Connecting Community Advocates
RESOURCE HUB
things to know
The Reality
The dark black dashes show the
—Official Poverty Line—
(aka the Market Basket Measure)
…around $24,000 to $35,000 with Nunavut’s sitting higher.
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The blue bars indicate where provincial disability assistance is sitting.
The Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) is historical.
It rolled out in 2025. It is a federal benefit meant to lift Canadians with disabilities out of poverty.
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The gold bar indicates the impact the CDB is going to have on a person’s yearly income.
(If they can access it)
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It is a good start.
It is not enough.
This is urgent.
This is real time.
Joyce's Principal
Joyce’s Principle aims to guarantee to all Indigenous people the right of equitable access, without any discrimination, to all social and health services, as well as the right to enjoy the best possible physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Since Joyce's Principle requires the recognition and respect of Indigenous people’s traditional and living knowledge in all aspects of health, the death of Joyce Echaquan in 2020 sparked the proceedings that led to the presentation of this brief.
ISAC STudy
Income Security Advocacy Center (ISAC), released In Their Own Words: A recipient-informed case for fixing Ontario’s social assistance system, a report that centers the voices of people living on social assistance in Ontario.
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The system is broken.
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The report analyzes the current state of Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), identifies key systemic failures, and offers concrete solutions grounded in lived experience.
“The findings of this report make a clear and inescapable case for immediate reform, both as a moral duty and as a smarter, more compassionate path for building up our communities.
Bolstering social assistance is not just about fixing a government program. It is about creating a reality where the most vulnerable members of our communities can move from survival mode to ongoing stability to prosperity and hopeful futures” (Calabro & Khan, 2026, January, p. 12).
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