Lethbridge organization supporting people with disabilities closing March 31 after losing provincial funding​on March 7, 2025 at 7:38 pm

Ashley Stevenson, press secretary for Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services, said in a statement the contracts the province is ending are due to the funding not going to direct, front-line services for people with disabilities.

“No front-line services are affected by this decision,” she said.

The province’s 2025-26 budget includes “record amounts” of support for Albertans with disabilities, said Stevenson. The budget would invest over $3.6 billion to support Albertans with disabilities, including $1.6 billion for AISH and $1.7 billion to other disability support services, including the PDD program and Family Support for Children with Disabilities program. Both the PDD and FSCD programs have had their funding significantly increased this year, said Stevenson.

The province is also creating the Alberta Disability Assistance Program, set to launch in July 2026, to “empower Albertans with disabilities to pursue fulfilling job opportunities and bring home bigger paycheques, while continuing to receive the supports they need.”

“To support this, Budget 2025 more than doubles our government’s investments into career and employment services for a total of $185 million to support Albertans with disabilities to enter the workforce,” said Stevenson.

The province also funds the Service Dog program, Income Support – Barriers to Employment, and Family Resource Centres, which support individuals and their families to get information about disability services and understand the variety of supports and services available, said Stevenson.

But Dormaar says the Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association is providing direct services.

“We are working with the individuals to educate them, to provide that gap service. The agencies and the Family Resource Centres aren’t doing the education, they’re not providing the workshops that we do,” she said, adding SAIPA has also provided resources and services to people with disabilities who don’t qualify for AISH or PDD.

Disability Action Hall co-ordinator Colleen Huston said Alberta government funding — it receives $115,000 per year — has been its primary funding source for the organization, but that is ending March 31.

“We are grateful for the 24 years of funding we have received and hope we can continue working with the government,” she said, adding the Disability Action Hall needs more time to raise funds and encourages the Alberta government to honour the current contract, which ends March 31, 2026.

Huston said Disability Action Hall has been scrambling after missing deadlines for community funding grants, and the organization has started an online fundraising campaigning, called “Light the Way for Self-Advocacy,” while it attempts to secure emergency funding. So far, $2,200 has been raised towards the campaign, with the Disability Action Hall attempting to raise $115,000 by Sept. 5.

“We aim and hope for 4,500 people to donate $25 or more to help us continue for another year,” said Huston.