N.S. making progress on human rights remedy

The province says they’re helping more people with disabilities.

They submitted the first annual progress report to the N.S. Human Rights Commission.

It’s part of a five-year plan towards a human rights remedy.

Community Services Minister Brendan Maguire says they’re focused on helping people build a life in communities of their own choosing.

“We’ve developed a facility closure strategy to guide the closing of institutions, and a no-new admission policy that will come into effect on January 1, 2025,” said Maguire.

Ninety targets have been identified for the next five years, and the province says they’ve met or made progress on all of them.

There are still about 500 people on a waitlist for support.

Maguire says they’re listening, and building programs.

“We are going above and beyond what the remedy has recommended with the $300 extra a month. We understand the urgency, and are moving fast.”

He says they’ve reduced wait times by over 13 percent for disability support programs, and helped over 140 transition from institutions to community living.