Mandate Letters

'Tis the season for telling government officials what to do.  The Premier is distributing Mandate Letters to all departments. In that spirit, and so he doesn't feel left out, there are some chores for him too.  There are seven of them, and I will take each in turn.

#1 Adopt the Disability Tax Credit as the single definition of 'Disability'

The definition of Disability is a moving target. In today's Nova Scotia, all these are asserted:

• Accessibility Directorate
• 30% of Nova Scotians 15 years and older have at least one disability 
• "Dalhousie staff and faculty are asked to complete the Dalhousie Census to help create an accurate picture of our workplace. This is critical to removing barriers to full and active participation in the workplace and promoting inclusion in our diverse community."
• The percentage of senior administrators who self-identify as persons with a disability almost doubled in the last five years, from 6% to 11%
• In 2019, only 6% of faculty members at Dalhousie self-identified as persons with a disability.
• The percentage of persons with disabilities working in staff positions between 2015 and 2019 increased from 6% to 9%
• "The Count Yourself In! workforce census (of the province) was voluntary and employees could choose not to complete the survey or not to self-identify as a member of a designated group."
• Persons with Disabilities in the Labour Force (ages 15–64) 9.9%
• Persons with Disabilities in the Public Service 11.8% 

No one really believes any of those numbers.  Most are self-reported, many are self-serving

Wikipedia says:  In the US, under the ADA, disabilities include both mental and physical medical conditions.  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations provide a list of conditions that should easily be concluded to be disabilities: deafness, blindness, an intellectual disability (formerly termed mental retardation), partially or completely missing limbs or mobility impairments requiring the use of a wheelchair, autism, cancer, cerebral palsy, diabetes, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia.......

In Canada there is no such lexicon.  Canada Revenue Agency, which determines eligibility for the $8000+ Disability Tax Credit has a more functional definition:

The individual must be "markedly restricted" in at least one of the following categories: speaking, hearing, walking, elimination (bowel or bladder functions), feeding, dressing, performing the mental functions of everyday life....

I'm sure there are some who would quibble with that, but it is pretty correct.  Dr. Wayne MacLeod, who specializes in representing candidates for the tax credit, says that in hundreds of applications he has processed only a handful were denied.

One of the beauties of this functional definition is that it can change over time.  As you age and lose your mobility you can get the $8000 credit.  My understanding is that it can even be applied for by your executor.

It's a lot like a vaccine passport.  It gets you admission to various programs and holds institutions accountable.  It simplifies  the discussion.  It would

• Get you on Access-a-Bus
• Get you a companion on Air Canada
• Get you accessible parking
• Get you the tax credit
• Be an accurate measure of those elusive concepts - 'diversity' and 'inclusion'
• Make you eligible for a Registered Disability Savings Program  

In short, it opens doors and removes barriers.  The advantages are obvious, and Fred Crooks of The Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness is just the person to make it happen.  He didn't get a Mandate Letter, and this has to do with people, not business.  But it falls comfortably within his purview: to improve competitive position of the province and region and help spur economic growth.

Some groups will be harder to reach - the homeless, those with intellectual disabilities - but the incentives are great, both for individuals and government.

The fee for a doctor to fill out the form is $100. It would be to Nova Scotia's advantage to pay for it conditional on starting an RDSP.

This can all happen with a stroke of the Premier's pen.............