In spirit of ‘Nothing Without Us,’ we create a more inclusive country: Min. Carla Qualtrough

#Canada; #inclusivity; #Disabilities; #SocialDevelopment; # LGBTQ2+, #Indigenous

Wheelchair sports. Image credit: Unsplash

Ottawa: In an effort to provide equal opportunities to persons with disabilities to thrive and succeed, the Government of Canada is supporting the building of accessible and inclusive communities as an essential part of Canada’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Disability Inclusion, launched two calls for proposals through the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP), a Disability component totaling up to $5.6 million over two years.

“Building a barrier-free Canada happens one project, one community at a time…our government is partnering with organizations…In the spirit of ‘Nothing Without Us,’ we’ll continue to create a more equal, inclusive country…and take concrete action to make our communities more accessible, ” said Carla Qualtrough in a news release.

Funding will be provided through two distinct streams: The National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) and the Accessible Canada Partnerships stream.

NAAW aims to provide a grant of up to $1.6M over two years to support projects to improve Canadians understanding of accessibility and inclusion, reduce stigma and attitudinal barriers towards persons with disabilities, and, enable the sharing of best practices and lessons learned across the disability community.

Under-represented communities, including official language minority communities, LGBTQ2+, Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), and other minority communities, including Black Canadians and other visible minority groups would receive special focus on awareness-raising projects.

The Accessible Canada Partnerships stream will provide up to $4M in contributions over two years to support projects involving multi-sectoral partnerships contributing to the development of accessible and inclusively designed environments, spaces, programs, and services.

This funding is being provided in two phases by the Government of Canada to focus on support for projects that have lasting impacts. Only those projects that show the potential for reaching more persons, communities, and settings, and have a plan for sustainability will progress to Phase 2.

Besides these new calls for proposals, the Government is continuing to work on its first-ever Disability Inclusion Action Plan, including a new Canada Disability Benefit, improved eligibility for Government disability programs and benefits, and a strong employment strategy for Canadians with disabilities.