Victoria, British Columbia, April 12, 2012– Through the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund, 188 projects across Canada will improve accessibility for people with disabilities and enable them to participate more fully in their communities. Dr. Kellie Leitch, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, made the announcement today with the Downtown Blanshard Advisory Committee, which received funding to make their playground at the Blanshard Community Centre more accessible.
“Our Government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians have an opportunity to participate and contribute fully in all our society has to offer and that is why we are investing in programs such as the Enabling Accessibility Fund,” said Dr. Leitch. “To date, the Fund has supported over 800 projects in communities across Canada that are helping people with disabilities gain greater access to facilities, programs and services.”
The government’s investment for these 188 new projects totals over $6.2 million. The Downtown Blanshard Advisory Committee received $50,636 through the Enabling Accessibility Fund’s 2010 Call for Proposals.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012 strengthened the government’s commitment to ensuring that people with disabilities have greater access to facilities, programs and services in their communities.
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For further information (media only):
Alyson Queen
Director of Communications
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Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
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Enabling Accessibility Fund – Small Project Component
The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) was originally announced in 2007 as a three‑year, $45-million program to support community-based projects across Canada. In 2010, the Fund was extended with an additional three-year, $45-million commitment and the creation of a new Mid-sized Component. Since the first call for proposals in 2008, over 800 projects have been awarded funding to improve accessibility in communities across Canada.
The following types of organizations were eligible to apply for funding:
- not-for-profit organizations;
- small municipalities (with a population under 250 000 as per census data);
- small private-sector organizations (fewer than 50 employees and under $5 million in gross revenue per year);
- colleges and universities;
- territorial governments; and
- Aboriginal governments.
Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:
- constructing an interior or exterior ramp;
- installing wider doors or automated door openers;
- building an accessible washroom;
- installing an elevator or lift; and
- enhancing interactive speech capability on a public-access computer.
All applications for funding submitted through the Enabling Accessibility Fund’s 2011 Call for Proposals were screened against mandatory program criteria and checked for completeness. Successful projects demonstrated that they were able to create or improve accessibility for people with disabilities in Canada and that they were able to involve community partners.
The Government of Canada encourages partnerships with local organizations to develop innovative ways to improve and strengthen communities. The EAF projects announced today are a successful example of this approach: at least 25 percent of the total eligible costs for each of these new projects come from non-federal government sources.
As part the Government of Canada’s continued commitment to supporting Canadians with disabilities, Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012 also provides an additional $30 million to be invested over three years in the Opportunities Fund in order to help a greater number of Canadians with disabilities obtain work experience with small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, the Registered Disability Savings Plan will give beneficiaries and their families greater flexibility to establish, access, and contribute to their savings under this plan.
