DABC joins the call for a ceasefire

Disability Alliance BC has joined over 260 humanitarian, civil society, faith, and labour organizations in calling on the Government of Canada to: 

• Call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel-Palestine 
• Call for an end to the blockade of Gaza and for the restoration of humanitarian aid and access to the basic necessities of life.

While the temporary ceasefire will provide some relief, it is not enough: a permanent ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine is needed to put an end to widespread loss of life, displacement, and intense suffering.  

We condemn all targeting of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians, and the rise of Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism in Canada and beyond. Palestinians, Israelis, and all people in the region deserve to live in peace and security and with justice for all. 

We encourage you to: sign a federal petition to the House of Commons, email your MP and political leaders, and join days of action if you’re able.  

Visit https://ceasefirenow.ca/ to learn more. 

ICYMI: Support DABC this #GivingTuesday!

Save-the-Date: On Tuesday, November 28^th, 2023 DABC is excited to be participating in this year’s GivingTuesday event with our online fundraising platform CanadaHelps. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping days of the year, Giving Tuesday is the largest global day for generosity.

Last year, in 2022 Canadians raised $13M in 24 hours supporting over 9,183 charities. Thanks to your support DABC received 9 donations on GivingTuesday for a total of $1,670 – which is 7 times the total we received from online donations in the previous month.

This year, we are calling on you, our supporters, to help us reach our 2023 goal of 20 donations for a total of $5,000. Your support with individual or monthly recurring donations enables us to carry out the crucial advocacy work DABC does on behalf of people living with all disabilities across the province.

So thanks for marking your calendars to add your contribution to DABC this GivingTuesday! We are grateful for your support each and every day of the year. DABC’s CanadaHelps profile: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/dabc/.

Here’s Sharareh Saremi, Manager of DABC’s Advocacy Access program talking about what your support means for her work:

“We work hard to make sure the needs of the disability community are heard. We’re on many committees – among them BC Hydro, TransLink, the MSDPR, the Parks Board. We’re always making recommendations for accessibility and advocating for people living with disabilities.

Change takes time and a lot of work, but it does happen – this year the provincial PWD rate for shelter went up $150/month as of July 2023. Before that the last rate increase was in 2020. The annualized earnings exemption is also increasing in January 2024. These are the kinds of small positive improvements we are advocating for behind the scenes each and every month, and they all add up. While we recognize that this is not enough we are hopeful in our continued advocacy efforts to enact bigger change.”

Other Benefits of The Disability Tax Credit (DTC)

Thank you for all your support in spreading awareness about the RDSP this RDSP Awareness Month!

To close out the month, we have updated our infographic on the other benefits of the Disability Tax Credit. The infographic is below, and for accessibility purposes we have described the infographic directly below it.

You can also download a PDF version here: https://disabilityalliancebc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DTC-other-benefits-infographic.pdf

You may know that being approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) can enable you to open a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). But did you know about the other benefits and credits it can help you access?

Contact DABC’s Access RDSP Staff at Local: 604-872-1278, Toll-free: 1-800-663-1278
or rdsp@disabilityalliancebc.org.

If you’re employed The DTC will allow you to claim: Up to $737 through the supplement to Canada
Workers Benefit (CWB) (Image: A graphic of a person with blonde hair sitting in a wheelchair, flying a banner that says “Hired.”

If you have children the DTC can help you claim:

• The Disability Amount for Children
• The Child Disability Benefit amount of $3,173
• Increased child care deductions
• Age limit extension to Children’s Fitness and Art amount (no longer available after 2016, but may be claimed for the previous year)
  (Image: graphic of a mother sitting cross-legged, holding her baby)

If you own a home you may be eligible for:

• Home Buyer’s Amount of up to $10,000! People with DTC do not have to be first-time home buyers
• The Home Accessibility Tax Credit, which covers certain expenses concerning accessibility-related renovations (Image: Graphic of a standalone house)

If you have medical or caregiver expenses the DTC can allow you to claim:

• Certain medical expenses (can also claim a Disability Supports Deduction) e.g. Attendant Care Services
• Caregiver Credit: People with DTC do not have to provide another supporting document from medical practitioners

If you have a trust the DTC might help you save on the taxes you pay on your earnings through:

• Eligibility for qualified disability trust status
• Preferred beneficiary election option

If you’re a full-time student the DTC can allow you to claim:

• Certain education-related benefits
  (Image: graduation cap and diploma)