Disability As A Social Determinant Of Health In Canada - Essay Example

?Running head: DISABILITY AS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH IN CANADA 14th November Disability as a social determinant of health in Canada Introduction Provision of affordable health care is one of the major aspects of the economic growth achievement in most countries. The significant financial resources required to maintain high quality care represent a major hindrance in the achievement of health goals, especially in the developing countries. Despite the strategies undertaken by various governments to improve health, inequalities in provision of health care among Canadians are still common (Bartley, 2003). Medicare in Canada guarantees the accessibility to quality medical services. However, the low incomes in addition to the disability are major factors that hinder the accessibility of quality health services. The provision of all inclusive education programs that takes into consideration the needs of students with disabilities in one of the initiatives undertaken by government authorities. In order to streamline provision of inclusive education, Canadian government adopts international agreements, such as Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action. This paper discusses the disability as a social determinant of health in the context of governmental policy in Canada. The physical or mental challenges that explain the disability nature of an individual are not significant aspects that can justify the provision of health care to the disabilities. The major issue that needs to be considered is whether the society is willing to expose the disabled people to better health care (Bueno, 2004). The benefits given to Canada disabled people as far as health care is concerned are low as compared to other wealthy and developed countries. The disability level in Canada stands at 12.4%. Among the adult between the ages of 15-65, the percentage of the disabled persons stands at 11.6%, while less that 5% of the children below the age of 14 are disabled. The discrimination of the employment of the disabled people in various sectors of the economy is a major cause of low level of income that makes it difficult for the disabled people to access quality health care. For example, in 2000 only, 35% of disabled men benefited from full time employment. In the same period, 23% of the disabled women were in the labor market. A major indicator of the discrimination is evident from the employed women and men without disability that stood at 37% and 53% respectively. Health implications of low employment level of disabled It is vital to note that the percentage of unemployed Canadian with disabilities stands at 40%. As a result, they rely on the social assistance benefits that are quite low in Canada. In addition to the low level of health benefits provided to the people with disabilities, little financial assistance given to the disabled persons has little significant on the provision of health care. These factors make Canada to be one of the countries with highest inequality in allocation of resources and benefits to disabled people. Even though Canada has emulated reasonable efforts to assist people with disabilities, the employment sector is still unwilling to accommodate the health needs of the disabled. In this regard, it is imperative to emulate minor modification by the employers. It is vital to note that lack of providing accommodation to the individual with disabilities is a frustrating aspect that is disheartening and makes the persons feel an outcast in the society. In order to address the challenges faced by disabled people in Canada, the UN convention on the rights of individuals with disabilities has intervened (Government of Canada, 1996). This has forced Canada to make regular reports to the organization on the strategies the country has adopted to curb the situation. Policy implications In its effort to improve the provision of health care to people with disabilities, the federal government, with the participation of the Council of Canadians with disabilities, has adopted short term and long term policies as discussed in the section below. Supporting persons with disabilities The federal government is committed to supporting disabled individuals to enable them meet the health costs. For example, the government is focused at giving support to the families of the persons with disabilities as well as the care givers. In addition, the government is committed to ensuring that other members of the community have the capability to support people with disabilities. In this way, the ability of the individual with disabilities in national development will greatly be enhanced in the short-term as well as in the long term. Down payments The federal government is also entitled to provide down payment and subsidies to the organization supplying supportive equipments to the individuals with disabilities. In the same way, the government is focused at providing financial support to the national programs that gives support to the Canadians with disabilities. Dimensioning of disability In its initiatives to offer support to the persons with disabilities, the government has adopted the strategy of dimensioning the disability that entails offering support that covers caregivers. In the same way, childcare has also been associated with disability. Due to the challenges and high costs incurred by people with disabilities while seeking medical services, the government introduce gas tax rebate to ensure reduced costs of traveling to health care centers and other places. Studies on disability and poverty level In order to address the income needs of the people with disabilities, the government is committed to undertaking studies on the poverty and the disability level in Canada. In this way, it will effectively improve the income of the salaries of the disabled workers who earn less than their colleagues without disabilities. In turn, it will be possible for the disabled individuals to access medical services that are costly but of high quality. Long-term policies adopted by the federal government One of the major long term strategies that the federal government has adopted is to initiate expenditure programs that will address implications of poverty and meet the costs incurred by persons with disabilities. Through use of the policies similar to the one applied in the National Child care, the government will appropriately deal with the health problems faced by disabled members of the community. Integrating disability support with Caregiver Agenda Based on the various investments that the government has initiated with a mission of expanding the support to the disabled people, the government is determined to involve care giving as part of its policies. All inclusive education programs Inclusive policies adopted by learning institution is a major aspect that has seen students with disabilities depicts excellent performance in social and behavioral studies as well as in other academic programs. It is also fundamental to note that, regardless of their disability status, students with disabilities benefit from social and emotional advantage that is vital during the intermingling with other students without disabilities. One of the notable institutions that have taken into consideration the needs of students with disabilities is York University. In order to improve accessibility of the disabled students to quality education, the university provides learning materials and teaching methods to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities in all faculties. To ensure that accommodation for the students with special needs is met without delay, the university advices disabled students to make early registration. In addition, such students are encouraged to discuss with their professors on the services they need to ensure proper arrangement. According to the national survey conducted in Canada, provinces with high demand for special needs to cater for the education of students with disabilities includes Labrador, Ontario and Newfoundland. Even though the government has put in place strategies to accommodate students with special needs in other provinces, parents in the three provinces are still faced with the problem of accessing medical support services for their children. In the same way, the report indicates that there exist a large gap in terms of literacy skills between students with disabilities and those without them. It is essential for the government to streamline provision of quality education programs as a way of reducing the literacy gap based on the fact that literacy is a fundamental determinant of social health of individuals. Inclusion In order to accommodate the people with disabilities in building the country, it is essential to emulate inclusiveness in the Canadian citizenship. This becomes an important base of ensuring the government promotion of equality commitment that depicts full-fledged citizenship. It is also significant to eliminate problems and extra costs that Canadians face due to their disabilities. For example, some changes are needed in the criteria applied during application for student’s loan program so as to ensure that even the disabled students can easily access the loans. Modifying federal-provincial realities The relationship that exists between the federal and provincial administration, has resulted to consultation regarding the provision of fiscal amenities and other factors that affect the Canadians. However, studies shows that the realities that the residents especially the people with disabilities face are not addressed by the federal or provincial authorities. For example, the people with disabilities believe that the disappearance of Canada Assistance Plan and other programs approved by Canadian residents depicts the absence of the governmental commitment to the enhancement of the participation of people with disabilities in nation building. The imbalance between the regional diversity and the equal treatment of all citizens regarding their physical condition has created a boundary: the chance for persons with disabilities to be involved in activities focused at developing Canada as a nation is compromised. In this way, the disabled feel that their right as citizens is no longer recognized. It is therefore vital for the federal and provincial governments, as well as people with disabilities to initiate negotiation that will address the social and economic gaps of the country life (Ross & Roberts, 1999). In its effort to affirm Canadians with disabilities and protect their social, civil and political rights as citizens, it is paramount to emulate various tools. These include proper legislation, effective tax system, as well as fiscal transfers to the provinces. However, in order to ensure equality, the involvement of various agencies and government departments is paramount. Aboriginal Canadians with disability Just like Canadians with disabilities, Aboriginal Canadians face complex needs and concerns. The jurisdiction challenges faced by Aboriginal Canadians make them to be more disadvantaged than their Canadian counterparts. Lack of adequate support from the government means that they need to stay in their community and have no access to health services and the needed support for self-reliance. Alternatively, they can leave their communities to seek for basic life necessities. The disparities that exist in the income between the Aboriginal Canadians and the non-Aboriginal employees are one of the major factors that affect Aboriginal Canadians social health. For example, in 2001 Aboriginal Canadians women and men earned $16,529 and $21,958 respectively (McGibbon, 2008). Due to the low rate of employment of the Aboriginal Canadians, their level of household incomes is low as compared to the household’s incomes of the non Aboriginal. Reforms needed to accommodate Canadians and Aboriginal Canadians with disabilities Reforming the Disability Insurance System One of the major initiatives that the federal government needs to emulate is the provision of social insurance plans that will effectively meet the needs of the Canadians with disabilities. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) offers disability benefits that cover the contributors as well as their children. Contribution to the CPP is done by all Canadians who have reached the age of 18 and are earning income (Puttee, 2002). However, a Canadian residing in the province of Quebec pays into Quebec Pension Plan (QPP). QPP offers two types of disability benefits. These include disability pension that is paid to the individuals who are deemed to be disabled and the pension for the disabled kids. The latter benefit is added to the individual with disability pension if such an individual has children aged below 18 years old. The establishment of Canada Health and Social Transfer in 1996 was a great step in meeting the social needs of Canadian and Aboriginal Canadians with disabilities. New strategies to expand participation of people with disabilities in the labor force In order to enhance the performance and profitability of the people with disabilities in Canada, the government has allocated more financial resources as well as emulation of Advantage Canada to train and provide quality education to disabled persons. This would be achieved by adopting two major strategies. First, specific targets will be provided to the Canadian with disabilities in all the provinces. This would entail adoption of Labor Market Development Agreements between the federal government and the provincial administration. The financial resources of the provinces will be improved through the transfer of consolidated funds to the various territories and provinces. Secondly, opportunities funds and framework that covers labor force participation of people with disabilities will be undertaken in the short term. In this regard, innovation in the labor force inclusion will be encouraged while barriers experienced at the provincial level will be reduced. Framework for Action It is significant for the Canadian government to make Canada accessible and all inclusive by forming strong linkage with other developed countries, as well as provincial authorities so as to effectively meet the needs of the Canadian with disabilities. In this way, the overlaps that exist between the provinces and the federal government, as far as the roles of solving the problems faced by peoples with disabilities are concerned, will be addressed (Endean, 2004). One of the major initiatives that the federal government has emulated is the Federal Disability Act. In its effort to bring equality in the labor market, Canada is focused at supporting and implementing the provisions of the act. However, it is vital for the Canadian government to put in place urgent mechanisms that will address the social issues affecting people with disabilities, instead of waiting for the full implementation of Federal Disability Act, since it will take some time. In this regard, Canadian government should portray proper leadership by streamlining four major areas. First, effective measures should be adopted to mitigate labor force discrimination. Secondly, the government should enhance community inclusion and promote accessibility of health facilities for the disabled employees, especially through insurance coverage. Thirdly, the government should streamline the provision of disability support to promote participation and independence, as well as to propagate citizenship. Fourthly, it is essential for the government to transfer more financial resources to provinces so as to expand the investment portfolio being vital for offering support to the persons with disability. Conclusion The contribution of the disabled persons into the development of Canada and other countries is an aspect that government authorities should not overlook. One of the major strategies the government should propagate is the provision of all inclusive education that caters for the needs of people with disabilities. The obstacles faced by Aboriginals in accessing social needs should be addressed by eliminating the complexity that exists in the legislation concerning the Aboriginal Canadians. In addition, it is essential for the government to adjust taxation systems so as to enable the accessibility of the vital social services by the people with disabilities. In the same way, provision of equal employment opportunities and insurance covers will greatly improve the performance of the individuals with disabilities, thus resulting to expansion of economic performance of the provinces and Canada in general. References Bartley, M. (2003). Understanding Health Inequalities. Oxford UK: Polity Press. Bueno, L. (2004). The Change in Mentality Needed for Society to Promote Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities. in Transforming Disability Welfare Policy. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company. Endean, R. (2004). Building New Pathways to Work. in Transforming Disability Welfare Policy. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing Company. Government of Canada. (1996). Equal Citizenship for Canadians with Disabilities: The will to act. Ottawa: Government of Canada. McGibbon, E. (2008). Health and health care: A human rights perspective. Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives. Toronto: Canadian Scholars. Puttee, A. (2002). Reforming the Disability Insurance System: A Collaborative Approach. in Federalism, Democracy and Disability Policy in Canada. Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Ross, P., & Roberts, P. (1999). Income and Child Well-Being: A New Perspective on the Poverty Debate. Ottawa: Canadian Council on Social Development. Read More