Three P.E.I. families are appearing before the Human Rights Commission Tuesday to complain about the province's cap on support for adult children with disabilities.

Carolyn Bateman's 24-year-old son Adam has severe autism. She and her husband spend more than $60,000 a year taking care of him. The province caps its support at $36,000 for a person 18 or over.

There is not enough money for disabled adults to have a life of their own, says Carolyn Bateman.
(CBC)

"We believe that it's at such a low rate that it makes it impossible for families to ever have their adult child live outside the family home," said Bateman.

"So if we die, become sick, there's absolutely no place for them to go in the province."

Along with challenging the cap on disability support funding, parents will also argue that government help should not be based on family income.

Jaqueline O'Keefe, a lawyer for the P.E.I. Human Rights Commission, believes the case will be a difficult one.

Jaqueline O'Keefe says the case will be a difficult one.
(CBC)

"Overall, both parties have legitimate positions," said O'Keefe.

"The parents feel that their children are being denied services because of their relationship to their parents and to their parents' income. The government feels income testing is appropriate because they feel it is not viable for a government to run a support program without doing some kind of income testing."

The hearings are expected to last the rest of the week. It will up to a three-member panel to decide if the province is discriminating against these families. It can also make policy recommendations and decide what, if any, damages should be awarded.