Three different groups in Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer that support Albertans with physical and intellectual disabilities are losing their funding. These disability advocacy groups help hundreds of Albertans with disabilities connect with peers and develop skills.
Edmonton-based Self Advocacy Federation facilitator, Keri McEachern, said each organization had 3-year government contracts to support operational costs. Earlier this month, the government said funding would stop in April, over a year before the contracts expire.
The province said it wants resources to be used to connect people with disabilities to front-line services, which these organizations don’t provide. McEachern disagreed, saying these groups are essential to the community.
