Disability coalition presents recommendations for pressing issues to the Liberal Government
A coalition of over 25 disability organizations delivered the new Liberal Government recommendations for the most pressing issues that persons with disabilities are facing.
The recommendations are included in a drafted Throne Speech for the 44th Parliament of Canada to showcase an inclusive and accessible Canada. As well, the recommendations are incorporated in draft Mandate Letters. This is the first time the coalition has written recommendations for the Throne Speech and Mandate letters.
“Canadians with disabilities are far too often an afterthought of politicians and government, during the last federal election we were pleased that many of the political parties included disability issues within their election platforms,” said Christopher T. Sutton, CEO Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility. “We were inspired to push the envelope – to show what could be possible by writing an inclusive Throne Speech and Mandate letters.”
Sutton stated that accessibility, disability rights, and full inclusion are a shared responsibility, and must be evident in the Throne Speech and in every Cabinet Minister’s mandate, not just one Minister responsible for disability inclusion.
“The Speech from the Throne is where the Queen’s representative outlines the government’s agenda for Parliament. Throughout history, persons with disabilities have been absent from these speeches. This is our “what if?” – what if our Government really stepped up and centered disability in their vision for a better Canada” said Krista Carr, Executive Vice-President of Inclusion Canada.
The pan-Canadian Disability Coalition urges the government to prioritize items such as: the national housing strategy, the national action plan to address gender-based violence, the national childcare, the Disability Inclusion Action Plan and the Canada Disability Benefit, which benefits all Canadians during the recovery of the pandemic and beyond.
List of pan-Canadian Disability Coalition members:
Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability
Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
Barrier Free Canada
British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society
Canadian Association of the Deaf
Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance
Canadian Council Rehabilitation Work
Canadian DeafBlind Association
Canadian Disability Participation Project
Canadian Hard of Hearing Association
Canadian National Institute for the Blind
Communication Disabilities Access Canada
Council of Canadians with Disabilities
Community Living Toronto
Deaf Culture Center
Deaf Literacy Initiative
Disabled Women’s Network Canada
Easter Seals Canada
Environmental Health Association of Québec
Eviance
Inclusion Canada
Independent Living Canada
L’Arche Canada
March of Dimes Canada
Muscular Dystrophy Canada
National Network for Mental Health
Plan Institute
Realize
Rick Hansen Foundation
Spinal Cord Injury Canada
Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility