EDMONTON — Three Alberta disability advocacy groups say they're shocked and saddened after learning the provincial government plans to back out of their funding contracts more than a year early.
The groups in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge support Albertans with intellectual and physical disabilities by connecting them with peers and helping them develop skills to advocate for themselves.
Edmonton-based Self Advocacy Federation facilitator Keri McEachern says each organization had a three-year funding contract with the government to support their operational costs.
But she says earlier this month, the government told them the funding would stop in April, more than a year before the contracts were set to expire.
The province says it wants resources to be used to connect those living with disabilities to front-line services, which it says these organizations don't provide.
McEachern disagrees, saying the groups provide essential supports in their communities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2025.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
