Special Olympics BC says health services for people with intellectual disabilities need to be a key focus for the upcoming election.
The organization is asking candidates to commit to a health care task force that would deal with the issues and include consultation with people who have intellectual disabilities as well as caregivers.
In a news release, Special Olympics BC said people with disabilities are severely marginalized when it comes to healthcare, and suffer worrying outcomes because of it.
“Thousands of British Columbians are needlessly facing premature death,” the release reads.
“Our province’s citizens with intellectual disabilities are dying up to 20 years earlier than the general public. They experience two to three times more preventable hospitalizations and suffer from dramatically higher rates of obesity, mental illness, over-medication, and poor oral health.”
However, Special Olympics BC says this is not because a person with an intellectual disability is inherently less healthy – but because of structural, social, and communication factors that stop them from getting adequate levels of care.
“Now more than ever, with the added challenges of COVID-19, this needs to change,” the release added.