PCs Commit to Transforming Manitoba Disability Support System

WINNIPEG — Progressive Conservatives commit to transforming Manitoba’s disability support system if elected into government, based on recommendations from the Integrated Adult Services (IAS) pilot program, Agassiz PC candidate Jodie Byram announced today.

“What we’ve heard from advocates is that the current disability support system is failing Manitobans,” said Byram. “Today, your Progressive Conservative Party commits to ushering change, rooted in human rights, led by people with disabilities, families, and communities. Together we will create a province that is accessible for all Manitobans.”

The IAS program, a two-year pilot of a new model of service delivery for adults with complex disability-related needs, emerged from human rights complaints launched in 2016. The cases highlighted how access to proper care and supports for young people with complex disabilities can abruptly end at the age of 21. In response to the complaints, the PC government of the day collaborated with stakeholders to develop the IAS pilot and committed to making best efforts to implement its recommendations.

“Adults with disabilities are being ‘locked out of life' because they no longer receive the necessary supports that they need to fully participate in our society,” said Byram, who attended the IAS report launch in June. “That’s why PCs are promising today to be partners in making transformative change where no Manitoban gets left behind.”

The core proposal of the report is the creation of a new provincewide disability support system. To realize such a transformation, other recommendations include replacing diagnosis- or IQ-based eligibility thresholds with needs-based eligibility, providing continuity of supports across the lifespan, and streamlining bureaucratic processes, among others.

To address the key recommendations, a new PC government will codevelop an implementation plan with community partners that lays out action items and expected timelines. The system will be a whole-of-government approach that is transparent, accountable, and navigable, focusing on the supports that Manitobans require to live safely, independently, and with dignity.

This work will build on previous PC initiatives to create meaningful change for Manitobans with disabilities, added Byram, who is the PC Critic for Accessibility. In 2020, PCs launched a task force to review policies and practices around services for adults with intellectual disabilities. After the task force published its findings and recommendations, PCs released an implementation plan with updates, which concluded as of 2024.

Byram emphasized that this is not a partisan issue, and that PCs will work with all parties to implement the IAS recommendations. Last week, Byram and PC Health Critic Kathleen Cook penned a letter to the premier urging that he take action.

The 44th Manitoba general election will be held no later than October 5, 2027.

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