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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.
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Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship: income security reforms to advance dignity and inclusion in Canada
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Slide One
Disabling Poverty/Enabling Citizenship: income security reforms to advance dignity and inclusion in Canada
Session Presentation at the Congress of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities
United Nations
New York, July 19, 2013
Michael J. Prince
Slide Two
Outline
Demographics of disability and poverty
Canadian disability income programs
Policy context: the national level
Policy context: the provinces
Income reform options
Some strategic issues for disability organizations and other civil society groups
Slide 3
Demographics of Disability
Canadians with disabilities
Are a high share of people on social assistance/safety net programs
Have a great risk of living in or near income poverty
Canada does not have an official measure of poverty at the national level, though some provinces are adopting such measures
Rely on income benefit payment levels that are comparatively low by OECD standards
Experience significant gaps between lived realities and declared aims of Article 28
Slide Four
Canadian disability income benefit programs
Separate federal programs for short term sickness and long term disability, with limited interaction between programs
Occupational-related injuries and diseases primarily responsibility of provincial workers’ compensation schemes
Both federal sickness and disability programs are contributory-based social insurance policies with federal administration
No partial benefits are available through Employment Insurance sickness benefit or the Canada Pension Plan-Disability benefit, and limited support for people with partially-reduced work capacity
Vocational rehabilitation services voluntary
Comparatively strict eligibility and access to disability benefits and modest benefit levels for sickness and disability
Slide 5
Policy context: national level
Budget 2013 of the Canadian Government announced several disability-related measures:
$2 million investment to support creation of a Canadian Employers Disability Forum
Enabling Accessibility Fund now an ongoing program of $15 million per year as of 2013-14 to improve physical accessibility
Opportunities Fund to be an ongoing program with $40 million per year as of 2015-16 and reformed “to provide more demand-driven training solutions ... and more responsive to labour market needs”
Negotiate a “new generation” of Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities of $222 million per year by April 2014 “to better meet the employment needs of businesses and improve the employment prospects for people with disabilities” along with “stronger accountability regimes in place”
Slide 6
Policy context: the provinces
Three general trends of relevance to the CRPD across one or more provincial jurisdictions:
Poverty Reduction Strategies introduced in several provincial jurisdictions over last 10 years, usually with a statutory foundation and a focus on people with disabilities along with several other marginalized groups
Social assistance policy reviews and reforms:
New separate income program for the disabled (SK)
Major increases in benefits (AB, SK)
Incremental changes in most welfare systems (PEI, BC)
Reconsideration of a separate program (ON)
Disability Strategy development exercises (BC, SK) over next few years with engagement processes of some kind
Slide 7
General reform theme
Improve public program coverage against risks of poverty
Specific policy ideas
Extend and make flexible the duration of Employment Insurance Sickness benefits
Introduce a medium-term sickness/disability benefit
General reform theme
Enhance adequacy of benefit payments
Specific policy idea
Introduce a Refundable Disability Tax Credit
Increase Child Disability Benefit
Raise and index Social Assistance
Create a national Basic Income for people with severe disabilities
General reform theme
Strengthen employment and work incentives
Specific policy ideas
Enhance Working Income Tax Benefit
Raise earnings exemptions in Social Assistance
Make partial CPP-Disability benefits
Provincial income supplements
Income reform options
Slide 8
Some strategic issues
Over the next few years, what should be the top priorities on social protection for disability advocates and organizations? Where and how to engage?
What are the next steps forward to tackle the disproportionate poverty and insecurity of people with disabilities?
In regard to Article 28 on the CRPD, what is possible in reform in the longer term to realize an adequate and continuous improvement in standard of living for people with disabilities?
What lessons can we share with other?
Slide 9
Thank you
Comments
Questions?
More is available information at:
“Disabling Poverty and Enabling Citizenship”
Community-University Research Alliance (CURA)
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/poverty-citizenship
End Exclusion supporters rally in support of an accessible and inclusive Canada.