About Us
This site grew out of the need to better support individuals and families to find online information about the disability supports and services they need.
CUPW and UPCE-PSAC partnered with 211 to develop and maintain disabilitysupports.ca. CUPW and UPCE-PSAC support their members who have children with disabilities. 211 is Canada’s primary source of information for government and community-based health and social services.
Why We Created The Site
The CUPW and UPCE-PSAC Child Care Fund and the Special Needs Project support members who have children of all ages with disabilities or special needs. It is from members using the Special Needs Project that we learned about how difficult it can be to find online information about disability specific programs and services.
We envisioned a single point of access where families could more easily find the supports and services they need. We learned that 211 organizations across Canada maintain databases of community social, health and government services and programs. We approached 211ON about partnering on this single point of access for all disability related programs and services.
While we developed the site to meet the disability needs of CUPW and UPCE-PSAC members it will be available to all individuals and families across the country.
Comments from CUPW parents:
“I felt I failed my child when I was unable to find a program my son needed”.
“When my child was diagnosed I felt overwhelmed and did not know where to begin to find the support he needed”.
“I need it to be easy to understand and navigate – a site that is user-friendly – clean and simple”.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Union of Postal Communication Employees-Public Service Alliance Canada (UPCE-PSAC) are public sector trade unions representing employees working for Canada Post Corporation.
CUPW represents 51,000 postal workers: letter carriers, rural and suburban mail carriers, postal clerks, mail handlers and dispatchers, technicians, mechanics, and electricians working for Canada Post Corporation.
UPCE-PSAC represents approximately 1500 administrative, clerical, and technical support employees working for Canada Post Corporation
CUPW and Canada Post Corporation negotiated the Child Care Fund in 1991. The UPCE-PSAC negotiated a Fund with Canada Post in 1999.
The Child Care Fund supports CUPW and UPCE-PSAC members with their child care needs. The Fund also supports the Special Needs and Moving On projects which provide support to members who have children with special needs and disabilities.
Disability and Conditions
Find supports for specific disabilities like behaviour therapy for a person with autism or Braille instruction for a person with a vision problem. Search program and service categories for across disabilities supports, like respite.
Program and Services
Find disability supports by program and service types. Categories such as Assessment, Education Support, Employment and more will lead you to specific disability and cross disability programs and services for all ages.
Need Help With The Site?
We will help you explore and search for help and supports needed. Disabilitysupports.ca is designed to help you with results in fast and easy way.
Spread The Word
Disabilitysupports.ca is an important online tool aimed at helping individuals and families to easily find the supports and services they need.