Thrive Ontario Election Kit: How to Talk to Your Candidates about Issues that Matter to YOU

About the Thrive Ontario Election Kit

The Ontario provincial election is coming up on June 2, 2022

We need the next government of Ontario to commit to building a province where people with disabilities thrive with financial security, independence and connection to inclusive communities. 

During the campaign period, there are lots of opportunities to talk to the candidates who are running to be your next Member of Provincial Parliament. Candidates might call you or come to your door when canvassing for support. You can also attend an all-candidates meeting in your community.

You can use the Thrive Ontario Election Kit to learn more about the campaign and key talking points for speaking with candidates. 

Questions to ask candidates:

  1. If you are elected, what will you do to reduce poverty for people with disabilities in Ontario?
  2. How will you support the home and community care sector so people can access the care they need to remain independent in their homes?
  3. What will you do to support stroke survivors to access community-based supports?
  4. How will you address inequities for people with disabilities in our community and across the province?

Key Talking Points

If you’re speaking with a candidate at your front door, at an all-candidates meeting or debate, or just run into them on the street, here are some key talking points you can use:
  • Please commit to building an Ontario where people with disabilities can thrive.
  • Commit to financial security by working with the federal government on the Canada Disability Benefit to make sure there are no provincial claw backs, increasing ODSP rates, and increasing the earned income threshold for ODSP recipients.
  • Expand independence at home and in the community by increasing funding in home and community care services
  • Invest in community-based post-stroke services that support stroke survivors and their families beyond rehabilitation, such as MODC’s After Stroke program.

Why Thrive Ontario matters:

  • People with disabilities in Ontario are three times as likely to live in poverty than those without a disability.
  • Ontario ranks eighth out of ten provinces in per capita spending on home and community care, resulting in the system being strained, underused and short staffed. 
  • More than 25,000 people in Ontario experience a stroke each year. Stroke is one of the leading causes of adult disability in our province, with over 100,000 survivors currently living with the consequences of stroke.

With commitments to these key policy changes, we can build an Ontario where people with disabilities can truly thrive.