On a warm evening last June, I unintentionally became a caricature that I typically mock: a legally blind golfer who hit a hole-in-one. My swing was, by no means, an athletic feat. I was taking part in a round of mini-putt in Ottawa with some friends. I knew my ball had landed in the hole when I heard my friends cheer. I laughed and quipped about my achievement. I couldn’t ignore the irony: I don’t particularly like golf, but every few years or so, someone tells me about a legally blind golfer’s lucky shot—as if they think a common disability will make me forget my indifference toward the sport. It’s strange to see which accomplishments are considered noteworthy when there are many things disabled people do every day, often with significant barriers.
On June 22—the day after my fluke golf swing—the Canada Disability Benefit Act became law. It allows the government to create a federal benefit with the stated intent “to reduce poverty and support the financial security of working-age Canadians with disabilities.” Details of the benefit, including who will be eligible for it and how much they will receive, will be worked out in regulations. It’s expected those regulations won’t be finalized until June 2025.
