-I now have the pleasure of introducing Elisha Ram,
Associate Deputy Minister
of Income Security and Social Development
at Employment and Social Development Canada.
Elisha, the stage is yours.
-Thank you, Bean. Thank you, Varda.
And also my thanks to the Elder
for such a moving opening to today's Congress.
Thank you all for being with us for this third
Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion,
people with handicaps.
Once again this year,
Members of the disability community,
academics, policymakers,
innovators, and practitioners
have gathered to celebrate the contribution
of the person with disabilities
to our communities and our workplaces,
and to share ideas and best practices.
It's truly exciting, and I hope that all of you
will have the opportunity to participate,
to learn, and to share your experiences today.
I have the pleasure of introducing our host today,
Minister of Inclusivity and Diversity
for People with Disabilities.
Minister Khera has previously served as Minister of Seniors,
as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of International Development,
the Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister of National Revenue,
and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.
And as many of you already know,
Minister Khera is a registered nurse by profession
and a community volunteer who is passionate
about improving the lives of all those around her.
And so welcome, Minister Khera.
-Hello everyone. And Bonjour tout le monde.
Welcome to the third annual
Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion.
I know many of you have been looking forward to this event
all year long as we kick start
the National AccessAbility Week 2024.
This year's theme for National AccessAbility Week is --
Forward Together:
Accessibility and Inclusion for All.
This week gives us all an opportunity
to celebrate the progress we've made
and to recommit ourselves to doing more
to break down barriers to accessibility
that still persist.
It's hard to believe that five years ago today,
the Accessible Canada Act came into force.
The Accessible Canada Act
is based on the foundational principle
that persons with disabilities
must always be involved in the development and designs of laws,
policies, and programs that serve not only them,
but all Canadians.
This was a historic achievement
that was made possible thanks to the partnership
and collaboration from the disability community.
I think we can all take great pride in the achievements
we've made together in the past five years.
Together, we've launched Canada's first ever
Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
We appointed Canada's first ever Chief Accessibility Officer
and welcomed her first report on accessibility in Canada,
invested millions of dollars through the Opportunities Fund
and the Enabling Accessibility Fund,
committed $6.1 billion
for the Canada Disability Benefit and Budget 2024,
and just a few weeks ago, we hosted Canada's
first ever National Air Accessibility Summit.
While we have accomplished a lot,
we know there is still a lot of work to do,
which is why I'm so glad
that we are officially kicking off
this year's Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion.
The critical and constructive conversations
we're having today are another opportunity
to reflect on that progress,
and on the changes that must happen to remove
and prevent barriers to accessibility,
because at the end of the day,
we know that in building a more accessible country,
Canada and Canadians win.
Once again, I want to wish everyone
a very happy National AccessAbility Week,
and I can't wait for our discussion later this afternoon.
Thank you.
Merci.