Advocates struggle after funding denied

The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities is still struggling with a funding shortfall and could soon be forced to close its doors, says a spokesperson for the organization.

“It’s caused some budgetary constraints to the point that we’re literally within a couple of months of shutting down,” said Whitney Hodgins, a Brandon board member. “There’s no financial way around it.”

The MLPD’s application for $50,000 in core funding from the provincial government for the 2018-19 fiscal year was not approved after they were told by provincial officials their application was not submitted in time.

Provincial funding for 2019-20 has also not come through, said Hodgins.

“Ever since the loss of core funding back in December when we were notified, we’ve been without it,” Hodgins said.

She noted their application for funding last year was not submitted too late, despite what the province has said.

Rather, she said, it was submitted on time, but repeated requests for corrections from provincial officials led to it being in too late for approval.

Since December, the MLPD has been trying to meet with government officials to move forward with this year’s funding, Hodgins said.

“There have been times where they’ve cancelled on us, so it’s been really just frustrating on our end of things,” she said.

“For over 45 years, the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities has supported the human rights of disabled people and served as their advocate in Manitoba,” board chair Alan Bridgeman said in a news release Wednesday.

“We have no idea why the Pallister government does not want to prioritize the voices of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

The MLPD is a not-for-profit organization run by a board of people, most of whom have disabilities themselves, who act as a voice at the table when it comes to government legislation.

“The unexpected and unexplained loss of core funding from the provincial government for the past two years has made it difficult for our organization to survive and continue advocating for the disabilities community,” Fred Dugdale, the MLPD’s provincial council treasurer, said in the news release.

Hodgins said the lack of funding has made it impossible for her to expand the league’s presence into the Westman region.

“Things have been really stalled in trying to reach our Brandon, and all of Westman (residents with disabilities), in getting them services, or trying to implement the AMA properly,” said Hodgins, a Brandon University student with autism.

“So it’s been really frustrating for us, because now we’re in a situation where we’re just trying to survive the next month, how we’re going to do that. Our focus has been diverted from actually helping people, like we should be, to now how are we going to survive for the next year.”

In an emailed statement to The Sun on Wednesday, Tuxedo Progressive Conservative candidate Heather Stefanson said, “Our government has been in contact with the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities in order to extend our pre-existing relationship, with the goal of securing their support for full implementation of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) and related compliance activities over the next three years.

“A revised proposal was submitted to Treasury Board and was undergoing the regular evaluation process before the writ dropped,” Stefanson said.

“That proposal is still under review, but we recognize the league’s long-standing value to the disability community and history of service.”

The provincial election is set for Sept. 10.

» brobertson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @BudRobertson4