CMEDIA: Being committed to the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, reintroduced today’s ground-breaking legislation that would establish a new Canada Disability Benefit (CDB).
By becoming an important part of Canada’s social safety net, alongside Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and the Canada Child Benefit, CBD could significantly reduce poverty and benefit hundreds of thousands of Canadians with disabilities.
“With the Canada Disability Benefit, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to correct the long-standing social and economic exclusion…improve the financial security of working-age Canadians with disabilities…Canada that includes everyone.” said Qualtrough in a news release.
The Government has invested $11.9 million over three years through Budget 2021 to reform eligibility processes for federal disability programs and benefits.
In the spirit of “Nothing Without Us,” the legislation reintroduced today recognizes the importance of engaging with the disability community. The Accessible Canada Act, which came into force in 2019, specifies the involvement of persons with disabilities in the development and design of laws, policies, programs, services, and structures for the benefit and future regulations.
Recognizing the importance of engaging with persons with disabilities in developing federal benefits and supports, Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services met in July 2021 for an initial discussion on the proposed new benefit.
Financial security is a critical part of the legislation reintroduced today as Canada marks its sixth annual National AccessAbility Week and is an opportunity for the country to celebrate the contributions of Canadians with disabilities, their rights, and commitment to the work ahead to make Canada disability-inclusive.
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