For most of us, making money means going to work. Until very recently, people with disabilities were unable to participate in the job market because of social prejudices that resulted in low expectations and a lack of support. Although laws have changed and governments have created policies to encourage companies to hire people with disabilities, many are still without paid employment. There are several reasons including less access to education, an ongoing lack of disability supports, and the failure of workplaces to accommodate people with disabilities.

Being excluded from employment means missing out on income. It also deprives people with disabilities of job satisfaction and an opportunity to create friendships. But paid work isn’t the only way to be a contributing member of society. When paid work isn’t available, doing volunteer work, pursuing a personal passion, or collaborating on a project with a friend or neighbor offers the chance to deepen relationships and gain the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.

To meet their basic needs, many people with disabilities rely on income support. Unfortunately, current income assistance rates are below the poverty line. As a result, far too many people with disabilities experience the kind of worries and heartache that poverty can create. The struggle of living on a small amount of money can impact our health.¹ Poverty can cause us to withdraw from community life, and may increase the likelihood of running into trouble with the law.² Disability activists maintain that ensuring people with disabilities have enough money for a reasonable quality of life is a collective public responsibility.

Often, it is families who help fill the gap between the income support government provides and a reasonable quality of life. At any time, but especially as parents age, careful will and estate planning is critical to ensuring future well being. Until a sound plan is in place, there is the risk of having assets go to the government instead of family.

Thinking about death isn’t easy but putting it off doesn’t help. PLAN offers two books, A Good Life, and Safe and Secure, that explain the issues involved in preparing a will when a beneficiary has a disability. The place to start is with reflection and conversation. Ideally, everyone in the family should be included in the discussion. Brothers and sisters may play an important role in the finances of their siblings with a disability once their parents are gone. Keeping them informed and involved makes sense.

For sound future planning, three things are key:

• Talk to your family.
• Talk to a lawyer who is familiar with disability issues.
• Talk to a financial or estate planner.

The importance of seeing a good estate or financial planner should be emphasized. In this process of future planning, one parent discovered a new approach to life insurance that almost doubled his estate. Some parents advise that it is best to treat your will as a work in progress, something to revise as new ideas come up and conditions evolve. Whether the results add up to a little or a lot, every bit helps.

¹A. BC Association of Community Living statement on adequate income – see http://bcacl.org/aipolicy.htm.

B. Health Promotion Research at University of British Columbia - see http://www.ihpr.ubc.ca.

C. Income and Child Well-being: A new perspective on the poverty debate, David P. Ross and Paul Roberts, Canadian Council on Social Development – see http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/inckids.

The Progress of Canada’s Children 2002: Ontario Backgrounder, Canadian Council on Social Development. – http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2002/pcc02/bg-ont.htm.

²Canadian Association for Community Living website on conflict with the law – see http://www.cacl.ca/index.cfm?PID=223&LNG=E