Gatineau, QC – The Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, today highlighted additional support under the Opportunities Fund that will help improve employment outcomes for persons with intellectual disabilities and autism.
Budget 2019 proposes $12 million over three years, starting in 2019-20, for the Canadian Association for Community Living, in partnership with the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance, to support the Ready, Willing and Able program, a national employment initiative that engages employers to increase the labour force participation of persons with intellectual disabilities and ASD.
Investing in programs benefiting persons with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities means investing in our communities. It means building an inclusive Canada, with opportunities for everyone to achieve their full potential without barriers.
The proposed Accessible Canada Act, adopted by the Senate on May 13, 2019, is another concrete step that the Government of Canada is taking towards accessibility and inclusion for everyone. Once the Bill becomes law, the Act will promote broad organizational and cultural change on accessibility, while proactively identifying, removing and preventing barriers to support the realization of a truly accessible Canada.
