Disability inclusion action plan: what we've accomplished, 2024 annual update

Accomplishments include:

• announcing funding for the Canada Disability Benefit in Budget 2024
• publishing draft regulations for the Canada Disability Benefit in Part I of the Canada Gazette on June 28, 2024
• consulting Canadians on the draft Canada Disability Benefit regulations
• engaging with provinces and territories with the goal of ensuring that people receive the full amount of the Benefit for which they are eligible
• engaging with Modern Treaty and Self-Government agreement partners and National Indigenous Organizations on the Canada Disability Benefit
• implementing a temporary increase to the Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities for the 2024 to 2025 school year. The amount of the Grant was increased from $2,000 to $2,800 for the 2024 to 2025 school year
• expanding reimbursement related to disability assessments that are covered by the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Disabilities

Accomplishments include:

• launching the Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities on July 11, 2024
• funding 18 new projects through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities program
• funding projects that support employment among youth with disabilities through the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy
• the Disability Inclusion Business Council fulfilling its mandate to provide advice and recommendations on workplace inclusivity to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities and launching the Canadian Business Disability Inclusion Network
  • the Council released its report Bridging the Gap: Report on Disability Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces on November 25, 2024
  • the Council launched the Canadian Business Disability Inclusion Network on December 4, 2023
• launching the National Veterans Employment Strategy on June 28, 2024
• Accessibility Standards Canada publishing Part 1 of its Employment Standard in December 2024 as a National Standard of Canada
• funding over 30 research projects to support accessible employment through Accessibility Standards Canada
• launching a pilot project in April 2024 under the Canada Pension Plan - Disability (CPP-D). The pilot project has built up supports to help individuals who receive the CPP-D to test their ability to go back to work and still receive benefit payments
• releasing the Employment Equity Act (EEA) Review Task Force's final report: A Transformative Framework to Achieve and Sustain Employment Equity on December 11, 2023
• announcing the Government of Canada's initial commitments to modernize the Employment Equity Act (EEA). This includes aligning the definition of persons with disabilities in the EEA with the Accessible Canada Act to make it more inclusive
• consulting communities affected by proposed changes to the EEA, Indigenous partners, and organizations representing covered unions and employers
• making progress towards hiring 5,000 new persons with disabilities across the federal public service. To date, over 4,000 persons with disabilities have been hired

Accomplishments include:

• launching the Equitable Access to Reading Program and providing funding to organizations that increase the production of reading materials in alternate formats such as braille, large print and audio for persons with print disabilities
• releasing the Alternate format reading materials: what we heard report
• funding the development of a voice application that allows users to have publications, websites, and academic books read aloud and to navigate content using voice commands through the Alternate Format Business Technology Challenge
• consulting Canadians on a proposed Accessible Canada Roadmap
• launching new Calls for Proposals through the Enabling Accessibility Fund. Funding supports youth to become leaders in addressing accessibility barriers in public spaces and supports the construction, renovation or expansion of facilities to help persons with disabilities access critical services, workplaces, and take part in community activities
• publishing new standards, technical guides and research under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) through Accessible Standards Canada (ASC)
• releasing the Results from the Survey on Early Learning and Child Care Arrangements: Children with Long-term Conditions and Disabilities
• providing funding for the Bold Dreams, Bright Futures-Digital Literacy Skills Development for Children Living with Blindness project led by the CNIB Foundation
• completing the Quality Inclusion in the Time of COVID: Safety, Learning & Play for Children with Disabilities project
• holding the National Air Accessibility Summit on May 9, 2024 to make progress toward removing barriers and make travel more inclusive, seamless and enjoyable for persons with disabilities
• updating the Accessibility Statistics Hub with data on employment, information communication technologies (ICT), and transportation to measure progress in removing barriers to accessibility under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA)
• releasing a data visualization tool on barriers to accessibility among persons with disabilities
• publishing the report Barriers to Accessibility in Public Spaces: Findings from the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's Settlement and Resettlement Assistance Programs funding targeted programming and support services for newcomers facing distinct barriers, including persons with disabilities
• committing to support 2,550 new housing units and repairing over 23,500 units for individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities through the National Housing Strategy

Accomplishments include:

• launching a new Navigator Program to support community-based services that help people with disabilities and their families access federal, provincial and territorial disability benefits, including the Disability Tax Credit and proposed Canada Disability Benefit
• funding disability community organizations to share experiences and best practices in providing persons with disabilities with guidance on how to access government programs and benefits
• engaging the COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group on the Canada Disability Benefit and measures that promote disability inclusion
• engaging eight National Indigenous Organizations and their communities on the development and implementation of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan
• holding the third annual Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion 2024
• tabling in parliament, the Framework for Autism in Canada and releasing Canada's Autism Strategy. These documents outline national autism priorities and a plan to address areas for action, including screening, diagnosis and services; economic inclusion; data collection, public health surveillance, and research; public awareness, understanding and acceptance; and tools and resources
• releasing the Disaggregated Data Action Plan Accomplishments Report
• releasing results, reports and infographics from the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability. The survey is the official source of disability statistics in Canada
• continuing to implement the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada