Alberta government still has not filled new disability advocate position

More than five months after the Alberta legislature unanimously voted to create a disability advocate, the government has yet to launch the role.

“As we have on all other issues, we are working collaboratively with the community and are listening to them to get this right,” Community and Social Services Minister Irfan Sabir said in a statement Thursday. “I look forward to announcing recruitment for this position in the coming months.”

The advocate, who will report to Sabir, will be responsible for promoting the rights and interests of people with disabilities while examining broader issues.

Bill 205, which passed June 7, was initially a private member’s bill proposed by Calgary-North West MLA Sandra Jansen. The NDP made it government business so that it would pass in the spring sitting.

In May, Jansen said she expected the advocate’s budget would be around $900,000 and touted the position as a way to better link people with disabilities to necessary

services. She said she expected the job posting to be advertised in the summer.

She told the Legislative Assembly that while many people with disabilities have families to advocate for them, that’s not the case for everyone.

“That is why we need an advocate. There are lots of people with disabilities out there who don’t have family members to do that work for them,” she said, according to Hansard during the bill’s third reading. “There are parents that I spoke to who said, ‘We’re getting older, and as we do, we are worried sick about what happens to our adult child.’”

The legislation stipulates the advocate submit an annual report to Sabir.

“Since the bill passed this spring, we have been working to establish the advocate’s office and to determine how it can best work with other support mechanisms for persons with varying abilities,” Sabir added in his statement.

“We believe that having a disability advocate office is a critical step forward to ensure that voices of the community are included on all issues that matter to them.”