Inclusion BC Advocacy: COVID-19
Reinstate B.C.’s Medical Health Director for people with intellectual disabilities during COVID-19
Inclusion BC continues to work with our community partners to urge governments, agencies, businesses, non-profits, and community groups to accommodate the unique needs of people with intellectual disabilities and their families through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are three issues we are currently addressing.
Provincial Medical Health Director and Consultancy
- Inclusion BC is calling on the provincial government to reinstate the Medical Health Director and Consultancy for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
- The number of people needing CLBC services goes up each year, and yet the related health services are shrinking. It is time to reintroduce and enhance the capacity of our local health authorities.
- Much trust has been built over the last few weeks, let us expand and build on it to support the health-related needs of people with disabilities
Person-centred and Family-centred Emergency Support
- Emergency supports to ensure security for individuals and extra support for family caregivers who have to step in to replace cancelled school and community programs
- Use emergency federal funding to support family caregivers who need to fill in for cancelled school and community support programs or to comply with public health policies intended to minimize risks of infection and transmission.
- For families of school-age children and youth with extra support needs, additional supports are urgently needed for critical home and nursing care, medical supplies, mental health, trauma, and family violence supports.
Accessible and Inclusive Emergency Support
- All COVID-19 public health messaging should include plain-language versions.
- Explicit consideration of the unique needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities in all COVID-19 planning and response, including communication barriers and accessibility of emergency measures intended to help all Canadians.
