever let money come between you. Money is the greatest killer of relationships. Greed, financial hardships, transaction disputes. Charlie and I both refuse to argue about, well actually anything, but especially money. We handle our finances together. We budget together, talk about transactions, and if we do encounter a financial setback, we work through it together. I think that's a huge thing. When one person controls the finances it suddenly becomes a balance of power. There should never be a hierarchy in your relationship. Secondly, on the topic of money and relationships, do not get lost in the sea of materialistic items. A huge house can burn down. A nice car can end up in a car accident. And an engagement ring that you need a loan to pay for, can still fall down the garburator. You can't put a price tag on love. And if you feel like you have to, you need to do some self reflection. If you think that your partner will leave you if you don't buy them things every week, if you think you have to buy their love; then you need to look in the mirror and figure out why you don't value yourself enough to know that you are enough. I understand thinking you aren't good enough and that you suddenly have to go overboard to impress your partner so they won't leave. I have been there, and I was still dumped. So, that right there is proof that trying to sell your love to someone does not work. And the only one that ends up hurt is you. Once you start to value yourself, start realizing that you deserve someone that's gonna love you no matter what, that's when you'll be truly happy and find peace with yourself.

Someone once said to me "If you don't love yourself, how can you expect anyone else to love you?" When I first heard this, I brushed it off. But once I started finding value in myself, validation in my feelings and ideas, self respect, self determination, I realised they were right.

Once I learned to love myself I met the love of my life, who is everything and more that I deserve in a partner. So, if you haven't met the right person yet, I implore you to do some self reflection. I implore you to learn and feel some self love. Because you deserve it.