Advocates call absence of disability ministry in PM's new cabinet 'a real slap in the face'

Courtney Dickson · CBC News

· Posted: May 18, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

When Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his caller furniture this week, 1 notable presumption was omitted from the roster: the curate of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities. 

Pre-election, the presumption was held by Kamal Khera, who mislaid her Brampton West spot to the Conservative Party's Amarjeet Gill. 

Instead of naming a caller minister, the presumption was, successful effect, abolished. Now, radical with disabilities and those supporting them are raising concerns astir what this volition mean for national argumentation moving forward.

"For the Prime Minister to bash this is simply a existent slap successful the look to eight million radical with disabilities successful Canada," said disablement rights prof David Lepofsky. He said the determination signals to radical with disabilities that they are not a priority.

WATCH | What Carney's furniture says astir his priorities:

According to Statistics Canada, astir 27 per cent of Canadians 15 and implicit place arsenic having 1 oregon much disabilities. Lepofsky said that fig volition lone summation arsenic the colonisation ages. 

Carissa Thorpe, who suffers from chronic pain, said she worries the omission volition acceptable radical with disabilities back. 

"It feels unsafe to maine due to the fact that radical with disabilities are the astir susceptible successful society, and we are already precise acold down astir of the remainder of society," she told CBC's The Early Edition big Stephen Quinn. 

"Nobody's going to beryllium reasoning of us."

'No watchdog'

Lepofsky, who is blind, said not having a curate dedicated to this enactment means that issues that spell earlier cabinet, often down closed doors, won't beryllium viewed done the lens of idiosyncratic who is focused connected ensuring radical with disabilities are included successful everything. 

"There's nary watchdog determination anymore to tube up and say, 'Hey, what are you doing to marque definite you're not creating caller barriers with this initiative, oregon wherefore did you permission radical with disabilities out?'"

For example, helium said, the affordable lodging situation requires information of those who necessitate accessible housing, too.  

"There's nary 1 astatine the furniture array to guarantee that erstwhile they travel guardant with this benignant of caller strategy that the accessible lodging situation is efficaciously included successful it and addressed by it."

WATCH | Calls for improved Canadian Disability Benefit:

That lodging constituent particularly rings existent for Thorpe. She said the past unchangeable lodging she had was a tiny converted shed successful someone's backyard, with nary moving h2o and stairs that she fell down respective times.

The $1,552 she gets successful disablement payments each period has made it hard for her to find some accessible and affordable lodging that is besides safe. 

Having nary furniture curate liable for disablement doesn't conscionable interaction aboriginal policy, said Yat Li, a B.C.-based advocator who is hard of hearing, "it threatens to unravel years of hard-won advancement led by erstwhile ministers who took implicit this portfolio, specifically advancing accessibility and disablement successful Canada," helium said. 

"We cannot fto this caller quality instrumentality america a measurement backwards. Even though the furniture ministry doesn't see a curate of disability, we request to proceed to person a corporate voice, proceed to impulse and guarantee that a furniture curate is explicitly tasked with the work of advancing disablement rights successful Canada."

Add disablement to different portfolio, Lepofsky suggests

Lepofsky is besides the seat of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, which is calling connected Canadians to email the premier minister's bureau to explicit their thoughts connected the deficiency of a disablement minister. 

He said the radical would beryllium blessed if disablement were added to 1 of the existing portfolios, but doesn't privation to spot the contented fixed to a caput of state. 

"They are not afloat furniture members. They don't spell to each furniture meetings. We request a watchdog successful each furniture meeting."

CBC News requested a effect from the premier minister's office, but did not person one by deadline.  

LISTEN | Disability advocates respond to Carney's cabinet:

READ | Disability advocates respond to Carney's cabinet: