Nowhere is that more evident, in many cases, than in the lives of students with disabilities.
Getting even to post-secondary education is an uphill battle for many Canadians with disabilities. In fact, data from Statistics Canada finds that youth aged 20-24 with disabilities are less likely to be in school than their peers without disabilities. At the same time, many students work while studying, and students with disabilities are often at a disadvantage in both areas, facing high levels of unemployment and low wages associated with rising living costs.
However, there are supports designed to ease some of the burden, giving students with disabilities more room to focus on completing their studies and preparing for the workforce.
From the beginning
Before looking at federal and state programs, it’s helpful to start with the basics: skills and programming that can make postsecondary education less of a financial burden for students with disabilities. Seanna Takacs, PhD, lead faculty member in accessibility services at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and outgoing chair of the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS), says students with disabilities often have to understand their financial reality before their peers.
“I think that students with disabilities should have ways to budget early and quickly and carefully…What does it mean to have an emergency fund? What does it mean to save? Those kinds of things, you can’t really stress to any other 18 or 19-year-old.”
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Basically, that means knowing about programs like the Disability Tax Credit or the registered disability savings plan (RDSP). In some cases, it means taking on responsibilities that exceed a student’s normal budget, such as coordinating personal care support, a process that some in the community describe as your human resources department. Being a student with a disability often means you know exactly what financial support is available through social and family safety nets.
Takacs compares the experience to an already weighty start.
“You add rock on top of rock on top of rock. And for anyone, it can be very difficult. If you have mixed financial circumstances, and if you’re a disabled student, you’re starting with a wheelbarrow full of rocks.”
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Reducing that burden often starts with understanding federal support, including the Canada Grant for Services and Resources and the Canada Grant for Students with Disabilities. These systems can help reduce costs not only for services, but also for dynamic resources. Some common examples include computers, text-to-speech software, amplification devices, noise-cancelling headphones and productivity service subscriptions.
But federal grants are only one part of the picture when it comes to making post-secondary education more accessible to students with disabilities.
Look for scholarships and financial aid
It may seem obvious, but many university students—disabled or not—are leaving money on the table by not applying for scholarships and bursaries. In fact, millions of dollars in scholarships go unclaimed each year. Regardless of which college or university you choose to attend, it’s a good idea to review what funding opportunities are available, including awards specifically targeted at students with disabilities.
Apart from this, there are also websites and organizations that help students to search further. The National Educational Association of Disabled Students, for example, maintains a scholarship database that you can filter by state. In addition, a range of disability-focused non-profit organizations and companies offer targeted awards, including organizations such as Accessible Media Inc., the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada, and corporate sponsors such as Deloitte Canada.
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While the proverbial headlines may be the ever-increasing cost of tuition, it may also be helpful for students with disabilities to check out grants such as housing insecurity grants, food banks, and other such resources.
Takacs says building this web of support often comes down to knowing where to ask. He points specifically to both financial aid and institutional accessibility offices, noting that staff in these jobs can find funding and resources that aren’t immediately visible to students. He even describes financial aid workers as “witches” because of their ability to find support that students don’t know exists.
This can be especially true for students who are just beginning to navigate a disability identity, or who are beginning to understand the range of support that may be available to them.
Track your eligibility
To use the Takacs wheel analogy for rocks, one of the most difficult burdens would be to stay fit for the support you’ve come to rely on. Many disability programs, including the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), have ongoing eligibility requirements that you must maintain throughout the school year and beyond. Similarly, Canada Student Loans require you to maintain a minimum tuition fee, which is usually lower for students with disabilities but not entirely fixed. The last thing you need is to beg the government to keep the funding you need.
