Everyone Deserves Choice in Their Living Situations

Written by Meghan Atkinson-Smith, BCPF Member & Board of Directors

July 2024

More people with disabilities are being understood and recognized. But policy makers and government officials are still not listening to us. We need more housing. Affordable housing. And there needs to be more homeshare in Kelowna and Okanagan. This is my region of the province and people are suffering without access to housing that they want and need.

Housing needs to be available and affordable and accessible.

There also needs to be more caregivers. And caregivers need to be paid well. A lot of people with disabilities feel trapped when living in institution-like housing. Institution-like housing is where the caregiver treat you like you're in jail. Where you have no choice in your daily life or when to eat or when to go to bed or how you can decorate your room or what type of things you can believe in and be a part of. Enough is enough. We are adults. EVeryone deserves choice in their daily life.

I’ve met people who are forced to change their religion to believe what their homeshare

provider believes and are forced to go to a different church than the one they want. No one should be forced to believe what they don’t want to believe because they have a disability.

We have the right to make our own decisions. It is depressing when people take our choice

away from us.

We need more homeshare options. From all religions and all types of people. So hosting

homeshare needs to be seen as a good job and good thing to do so more people are interested in it. The government needs to raise awareness about the benefits of homeshare for both parties. People who sign up as caregivers and homeshare should be diverse. I agree there needs to be standards, but there can also be more diversity so people can find a homeshare that is really right for them.

The housing market is out of control. Prices are too high. We should all be able to afford a good, safe, clean, home with access to community. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities want to own their own house, too. There should be subsidies and allowances for people to buy their own house and to share it with a caregiver.

Housing prices what they are in BC is ruining people’s lives. Greedy people are ruining our

economy and making the divide between rich and poor wider and wider. This will cause many

more negative effects in the long run. People will start needing more and more financial stress

from the government. Everyone deserves to own their own home and not be subject to greedy landlords (and service providers run as businesses!) who take advantage of disabled people. I have so much to say about housing but the main thing is that too many people are suffering because regulations are favouring the people who need the least support. This is not right and things need to change.

Accessibility is not just physical accessibility. It is also about affordability and the right to be part of community on our own terms. And to feel like we are also part of this society. As a Blind woman myself I know a lot about accessibility. And I know that all forms of accessibility are lacking in our community. There are so many types of accessibility needs and everyone in our society can do a better job of learning about these things and being part of the solution.

Here is a new song I just wrote. I hope you like it! I hope to sing a song at our next BCPF Conference, stay tuned! And please keep in mind that I am not pushing my personal faith onto anyone else. This song is for me and I want everyone to have access to the religion they want to believe in, not be forced to believe what their caregiver believes. Or denied their right to be part of a community group of their choice in general.

We all deserve choice!

Stand Up For Our Rights

A song by Meghan Atkinson-Smith

We have the right to be safe.

We have the right to say no.

When we’re walking in the street in the rain or in the snow.

We have the right to speak up and speak for others loud and strong.

We have the right to be heard and the right to get along.

We have the right to believe in which religion we choose,

For without our faith, we are sure to lose.

C’mon, self-advocates, fight for all your rights.

Even if it takes many days and nights.

C’mon, everybody. I know you can do it.

Let’s take a steady breath, and let’s jump to it!

Yeaaa!

We have the right to live in Unitarian homes,

And even pagan homeshare decorated with gnomes.

We have the right to live in homes with different religions.

It’s not the government's,

It’s our decision.

We have the right to be who we want to be,

And not to be converted.

Just like you and me.

We have the right to be a team and work in the community,

Whether it be in a town or a different city.

We have the right to have witch camps for people that are disabled.

We can do anything.

We are able.

We have the right to ride transit wherever we go.

Even if people tell us no.

We have the right to live in harmony with people with disabilities.

We must fight for our rights in all of our cities.

We have the right to have no hate crimes.

And have no more hard times.

Let’s stand and fight today,

In our positive way.

We can do it, yes we can.

Let’s fight for our rights.

We stand for our rights all around the word.

We’re gonna make it right.

We can do it, yes we can.

Let’s fight for our rights.

We stand for our rights all around the word.

We’re gonna make it right.

C’mon everybody

I know you can do it

We can do it, yes we can.

Let’s fight for our rights.

Fight for our rights all around the world

We can make it right.

We can do it, yes we can

Let’s fight for our rights

Fight for our rights all around the world

We’re gonna make it right.

Make it right…