Thriving vs. Surviving: Bridging Gaps in Canadian Disability Supports

According to the Canadian Survey on Disability, 27% of Canadians aged 15 and older live with one or more disabilities that limit their daily activities (Statistics Canada, 2023). Among these individuals, 45% reported experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic, and Canada’s Material Deprivation Index reveals that approximately 53% of people with disabilities live in poverty (Mendelson et al., 2024; Statistics Canada, 2023). These alarming statistics stem from limited educational and labour market opportunities that disproportionately affect people with disabilities, undermining their financial stability (World Health Organization & The World Bank, 2011). Moreover, the additional costs associated with living with disabilities strain already limited financial resources (Mitra et al., 2017). 

In acknowledgement of these challenges, the Canadian government has introduced various programs and policies, such as the Disability Tax Credit, Registered Disability Savings Plan, Child Disability Benefit, and Disability Supports Deduction, to alleviate the financial burden on individuals and families affected by disabilities. In 2022, the government expanded these efforts through the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, which includes a key pillar focused on improving financial security for people with disabilities (Government of Canada, 2022). However, much of the policy discourse has centred on meeting minimum standards of support rather than creating conditions that allow people with disabilities to thrive (Sheppard & Yin, 2024). 

Thriving goes beyond meeting basic needs and encompasses wellbeing, autonomy and full participation in society. Drawing from Wellesley Institute, thriving includes adequate housing, nutritious food, transportation, healthcare access, social participation, personal development, and the ability to plan for the future (Sheppard & Yin, 2024). This understanding aligns with capability-based approaches to health and social policy, which argue that justice-oriented supports must enable individuals not only to survive, but to lead flourishing lives of their choosing (Nussbaum, 2007). As most Canadian disability-related supports remain focused on meeting basic needs, bridging the gap between what it means to thrive, and the current reality of support is urgent.

Recognizing that many disability-related supports in Canada focus primarily on minimum support, this multi-stage project seeks to critically examine and identify gaps in current policies and programs that enable or fail to enable people with disabilities to thrive. It will explore factors such as the financial burden of disability, policy complexity, eligibility limitations, and other structural barriers that affect autonomy, wellbeing and full participation in society. 

• Phase 1: Scoping Review

We will begin by conducting a scoping review to examine the factors that enable or constrain thriving among people with disabilities in Canada. This review will synthesize existing knowledge across disciplines to understand how thriving has been defined, promoted, or limited in policies and programs. 

• Phase 2: Policy Analysis

Building on the scoping review, we will conduct a critical analysis of Canadian federal and provincial disability-related policies and programs. This analysis will examine dimensions such as adequacy, accessibility, and alignment with the domains of thriving identified in Phase 1. 

• Phase 3: Qualitative Interviews

We will conduct semi-structured interviews with people with disabilities and caregivers across Canada to explore how current disability-related supports enable or constrain thriving. Participants will be invited to share their lived experiences with navigating policies and programs, and to reflect on what thriving means in the context of their everyday lives. 

• Phase 4: Policy Co-Development

In the final phase, we will engage selected interview participants and researchers in a participatory policy co-development process. Drawing from the previous phases, this process will generate community-informed policy recommendations aimed at advancing thriving-oriented disability supports in Canada. The recommendations will be compiled into an accessible policy brief, which will inform future reforms and support advocacy efforts.

• Goals and implications

This project aims to understand what it means to thrive as a person with a disability in Canada and whether current policies and programs are equipped to support thriving in their everyday lives. By examining policy frameworks, lived experiences and systemic barriers across the phases, the project will identify gaps between existing support and the conditions necessary for thriving. The policy recommendations developed in Phase 4 will contribute to policy reform, advocacy, and public discourse on disability justice and equity in Canada.