OTTAWA,
ON, May 26, 2024 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister,
Justin Trudeau, today issued the
following statement on National AccessAbility Week:
"Today, as we mark the beginning of National AccessAbility Week,
we celebrate the many contributions of persons with disabilities to
our country, and renew our commitment to building a fair,
inclusive, and accessible Canada
for everyone.
"Eight million Canadians have a disability that impacts their
daily lives. Unfortunately, many face barriers when it comes to
pursuing an education, growing their careers, or getting
opportunities to succeed. That's why, almost five years ago, we
passed the Accessible Canada Act – a landmark piece of
legislation that aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040. And we've been moving forward
with a lot more.
"Through our historic Disability Inclusion Action Plan,
we've made our communities more inclusive and fair – from
increasing job opportunities to reducing financial barriers. In the
spirit of 'Nothing Without Us', a key principle of the Action Plan,
we are working in partnership with Canada's disability community to develop and
implement their priorities. That's why we're launching the Canada
Disability Benefit, which will provide direct financial support to
over 600,000 low-income persons with disabilities. The initial
design of the benefit ensures that it will be delivered to persons
with disabilities who need it the most, as quickly as possible. The
Canada Disability Benefit is an important initial step forward to
improving the financial security of persons with disabilities, but
we also recognize that more must be done. As a government, we will
continue to work steadfastly to remove barriers, including
financial barriers, for persons with disabilities.
"Budget 2024 made meaningful investments to support persons with
disabilities, including to cover the cost of the medical forms
required to apply for the Disability Tax Credit. This will help
enable thousands of persons with disabilities to not only access
the Canada Disability Benefit, but other important programs and
services, such as the Canadian Dental Care Plan. And we are making
legislative changes to make more expenses eligible for the
Disability Supports Deduction, including for service animals,
alternative computer input devices, work chairs, and bed
positioning devices, to further reduce the barriers to accessing
the supports that persons with disabilities need.
"Earlier this month, we hosted the first-ever National Air
Accessibility Summit, which brought together partners from the
disability community and the air sector to discuss solutions to
make air travel accessible and inclusive for all Canadians. The
industry agreed to adopt a common intake form for passengers with
disabilities to simplify their travel preparation, and to enhance
data collection and sharing. Canada will also work with international
partners, including the International Civil Aviation Organization,
to ensure that transportation is accessible and barrier-free so
that everyone with a disability has an inclusive, comfortable, and
dignified experience when travelling by air.
"Canada wins when we are all
included. This week, I encourage Canadians to reflect on the ways
we can work together to remove barriers, promote accessibility, and
secure fairness for every generation."
This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca
SOURCE Prime Minister's Office