People with disabilities stage a funeral march to highlight “death of autonomy”

People with disabilities and their supporters held a "funeral march" highlighting the "death of autonomy" caused by the CAQ government's changes to service in Quebec. (Scott Prouse / CTV News)

Groups of people with disabilities and their supporters held a funeral procession on Wednesday in Montreal to highlight “the death of autonomy.”

Advocacy group Ex Aequo was among those criticizing François Legault’s government’s “desire to make people pay for home support and the cuts to these services in recent months.”

The procession was held on the same day as a Health Ministry consultation on the new policy.

“In December, the CDPDJ (Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse) denounced the government’s desire to introduce user fees for the department of social services, arguing that it represented a 35-year retreat from the principle accepted in Quebec that people should not have to pay because of their functional limitations,” said Ex Aequo spokesperson Hugo Vaillancourt.

The commission said in December it was “deeply concerned” about the reduction in hours of support and the “potential violations of rights” to essential support for people with disabilities to preserve their autonomy and live at home.

“This choice would contradict the approach favoured by Quebec for over 35 years, namely that the Quebec government provides financial compensation for the additional costs incurred by people’s limitations and disabilities,” the commission wrote in a report.

“By freeing people with disabilities from the financial pressure of spending on devices and services intended to compensate for their disability, this approach has enabled many people to escape precariousness and actively contribute to Quebec society.”

Marchers on Wednesday wore black shirts, carried tombstones and coffins and carried signs including “RIP SAD 1979-2025,” “Assez les Promesses Reagissons,” and “Mort de l’autonomie.”

The rally began at Parc Jean-Duceppe and ended in front of the Rosemont CLSC.