P A R T C D e c i s i o n u n d e r A p p e a l T h e d e c i s i o n u n d e r a p p e a l i s t h e M i n i s t r y o f S o c i a l r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n d a t e d J u n e 1 2 , 2 0 1 4 i n w e l i g i b l e f o r d e s i g n a t i o n a s a P e r s o n W i t h D i s a b i l i t i e r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r P W D d e s i g n a t i o n i n S e c t i o n 2 ( 2 ) w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s A c t ( E A P W D A ) . T h e M i n i s t r y w a s o f a g e a n d t h a t h i s i m p a i r m e n t i s l i k e l y t o c o n t i n u e i n f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d i n t h e P W D D e s i g n a t i o n A p p l o T h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t h a s a s e v e r e m e n t a l o r p o T h a t t h e i m p a i r m e n t , i n t h e o p i n i o n o f a p r e s r e s t r i c t s t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s a b i l i t y t o p e r f o r m d a p e r i o d i c a l l y f o r e x t e n d e d p e r i o d s ; a n d , • A s a r e s u l t o f t h e s e r e s t r i c t i o n s , t h e A p p e l l a n P A R T D R e l e v a n t L e g i s l a t i o n E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e fo r P e r s o n s w i t h D i s a b E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e f o r P e r s o n s w i t h D i s a b A P P E A L # I D e v e l o p m e n t a n d S o c i a l I n n o v a t i o n ( t h e M i n i s t r y ) h i c h t h e M i n i s t r y f o u n d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t s ( P W D ) b e c a u s e h e d i d n o t m e e t a l l 5 o f t h e o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e f o r P e r s o n s s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t h a s r e a c h e d . 1 8 y e a r s f o r a t l e a s t 2 y e a r s . H o w e v e r , b a s e d o n t h e i c a t i o n , t h e M i n i s t r y w a s n o t s a t i s f i e d : h y s i c a l i m p a i r m e n t ; a n d c r i b e d p r o f e s s i o n a l , d i r e c t l y a n d s i g n i f i c a n t l y i l y l i v i n g a c t i v i t i e s ( D L A s ) e i t h e r c o n t i n u o u s l y o r t r e q u i r e s h e l p t o p e r f o r m t h o s e a c t i v i t i e s . i l i t i e s A c t ( E A P W D A ) , S e c t i o n 2 i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n ( E A P W D R ) , S e c t i o n 2
P A R T E S u m m a r y o f F a c t s T h e e v i d e n c e b e f o r e t h e M i n i s t r y a t t h e t i m e o f t h e 1 ) A P e r s o n W i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s ( P W D ) D e s i g n a t i I n f o r m a t i o n a n d s e l f r e p o r t c o m p l e t e d b y t h e R e p o rt ( P R ) d a t e d M a r c h 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 a n d a n A c o m p l e t e d b y t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s f a m i l y p h y s i c i a h a s s e e n h i m 2 -1 0 t i m e s i n t h e p a s t y e a r . 2 ) T h e A p p e l l a n t ' s R e q u e s t f o r R e c o n s i d e r a t i o M i n i s t r y f o r " a l i t t l e c o n s i d e r a t i o n . . . m a y b e a a n d s t a t e d t h a t h i s h e a l t h s i t u a t i o n p r e v e n t s T h e M i n i s t r y ' s b a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n i n d i c a t e d t h w i t h t h e R e q u e s t f o r R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n . D i a g n o s e s : I n t h e P R , t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s d i a g n o s e d w i t h r e c u r r c o l o n c a n c e r , a l s o i n 2 0 0 1 . P h y s i c a l o r M e n t a l I m p a i r m e n t : I n t h e P R , u n d e r H e a l t h H i s t o r y , t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s p h r e c u r r e n t s m a l l b o w e l o b s t r u c t i o n s i n c e h i s s u r g e r y t h e n . " T h e p h y s i c i a n i n d i c a t e d t h e A p p e l l a n t h a s n o t r e a t m e n t s t h a t i n t e rf e r e w i t h h i s a b i l i t y t o p e r f o r m D a i d s f o r h i s i m p a i r m e n t I n t h e P R , u n d e r D e g r e e a n d C o u r s e o f I m p a i r m e n o b s t r u c t i o n s u s u a l l y m a n a g e d b y c o n s e r v a t i v e t r e a c o n s i d e r e d o r e l e c t i v e ( i l l e g i b l e ) o f a d h e s i o n s b u t n A d d i t i o n a l C o m m e n t s , t h e p h y s i c i a n w r o t e " T h i s p a s e c o n d a r y t o b o w e l o b s t r u c t i o n f o r m a n y y e a r s n o w a s t h m a c o n d i t i o n . " I n t h e A R , i n r e p l y t o t h e q u e s t i o n : ' W h a t a r e t h e a p i m p a c t h i s / h e r a b i l i t y t o m a n a g e D a i l y L i v i n g A c t i v i t s h o r t o f b r e a t h w i t h a s t h m a e x a c e r b a t i o n . H e a l s o g I n h i s s e l f r e p o r t , t h e A p p e l l a n t i n d i c a t e d h e w a s d i a m a j o r s u r g e r y t h e s a m e y e a r . S i n c e t h e n h e h a s b e b e c a u s e " p a r t s o f m y i n t e s t i n e h a s b e e n c l o g g e d a n e m e r g e n c y t r e a t m e n t . "A P P E A L # I r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : o n A p p l i c a t i o n c o m p r i s e d o f t h e A p p l i c a n t A p p e l l a n t o n N o v e m b e r 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 , a P h y s i c i a n s s e s s o r R e p o r t ( A R ) d a t e d A p r i l 1 , 2 0 1 4 , b o t h n w h o h a s k n o w n t h e A p p e l l a n t s i n c e 2 0 0 3 , a n d n d a t e d J u n e 6 , 2 0 1 4 i n w h i c h h e a s k e d t h e t e m p o r a r y d i s a b i l i t y f o r a c e r t a i n p e r i o d o f t i m e " h i m f r o m f i n d i n g w o r k . a t n o a d d i t i o n a l m e d i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n w a s f o r w a r d e d e n t s m a l l b o w e l o b s t r u c t i o n , o n s e t i n 2 0 0 1 , a n d y s i c i a n r e p o r t e d " T h i s p a t i e n t s u f f e r s f r o m -2 0 0 1 r e q u i r i n g r e p e a t e d h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n s s i n c e t b e e n p r e s c r i b e d a n y m e d i c a t i o n s a n d / o r L A s a n d h e d o e s n o t r e q u i r e a n y p r o s t h e s e s o r t , t h e p h y s i c i a n w r o t e " P a r t i a l s m a l l b o w e l t m e n t a t t h e h o s p i t a l . F u t u r e s u r g e r y m a y b e o g u a r a n t e e i f t h i s w i l l c u r e t h e p r o b l e m . " U n d e r t i e n t h a s b e e n h a v i n g r e c u r r e n t a d m i s s i o n s . H e a l s o h a s r e c u r r e n t e x a c e r b a t i o n o f h i s p l i c a n t ' s m e n t a l o r p h y s i c a l i m p a i r m e n t s t h a t i e s " , t h e p h y s i c i a n c o m m e n t e d " H e g e t s q u i t e e t s f a t i g u e d e a s i l y . " g n o s e d w i t h c o l o n c a n c e r i n 2 0 0 1 a n d u n d e r w e n t e n h o s p i t a l i z e d a l m o s t e v e ry 2 m o n t h s o r s o d n e e d s t o g e t c l e a n e d u p a n d n e e d e d a n
F u n c t i o n a l S k i l l s : I n t h e P R , t h e p h y s i c i a n i n d i c a t e d : o T h e A p p e l l a n t c a n w a l k 4 + b l o c k s u n a i d e d o o H e c a n c l i m b 5 + s t e p s u n a i d e d . o H e i s l i m i t e d t o l i f t i n g w e i g h t s o f 1 5 t o 3 5 l b s • H e h a s n o l i m i t a t i o n i n r e m a i n i n g s e a t e d . o T h e r e a r e n o d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h c o m m u n i c a t i o n o N o s i g n i f i c a n t d e f i c i t s w i t h c o g n i t i v e a n d e m I n t h e A R , u n d e r A b i l i t y t o C o m m u n i c a t e , t h e p h y s o G o o d i n a l l a s p e c t s : S p e a k i n g , R e a d i n g , W I n t h e A R u n d e r M o b i l i t y a n d P h y s i c a l A b i l i t y , t h e p i n d e p e n d e n t i n 1 o f t h e 6 a r e a s : W a l k i n g I n d o o r s ; a o t h e r 5 a r e a s w i t h c o m m e n t s n o t e d a s f o l l o w s : o W a l k i n g o u t d o o r s , " n e e d s r e s t e v e r y 2 -3 b l o o C l i m b i n g s t a i r s , " n e e d s r e s t a f t e r 5 -6 s t e p s " ; o S t a n d i n g , " n e e d s r e s t a f t e r 3 0 m i n u t e s " ; • L i f t i n g , " u n a b l e t o l i f t m o r e t h a n 2 0 l b s . " ; • C a r r y i n g a n d h o l d i n g , " u n a b l e t o c a r r y o r h o I n t h e A R u n d e r C o g n i t i v e a n d E m o t i o n a l F u n c t i o n i t h e 1 4 l i s t e d i t e m s . D a i l y L i v i n g A c t i v i t i e s ( D L A s ) : I n t h e P R , t h e p h y s i c i a n i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n r e q u i r e d r e p e a t e d h o s p i t a l i z a t i o n s s i n c e h i s s u r g e r I n t h e A R , t h e p h y s i c i a n i n d i c a t e d t h e f o l l o w i n g u n d • T h e A p p e l l a n t i s i n d e p e n d e n t i n a l l 8 a r e a s o • H e t a k e s s i g n i f i c a n t l y l o n g e r t h a n t y p i c a l i n b B a s i c H o u s e k e e p i n g ) w i t h t h e c o m m e n t " n e • H e i s i n d e p e n d e n t i n 3 o f 5 a r e a s o f S h o p p i n c h o i c e s , a n d P a y i n g f o r p u r c h a s e s , b u t t a k e a n d f r o m s t o r e s w i t h t h e c o m m e n t " n e e d s f r t h e c o m m e n t " u n a b l e t o c a r r y h e a v y g r o c e r y • W i t h r e g a r d t o M e a l s , t h e p h y s i c i a n c h e c k m a s s i s t a n c e i n a l l 4 a r e a s i n c l u d i n g M e a l p l a n s t o r a g e o f f o o d . N o e x p l a n a t i o n / d e s c r i p t i o n • W i t h r e g a r d t o t h e 3 D L A s : P a y R e n t a n d B i l c h e c k m a r k e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t i s i n d e p e n • W i t h r e g a r d t o S o c i a l F u n c t i o n i n g , t h e p h y s i c i n d e p e n d e n t i n a l l 5 a r e a s ; a n d t h a t h e h a s e x t e n d e d s o c i a l n e t w o r k s . • W i t h r e q a r d t o A d d i t i o n a l C o m m e n t s ( i n c l u d i n A P P E A L # I n a f l a t s u r f a c e . . , a n d , a n d o t i o n a l f u n c t i o n . i c i a n c h e c k m a r k e d : r i t i n g , a n d H e a r i n g . h y s i c i a n i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t i s n d h e t a k e s s i g n i f i c a n t l y l o n g e r t h a n t y p i c a l i n t h e c k s o f w a l k i n g ; l d m o r e t h a n 2 0 l b s . " n g , t h e p h y s i c i a n i n d i c a t e d " N o i m p a c t " f o r a n y o f t ' s m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s i m p a i r h i m b e c a u s e h e y i n 2 0 0 1 . e r D a i l y L i v i n g A c t i v i t i e s : f P e r s o n a l C a r e ; o t h a r e a s o f B a s i c H o u s e k e e p i n g ( L a u n d r y a n d e d s a s s i s t a n c e f r o m h i s c h i l d r e n " ; g : R e a d i n g p r i c e s a n d l a b e l s , M a k i n g a p p r o p r i a t e s s i g n i f i c a n t l y l o n g e r i n t h e o t h e r 2 a r e a s : G o i n g t o e q u e n t s t o p s " , a n d C a r r y i n g p u r c h a s e s h o m e , w i t h i t e m s . " N o A d d i t i o n a l C o m m e n t s w e r e p r o v i d e d . a r k e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t r e q u i r e s P e r i o d i c n i n g , F o o d p r e p a r a t i o n , C o o k i n g , a n d S a f e a r e n o t e d ; l s , M e d i c a t i o n s , a n d T r a n s p o r t a t i o n , t h e p h y s i c i a n d e n t i n a l l a r e a s o f t h e s e D L A s ; i a n c h e c k m a r k e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t i s " g o o d f u n c t i o n i n g " w i t h b o t h h i s i m m e d i a t e a n d q i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f a n y s a f e t y i s s u e s ) , t h e
p h y s i c i a n d i d n o t p r o v i d e a n y f u r t h e r i n f o r m • T h e p h y s i c i a n i n d i c a t e d t h e A p p e l l a n t h a d n t h a t i n t e r f e r e w i t h h i s a b i l i t y t o p e r f o r m D L A I n h i s s e l f r e p o r t t h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t h i s d i s a b h i m s e l f " t r e m e n d o u s l y " a s f o l l o w s : o H e d e v e l o p s l o w s e l f e s t e e m " d u e t o i n c a p a m y o w n n e e d s a n d p a y m y b i l l s . " • H i s l o w s e l f e s t e e m m a k e s h i m d e p r e s s e d • H i s h e a l t h c o n d i t i o n m a k e s h i s l i f e m i s e r a b l • H e a l s o r e p o r t e d t h a t h e i s u n a b l e t o g a i n e t r e a t m e n t . N e e d fo r H e l p : T h e p h y s i c i a n c h e c k m a r k e d i n t h e P R t h a t t h e A p h i s i m p a i r m e n t . I n t h e A R , t h e p h y s i c i a n c o m m e n h i m w i t h s o m e o f t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f d a i l y l i v i n g . " U n d e c o m m e n t e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t " n e e d s a s s i s t a n c e f H o u s e k e e p i n g . U n d e r t h e D L A , M e a l s , t h e p h y s i c i " P e r i o d i c a s s i s t a n c e f r o m a n o t h e r p e r s o n " w i t h M e s t o r a g e o f f o o d . T h e p h y s i c i a n p r o v i d e d n o e x p l a n a a s s i s t a n c e t h a t i s n e e d e d . T h e p h y s i c i a n f u r t h e r c w i t h D L A s . A g a i n , n o c o m m e n t s w e r e r e c o r d e d . L d o e s n o t h a v e a n a s s i s t a n c e a n i m a l . O r a l t e s t i m o n y a t t h e h e a r i n g T h e A p p e l l a n t b r o u g h t a n i n t e r p r e t e r t o t h e h e a r i n g d i a b e t i c , a n d h a s a s t h m a . S i n c e h i s c o l o n s u r g e r y h e h a s t o r u s h t o t h e h o s p i t a l m o s t o f t h e t i m e w h e f o r e m p l o y m e n t . I n r e s p o n s e t o q u e s t i o n s f r o m t h e p a n e l , t h e A p p e l b o t h o f t h e m a r e w o r k i n g , w i t h a m e a g e r i n c o m e . H t w i c e l a s t y e a r , o n c e i n O c t o b e r a n d o n c e i n N o v e m o b s t r u c t i o n s i n c e t h e F a l l o f 2 0 1 3 . A l t h o u g h h e s o m h i s d i e t i n o r d e r t o a v o i d g o i n g t o t h e E m e r g e n c y . W i t h r e g a r d t o h i s a s t h m a , h e r e p o r t e d t h a t h e h a s a p p o i n t m e n t l a s t m o n t h , a n d u s e s a s t h m a m e d i c a t i d i a b e t e s , h e s t a t e d t h a t h i s d o c t o r h a s r e f e r r e d h i m a n d h e t a k e s 4 k i n d s o f m e d i c a t i o n t w i c e a d a y . W i l a u n d r y i n s i d e , a n d h e e a t s l e f t o v e r s f r o m p r e v i o u s H e s o m e t i m e s p r e p a r e s n o o d l e s f o r h i m s e l f , a n d h i m e a l .A P P E A L # I a t i o n . o t b e e n p r e s c r i b e d a n y m e d i c a t i o n s / t r e a t m e n t s s . i l i t y a f f e c t s h i s l i f e a n d h i s a b i l i t y t o t a k e c a r e o f b i l i t i e s o f m a k i n g a s o u r c e o f l i v i n g t o t a k e c a r e o f a n d s o c i a l i z a t i o n b e c o m e s e v e n m o r e d i f f i c u l t . e , m e n t a l l y , p h y s i c a l l y , a n d e m o t i o n a l l y . m p l o y m e n t d u e t o h i s f r e q u e n t n e e d f o r m e d i c a l p e l l a n t d o e s n o t r e q u i r e a n y p r o s t h e s e s o r a i d s f o r t e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t " r e l i e s o n h i s f a m i l y t o a s s i s t r t h e D L A , B a s i c H o u s e k e e p i n g , t h e p h y s i c i a n r o m h i s c h i l d r e n " f o r b o t h L a u n d r y a n d B a s i c a n c h e c k m a r k e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t n e e d s a l p l a n n i n g , F o o d p r e p a r a t i o n , C o o k i n g , a n d S a f e t i o n o r d e s c r i p t i o n r e g a r d i n g t h e p e r i o d i c h e c k m a r k e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s f a m i l y h e l p s h i m a s t l y , t h e p h y s i c i a n c h e c k e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t h e i s g e t t i n g o l d , i s , h i s s m a l l i n t e s t i n e g e t s o c c a s i o n a l l y b l o c k e d a n d n i t h a p p e n s . H e a d d e d t h a t n o o n e w o u l d h i r e h i m l a n t r e p o r t e d t h a t h e l i v e s w i t h 2 o f h i s c h i l d r e n a n d e s t a t e d t h a t h i s i n t e s t i n a l b l o c k a g e o c c u r r e d b e r , b u t h e h a s n o t b e e n h o s p i t a l i z e d f o r t h e e t i m e s h a s s y m p t o m s , h e h a s b e e n c a r e f u l a b o u t r e g u l a r a p p o i n t m e n t s w i t h h i s d o c t o r , h a d a n o n i n o r d e r t o b e a b l e t o w a l k . W i t h r e g a r d t o h i s t o a s p e c i a l i s t w h o m h e w i l l s e e i n S e p t e m b e r , t h r e s p e c t t o h i s D L A s , h e s t a t e d t h a t h e d o e s h i s m e a l s w h i c h a r e p r e p a r e d b y h i s y o u n g e s t c h i l d . s y o u n g e s t c h i l d g e n e r a l l y p r e p a r e s t h e m a i n
T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s t e s t i m o n y a t t h m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s , a n d a l s o i n c l u d e d c o m m e n t s r e A p p e l l a n t ' s s t a t e m e n t s u n d e r s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) ( b ) o f t h s u p p o r t o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d r e c o r d s t h a t w e r e b a p p e a l e d w a s m a d e . A t t h e h e a r i n g , T h e M i n i s t r y r e l i e d o n a n d r e a f f i r m e a n y n e w e v i d e n c e .I A P P E A i j/ e h e a r i n g r e l a t e s t o t h e c u r r e n t s t a t u s o f h i s g a r d i n g 2 o f h i s D L A s . T h e p a n e l a d m i t s t h e e E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e A c t a s t e s t i m o n y i n e f o r e t h e m i n i s t r y a t t h e t i m e t h e d e c i s i o n b e i n g d i t s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n a n d d i d n o t p r e s e n t
P A R T F R e a s o n s f o r P a n e l D e c i s i o n T h e i s s u e i n t h i s a p p e a l i s w h e t h e r t h e M i n i s t r y ' s r A p p e l l a n t i s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r d e s i g n a t i o n a s a P W D , a r e a s o n a b l e a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e a p p l i c a b l e e n a c t m o n t h e i n f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d i n t h e P W D D e s i g n a t i t h e f o l l o w i n g 3 c r i t e r i a w e r e m e t : t h e A p p e l l a n t h a s i m p a i r m e n t , i n t h e o p i n i o n o f a p r e s c r i b e d p r o f e s s i A p p e l l a n t ' s a b i l i t y t o p e r f o r m ( D L A s e i t h e r c o n t i n u o r e s u l t o f t h e s e r e s t r i c t i o n s , t h e A p p e l l a n t r e q u i r e s T h e e l i g i b i l i t y c r i t e r i a f o r P W D d e s i g n a t i o n a r e s e t ( 2 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y d e s i g n a t e a p e r s o n w h o h a s r e a c h e d 1 o f t h i s A c t i f t h e m i n i s t e r i s s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e p e r s o n h a ( a ) i n t h e o p i n i o n o f a m e d i c a l p r a c t i t i o n e r i s l i k e l y t o c o ( b ) i n t h e o p i n i o n o f a p r e s c r i b e d p r o f e s s i o n a l ( i ) d i r e c t l y a n d s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e s t r i c t s t h e p e r s o n ' s a b i ( A ) c o n t i n u o u s l y , o r ( B ) p e r i o d i c a l l y f o r e x t e n d e d p e r i o d s , a n d ( i i ) a s a r e s u l t o f t h o s e r e s t r i c t i o n s , t h e p e r s o n r e q u i r ( 3 ) F o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f s u b s e c t i o n ( 2 ) , ( a ) a p e r s o n w h o h a s a s e v e r e m e n t a l i m p a i r m e n t i n c l u ( b ) a p e r s o n r e q u i r e s h e l p i n r e l a t i o n t o a d a i l y l i v i n g a c ( i ) a n a s s i s t i v e d e v i c e , ( i i ) t h e s i g n i f i c a n t h e l p o r s u p e r v i s i o n o f a n o t h e r p e r ( i i i ) t h e s e r v i c e s o f a n a s s i s t a n c e a n i m a l . T h e " d a i l y l i v i n g a c t i v i t i e s " r e f e r r e d t o i n t h e E A P W E A P W D R a s : D e f i n i t i o n s f o r A c t 2 ( 1 ) F o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f t h e A c t a n d t h i s r e g u l a t i o n , " d a i l y l ( a ) i n r e l a t i o n t o a p e r s o n w h o h a s a s e v e r e p h y s i c a l i m a c t i v i t i e s : ( i ) p r e p a r e o w n m e a l s ; ( i i ) m a n a g e p e r s o n a l f i n a n c e s ; ( i i i ) s h o p f o r p e r s o n a l n e e d s ; ( i v ) u s e p u b l i c o r p e r s o n a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n f a c i l i t i e s ; ( v ) p e r f o r m h o u s e w o r k t o m a i n t a i n t h e p e r s o n ' s p l a c e ( v i ) m o v e a b o u t i n d o o r s a n d o u t d o o r s ; ( v i i ) p e r f o r m p e r s o n a l h y g i e n e a n d s e l f c a r e ; ( v i i i ) m a n a g e p e r s o n a l m e d i c a t i o n , a n dI A P P E A L # e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n , w h i c h f o u n d t h a t t h e w a s r e a s o n a b l y s u p p o rt e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e o r w a s e n t i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e A p p e l l a n t . B a s e d o n A p p l i c a t i o n , t h e M i n i s t r y w a s n o t s a t i s f i e d t h a t a s e v e r e p h y s i c a l o r m e n t a l i m p a i r m e n t ; a n d t h e o n a l , d i r e c t l y a n d s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e s t r i c t s t h e u s l y o r p e r i o d i c a l l y f o r e x t e n d e d p e r i o d s ; a n d , a s a h e l p t o p e r f o r m t h o s e a c t i v i t i e s . o u t i n s e c t i o n 2 o f t h e E A P W D A a s f o l l o w s : 8 y e a r s o f a g e a s a p e r s o n w i t h d i s a b i l i t i e s f o r t h e p u r p o s e s s a s e v e r e m e n t a l o r p h y s i c a l i m p a i r m e n t t h a t n t i n u e f o r a t l e a s t 2 y e a r s , a n d l i t y t o p e r f o r m d a i l y l i v i n g a c t i v i t i e s e i t h e r e s h e l p t o p e r f o r m t h o s e a c t i v i t i e s . d e s a p e r s o n w i t h a m e n t a l d i s o r d e r , a n d t i v i t y i f , i n o r d e r t o p e r f o r m i t , t h e p e r s o n r e q u i r e s s o n , o r D A s e c t i o n 2 ( 2 ) ( b ) a r e d e f i n e d i n s e c t i o n 2 o f t h e i v i n g a c t i v i t i e s " , p a i r m e n t o r a s e v e r e m e n t a l i m p a i r m e n t , m e a n s t h e f o l l o w i n g o f r e s i d e n c e i n a c c e p t a b l e s a n i t a r y c o n d i t i o n ;
(b ) in re lation to a pe rs on w ho h a s a seve r e m ental im p (i) m ake dec i s i ons a bout perso nal activities, care or ( ii) relate t o, comm u nicate or i n t er a c t w ith ot hers ef fect S evere men ta l o r p hysic al impair m ent Appellant's p o s iti o n In his No t ice of A ppe al da t e d Jun e 2 0 , 201 4 the Ap hea l t h con di tion." In his Requ es t for Rec ons i d erati o employer s t o h i re me a nd I cannot f ind any wo r k" an ask ) mayb e a temporary disa bi lit y for a ce rtain p eriod c an c ut off the h elp ." In h is se lf-r ep ort , th e A ppe ll a h ospitaliz ations for me dic a l tre atmen t , " I can not k eep t he y think I am sick en ough an d not ca pable i n k eep "no one wou ld hire m e for e mployme nt"; he ha s diab meager inc ome s so "I c an't rea ll y rely on t h em fo r d Ministry's po sition Severe men t al i mpa i rment: T h e Minist ry's pos ition is t h at no mental i mpa i rment Appe l lant's ph y sician did not pro vide any evi dence Appe llant d oe s no t ha ve any signi f i cant deficits in hi indica t ed that hi s imp airmen ts h ave no impact on his co Sev ere phys ical im pai rmen t : The Minis tr y 's pos ition is tha t b ase d on t he info rmation Appellant is phys ically impaired to su ch a deg ree th limited. As a resu l t, a severe physica l impairment has not been established. The Ministry argu the Appellant's impairments are not severe because his physician indicated he can: • walk 4+ blocks unaided; • climb 5+ stair s unaided; • lift 15-35 l b s . ; an d • has no limitations i n remaining sea ted. Moreover, the physician indicated the Appellant does not require any prosthesis or aids for his impairments, and assessed the Appellant as being able to walk indoors independently but takes significantly longer with walking outdoors, climbing stairs, standing, lifting, carrying must take rest stops and is unable to lift, carry, or h The Ministry further argued that a severe physical impairment is not established because although the Appellant relies on his family to assist him with some DLAs, his physician does not indicate that he requires any equipment or assistive devices to help compens submitted that the level of h sical functionin described in the I APPEAL# a irm e nt, includes the following activitie s : fi nances ; i vely. pella nt argu ed t h a t he " can ' t work d ue t o my n, he s tate d t hat " My h ea lth sit uation s t o ps d h e wo uld like "a litt le consi derati on (t h at' s all I of time and if my h ea lth g ets bet ter, the n y ou nt's posi ti on wa s th at d ue to frequ ent m y jo b, emp loyer need to h ol d m e o ff be cause i ng a j o b. " At the he aring , h e a ga in a rgu ed that ete s, as t h m a , an d is old . His c hildren h ave aily living ." has b een ide ntified o r diagnosed. The of a severe m e ntal i m pai rm ent; report ed that t he s c o gnitive or emoti o nal fu nction i n g; and gnit ive and emo t ional func ti o ning. provided, i t has no t be en e st a bli s hed t h at the at his abil ity to fun ct ion i nd ependently is sever ely ed that and holding; he o ld more th a n 20 lbs. ate f or his impairments. Th e Ministry h sician's assessments does not
dem o nstrat e the existence of a severe ph ysical impairment, and the physician has not provided enough i nformation to confirm that the Appe l lant's Panel's decision: The diagnosis of a serious med ical cond i t io n does evidence of a sever e impair m ent. To sa ti sfy the requirements in s evidence of how , an d the extent to which, a medical condition restricts consider ed. This inc ludes the evidence from the Appella re g arding the n ature of the impairment and its i mp a l i st ed in s ection 2(1) of the EAPWDR. Ho wev er, section 2(2)(b) of th the fundament al basis for the analysis of restrictions is in this case, the Appel lant's physic ian. The p a nel not des i gn ation in section 2(2) of the EAPWD A nor is it listed the EAPWDR. Sev er e mental Impa irm ent T h e pan e l notes that the Appe ll a nt's p h ysician has neit im pa ir ment in eith er t he P R or t h e AR. In h is self -report, co nse qu e nces of h is disabi lity includi ng l ow self-est soc i alizat i on hard e r. However, he att rib u tes his low sel o f livi n g t o ta ke ca re of my ow n need s an d pay my b s t a t ed abo v e , employa bilit y ( in cluding e ar ning a source o de s ignation in secti o n 2( 2) of t h e EAPW D A. Moreo Designat i on Ap plication tha t wo uld al low the Ministry barriers in to cons i derat i on w hen d et ermining whether The p a nel furthe r notes th at in the P R , the A ppell a nt's the qu es tion "Ar e th e re an y signif i c an t de ficits wit h cogn t h ere i s no i ndic at io n o f de f ici ts in other areas und er sugg est a men t a l imp a irm ent (for example, deficits in Memory, Emoti T his i s furth er evidence aga inst th e e xistence of a sever Section 2(1 )(b) of the EAPWDR prescribes 2 DLAs that are specific to mental impairment: make decisions about personal activities, care or finances; and relate to, communicate or interact with ot hers effect i vely. I n th e PR , the physi cian indicated that none function including Executive, Memory, and Attention or sustained concentration, which one would expec t to b e impacted if these DLAs were restricte d, difficulties with communication, In the AR, the panel notes that the Appellant's physician indicated "N Cognitive and Emotio nal F unc tioning; a nd t h at t h e A areas of Pay Rent an d Bills and all areas of Social Functioning. Ministry reaso nably determined that the Appell ant does not have a severe mental impairm I APPE A L # physical impairme nts are severe. not i n i tself d e t e rm i n e PWD eli gibility or provide ection 2(2) o f t he EA P WDA, d a ily f unctioning m ust be nt and from a presc r ibed professional ct on t he A p pel lant's abili t y to m anage the DLA s e EAPW D A cl early sets out that the evidence from a prescribed pro f essional e s that employability is no t a c r it er ion fo r P WD among the prescribed DLAs in section 2 of h er diagn osed nor identi fied a ny m enta l the App ell a nt descr ibe s the psycho logical e em w hi ch makes him de pr ess e d and m a k es h i s f-esteem to "incap abilit ie s of making a source ills" , a nd not to an y m e n t al health condi tion. As f inc ome) is n ot a c riterio n fo r PWD ver , the pan el c ann ot f ind anythi n g in the PWD to t ake the A ppell a nt's repor ted employ ment he h a s a s ev ere mental impa irment. phy s ici a n check m ark ed "No" i n response to i tive and emo t ion al fu nc t ion ?" M o reover, cognit ive a nd emotiona l funct ion w hi ch wou ld onal disturbance, o r Motivation). e men tal impairm ent. of the areas of cognitive or emotional showed any de fic its , and th e Appellant h a s no o impact" fo r all 14 a reas of p pellant is re ported t o be inde pendent in all Given this, the panel finds that the e n t.
I APPEi'' H Severe physical Impairment: In the PR, the Appellant's diagnoses are Recurrent small bowel obstruction, and colon cancer that he was previously treated for. When indicating the severity of this condition under Health History, the physician wrote that the Appellant has had the recurrent small bowel obstruction since his surgery in 2001 and had required "repeated hospitalizations" since then. The Appellant indicated in his self report that he had been hospitalized "almost every 2 months or so"; however, he reported at the hearing he had 2 hospitalizations last year, in the Fall, and none this year to date. The panel notes that the PR was completed in March 2014, and the self-report is older, dated in November 2013. In the PR, the physician also indicated that the Appellant's condition is usually managed with conservative treatment. Although future surgery may be considered, there is no evidence that the Appellant will need surgery in the foreseeable future. In the PR, the Appellant's physician reported that the Appellant also has "recurrent exacerbation of his asthma condition" and in the AR, the physician commented that the Appellant gets short of breath and is fatigued easily due to his asthma. In the AR, under Additional Information, the physician wrote that the Appellant has "frequent exacerbations of severe reactive airway disease." The panel notes, however, that the frequency and duration of the asthma attacks are not indicated. The Appellant reported at the hearing that he needs his asthma medication in order to be able to walk. He also has diabetes for which he takes 4 medications, and is being referred to a specialist. The panel notes that the Appellant's physician does not mention diabetes in either the PR or the AR. With respect to functional limitations, the physician reported in the PR that physical skills such as walking, climbing stairs, and lifting are at or near the maximum level of capacity among the choices provided in the PR form. For example, the Appellant is reported as being able to walk 4+ blocks unaided, and lift 15-35 lbs. Although the physician also reported that the Appellant is unable to lift, carry, or hold more than 20 lbs., the panel notes that this is, logically, a moderate load. Section 2(1 )(a) of the EAPWDR lists the DLAs that are specific to a severe physical impairment including meal preparation, managing finances, shopping, using transportation, performing housework, mobility indoors and outdoors, personal self-care, and management of medications. The evidence in the AR regarding these DLAs suggests a significant level of independence as follows: meal preparation: The physician reported that the Appellant requires periodic assistance only in all areas of Meals. The Appellant reported that while his youngest child does most of the cooking, he can prepare leftovers and noodles for himself. managing finances, using transportation, personal care, and management of medications: The physician check marked independent for all areas. shopping: The physician check marked independent for most areas of shopping, but the Appellant needs frequent stops when going to and from stores, and is unable to carry heavy grocery items. This suggests that he can still get to stores, and carry lighter weight purchases. housework The physician reported that the Appellant takes significantly longer and needs assistance from his children. However, there is no suggestion that he cannot perform this DLA. mobility indoors and outdoors: The physician indicated that the Appellant is independent with Walking Indoors, and outdoors he needs to take rests every 2-3 blocks. The panel notes that being able to walk this many blocks in and of itself, is considered the second highest level of ability among the choices in the AR form.
I n s u m m a r y , w h i l e t h e m e d i c a l e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t e s f a t i g u e s e a s i l y , a n d r e l i e s o n h i s f a m i l y t o a s s i s t h i h a s f o r a n y a r e a s o f M o b i l i t y a n d P h y s i c a l A b i l i t y a a n d n e e d s r e s t s t o p s . A s n o t e d , h e c a n a l s o l i f t a n a n y e q u i p m e n t o r d e v i c e s t o h e l p c o m p e n s a t e f o r t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e i n p h y s i c a l i m p a i r m e n t . R e s t r i c t i o n s i n t h e a b i l i t y t o p e r fo r m D L A s : A p p e l l a n t ' s p o s i t i o n T h e A p p e l l a n t ' s p o s i t i o n i s t h a t h i s h e a l t h c o n d i t i o n f i n d o r k e e p w o r k d u e t o f r e q u e n t h o s p i t a l a d m i s s i o l e a v e s h i m s h o rt o f b r e a t h a n d h e n e e d s h i s p u f f e r M i n i s t ry ' s p o s i t i o n T h e M i n i s t r y ' s p o s i t i o n i s t h a t b a s e d o n t h e i n f o r m a t h e r e i s n o t e n o u g h e v i d e n c e t o e s t a b l i s h t h a t h i s i m D L A s c o n t i n u o u s l y o r p e r i o d i c a l l y f o r e x t e n d e d p e r m a n a g e m o s t o f h i s D L A s i n d e p e n d e n t l y , a n d t h a t l o n g e r t h a n t y p i c a l ( e . g . , l a u n d r y a n d b a s i c h o u s e k f r o m h i s c h i l d r e n ( e . g . , s h o p p i n g a n d m e a l s ) , t h e p h t a k e s h i m t o c o m p l e t e t h e s e t a s k s , o r h o w o f t e n h e T h e M i n i s t r y f u r t h e r a r g u e d t h a t t h e p h y s i c i a n ' s i n i t w a s r e p o r t e d a s b e i n g a b l e t o w a l k 4 + b l o c k s , e t c . , t h e s e t a s k s d u e t o f u n c t i o n a l l i m i t a t i o n s . T h e M i n i s h o s p i t a l a d m i s s i o n s p r e c l u d i n g h i m f r o m w o r k i n g , e d e s i g n a t i o n . P a n e l ' s d e c i s i o n S e c t i o n 2 ( 2 ) ( b ) ( i ) o f t h e E A P W D A r e q u i r e s t h a t t h e p r o v i d e a n o p i n i o n t h a t a n a p p l i c a n t ' s s e v e r e i m p a i c o n t i n u o u s l y o r p e r i o d i c a l l y f o r e x t e n d e d p e r i o d s . I p r e s c r i b e d p r o f e s s i o n a l . D L A s a r e d e f i n e d i n s e c t i o P R a n d , w i t h a d d i t i o n a l d e t a i l s , i n t h e A R . T h e r e f o r f o r m s h a s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o i n d i c a t e w h i c h , i f a n y , i m p a i r m e n t s e i t h e r c o n t i n u o u s l y o r p e r i o d i c a l l y f o r e I n t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h e p h y s i c i a n r e p o S k i l l s t h a t a r e l i s t e d i n t h e P R , w i t h t h e h i g h e r r a n g e a l l o f t h e i t e m s . A l t h o u g h t h e p h y s i c i a n c o m m e n t e d a d m i s s i o n s a n d r e c u r r e n t e x a c e r b a t i o n s o f h i s a s t h l i s t e d F u n c t i o n a l S k i l l s . F u rt h e r m o r e , t h e A p p e l l a n t t h e F a l l o f 2 0 1 3 .I A P P E A L # t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t g e t s q u i t e s h o rt o f b r e a t h , m w i t h s o m e o f h i s D L A s , t h e o n l y r e s t r i c t i o n s h e r e t h a t h e t a k e s s i g n i f i c a n t l y l o n g e r t h a n t y p i c a l , d c a r r y l o a d s u p t o 2 0 l b s . a n d h e d o e s n o t r e q u i r e h i s p h y s i c a l i m p a i r m e n t . T h e p a n e l t h e r e f o r e f i n d s f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d d o e s n o t c o n f i r m a s e v e r e s s t o p e m p l o y e r s f r o m h i r i n g h i m a n d h e c a n n o t n s f o r h i s s m a l l b o w e l o b s t r u c t i o n . H i s a s t h m a m e d i c a t i o n i n o r d e r t o b e a b l e t o w a l k . t i o n p r o v i d e d b y t h e A p p e l l a n t a n d h i s p h y s i c i a n , p a i r m e n t d i r e c t l y a n d s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e s t r i c t s h i s i o d s . T h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t c a n i n a r e a s w h e r e h e i s r e p o r t e d t o t a k e s i g n i f i c a n t l y e e p i n g ) , o r w h e r e h e r e q u i r e s p e r i o d i c a s s i s t a n c e y s i c i a n h a s n o t i n d i c a t e d h o w m u c h l o n g e r i t r e q u i r e s a s s i s t a n c e f r o m h i s c h i l d r e n . i a l F u n c t i o n a l A s s e s s m e n t i n w h i c h t h e A p p e l l a n t d o e s n o t c o n f i r m t h a t h e i s u n a b l e t o m a n a g e t r y f u r t h e r n o t e d t h a t w i t h r e g a r d t o t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s m p l o y a b i l i t y i s n o t a ( D L A ) c o m p o n e n t o f a P W D M i n i s t r y b e s a t i s f i e d t h a t a p r e s c r i b e d p r o f e s s i o n a l r m e n t d i r e c t l y a n d s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e s t r i c t s h e r D L A s , n t h i s c a s e , t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n i s t h e n 2 ( 1 ) o f t h e E A P W D R a n d a r e a l s o l i s t e d i n t h e e , a p r e s c r i b e d p r o f e s s i o n a l c o m p l e t i n g t h e s e D L A s a r e s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e s t r i c t e d b y t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s x t e n d e d p e r i o d s . r t e d f e w o r n o l i m i t a t i o n s w i t h t h e F u n c t i o n a l s o f f u n c t i o n i n g o r n o l i m i t a t i o n s c h e c k m a r k e d f o r t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t h a s r e c u r r e n t h o s p i t a l m a , t h e r e i s n o e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e s e a f f e c t t h e r e p o r t e d t h a t h e h a s n o t b e e n h o s p i t a l i z e d s i n c e
I n t h e A R , t h e p h y s i c i a n r e p o r t e d t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e d u e t o h i s a s t h m a , a n d r e q u i r e s h i s f a m i l y t o a s s i s h e i s a b l e t o p e r f o r m a l l o f h i s D L A s , m o s t l y i n d e p e c h i l d r e n w i t h B a s i c H o u s e k e e p i n g , t h e r e i s n o i n f o r o r h o w f r e q u e n t l y t h e y a s s i s t h i m . T h e A p p e l l a n t r e i n s i d e . W h i l e t h e e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t e s r e s t r i c t i o n s i n 2 a r e a s a n d f r o m s t o r e s ; a n d " u n a b l e t o c a r r y h e a v y g r o c e r n o i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t i s d i r e c t l y a n d s i g n c o n t i n u o u s l y o r p e r i o d i c a l l y f o r e x t e n d e d p e r i o d s . A p p e l l a n t r e q u i r e s p e r i o d i c a s s i s t a n c e i n a l l a r e a s t y p e o f a s s i s t a n c e r e q u i r e d . T h e e v i d e n c e a l s o i n d r e l a t e d a c t i v i t i e s i n d e p e n d e n t l y , a s h e i s a b l e t o p r e c h i l d i s n ' t d o i n g t h e c o o k i n g . F u r t h e r , w h i l e t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s s u b m i s s i o n c e n t r e d u e a r l i e r , e m p l o y a b i l i t y i s n o t a D L A u n d e r t h e E A P W f r o m h i s f a m i l y c a n a l s o n o t b e c o n s i d e r e d i n d e t e r l e g i s l a t i o n , a n d t h e p a n e l c a n n o t f i n d a n y p r o v i s i o n M i n i s t r y t o p r o v i d e a " t e m p o r a r y d i s a b i l i t y f o r a c e r t W i t h r e g a r d t o t h e i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s t h e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a D L A s a n d t h e r e i s n o t e n o u g h e v i d e n c e t o e s t a b l i s h a b i l i t y t o m a n a g e D L A s e i t h e r c o n t i n u o u s l y o r p e r i o s e c t i o n 2 ( 2 ) ( b ) ( i ) o f t h e E A P W O A . H e l p t o p e r fo r m D L A s : A p p e l l a n t ' s p o s i t i o n T h e A p p e l l a n t ' s p o s i t i o n i s t h a t h i s c h i l d r e n a s s i s t h f o r e x a m p l e . M i n i s t ry ' s p o s i t i o n T h e M i n i s t ry ' s p o s i t i o n i s t h a t b e c a u s e i t h a s n o t b e r e s t r i c t e d , i t c a n n o t b e d e t e r m i n e d t h a t s i g n i f i c a n t h n o i n f o r m a t i o n r e g a r d i n g t h e t y p e o f a s s i s t a n c e t h e h o u s e k e e p i n g a n d M e a l s . T h e M i n i s t r y a l s o n o t e d d e v i c e s o r t h e s e r v i c e s o f a n a s s i s t a n c e a n i m a l . P a n e l ' s d e c i s i o n S e c t i o n 2 ( 2 ) ( b ) ( i i ) o f t h e E A P W O A r e q u i r e s t h a t , a s a b i l i t y t o p e r f o r m D L A s , a p e r s o n r e q u i r e s h e l p t o p s u b s e c t i o n ( 3 ) a s t h e r e q u i r e m e n t f o r a n a s s i s t i v e d I A P P E A L # A p p e l l a n t g e t s q u i t e s h o r t o f b r e a t h a n d f a t i g u e d t h i m w i t h s o m e o f h i s D L A s , t h e e v i d e n c e i s t h a t n d e n t l y . W h i l e h e r e q u i r e s a s s i s t a n c e f r o m h i s m a t i o n r e g a r d i n g h o w m u c h a s s i s t a n c e h e n e e d s p o r t e d a t t h e h e a r i n g t h a t h e d o e s h i s l a u n d r y o f S h o p p i n g : " n e e d s f r e q u e n t s t o p s " i n G o i n g t o y i t e m s " u n d e r C a r r y i n g p u r c h a s e s h o m e , t h e r e i s i f i c a n t l y r e s t r i c t e d f r o m s h o p p i n g e i t h e r A s w e l l , a l t h o u g h t h e p h y s i c i a n r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e o f M e a l s , t h e r e a r e n o c o m m e n t s r e g a r d i n g t h e i c a t e s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t c a n d o s o m e m e a l p a r e l e f t o v e r s a n d n o o d l e s w h e n h i s y o u n g e s t p o n h i s i n a b i l i t y t o f i n d o r k e e p w o r k , a s n o t e d D R . I n a d d i t i o n , a c h i e v i n g f i n a n c i a l i n d e p e n d e n c e m i n i n g e l i g i b i l i t y f o r P W D d e s i g n a t i o n u n d e r t h e s i n t h e E A P W O A o r E A P W D R t h a t a l l o w t h e a i n p e r i o d o f t i m e " a s r e q u e s t e d b y t h e A p p e l l a n t . p h y s i c i a n i n t h e P R a n d A R , t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t n t i s i n d e p e n d e n t w i t h p e r f o r m i n g a l m o s t a l l o f h i s t h a t h i s i m p a i r m e n t s s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e s t r i c t h i s d i c a l l y f o r e x t e n d e d p e r i o d s a s r e q u i r e d u n d e r i m w i t h h i s D L A s , b y d o i n g m o s t o f t h e c o o k i n g , e n e s t a b l i s h e d t h a t D L A s a r e s i g n i f i c a n t l y e l p i s r e q u i r e d . T h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e d t h a t t h e r e i s A p p e l l a n t ' s c h i l d r e n p r o v i d e w i t h B a s i c t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t d o e s n o t r e q u i r e a n y a s s i s t i v e a r e s u l t o f d i r e c t a n d s i g n i f i c a n t r e s t r i c t i o n s i n t h e e r f o r m t h o s e a c t i v i t i e s . H e l p i s d e f i n e d i n e v i c e , t h e s i a n i f i c a n t h e l n o r s u p e rv i s i o n o f
I APPEAL# another person, or the services of an assistance animal in order to perform a DLA. The evidence of the physician, as a prescribed professional, is that the help required with DLAs is provided by the Appellant's family; however, the type of assistance they provide is not described, and though the Appellant stated that his youngest child prepares most of the meals, he is able to prepare leftovers and noodles independently. In the AR, the physician did not indicate a need for Assistive Devices such as crutches, a scooter, or braces, nor did the physician indicate that the Appellant has an Assistance Animal. On the basis of the above noted evidence, the panel finds that the Ministry reasonably determined that, as direct and significant restrictions in the Appellant's ability to perform DLAs have not been established, it cannot be determined that the Appellant requires help to perform DLAs as a result of those restrictions, as defined by section 2(3)(b) of the EAPWDA. Conclusion: Having reviewed and considered all of the evidence and relevant legislation, the panel finds that the Ministry's reconsideration decision which determined that the Appellant was not eligible for PWD designation was reasonably supported by the evidence. The panel confirms the reconsideration decision.
You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.