TORONTO, July 11,
2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to building a fairer
country for every generation, where all Canadians have the
opportunity to participate and succeed, regardless of their
identity or ability. Addressing the barriers experienced by persons
with disabilities in securing and keeping good jobs is an important
part of this effort, and a way to strengthen Canada's workforce and economy.
That is why today, the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and
Persons with Disabilities, the Honourable Kamal Khera, announced
the launch of the Employment Strategy for Canadians with
Disabilities (the Strategy). The Strategy aims to close the
employment gap between persons with disabilities and those without
by 2040. It is a key action of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan
and contains a range of measures organized around three goals:
- Individuals – help them find and maintain good jobs,
advance in their careers or become entrepreneurs;
- Employers – help them to diversify their workforces by
creating inclusive and accessible workplaces; and
- Enablers - increase the supply, capacity, and reach of
individuals and organizations that support disability inclusion and
accessibility in employment.
Today also marks the 5th anniversary of the
Accessible Canada Act coming into force, one of the most
significant achievements for disability rights in our country to
date. To celebrate this milestone, Minister Khera visited the
Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work where she
announced the launch of the Strategy and $6.5 million in funding under the Opportunities
Fund for Persons with Disabilities that will go to seven
organizations across Canada. These
organizations work with Indigenous, Black and racialized Canadians
with disabilities to provide innovative and culturally relevant
supports to help increase access to training and improve employment
outcomes for members of these communities facing additional and
unique barriers.
Quote
"The Employment Strategy is about fairness. This is a plan with
concrete actions aimed at strengthening our economy and communities
so that all Canadians, regardless of their abilities, can succeed
in the job market. Through the Opportunities Fund, we are also
creating inclusive and accessible workplaces and connecting persons
with disabilities with important resources, such as skills training
and mentorship. Our government is committed to building a fairer
and more inclusive country for everyone, and today's announcement
will help empower the millions of Canadians with disabilities
across the country."
– Minister of Diversity and Inclusion, and Persons with
Disabilities, the Honourable Kamal Khera
Quick Facts
- The lauch of the Employment Strategy for Canadians with
Disabilities supports the Government's Disability Inclusion Action
Plan and the Accessible Canada Act, both of which are guided
by the principle of "Nothing Without Us". It also respects the
human rights-based approach to disability and intersectionality
which contributes to the Government's ongoing commitment to create
a truly inclusive Canada free of
physical, societal and attitudinal barriers.
- The 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability found that 27% of
Canadians aged 15 and older or about 8 million persons — report
having a disability that limit them in their daily activities.
Among Canadians with disabilities aged 25 to 64 years, 30.4% are
not in the labour force, compared to 15.8% of Canadians without
disabilities. They continue to experience persistent and
long-standing barriers to employment.
- Jobseekers who are Indigenous, Black or racialized face
disproportionate barriers to labour market inclusion in comparison
with persons with disabilities who are not members of these groups.
According to Statistics Canada, almost half of core working aged
First Nations people surveyed reported their own disability as the
main reason they were not in the labour force. One in seven persons
with disabilities self-identify as visible minorities, and nearly
half of the non-employed visible minorities with disabilities
indicate they have the potential for paid employment.
- The Opportunities Fund (OF) brings together employers and
employees with disabilities to increase the participation of
working-age persons with disabilities in the workforce. The
objective of the program is to assist persons with disabilities to
prepare for, find and keep employment, advance in their careers, or
become self-employed. The program also supports employers to create
more inclusive and accessible workplaces.
- Through Budget 2022, the Government allocated $272.6 million under the OF to support the
implementation of the Employment Strategy for Canadians with
Disabilities. A portion of these funds were targeted to smaller
organizations, such as the seven announced today, that support
persons with disabilities who are also members of other
equity-deserving groups.
- Next steps for the Employment Strategy include various actions
to work towards closing the employment gap between persons with and
those without disabilities by 2040, as well as developing new ways
to report on this progress. These actions include:
- continuing to embed employment supports for persons with
disabilities across federal programs and encourage a
whole-of-government approach to make all government policies and
programs more inclusive;
- working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments
to share knowledge and better support persons with disabilities in
the labour market; and
- developing indicators in collaboration with the disability
community and other stakeholders to better measure progress.
Associated Links
Employment Strategy for Canadians with disabilities
Disability Inclusion Action Plan
Government of Canada invests in
projects to increase workplace inclusion and connect persons with
disabilities with good jobs
Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
Disability Inclusion Action Plan: what we've accomplished - 2022 to
2023 annual update
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Backgrounder
List of organizations that work with Indigenous, Black and
racialized Canadians with disabilities receiving or will receive
funding under the 2022 Opportunities Fund for Persons with
Disabilities call for proposals, as announced today.
- Abilities Connected Employment Project, Inc., Saskatoon – Saskatchewan
- Construction Foundation of BC, Victoria – British
Columbia
- Iskatewizaagegan 39 Independent First Nation, Shoal Lake, Kenora – Ontario
- Progressive Intercultural Community Services, Surrey – British
Columbia
- The John Howard Society of Nova
Scotia, Lower Sackville –
Nova Scotia
- The Learning Enrichment Foundation, Toronto – Ontario
- Tropicana Employment Centre, Toronto – Ontario
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada