CUPE has a vision for the delivery of services and supports to persons with developmental disabilities and their families. Our vision is captured in the attached document, Ways to Improve Developmental Services in Ontario.
It is our contention that quality supports for developmentally delayed individuals can only be sustained through public, not profit, mandated services through an adequately funded community agency system, where workers are compensated fairly and provided training and skills enhancement opportunities. In addition, supports must be tailored to meet the needs of individuals — that is, individualized planning, not individualized funding.
Only a properly funded public system can provide redress to such inequities as long wait lists for programs and services, service cuts, limited capacity to respond to changing needs, deteriorating infrastructure, staff recruitment and retention challenges, and low and disparate wages.
Workers possess a wealth of knowledge and experience, and a depth of understanding on how to achieve excellence in the delivery of services for our fellow citizens with disabilities and their families. Along with parents and families, agencies and other advocates for improved services for those who have a developmental disability, government should consult with workers and their unions regularly.
By working together, we can make a real positive difference in the lives of persons with disabilities and their families.