Al Etmanski and Advocacy for a Disability Savings Plan

Yesterday afternoon, I spoke at a workshop entitled "Relationship and the Art of Influencing Government: Advocating for Change." The leader of the Workshop was Al Etmanski, President and Co-Founder of the Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network. While he was there to talk about how to influence governments, he himself has his own proposal for which he is advocating.

Al supports the creation of a Disability Savings Plan that will deliver
1) A tax system that encourages families to make contributions to the plan
2) A tax system that encourages self-reliance for citizens with disabilities
3) A flexible, tax-deferred savings vehicle that allows family members to make financial contributions during their lifetime, without penalty under provincial programs.
4) A mechanism to promote a good life for all citizens by providing tools so that they can solve their own problems.
5) A tax vehicle that recognizes that families that assist their relatives with a disability are families that ease the burden on government funded social services.

My sense is that this disability savings plan would be a good idea. Please let me know what you think by sending me an email at jgerrard@leg.gov.mb.ca

If you would like more information you can visit Al Etmanski's web site http://www.plan.ca