Michelle Maroto

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For people with disabilities, income support is one part of a broader household financial safety net. (Unsplash+)

Alberta’s disability benefit overhaul shifts more economic risk onto people with disabilities

Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta and David Pettinicchio, University of Toronto

Alberta’s move to shift disability recipients onto a lower-paying, employment-focused benefit assumes people can make up the difference through work, savings or family. Research suggests few can.
Widespread vaccination for respiratory illnesses, including COVID and the flu, would help to relieve pressure on hospitals. (Unsplash/CDC)

The flu is everywhere. So why aren’t Canadians getting vaccinated for viral illnesses?

Andrea DeKeseredy, University of Alberta; Amy Kaler, University of Alberta, and Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta

Despite overwhelming research showing that flu vaccines keep people out of hospital, fewer Canadians are getting vaccinated. Trust isn’t the only factor keeping people from getting the jab.
Public and private employers are rescinding COVID-era flexibility and mandating employees back to the office. (Unsplash+/Getty Images)

As back‑to‑school season approaches, Canadian employers are making a mistake by mandating workers back to the office

Andrea DeKeseredy, University of Alberta; Amy Kaler, University of Alberta, and Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta

Remote-work flexibility has supported workplace equity helped limit outbreaks of respiratory infections. Back-to-offices mandates could erase those gains, especially with lowered vaccination rates.
Police move in to clear downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill of protesters after weeks of demonstrations on Feb. 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Pandemic finger‑pointing: New research sheds light on who Canadians blame in times of crisis

Jordan Foster, University of Toronto; David Pettinicchio, University of Toronto, and Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta

Examining how and why we cast blame on others can help us understand the convoy protests and the different ways people reacted to pandemic restrictions.
Family and household resources were critical to individuals who struggled with both employment income and savings during COVID-19. (Shutterstock)

For Canadians with disabilities, multiple types of support were important during COVID‑19

David Pettinicchio, University of Toronto and Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta

Supports that were crucial in helping Canadians with disabilities stay afloat during COVID-19 are no longer available, causing concern from many about their economic future.
Even if Alberta was motivated to increase vaccination rates through direct government intervention, the measures may not succeed given conservatives’ lack of faith in the province, the premier and the cabinet. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Financial insecurity and right‑wing beliefs drive COVID‑19 vaccine hesitancy among Albertans

Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta; Feo Snagovsky, University of Alberta, and Jared Wesley, University of Alberta

We surveyed Albertans, and while most were vaccinated, we found certain groups were less likely to be vaccinated than others. Those being people facing economic hardship and political affiliation.
A man wearing a face mask wheels his wheelchair past a spray-painted wall in downtown Vancouver in March 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Partisanship fuels what people with disabilities think about COVID‑19 response

David Pettinicchio, University of Toronto and Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta

Cross-partisanship co-operation among political leaders doesn’t neatly translate into a similar consensus among the Canadian public, including those with disabilities or chronic health conditions.
People who already experience social barriers and poorer mental health status are especially vulnerable during a socially distant holiday season. (Shutterstock)

What a distanced holiday season means for people with disabilities and chronic health conditions

David Pettinicchio, University of Toronto and Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta

People in high-risk groups are already more likely to be experiencing negative mental health effects during the pandemic. Spending the holidays isolated from family and friends may make matters worse.
Cutting disability benefits while providing little by way of education and job training is only going to lead to increasing poverty and an increasing disability wealth gap. (Shutterstock)

Canadians with disabilities face an uncertain financial future

David Pettinicchio, University of Toronto and Michelle Maroto, University of Alberta

Canadians with disabilities often have little to nothing left after paying for food, shelter and other living expenses. We need policies that target the root causes of their inequality.

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