Achi news desk-
Alberta’s provincial ombudsman says a government body has unfairly denied a young man with autism the help he needs.
Kevin Brezinski added that the eligibility rules for the People with Developmental Disabilities program are unfair.
Brezinski has released a report on how the program shut Evan Zenari out when he was 18 years old.
He says the rules continue to rely heavily on intelligence tests – an approach criticized by a judge as well as most medical clinicians.
The latest health and medical news is emailed to you every Sunday.
His report says the government has committed to reviewing the rules in the fall but has refused to reconsider Zenari’s case.
Brezinski says Zenari, now 21, needs counseling and help finding a job and his family needs respite care.
He says it is unusual for his office to release public reports, but he felt the case was important enough to do so.
The Alberta Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services was not immediately able to comment on the report.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
