In May 2024, Downtown Legal Services launched a new division to offer services around disability, health, and income security.
This division serves people who occupy the intersection of disability and poverty. This includes both people who identify as having an existing disability, and people who are marginalized in their dealings with the entities that govern health care, informed consent, future planning, and medical privacy.
We offer the following services:
- Representation before the Social Benefits Tribunal in disability and benefit appeals, including overpayment cases;
- Advice for low-income clients about health care consent, substitute decision-making, about Powers of Attorney; obtaining accounts from guardians including the Public Guardian and Trustee.
- Representation for former foster children who have aged out of care and require independent legal advice and/or representation in an adoption application by their foster parents.
- Advice and representation around appealing Disability Tax Credit denial to establish eligibility for the Canada Disability Benefit and Registered Disability Savings Plan.
In addition, we represent clients before the Human Rights Tribunal but take these cases by referral. If you are a practitioner or clinic who wishes to refer a meritorious case, we would be glad to hear from you.
Besides direct representation of clients, this division advocates for systemic change to address inequities and barriers in the legal system for persons with disabilities, and, in particular, the disparities between low-income and high-income persons with disabilities around access to benefits, future planning, and other determinants of well-being.