• In 1991, 4.2 million (16 percent) Canadians reported some level of disability.* Aboriginal Canadians are particularly affected with over 30 percent reporting a disability. Many of these individuals face significant barriers that prevent them from participating fully in the life of our country.
• Some persons with disabilities face economic hardship in their daily lives. Many live below the poverty line and are unable to participate as full citizens. Equal access to education, training and support programs will increase their potential for employment and a better economic future.
• Federal, provincial and territorial governments, First Nations, community groups and the private sector deliver the current system of benefits and services supporting Canadians with disabilities. Although it is a complex system, it is not working effectively for many individuals.
• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms offers protection against discrimination based on physical and mental disability. Through the Charter and Human Rights legislation, the federal, provincial and territorial governments are working to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities and to support their participation in all aspects of Canadian life.
• Over the years, Canadians with disabilities have shared their common concerns and have articulated their vision. In June 1996, disability issues were identified as a collective priority by the Prime Minister and Premiers. At their December 1997 meeting, First Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to disability issues and agreed that a vision and framework to guide future collaborative work in this area needed to be concluded.
• During the past year, jurisdictions have been working together to better address the needs of persons with disabilities. The product of their collaborative work is In Unison: A Canadian Approach to Disability Issues, which is to guide future reform.
• The document articulates a vision that seeks to ensure the full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society. It recognizes that the achievement of the vision is a responsibility shared by all Canadians:

 

 

Persons with disabilities participate as full citizens in all aspects of Canadian society. The full participation of persons with disabilities requires the commitment of all segments of society. The realization of the vision will allow persons with disabilities to maximize their independence and enhance their well-being through access to required supports and the elimination of barriers that prevent their full participation.

• The vision is based on the values of equality, inclusion and independence.
• In Unison translates this vision of full citizenship into objectives and policy directions within three interrelated building blocks: disability supports, employment and income.
• The document recognizes the need for governments to focus their initial efforts on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and the coordination between programs. At the same time, In Unison recognizes that new investments may be required to achieve this new disability agenda. New opportunities for investment or reinvestment would be explored as fiscal resources permit. Finally, the document recognizes the important role that all parties play in those situations where the occurrence or severity of a disability can be prevented or minimized.

The Vision of Full Citizenship

• Citizenship refers to the full inclusion of persons with disabilities. The intent of In Unison is to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to the systems and programs open to other Canadians.
• This objective will be met by focussing on policies that promote access to generic programs and services for all Canadians, including persons with disabilities.

Disability Supports

• In Unison recognizes the need to move beyond actions focussed primarily on income support. It includes measures that address the costs related to disability and the need to change workplaces and communities to accommodate persons with disabilities.
• Flexible and responsive delivery of disability supports is explored to allow for more independent lifestyles. The objectives are to:
• improve access to disability supports:
• enhance the portability of these supports;
• help offset the cost of disability supports.

Employment

• In Unison seeks to enhance the employability of persons with disabilities, encourage (re)entry into the labour market and help promote work and volunteer opportunities. The objectives are to:
• reduce reliance on income support programs;
• promote access to the training programs available to all Canadians;
• increase the availability of work-related supports;
• encourage employers to make appropriate job/workplace accommodation;
• promote work and volunteer opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Income

• In Unison recognizes the need for an income safety net that rewards individual work efforts to the greatest extent possible — but which provides financial assistance if self-support is impossible or insufficient to meet basic needs. The objectives are to:
• encourage economic independence by removing disincentives to work;
• detach eligibility for disability supports from income programs;
• improve access and reduce administrative duplication through greater co-ordination of income programs;
• ensure availability of income support for periods during which individuals are not able to support themselves.

Next Steps

• Ministers of Social Services are taking steps in the areas within their mandates. The Vocational Rehabilitation for Disabled Persons (VRDP) program has been redesigned into a more employment-focussed initiative called the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities (EAPD) program. Most of the new federal-provincial/territorial agreements have been negotiated and implementation is underway. The commitment on a strategy to harmonize income support is another important step toward improving the current system.
• The needs of persons with disabilities and the proposed policy directions are complex and multifaceted and transcend the borders of any single government, department or agency. An integrated and client-centered approach is required to meet these needs.
• As noted by First Ministers at their December 1997 meeting, intersectoral support is necessary to achieve the vision and policy objectives in practical terms for all Canadians. That process will allow jurisdictions to identify priorities and explore where potential actions, in particular joint federal/ provincial/territorial actions, can be undertaken over the next number of years.
• To complement the ongoing intersectoral discussions, the disability community will be engaged in this agenda.
• The agenda also will require the development of accountability frameworks to permit all Canadians to assess the effectiveness of disability-related policies and programs.
• The collective and individual efforts of governments have contributed towards real progress in advancing a new approach to disability issues. The chart below serves as an illustration of important trends and evolving perspectives and approaches to disability issues that will continue to guide future reform.

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* Health and Activity Limitations Survey, Statistics Canada, 1991.