Parliamentary Secretary Church shares Canada's commitment to ensure the full inclusion of persons with disabilities at the United Nations

NEW YORK, June 12, 2026 /CNW/ - This week, Leslie Church, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families (Persons with Disabilities), led Canada's delegation to the 19th session of the UN Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in New York, where she underscored Canada's ongoing commitment to advancing the rights, inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities.

Delegates from various countries met around this year's overarching theme: "CRPD at 20: celebrating and consolidating achievements and shaping the next phase of implementation in a changing world."

During the opening session of the conference, Parliamentary Secretary Church reaffirmed Canada's commitment to advancing disability inclusion and highlighted the progress made by Canada since ratifying the Convention. This includes the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act and the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, which together provide a framework for identifying, removing and preventing barriers while promoting greater inclusion across the country.

The principle of "Nothing Without Us" was underscored, highlighting the importance of involving persons with disabilities in shaping Canada's policies and programs. Canada's ongoing engagement with the disability community, including youth and under-represented groups, as well as Indigenous partners, was also noted, with a focus on distinctions-based and Indigenous-led approaches that reflect diverse experiences and realities.

The Parliamentary Secretary reiterated the importance of economic security and access to meaningful employment for persons with disabilities, stating that Canada has strengthened investments in its Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities program through the 2026 Spring Economic Update by doubling annual funding for disability-inclusive employment supports across the country. These investments support the objectives of Canada's Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities, which aims to address systemic barriers and help close Canada's employment gap between persons with and without disabilities by 2040. As part of the conference, Canada hosted a side event to examine how income security and inclusive labour market participation can work together to support financial independence for persons with disabilities.  

The importance of ensuring that technological change creates opportunities rather than new barriers for persons with disabilities was also highlighted. As digital technologies and artificial intelligence become increasingly integrated into everyday life, Canada is working to ensure accessibility and inclusion are considered from the outset. Through the Accessible Canada Act and Canada's leadership in establishing accessibility standards--including the world's first accessibility standard focused on equitable artificial intelligence--Canada is working to ensure that emerging technologies are inclusive by design.

Finally, the Parliamentary Secretary also spoke about how recent global challenges have demonstrated the importance of inclusive and resilient systems that consider the needs of persons with disabilities from the outset. She also stated that Canada remains committed to working with partners at home and abroad to advance accessibility, inclusion and equal opportunities for all.

Quote

"As the world marks the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Canada remains focused on working with international partners to advance opportunity and inclusion for persons with disabilities. At this year's Conference of States Parties, Canada is calling for renewed global ambition and stronger collaboration to deliver measurable, lasting improvements in the lives of persons with disabilities."

– Leslie Church, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families (Persons with Disabilities

Quick facts

• The 19th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities took place from June 9-11, 2026. 
• In addition to the overarching theme of the Conference, the three sub-themes discussed at this year's session were:
  • Creating a world free from exploitation, violence and abuse for all persons with disabilities
  • Resilient societies: strengthening care and support systems to ensure the empowerment, autonomy and independence of all persons with disabilities
  • From participation to representation: enhancing accessible civic engagement, leadership and advocacy in political and public life
• The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the General Assembly on December 13, 2006, and came into force on May 3, 2008. This year marks the 16th anniversary since Canada ratified the Convention in 2010. Canada acceded to the Optional Protocol in 2018.
• Canada will promote the world's first AI equity-based national standard on accessible AI to drive inclusive and accessible AI and remove accessibility barriers from AI systems, and ensure Canadian AI reflects the Accessible Canada Act principles.

Associated links

• 19th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Rights of people with disabilities
• Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities - Canada.ca

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

Contacts: For media enquiries, please contact:  Jennifer Kozelj, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Jobs and Families, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]