Statement from Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility Carla Qualtrough

Gatineau, Quebec, March 8, 2019       

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, today issued the following statement:

“On March 8, people all over the world come together to celebrate women’s achievements and support their rights. As a woman and a person with a disability, I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the unique contributions made by women with disabilities to Canadian society and to encourage their full inclusion and participation in every aspect of life.

I am proud that our government has provided financial support, through the Disability component of the Social Development Partnership Program, to a group of researchers led by the Disabled Women’s Network of Canada, to produce the report More Than A Footnote: A Research Report on Women and Girls with Disabilities in Canada. This eye opening report sheds light on the key issues women and girls with disabilities in Canada face every day, such as social exclusion, poverty, barriers to education and unemployment. The report also puts forward recommendations that focus on significant areas including gender, race, sexual orientation, and Indigenous issues to create opportunities for women with disabilities in the future.

The most recent statistics from the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability show that 24% of women aged 15 and over have a disability compared to 20% of men, and that more women with a disability than men with a disability live below the poverty line.

As Minister of Accessibility, my objective is to create a Canada where persons with disabilities, including women and girls with disabilities, can participate fully in our society and our economy, and have an equal chance to succeed.

The proposed Accessible Canada Act is a key step towards achieving full inclusion. This game-changing legislation would move us from a system where persons with disabilities have to fight for basic access to a new model where the responsibility for addressing barriers to accessibility belongs to all of us.

With this proposed legislation, our government is affirming its commitment to building an inclusive society that benefits all people in Canada – especially persons with disabilities.”

Associated Links

• More Than A Footnote: A Research Report on Women and Girls with Disabilities in Canada
• Making an accessible Canada for people with disabilities