Thank you very much.
I am very aware of this situation. Some of you may already know because I had the opportunity to mention it in the past. I have myself been handicapped for a long time in my childhood. I could only move in a wheelchair or with crutches. I know what it means to be the target of prejudices at school, especially from other children. One never forgets that kind of experience and it makes you very aware.
That being said, there is a crying need. In a statement to the Canadian Paraplegic Association, you referred to barriers to social interaction. You referred to issues relating to access to transportation, to housing and to education. You also mentioned problems with access to recreative activities and to the fact that unemployment rates are higher in the disabled population. However, I have not read anything very specific relating to barriers to employment. I would have liked to hear your comments about this, as well as those of Ms. Brayton's.
Ms. Brayton, I was on the verge of congratulating you. You stated that you came here to make representations but realized that nothing ever changes. We share your anger and your frustration. As Mr. Savage stated earlier, we are trying to make changes and to deal very seriously with these issues but we also have to recognize that nothing changes. That is why my first question was on the United Nations Convention.
Could you tell us what steps should be taken, according to you, especially in the context of this economic crisis, to improve access to employment and to prevent discrimination against women? I would remind people that this discrimination can take many forms in the fields of employment, or unemployment, for example. For a disabled person, this is an additional barrier, and it is even worse for an disabled aboriginal person.
What steps should be taken in the short term?