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Published May 24, 2026 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 3 minute read
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Darryl and Deborah Learie stand to see a significant reduction in income as the province plans to transition from AISH to the Alberta Disability Assistance Program. Photo by Cam Tait /SuppliedArticle content
I don’t know how Nathan Neudorf, the new assisted living and social services minister, will step into his week.
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I can’t say what sits on his calendar these days. But I wonder about Monday. About a visit that could matter.
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A visit with Darryl Learie.
Just one simple hour. Maybe less. Time enough for a gentle talk. For a story or two. Real moments. Quiet proof of what so many Albertans live each day.
The truth is, people under Neudorf’s portfolio have been carrying a lot. Waiting through long days. Waiting for clarity.
July brings a seismic shift for Albertans with disabilities. The new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) promises opportunity, offering $1,740 monthly and letting folks earn more while working.
But let’s not sugar-coat it — this dual-track system, moving many off AISH, has sparked fear.
Advocates and municipalities are sounding alarms about financial security and fairness. Change is tough, especially when it impacts lives so deeply.
Learie is not a man who cries easily. But as he sits in his Edmonton home, recounting the impending shift from AISH to the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), his voice cracks.
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“I cried for the first time in decades,” he said. “I’ve never been more terrified in my life. There’s this ugly, gnawing feeling in my gut that won’t go away.”
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For Learie, 52, this isn’t just a policy change, it’s a life-altering crisis.
Learie and his wife, Deborah who is also on AISH, face a harsh reality. Under the transition to ADAP, they stand to lose $400 per month.
He has worked tirelessly on a petition against the change and, as of Saturday, had gathered 9,013 signatures, and it was brought forward in the legislature.
That $400 is a devastating reduction. It means less food. Fewer medications. A life stripped of basic dignity.
The financial toll is just beginning. Deborah battles chronic illness and relies entirely on his care. Without her, he knows he could not live independently. He fears that losing her means losing his entire world.
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Learie fights his own relentless battles. Anxiety. Depression. ADHD. Autism. They are his constant companions.
Public spaces overwhelm him. Deadlines break his footing. The scars of severe childhood bullying left him wary of strangers and the world outside his door.
AISH provided a lifeline for almost three decades. It gave him the stability to manage his health. It gave him the strength to care for his wife. Now, reduced support threatens to cut that line entirely.
He lives in quiet terror of what comes next. Homelessness. Failing health. The prospect of seeking employment with his challenges paralyzes him. He is no longer a young man who can simply bounce back from total ruin.
But Learie? He holds on. He fights for his wife. He fights for a sense of safety. He fights for a chance to simply live.
His struggle is the story of thousands of Albertans relying on these programs to survive.
Above all, I hope his quiet endurance reminds us all of a vital truth. Even when systems turn cold, we can choose to see the human being standing before us … and to meet their needs.
Time for coffee, Mr. Neudorf?
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