Child and Youth Advocate calls on government to improve services and supports for young people with disabilities

January 23, 2024

Edmonton, Alberta

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) has released Beyond Barriers: A Special Report on Young People with Disabilities in the Child Intervention and Youth Justice Systems. Through this report, the Child and Youth Advocate is making eight new recommendations aimed at improving services and supports for this particularly vulnerable group.

Focused on the voices of young people, the report calls on service providers to get to know each young person as an individual and meet their unique needs, provide help for families, and ensure transitional support as they move into adulthood.

“It is vital that young people with disabilities receive the services and supports they need, when they need them, so they can have the brightest possible futures,” said Terri Pelton, Child and Youth Advocate. “It is my hope that government ministries will implement our recommendations so we can make a positive change in these young lives.”

Through its advocacy and investigations work, the OCYA has observed a significant number of children and youth with disabilities whose needs were not being met, which had a profound impact on their lives and outcomes in government systems. This prompted the OCYA to identify this as a systemic advocacy issue, ultimately resulting in the development of the special report.

A copy of the special report can be found here: ocya.alberta.ca/adult/publications/ocya-reports/

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate is an independent office of the Alberta Legislature. It represents the rights, interests, and viewpoints of children and youth receiving designated government services.

Media inquiries:

Stephanie Shantz
Communications Manager
Office of the Child and Youth Advocate
780-218-9429
stephanie.shantz@ocya.alberta.ca