When the bus left Blue Heron Support Services at 10 a.m. on a cool, slightly overcast Wednesday it was packed. On board were 35 people, from Blue Heron staff and clients to parents, guardians and concerned community members.
They were equipped with signs emblazoned with messages like “Please don’t take our supports away!”. “Trying to put us on the streets?”, “Hold on a minute not so fast”, and “Where is our right for safety?”.
The destination: Alberta’s legislature in Edmonton. The mission: To join other disabled Albertans and their supporters to protest about provincial funding cuts.
“The energy was incredible,” said Scott Robins, a guardian with Blue Heron. “It was uplifting to see so much support.”
Support is what Blue Heron is hoping for as it tries to reverse government’s decision to cut $42 million from the budget for community access programming for people who receive People with Developmental Disabilities funding.
Combined with a change in how people with disabilities are assessed, the moves are causing widespread concern among caregivers and those with disabilities in Alberta.
It is feared Blue Heron – worst case scenario – could see a $1.6 million or 38 per cent cut to its budget, leading to dozens of job losses and affecting many clients.
Several hundred people from all over the province came, including Calgary, Red Deer, Westlock, Fort McMurray and Leduc. Brandishing their placards, they gathered by the legislature steps between noon and 1 p.m.
The Barrhead delegation was determined to be heard in the din, adding greatly to the decibel level as protesters chanted “Shame on you!” and “Stop the cuts!”, accompanied by the shaking of tambourines.
One of the Blue Heron clients present was Nicole Brown, who took photos and recorded some of the scenes on her iPhone.
Being among so many supporters was a huge comfort to Nicole.
“It was fun and interesting,” she said. “We made a lot of noise. It was nice to see people supporting us.”
Carmen Nutt, also a Blue Heron client, agreed.
“It was good to see we are not alone, that we can make our voices heard and that people are listening,” she said.
“There was a wonderful representation from all kinds of agencies,” said Pat Johansen, disabilities service practitioner with Blue Heron. “We went right up to the front steps.”
Different advocacy groups were present, such as Alberta Council Disability Services, with speakers expressing concern about the impact of funding cuts.
Frank Oberle, Alberta’s associate minister of Services for Persons with Disabilities, was also there, mingling with the crowd, talking to people.
He has said government’s aim is to refocus funding to encourage employment opportunities for Albertans with disabilities.
In a statement to the legislature on Tuesday, Oberle said the changes were not entirely linked to the province’s financial challenges.
“We’re not adjusting services to individuals because of fiscal capacity identified in the budget, although clearly we have signalled that we intend to change the form and the purpose of the supports we provide,” he said. “Changes in service levels, increased or reduced, will happen as a result of the fact that we are able to assess need, and we’re going to allocate services based on need.”
On Wednesday, Oberle said the changes would not hurt Albertans with disabilities.
“If you need services, you will get services in our province,” he said.
The Albert Association for Community Living, the Alberta Council of Disability Services and the Alberta Disability Workers Association say they believe the changes will actually be in the $60 million range.
Ralph Helder, executive director and CEO of Blue Heron, said there was not much time for the funding issue to be resolved, since the contracts for service providers are supposed to take effect July 1.
Helder said he and chairperson Trudy Gammel should be meeting shortly with Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec.
Robins, who has worked with Blue Heron for 10 years, said a Barrhead rally about the cuts was planned for Tuesday, May 28, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
It would start at the Provincial Building and then move to Kubinec’s Main Street office.
