We Need Your Support
Donations are tax deductible and you will receive a charitable tax receipt for 100% of your gift.
Act Now
Empower U: Learn to Access Your Disability Rights Training on Canadian Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP) training aims to increase awareness of how to address discrimination using more familiar Canadian human rights laws such as Human Rights Codes and the newer international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is training for persons with disabilities by persons with disabilities. The training is part of a project funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and implemented by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) in collaboration with Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc. (CMDCI), Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO), Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS). Read more.
COVID-19 AND LACK OF SUPPORT TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
June 11, 2020
To: Members of Parliament
RE: COVID-19 AND LACK OF SUPPORT TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
June 10, 2020 marked a disappointing day for Canadians with disabilities. Finally, government put forward financial relief for Canadians with disabilities only to have the bill fail on the floor. Once again, Canadians with disabilities have been further marginalized in receiving necessary COVID-19 financial relief support.
When attempting to separate the bill to ensure some Canadians, at least those with the disability tax credit certificate, would receive immediate support, the opposition opposed and blocked any discussion, using this moment to push for the entire house to be called back before further discussion. The result is that Canadians with disabilities have fallen through the cracks, once again.
Further distressing is that this bill was left to the end of session, and that the COVID-19 support for disabilities was grouped in an unrelated fraudulent and punitive section of the bill intended to address CERB offenders.
Canadians with disabilities have been and are being treated as an afterthought. This is not acceptable. Government stated in their mandate letter that they intended “to ensure a consistent approach to disability inclusion and supports across government that addresses the unfairness and inequities in government programs and services, and challenges the biases built into government”]. Canadians with disabilities are waiting for government to demonstrate that they recognize and value all citizens.
The result of this partisan behaviour is that all disabled Canadians are left waiting for the government to respond to our needs during this pandemic. It is imperative that the Government of Canada urgently address the situation and support Canadians that are at extreme risk and require additional support to ensure their basic health and safety needs at this time.
The time has come for government to do the right thing.
Yours truly in Accessibility and Inclusion for all Canadians,
Jewelles Smith,
CCD Chairperson
End Exclusion supporters rally in support of an accessible and inclusive Canada.