Why is Uptake of the Disability Tax Credit Low in Canada? Exploring Possible Barriers to Access

Disability supports should be designed to provide benefit and not burdens to eligible recipients. Unfortunately, this is not a reality when it comes to one of the main benefits open to Canadians with disability: the federal Disability Tax Credit (DTC). Designed to recognize some of the higher costs faced by people with severe disabilities and their caregivers, the DTC appears to be more of a burden for many, with estimated utilisation unacceptably low at around 40 per cent of working-aged adults with qualifying disabilities. Low uptake is a concern not only because people are missing out on the credit itself but also because eligibility to the DTC – which is not automatic – is a gateway to other important and more valuable benefits such as the Child Disability Benefit and Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP). Why is take up low? Awareness and a burdensome application process are likely key contributing factors. There is also a lack of clarity around eligibility rules, which have been criticized for being open to interpretation, failing to accurately reflect the practicalities of living with a disability and requiring people with impairments in mental functions to meet a higher bar than for those with physical impairments. The design of the DTC may also be limiting utilization of disability benefits such as RDSPs that require DTC eligibility as a prerequisite. As a non-refundable tax credit, the DTC is a tax-fairness measure that benefits those who pay taxes (provides no monetary value to those without taxable income). It is poor design to use eligibility to a benefit, that does not provide value to all individuals with qualifying disabilities, as a gateway to benefits with different policy objectives. A policy overhaul of the DTC, and broader disability policy in Canada, is long overdue. This will require effort and the will to make the necessary changes to improve existing policies. Boosting awareness of the DTC, gaining a better understanding of the target population (particularly children with disabilities) and monitoring data on the DTC’s usage and reach, would go a long way towards improving uptake. Creation of a clear and transparent review and appeals process to replace the current and often inconsistent one would further knock down barriers to access. Improving the disability assessment process for the DTC and for other key disability benefits is also essential. More broadly, it is time for Canada to consider new coordinated policy measures that guarantee improved access, independence, portability and support for individuals with disability – particularly those living in low income

Improving our understanding of unmet needs among adults with a developmental disability

Labour force participation is lowest for persons with developmental disabilities (DD) compared to any other disability in Canada, even though many are ready, willing and able to work. Those who are employed often work for below minimum wage and have minimum protection by labour legislation. Yet little detail is known about employment outcomes for persons with DD in a Canadian context. Using national population survey data, this study explored the unmet employment, education and daily living needs of persons with two types of developmental disability, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebral palsy (CP; Zwicker, Zaresani and Emery 2017)[1]. Disability was cited as a key barrier to employment for those not in the labour force, highlighting an urgent need for policies that promote accessibility and equal opportunity, as well as improved workplace practices and employment services and supports. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the experiences and challenges pertaining to the workplace, education and social supports, necessary in designing policies that deliver efficient and equitable services and better address the needs of Canadians with DD – a group that has been largely absent from policy dialogue.[1] ASD and CP are two of the most common chronic developmental conditions that result in disability in Canadian children

Confronting the Alternate Level of Care (ALC) Crisis with a Multifaceted Policy Lens

Dual demands for increased provision of acute episodic care in hospital and chronic care in the community have contributed to an ALC crisis in Canadian hospitals, where large numbers of patients are boarded in acute-care beds rather than in environments more appropriate for their required level of care. Addressing this crisis will be one of the most profound challenges facing provincial health systems in Canada over the coming decades. This paper outlines the magnitude and complexity of confronting this growing crisis as well as defining a paradigm through which to explore and implement policy solutions along the entire continuum of challenges. ALC as an administrative designation aggregates diverse groups of patients covering a wide spectrum of demographic variables, medical diagnoses, social circumstances, discharge destinations and other characteristics, all of which can affect how and when ALC is coded. It is itself a significant challenge to collect consistent, accurate and adequately granular data to inform the design and implementation of policy reforms. With this in mind, a dominant association between advanced age and markedly higher ALC rates needs to be acknowledged and highlights that solutions to the ALC crisis will be significantly interwoven with addressing previously described challenges for the overall health system with an aging population. Clinically and operationally, ALC is a complex health-system issue that reflects and presents challenges from admission, throughout a patient’s hospital stay and after discharge. This paper outlines a holistic approach to categorizing policy interventions that address obstacles along this continuum, describing potential interventions in each phase. To achieve success, policy approaches must incorporate multi-faceted interventions into the overall context and systematize them to prevent, mitigate the burdens of, and improve the management of ALC

The antimicrobial peptides psoriasin (S100A7) and koebnerisin (S100A15) suppress extracellular matrix production and proliferation of human fibroblasts

BACKGROUND/AIMS Keloids result from aberrations in the normal wound healing cascade and can lead to pruritus, contractures and pain. The underlying mechanisms of excessive scarring are not yet understood, and most therapeutic strategies remain unsatisfactory. Psoriasin (S100A7) and koebnerisin (S100A15) are released by keratinocytes during physiological wound healing. We found S100 production is markedly decreased in keloid scar tissue. The disturbed epidermal S100 expression might contribute to keloid formation; thus, we studied their effect on dermal fibroblasts and extracellular matrix (ECM) production. METHODS S100 peptides, ECM regulation and distribution were analysed in normal and keloid tissue by quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunoblotting and immunofluorescent staining. Isolated dermal fibroblasts were incubated with S100 proteins, and the regulation of ECM and transforming growth factor (TGF)-\textgreekb was determined using qPCR. Fibroblast proliferation and viability were determined by the 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine assay and crystal violet assay. RESULTS Keloid tissue featured a pronounced expression of ECMs, such as collagen types 1 and 3, whereas the production of psoriasin and koebnerisin was markedly decreased in keloid-derived cells and keloid tissue. Both S100 proteins inhibited the expression of collagens, fibronectin-1, \textgreeka-smooth-muscle actin and TGF-\textgreekb by fibroblasts. Further, they also suppressed fibroblast proliferation. CONCLUSION Psoriasin and koebnerisin show antifibrotic effects and may lead to novel preventive and therapeutic strategies for fibroproliferative diseases

How do we Boost Employment Outcomes for Neurodiverse Albertans?

Despite the supports that have been put in place, Canadians with developmental disabilities (DD) continue to face obstacles in gaining and maintaining employment. In 2012 two out of three Canadians with DD were out of the workforce and not looking for a job. This dismal statistic means that a large number of capable people are chronically unemployed, a situation that leads to poorer quality of life, with accompanying declines in cognitive function and general well-being. For these neurodiverse Canadians, the cascading effects of unemployment include financial insecurity, poor self-esteem, less ability to live independently and lower community participation. For employers, it means that a pool of diverse talent and resources that would benefit their companies is untapped. Of all disabilities, Canadians with DD face the worst employment levels. Educating employers about neurodiversity and incentivising them to make accommodations in hiring practices and in the workplace would go far toward reducing the number of jobless neurodiverse people. As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Canada is expected to provide inclusive and accessible job training, education and labour market opportunities. Yet, labour market activation programs, welfare reforms and equality laws have so far failed to make a difference in the unemployment numbers. A recent study reveals that the top three barriers to unemployment for neurodiverse Albertans include employers’ knowledge, attitude, capacity and management practices; a late start to the concept of work among people with DD; and the stigma of their disability. Programs to remedy the situation abound at the federal and provincial levels and lately, the focus has been shifted to employer education initiatives. Much remains to be done, however, and this communiqué offers suggestions for policy changes that may benefit all parties concerned. One policy could entail changing the design of income assistance programs like Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) to remove disincentives to work, such as ensuring continued access to important health benefits. Governments could also offer financial incentives such as wage subsidies and tax credits to employers who hire neurodiverse people, as well as provide monetary incentives for neurodiverse Canadians who wish to be self-employed. Training programs could be available for employers to teach them the value of having a diverse workforce, as well as instructing them in how their companies can become inclusive and accessible. Putting the proper supports in place in the early years would assist neurodiverse high-school youth to participate in career planning, work internships and job training. Helping Canada’s neurodiverse population to get and keep jobs provides benefits to the economy in terms of increased GDP, to employers in terms of talent and ability, and to people with DD who will enjoy a higher quality of life, greater self-esteem and reduced stigma and isolation

The Recognizability and Localizability of Auditory Alarms: Setting Global Medical Device Standards.

Objective Four sets of eight audible alarms matching the functions specified in IEC 60601-1-8 were designed using known principles from auditory cognition with the intention that they would be more recognizable and localizable than those currently specified in the standard. Background The audible alarms associated with IEC 60601-1-8, a global medical device standard, are known to be difficult to learn and retain, and there have been many calls to update them. There are known principles of design and cognition that might form the basis of more readily recognizable alarms. There is also scope for improvement in the localizability of the existing alarms. Method Four alternative sets of alarms matched to the functions specified in IEC 60601-1-8 were tested for recognizability and localizability and compared with the alarms currently specified in the standard. Results With a single exception, all prototype sets of alarms outperformed the current IEC set on both recognizability and localizability. Within the prototype sets, auditory icons were the most easily recognized, but the other sets, using word rhythms and simple acoustic metaphors, were also more easily recognized than the current alarms. With the exception of one set, all prototype sets were also easier to localize. Conclusion Known auditory cognition and perception principles were successfully applied to an existing audible alarm problem. Application This work constitutes the first (benchmarking) phase of replacing the alarms currently specified in the standard. The design principles used for each set demonstrate the relative ease with which different alarm types can be recognized and localized

Вирусный маркетинг в туристской индустрии: проблемы и перспективы

Материалы XII Междунар. науч.-техн. конф. (науч. чтения, посвящ. П. О. Сухому), Гомель, 22–23 нояб. 2018 г

Functional Dissection of the Proton Pumping Modules of Mitochondrial Complex I

A catalytically active subcomplex of respiratory chain complex I lacks 14 of its 42 subunits yet retains half of its proton-pumping capacity, indicating that its membrane arm has two pump modules