Government of Canada launches the Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities

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 5^th 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

Contacts: For media enquiries, please contact: Alisson Lévesque, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]