1. Start to gather the health information you need

If you can, start collecting information about your health before you apply for income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). This will help you get the Disability Determination Package completed on time.

Making notes about your health problems

If you can, write down:

• what your physical and mental health problems are
• how they limit your ability to work, look after yourself, or do daily activities at home or in the community

For example, say if your problems:

• cause pain
• make it hard to concentrate or remember things
• make it hard to sleep
• keep you from leaving your home

Make notes that list:

• medicines you take and any side effects
• treatments you get, such as physiotherapy
• medicines and treatments you've had in the past, when you had them, and whether they helped you
• doctors and other health care professionals you've seen and when you saw them
• when you've been in the hospital
• any surgeries, tests, or other medical procedures you're waiting for

Talking to your doctor about getting medical records

Tell your doctor that you want to get income support from ODSP.

Make sure you talk about all the health problems you have.

Ask your doctor if they have records , test results, or specialists' reports to show how serious your health problems are. They can include these documents with the completed forms in the Disability Determination Package.

And ask your doctor to refer you to other health care professionals if you need any medical information that your doctor doesn't already have.

Getting help

If it's hard for you to remember things or to write them down, think about whether there's someone who can help you. It could be a family member or friend if you don't mind sharing personal information about your health with them.

And you might want to contact your local community legal clinic if you need help asking your doctor for what you need.