Advocates protest changes to Alberta’s disability assistance program

Advocates rallied downtown in protest of the UCP government's controversial overhaul of disability support.

Roughly 40 protesters rallied outside the McDougall Centre in downtown Calgary on Friday in response to the United Conservative Party (UCP) government’s controversial overhaul of disability support.

Organizers who advocate for Albertans with disabilities called the protest a “die in.”

The group’s aim was to draw attention to what organizers call “life-threatening policy changes” under the UCP.

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“It’s frustrating and it’s exhausting and it’s inhumane – the amount of hoops we have to jump through in order to just live,” said Kasper Payea, co-host for the protest. “Telling us that we are expendable because we might not have monetary value to society is just very dehumanizing.”

The province plans to shift tens of thousands of people with disabilities from the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program.

The Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), scheduled to start in July 2026, will reduce the maximum monthly benefit to $1,740 — $200 less than what AISH currently provides.

A rallygoer who only wished to be referred to as “Sheila” said it’s a struggle to navigate the changes.

“All I feel is anxiety and pain, and it has been so bad the past six months, even just applying for the disability,” she said. “I’m barely surviving. No one is actually helping.”

In an e-mailed statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services said:

“Alberta’s government is committed to providing supports for Albertans with disabilities and the organizations that assist them, ensuring these supports reflect their unique needs and abilities rather than following the current one-size-fits-all approach of AISH.

“AISH is intended to support Albertans with severe disabilities that result in them being permanently unable to work, while the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) will empower Albertans with disabilities who are able to work to pursue fulfilling job opportunities while continuing to receive the supports they need.

“ADAP will allow for the highest level of employment income in the country, while continuing to receive benefits, meaning Albertans on ADAP can earn more from working while continuing to receive their financial benefits.

“These financial benefits are in addition to health and personal benefits, which Albertans on ADAP will continue to receive regardless of their employment income.”