The province’s seniors’ advocate says she does not have the resources to handle the additional disabilities file.

The Coalition of Persons with Disabilities Newfoundland and Labrador, or COD-NL, has argued that a stand-alone disabilities advocate be established, but the province has suggested that those responsibilities could instead be added to the role of the seniors’ advocate.

But that person, Susan Walsh, points to the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, which has triple the number of staff.

She says her office would need far more resources to take on that type of added responsibility.

“I definitely do not have the resources to represent (those with disabilities) and represent them well,” she said last week.

“I think that the disability community needs to be asked, ‘Is that something they would want us to do for persons with disabilities in this province?’ I do believe they deserve an advocate, but we certainly wouldn’t have the resources at this point, and I really would want that community to be supportive of whatever approach is taken,” said Walsh.