Due to overwhelming demand for our services and a significant resulting backlog, the Disability Law Clinic has made the difficult decision to close intake for at least one month, starting August 1, 2026.

Our summary advice intake form will be closed during this time. We will continue to respond to clients with referral options, but our responses may be delayed.

We will use this time to address our existing backlog so that we can better serve our clients’ needs. We’ll provide an update when we re-open intake.

If you need legal help in the meantime, please refer to our resource and referral guide: Disability Law Clinic Resource and Referral Guide.

Thank you for your patience.

DABC is currently hiring for three positions, which are listed below. Full information about all available positions can be found on our careers page: DABC Careers.

Position: Community Advocate | Access DTC Program  

Open: July 24, 2026
Closes: August 20, 2026
Location: Vancouver, BC
Category: Community and Social Services Job
Type: Full-time fixed term until March 31, 2027
Salary: $58,000

Job Description – Community Advocate

You will join a team of advocates, working one-on-one with people with disabilities to provide in-depth support through the DTC and associated benefits. You will help raise awareness about DTC through the development of strategic partnerships and community outreach. You are also an active team member, able to contribute to the additional administrative responsibilities associated with the day-to-day operation of the program.

Position: Vancouver Island Community Advocate | Access DTC Program  

Post Open: July 24, 2026
Post Closes: August 20, 2026
Location: Vancouver Island, BC
Category: Community and Social Services
Type: 7-month term position until March 31, 2027, with possibility of extension
Salary: $46,400 annually (32 hours per week)
Report to: Vancouver Island Community Engagement Specialist, Access DTC Program Manager, Director of National Programs

Job Description – Community Advocate

You will join a team of advocates, working one-on-one with people with disabilities to provide in-depth support through the DTC, RDSP, and associated benefits. You will help raise awareness about DTC and RDSP to people across Vancouver Island through the development of strategic partnerships and community outreach.

Position: Legal Intake Worker

Open: July 24, 2026
Closes: August 14, 2026/
Category: Non-Profit Legal Job
Type:  Part time – 32 hours per week
Salary: $41,600

Job Description

The Disability Law Clinic  is seeking a part-time Legal Intake Worker to join our team. The primary focus of this role will be receiving incoming inquiries from our online intake form, email and voicemails, including providing information and referrals as appropriate.

Disability Alliance BC (DABC) unequivocally condemns the public comments made by MLA Tara Armstrong on July 13^th, 2026, regarding people receiving Disability Assistance (known as PWD). MLA Armstrong stated that “the government’s welfare law hands out disability payments to drug addicts simply because they use drugs.” This statement is false, misleading, and deeply harmful.

People do not qualify for PWD designation simply because they use substances. Eligibility for PWD is determined through a rigorous and extensive application process that assesses whether an individual has a severe and prolonged disability that significantly restricts their ability to carry out daily living activities.[1] Suggesting otherwise misrepresents the PWD system and fuels harmful myths about people with disabilities.

MLA Armstrong’s comments are dehumanizing towards people living with addiction or substance use and those with co-occurring disabilities. Substance use does not exist in a vacuum; it is often intertwined with mental health, poverty, homelessness, discrimination and systemic barriers in accessing healthcare and other living supports. Many people with disabilities who may also live with addiction experience these realities simultaneously. To reduce their lived experience to a dismissive stereotype is not only inaccurate, it is profoundly offensive.

As the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition states, substance use exists on a spectrum and cannot be understood separately from the social, economic, health, and policy conditions that shape people’s lives.[2] Compassionate, evidence-based approaches recognize the inherent dignity of every person and reject narratives that shame individuals with complex health and social issues.

Through her actions, MLA Armstrong has perpetuated misinformation and stigma towards people with disabilities, which further reinforces an ableist system designed to restrict people with disabilities from accessing employment, housing, healthcare, education, and community participation. Her words embolden others to discriminate against some of the most vulnerable and marginalized people in our province and undermine years of work to build a more accessible and inclusive BC.

Equally concerning is MLA Armstrong’s characterization of disability assistance as ‘welfare.’ PWD exists because many people with disabilities face barriers to employment and incur significant disability-related costs to living that others do not. PWD is an essential income support program, not a moral judgment about an individual’s worth or contribution to society. Referring to PWD as ‘welfare’ perpetuates outdated stereotypes that people with disabilities are dependent, undeserving, or somehow less valuable members of our community.

People who experience substance use deserve dignity, respect, and evidence-based public policy, not sensationalist and harmful rhetoric that pits communities against one another for political gain. People with disabilities are not punch lines.

MLA Armstrong’s comments are particularly shocking given her past involvement with her family’s franchise business, Driving Miss Daisy (which is still in operation but has since been sold). The company specializes in providing accompaniment and transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities.

British Columbians expect more from our MLAs. MLAs have a responsibility to engage in public debate honestly, accurately, and respectfully. They should help reduce discrimination, not amplify it. They should rely on evidence, not misinformation. They should use their office to build community, not deepen divisions.

For these reasons, Disability Alliance BC calls on Tara Armstrong to:

• Publicly retract her misleading statements;
• Issue a sincere apology to people with disabilities and those affected by substance use; and
• Resign from the Legislative Assembly if she is unwilling or unable to uphold the standards of respect, and dignity expected of her role.

[1] Please see the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction’s eligibility for PWD here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/policies-for-government/bcea-policy-and-procedure-manual/pwd-designation-and-application/designation-application

[2] Please see the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition’s statement on addiction treatment: https://drugpolicy.ca/our-work/addiction-treatment-position-statement/

Update: DABC Executive Director Helaine Boyd was interviewed by CTV News about our response to MLA Armstrong’s comments. Watch the video and read the article.