Statement on Impact of Nova Scotia Budget Cuts on People with Intellectual Disabilities

The recent provincial budget includes cuts to many community-based organizations and services that support and enhance the lives of Nova Scotians, including people living with intellectual disabilities, their families and the organizations who support them.

These funding cuts range from 3%-12% across community-based homes, employment supports, transportation and accessibility funding, and daytime inclusion programs.

While we do not yet know the full impact this will have on Bonny Lea Farm, we are concerned about what it will mean for our communities and most importantly the people we support.

These cuts will directly affect people with disabilities who rely on us to access community-based programs for inclusion, social connection, skills development and daily living supports, as well as many of the community resources that they enjoy.

Any reduction in funding will directly impact our ability to deliver our services:

• limit our capacity to recruit, retain and meet rising salary requirements for the skilled staff who provide safe and consistent support;
• lessen our ability to fund essential and increasing expenses of heat, lights and food for our homes;
• affect the stability of our social enterprises, which build skills, provide meaningful employment and essential revenue;
• reduce capacity to maintain transportation to get people where they need and want to go, and
• impact activities such as art, music, and recreation that are integral to quality of life.

We are concerned about the pressure these cuts will place on families and care-givers, as well as other system supports such as hospitals and mental health services.

We also note that the cuts to service delivery organizations go against the principles and commitment of the Government of Nova Scotia’s Human Rights Remedy for people with disabilities, which includes enhancing access to community supports based on individual need and choice, regardless of where they live in the province. The Remedy is not just a policy shift, it is a legal obligation and human rights commitment.

We welcome the opportunity to work with the Government of Nova Scotia to address the needs of people living with disabilities based on their fundamental human rights for choice, inclusion, equity, and dignity.

If you share our concern, we encourage you to contact your MLA.

John Biebesheimer                                                     Karen Lake

Chair of the Board of Directors                                Executive Director                 

March 6, 2026