N.S. advocates say province has failed to consult as it overhauls disability support

HALIFAX — Advocates for Nova Scotians with disabilities say the provincial government has failed to consult with people affected by an overhaul of housing support and other services.

Victoria Levack, who lives with cerebral palsy, and Anne Louise Desrosiers, who takes care of her son with Williams syndrome, both shared their concerns about a lack of consultation on the provincial plan to move people with disabilities out of institutions and off wait-lists for community housing after watching government officials speak at an all-party committee Tuesday.

Levack questioned whether people with disabilities are being excluded from the conversation.

“Not all disabilities are visible, but it seemed like there was nobody with actual experience living with a disability talking at the meeting today. Where were we?” Levack said in an interview Tuesday.

Desrosiers said to date, no one from government has reached out to ask her son Luc about the type of support he needs in his day-to-day life as the province makes this transition.

“No one has spoken to or asked Luc about what he would like, or what he’d like his day to look like, what he would like his life in community to look like,” she told reporters after the meeting.

“I really think that they haven’t asked the individuals who this programming is affecting the most … I think there’s a huge gap of individuals and groups that they’re not consulting,” Desrosiers added.

Nova Scotia introduced its plan following a 2021 Appeal Court decision that identified systemic discrimination against people with disabilities seeking housing and supports in the community.

The province has until 2028 to fulfil the recommendations of the plan, which is known as the remedy.

As part of the remedy, the province must close all large institutions for people with disabilities and transition them into community housing of their choice, and government must work with individuals to create support plans tailored to their specific needs.

It also calls for government to support service providers that deliver community-based disability supports across Nova Scotia and provide disability support funding directly to individuals so they can make their own decisions about how the money is used to support their life.

Senior officials told committee members they should expect to see more results on the issue in the next two years. Craig Beaton, deputy minister of the Department of Opportunities and Social Development, said this transition will soon ramp up.

“As we move into years four and five of the remedy, we expect to see greater momentum and faster movement. Not because we are changing direction, but because the foundation is now largely in place,” Beaton told the committee.

The government is scheduled to release an annual progress report later this month.

Stephanie Carver, chair of the Disability Rights Coalition, said she is eager to see the update on the government’s progress.

“We know transforming systems takes time, and we also know that one day living in an institution is one day too many,” she told reporters after the meeting.

Levack said it’s evident that progress has been made since 2023, but she has serious concerns about the province’s ability to hit all 90 steps of the remedy on time.

She also says she remains concerned about gaps in housing and personal care support as funding is switched over to provide better support for individuals. She added that the only way to prevent Nova Scotians with disabilities from falling through the cracks is by speaking directly with them.

Desrosiers said she’s worried the province is rushing the process. She said she’d hoped she would be reassured by attending Tuesday’s committee meeting, but instead she was left with more questions.

“They’ve only rolled out one option for living in community right now, so there’s a gap there. That program doesn’t suit my son, he won’t be able to fit into that program. So what will the program be for him?” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press