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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

MAIN CONCLUSIONS FOR ADULTS:

• The report's main conclusions are in the following areas:
  • context around unmet need
  • cost concerns
  • lack of information on where to obtain supports
  • unmet need in relation to type of disability
  • support with activities of daily living
  • specialized features within the home
  • educational supports
  • supports in the workplace
• The report found that those most likely to live with unmet needs are:
  • people with severe disabilities;
  • those with low incomes;
  • those of working age;
  • those who require high cost items (e.g. electric wheelchairs, scooters and lifts).
• The likelihood of having your needs met also relates to the nature of the disability. With respect to numbers, close to half of those with unmet needs require an aid/device to assist with mobility (this is largely due to the high prevalence of this disability type) but the rate of unmet need is highest amongst those with speech and learning disabilities.
• Overall, two-thirds of adults who require some type of aid/device have their needs fully met; one quarter have their needs partially met; and close to 1 in 10 have none of their needs met.
• The rate of unmet need is higher among those with severe disabilities, especially those living below low income cut off levels (LICO).
• There are large areas of unmet need for those on welfare (e.g. 56% for aids and 45% for assistance with daily activities). Those who are employed are the least likely to report unmet need for aids, devices and support with daily activity.
• Cost concerns are the main reason for unmet need and this affects persons with severe disabilities the most.
• While cost is the greatest barrier listed with respect to the acquisition of required supports and services, a substantial proportion of individuals note that a lack of information about where to obtain supports and services plays a major role in their unmet needs. Seventeen percent of individuals report that they did not know where to obtain aids/devices.
• The report also finds that there is a very large requirement for support with activities of daily living. Currently, these supports are being provided primarily through informal sources such as families and friends. This suggests that the formal infrastructure for such supports, such as organizations and agencies, can adequately service only a small fraction of those in need.
• If baby boomers adopt the same rate of requirements for aids/devices as today's seniors, the total need could more than double in the next 20 years. Given anticipated demographic changes, there should be tremendous concern about the lack of formal infrastructure available to provide support when the 'family' can no longer continue to do so for free.
• The report also explored unmet needs for specialized features within the home. Those with greater levels of severity are more likely to have an unmet need for this type of support. However, unlike for other types of supports, economic situation is not as predictive of unmet need. Those living above LICO and those relying primarily on market income are actually more likely to have unmet needs with respect to specialized features within the home (perhaps because fewer people living below LICO are home owners and/or programs helping with home modifications are targeted to lower income levels).
• With respect to educational supports, about 8% of the student population aged 15 and over (including students in secondary and post-secondary school within the last five years) require some type of modified building feature, and 14% require some type of aid/device in order to attend school. When we separate the analysis into secondary and post-secondary school experiences, we find that there is actually a higher requirement for aids/devices in secondary school than in post-secondary school. Since one would not expect requirements to decrease, this suggests that those who have a need for such aids/devices may be less likely to go on to post-secondary education. A lack of such aids/devices could well be a serious barrier for this group.
• Regarding supports in the workplace, there was a fairly high level of need for those who were employed and even higher levels for those who were unemployed. The greater requirements among the unemployed suggest that their need for supports may make them more vulnerable to unemployment. The two specific types of supports most required (particularly by the unemployed) are: 'job redesign' and 'modified hours', both of which are primarily within the purview of the employer.

MAIN CONCLUSIONS FOR CHILDREN AGED 5 - 14 ⁵: Aids and Devices

• Two thirds of Canadian children with a disability (105,000) require aids and devices related to their disability.
• Just under half of these children (48,500) have some level of unmet need for aids and devices. Among adults with disabilities, over two-thirds of those who require aids and devices have their needs fully met. This suggests that children may not be doing as well as their adult counterparts in accessing aids and devices for their disability.
• Severity of disability plays a key role in level of need and unmet need for aids and devices:
  • Half of children with mild disabilities require some type of aid or device, compared with 90% of the severely disabled.
  • Only 3 in 10 children with very severe disabilities have their needs for aids and devices fully met.
• The nature or type of disability is another key factor:
  • In terms of numbers, children with learning disabilities (42,050), chronic illnesses (35,470) and speech disabilities (28,420) have the greatest unmet need for aids and devices.
  • Children with psychological and developmental disabilities have high rates of unmet need (64% and 61% respectively).
• While a number of people reported multiple reasons for unmet needs, financial-based reasons are the most prevalent.

Supports Needed at School

• Seven in ten children with disabilities (just over 100,000) require an aid, device or service at school to pursue their education. Nearly three-quarters of these children have their needs fully met.
• The most commonly required aids/devices/services are 'tutors' or 'teacher's aides' (required by just over 90,000).
• The most prevalent reason identified for the unmet need is "school funding cutbacks" (listed by 80% of those with unmet need).
• Only 7% of children with disabilities (9,760) attending school report a need for modified building features at school.

Supports Needed at Home

• 34% of children with disabilities (52,000) have parents who report a need for household support due to their child's disability, with two thirds having unmet needs.
• Support to 'take time off for personal activities' is required by 50,000 families of children with disabilities while many require time off to attend to other family responsibilities; and 13% require support with everyday housework. Among those who require support with housework, 80% have an unmet need.
• Only 4% of children with disabilities (6,600 children) require special features to go in and out of their home, and a similar number require special features for use inside their home. However, there is a high degree of unmet need for all of these requirements.
• About three in five children requiring some type of specialized feature to get in, around, or out of their home have an unmet need. Cost is the number one reason listed for these unmet needs.
• It is important to note, however, that over a third of these families report that they do not know where to look for help.

• ⁵ Our examination of supports for children with disabilities is limited to those aged 5 to 14 because most of the relevant information from PALS is available only for that age group. Most of the questions regarding supports and services were not asked of those under the age of 5.