By Kendall Worth!
Nova Scotia actively promotes itself both at home and abroad as “Canada’s Education Destination”: we have a dozen top notch post-secondary educational institutions that play a significant role in the province’s economy, attracting students from near and far.
We proudly brag about our abundance of educational riches: “With state-of-the-art facilities, world-class faculty, and a vibrant campus life, Nova Scotia’s post-secondary institutions offer an enriching educational experience that prepares students for success in a globalized world.”
The concern that I want to address in this BLOG relates to the experience of one specific sub-set of students – those who live – and study – with a disability. And in particular, those disabled students who come to Nova Scotia from other Canadian provinces, full of hope and optimism. My long-term readers will remember the series of articles I wrote about the experience of Carrie Ann Bugden, a young, disabled woman from Newfoundland who came to Halifax in pursuit of a higher education. Carrie Ann struggled to secure the resources and accommodations necessary to succeed in her education pursuits, and eventually returned home to Newfoundland, deeply frustrated and disappointed.
Let me be clear: this current BLOG post is not an update on how Carrie Ann is doing these days. But it is about how Carrie Ann’s experience was NOT unique. (Details of her experience are reported in my earlier BLOGS here and here.) Other disabled students attracted to opportunities for higher education in Nova Scotia have also struggled to secure the resources and accommodations needed to make their educational journey a success.
In my regular conversations with people about the challenges faced by marginalized and disabled persons, the case of Carrie Ann is often brought up. Individuals associated with all 3 of our local universities here in Halifax have described to me how similar cases continue to happen. Indeed, one of my regular supporters recently mentioned the case of a fellow student at Dalhousie who was a wheelchair user (like Carrie Ann) but had to return home to Alberta before graduating because she too could not get her disability needs covered here in Nova Scotia.
Other stories shared with me included the following:
• Sources suggest that Mount
Saint Vincent University has not learned from Carrie Ann’s unhappy
experience, and in recent years several students with disabilities from other provinces
have also left their programs prematurely.
• Conversations with my contacts
at the Social
Work Clinic at Dalhousie, building on our collaboration during the All
Together Link (see this BLOG), suggest that there
have been a number of similar experiences there. Confidentiality rules make it
difficult to share specifics, but in many cases the challenges focused on
out-of-province disabled students being unable to access provincial benefits, -
much like Carrie Ann.
• Similar examples have
also been shared with me related to disabled students at both St Mary’s
University and St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish.
It seems clear to me that while Nova Scotia is promoting itself as an educational destination for students across the country (and beyond) there are some very real policy obstacles for students with disabilities arriving from other provinces. This issue requires IMMEDIATE attention by the Provincial Government.
The main obstacle appears to be the local residency requirement for accessing various programs and benefits. This means that in reality, the various policies and programs intended to benefit disabled students are not accessible to out of province students. Clearly, the NS Government needs to lift this requirement entirely. Or perhaps it could negotiate some sort of reciprocal agreement between provinces so that disabled students can carry “portable” benefits between provinces, - or can access benefits upon arrival in any Canadian province.
It is possible that the Federal Government needs to show some leadership in this area to get ALL the provinces on board. The obstacles I am discussing are clearly inter-provincial barriers to disabled students pursuing their educational dreams. And there seems to be some political energy in the country these days to reducing barriers to the free movement of people, goods and services between provinces.
Another option would be for the Government of Nova Scotia to open up its Career Seek Program to students with disabilities from out-of-province. Alternatively, NS could perhaps work with the Federal Government to put a similar program in place across all provinces.
My Conclusion:
It is my view that ALL students should have fair and equitable access to educational opportunities, - and these opportunities should extend to students with disabilities, including those from across Canada. To make this a reality will require changes in government practices and policies related to support for disabled students. We need to put an end to the frustrations and disappointments felt by those students who come to Nova Scotia to pursue their educational dreams, - but end up dropping out and heading home in frustration. We can do better!
Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.
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