Disability and the Canada Revenue Agency
This section outlines the profound impact of disability on my family's interactions with the Canada Revenue Agency. It details the challenges, the lack of accommodation, and the devastating consequences that followed, revealing the human cost of administrative decisions.
Disability and CRA interactions
My existing disabilities, including a TBI, CPTSD, ADHD, BPD, Irlen syndrome, and a lifelong learning disability, significantly impacted my interactions with the CRA. Despite repeated requests for accommodation, the CRA failed to acknowledge these conditions, instead using them to blame and shame me. I am capable of success with accommodations, as demonstrated by completing an advanced clinical massage therapy program, yet the CRA’s approach led to six years of constant stress, evictions, denials, and living in sheer terror. This experience culminated in my admission to the ICU with two holes in my heart, nearly taking my life, while the CRA labeled me as vexatious. My children have also suffered severe damage and developed significant behavioural issues. Had the CRA adhered to its own policies regarding gender-based violence, verification protocols for retroactive benefits, and its obligations for procedural fairness, these violations would have been avoided, and my family would have been spared this immense hardship.
Specific challenges faced due to disability
My experience with the CRA led to numerous specific challenges and unfair situations directly linked to my disability. These included a destroyed credit score, six, almost seven, evictions, and persistent disbelief and DARVO tactics. Child and Family Services removed and returned my children three times due to forced poverty and ableism. The Canadian Human Rights Commission also labeled me as vexatious, influenced by the CRA's constantly shifting explanations. I lost everything I had worked for, including three vehicles, and suffered the loss of all family and friends, reputational destruction, and extreme poverty. This cascade of events demonstrates the devastating impact of the CRA's failure to accommodate my disabilities.
Accountability, transparency, and human cost
The most important message to understand about disability and the CRA is that they had no right to do anything they have done. By November 20, 2020, they were on notice regarding gender-based violence, my abuser, and the fact that we were never married, common-law, or cohabiting, and he had almost no meaningful interaction with his children. They were also fully aware of my disabilities and had a clear obligation to accommodate them, yet they failed to do so. Instead, the CRA deliberately misled, denied, and destroyed my children and me, all to avoid admitting their errors. This demonstrates a severe lack of accountability and transparency, imposing an immeasurable human cost.
"The CRA went out of their way to mislead, deny, and destroy me and my children, all to avoid admitting they were wrong."
A mother's testimony