Increased Awareness of Technologies Used by Canadians with Disability

Author: Government of Canada
Published: 2011/12/13 - Updated: 2013/06/05
Category Topic: Canada - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Employers across Canada to have greater access to information about disability issues and new adaptive technologies for persons with disabilities.

Introduction

Main Content

The Honorable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and Minister Responsible for British Columbia, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honorable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

"The Government of Canada is providing Canadians with the opportunity to reach their full potential," said Minister Moore. "We are proud to partner with organizations, such as the Neil Squire Society, that work to improve the inclusion of people with disabilities through new technologies and awareness building."

The Neil Squire Society will develop marketing strategies to help inform employers about available adaptive technologies, including wireless mobile devices and electronic financial services, which in turn will help people with disabilities to participate in their communities and in the labor market. The Government of Canada is contributing $124,566 through the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP-D) to this project.

SDPP-D aims to increase the effectiveness of the not-for-profit sector in meeting the social development needs of people with disabilities. To learn more about the Government of Canada's programs for people with disabilities, visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/disability.

The Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program aims to increase the effectiveness of the not-for-profit sector in meeting the social development needs and aspirations of people with disabilities. It does so by supporting innovative solutions to remove barriers and improve access to programs and services.

The Program supports projects that are designed to improve the participation and integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society. More specifically, the Program supports a wide range of community-based initiatives that provide effective approaches to addressing the social issues and barriers that people with disabilities face.

The objectives of the Disability component are to:

• Support the development and use of effective approaches to address social issues and barriers confronting people with disabilities;
• Develop, exchange and apply knowledge, tools and resources that sustain social inclusion for individuals, families and communities;
• Foster collaboration, partnerships, alliances and networks to address existing and emerging social issues; and
• Recognize and support the ability of not-for-profit organizations to identify and address social development priorities.

The Government of Canada invests annually to help address the needs of people with disabilities through other programs such as the:

• Registered Disability Savings Plan
• The Enabling Accessibility Fund
• Canada Pension Plan Disability
• The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
• Labor Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities
• Post-secondary education assistance measures for students with disabilities.