On May 2nd the Harper Government announced its support of motion 430: Strengthening Employment for Canadians with Disabilities.  This motion will further public-private cooperation to improve the employment situation for Canadians with disabilities.
“Canada needs all of our available talent at work,” stated Minister Finley in an article published on Yahoo Canada Finance. “That is why Economic Action Plan 2013 is increasing opportunities for people with disabilities, helping them gain the skills and training they need to better participate in Canada’s labour market.”
Phil McColeman, Member of Parliament for Brant, Ontario, encourages employers to look at the strong business case for hiring people with disabilities.  Fortunately, this issue is gaining national attention and has been included in the Action Plan 2013.
To help people with disabilities in the workforce, the Government has committed to:
Negotiate a new generation of the Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities by 2014 to better meet the employment needs of businesses and the employment prospects of people with disabilities.
Provide ongoing funding of $40 million per year starting in 2015-2016 for the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities.
Extend the Enabling Accessibility Fund on an ongoing basis at a level of $15 million per year.
Additional funding of $7 million for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and a $2-million investment to support the creation of the Canadian Employers Disability Forum.
