Pursuing Financial Security for Canadians with Disabilities
“We’ve only contributed $4,500 and now there is $18,000 in our son’s RDSP!” –Helene Eschbach, parent
We’re launching the RDSP Resource Centre, a social purpose venture aimed at helping Canadians with disabilities to achieve financial security. In the 18 months since the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) became available, about 40,000 Canadians with disabilities have amassed a total of $250 million in their RDSPs. More and more people understand that they don’t even need to put in their own money to begin to build an asset—the government’s Canada Disability Savings Bond can contribute $1,000 per year for 20 years to your RDSP without a penny of your own investment.
But there are still people—including professionals and service providers—who have never heard of the RDSP; are worried that it is too good to be true; or who think that any investment is too risky.
The RDSP is a powerful way for people to improve their financial futures. Only 10 per cent of an estimated 400,000 eligible Canadians have set up RDSPs. We want to change that. There are five barriers that prevent full use of the RDSP:
■ Lack of awareness about the plan and how it can help
■ Low financial literacy—not fully understanding risks, benefits, investing and legal issues
■ Challenges qualifying for the Disability Tax Credit
■ Legal capacity issues—discovering that only “legal representatives” can open a plan if a person is “deemed” not to have capacity
■ Barriers in the design of the RDSP and the complex nature of “the disability system”
Our goal is to overcome these barriers by offering services that help people qualify for the Disability Tax Credit and file taxes. We will also continue to support PLAN (the originators of the RDSP) to raise awareness, and will advance public-policy solutions to remove systemic barriers.
What Is a Social Purpose Venture?
We’re a business...but profits don’t come first. Our goal is to assist Canadians with disabilities to achieve financial security. We’re committed to:
■ Fairness. We want to move people from poverty to financial security. People without financial resources cannot be left out.
■ Value. The fees we charge are an investment in people’s futures. We strive to lever those investments many times over.
■ Transparency. No surprises. We’re honest and up front about what we deliver and what it will cost.
■ Public policy reform. Some changes in government policy will make it easier for people with disabilities and their families to secure their financial futures—we will advocate for that change.
“The RDSP Resource Centre is the right resource at the right time. The potential of the RDSP to increase the wealth and savings for people with disabilities is immense. Since eligibility for the RDSP depends on eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit, we need a centre with expertise to help thousands of Canadians with disabilities become eligible and take full advantage of the RDSP.
The RDSP Resource Centre is building a stable business foundation in order to pursue their majestic social goal of eliminating poverty for people with disabilities. This is a refreshing approach to tackling a tough issue that has resisted solutions for so long. Under Jack Styan’s leadership, the RDSP Resource Centre is an important new resource for Canadians with disabilities and a new model for tackling social problems.” – Al Etmanski, PLAN president (www.AlEtmanski.com).
Who Are We?
The RDSP Resource Centre is a small team of professionals led by managing director Jack Styan, who was one of the key players in PLAN’s work to get the federal government to implement the RDSP.
The RDSP Resource Centre will work closely with PLAN, the leading architect and advocate in the creation of the RDSP, to raise awareness and improve access to the RDSP.
“Our team is thrilled to assist Canadians with disabilities from coast to coast. We’ve served people in the big cities, like Toronto, and in more remote locations like Nunavut. We’ve served people with disabilities themselves, along with parents, grandparents, relatives and professionals. We are rewarded knowing that whenever a person opens an RDSP, their financial future shines more brightly.” – Jack Styan
Check us out:
Visit our website at www.rdspresource.ca
Call us toll free at 1-877-690-0330
Email us at info@rdspresource.ca
The RDSP Resource Centre is a small team of professionals lead by managing director Jack Styan, who was one of the key players in PLAN's work to get the federal government to implement the RDSP.
The RDSP Resource Centre will work closely with PLAN, the leading architect and advocate in the creation of the RDSP, to raise awareness and improve access to the RDSP. 
Landscape of Literacy and Disability (Canadian Abilities Foundation publication) by Ezra Zubrow, et al. 
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