There is no indication of when the Ontario government plans to begin funding this
program, what the criteria may be for eligibility for direct funding or, how much
funding may be allocated to each individual who qualifies. It is unclear whether
this “Direct Funding” will be something different than Passport and SSAH.
A Ministry of Community and Social Services news release dated July 30, 2013,
indicates that the Ministry has enhanced supports in Developmental Services
following the 2013 Budget. According to the news release the enhanced supports
include new or additional direct funding for 850 adults with a developmental
disability to support their community participation and provide respite to
caregivers.
The backgrounder to this news release indicates that this money is to be
allocated through the Passport program.
IV. Rights Enforcement
The Social Inclusion Act does not provide any rights for those who receive
services and supports. Nor does it provide any individual redress for rights
violations.
As Kerri Joffe noted:
Stakeholders with disabilities consistently stated that the government’s
failure to include rights in the Social Inclusion Act is one of the legislation’s
most significant shortcomings ... Including rights in the Social Inclusion
Act framework is important for several reasons. Symbolically, it
demonstrates that the humanity and dignity of people with intellectual
disabilities is not merely recognized in words, but in substantive rights that
people can use to improve the quality of their daily lives. Practically,
including rights in the legislation is the first step towards creating a culture
of rights within the developmental services sector, thereby increasing the