Ontario updates disability supports

From a Toronto Sun article:

The Ontario government's very definition of a developmental disability has changed as the province modernizes the way it supports vulnerable citizens.

The days of large institutional facilities for people with a developmental disorder are over in Ontario with the Dalton McGuinty government moving to a community-based care model.

Community and Social Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur attained authority on Jan. 1 to designate regional points of contacts that give individuals and families a single place to start when searching for help.

The developmental services system was not as fair or as efficient as it should have been, government spokesman Sandy Mangat said in an e-mail.

Sometimes people with similar needs received different levels of support depending on how they were assessed, what agency they used and where they live, she added.

The previous Developmental Services Act in Ontario, over 35 years-old, was replaced in 2008 with new legislation that is being implemented in stages.