Draft:Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (Alberta)

The Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD) is an office within the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services with the Government of Alberta. The office opened in 2018 following the appointment of Tony Flores on October 31, 2018 as the first Advocate of the OAPD. The Advocate is mandated to represent "the rights, interests and viewpoints" of persons with disabilities in Alberta.

Advocates

 * Greg McMeekin (2021-Present)
 * Tony Flores (2018-2021)

History
In 2016, the Persons with Developmental Disabilities Safety Standards Consultation took place, which included a report of findings and 11 recommendations. One recommendation was to "investigate the creation of an independent Disability Advocate Office." Among several points discussed, the report recommended that the office "must be independent and maintain clear reporting streams" and should be "empowered to create systemic change."

Bill 205 (The Advocate for Persons with Disabilities Act) was introduced as a Private Members Bill to the Alberta Legislature by MLA Sandra Jansen on April 6, 2017.

Second reading of Bill 205 took place May 15, 2017, with discussion and debate taking place May 17, 18 and 23, 2017. Along with a discussion of the functions of the Advocate, a concern was raised by MLA David Swann that if the Advocate was situated within the Ministry, funding would be inadequate and the function and scope of the Advocate would be limited. Third reading of Bill 205 took place May 24, 2017, and Royal Assent was received June 7, 2017.

The advocacy organization Inclusion Alberta (a member of Inclusion Canada) released an analysis of Bill 205 with proposed amendments, including the recommendation to establish an independent office, rather than being situated within the Ministry of Community and Social Services. This analysis was tabled in the legislature on May 23, 2017.

Following criticism of the delay to establishing the office, in May 2018 the Ministry of Community and Social Services began recruiting for the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities position, with the first Advocate, Tony Flores, being appointed on October 30, 2018 and the opening of the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD).

In August 2020, The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees expressed concern about the apparent reduction in staffing at the OAPD.

Following the requirement of the Act to review the effectiveness of the legislation in 2 years from the advocate's appointment, an Evaluation Committee released a report in October 2020. On January 15, 2021, the Standing Committee on Families and Communities accepted and reviewed the report. The review indicated that the evaluation involved "a stakeholder survey with 21 disability organizations in Alberta, interviews with 20 government of Alberta staff within and outside the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and a review of administrative data and documents contained within the advocate’s office." As noted during the review, "33 per cent of the surveyed organizations agreed that the act is effective as it is", 53% were satisfied with the work of the office in supporting the organizations and their clients, and 70% indicated that the Advocate collaborated with their organizations. Flores shared, "generally the results suggest increasing my office’s ability to influence change in policy decisions affecting the disability community." There were concerns raised by members of the Committee about a lack of consultation with disability stakeholders and the need for further review; however, the report was accepted with no recommendations.

Following the completion of the Advocate's first term, the Ministry of Community and Social Services announced that a new Advocate would be appointed for the second term (2021-2024). Greg McMeekin was appointed as the second Advocate on December 9, 2021.

Initiatives

 * Public consultation for Alberta Accessibility Legislation via online survey and focus groups (March-April 2023)