Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'm representing the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, a national organization that represents Canadians with disabilities across this country. The goal of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities is to build a more inclusive and accessible Canada and to ensure that Canadians with disabilities have the same access to goods and services of our great country as do non-disabled persons.
Over the years much progress has been made. Together we have removed barriers to transportation systems, created more accessible elections, developed inclusive education programs, and removed some barriers to employment of persons with disabilities. We have created new service delivery models to empower people with disabilities, and we have continually sought incremental ways to improve the lives of Canadians with disabilities.
To be blunt, these improvements came about because people with disabilities, their families, and their organizations spoke out about the barriers. We spoke out about our rights and our responsibilities as citizens of Canada. The catalyst for change has been and will remain the voice of persons with disabilities speaking for ourselves. This voice must continue to be supported, for it has been and is the catalyst for making our communities more accessible and inclusive.
Sadly, 18 national disability organizations have recently been informed by Minister Finley that the grants provided to them through the social development partnership program, as a disability component, will be reduced by 35% in 2013-14 and by 65% in 2014-15.
In April of 2015, these organizations, including our organization, will no longer receive grant funding.
The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada has already announced that they will close their doors at the end of March 2013. More will follow.
The program will remain open, with $11 million for project funding. However, the project application process will be an open, competitive process. Any non-profit charitable organization, local, provincial, or national, or any university, can apply for this funding. We believe this approach will significantly undermine the capacity of national organizations and silence the voice of people with disabilities.
We have asked Minister Finley to reconsider her decision and protect some funds for national organizations in an open, competitive process. We believe the voice of people with disabilities must be supported. It makes good business sense to engage with people with disabilities, their families, and their organizations in public policy dialogue. CCD will be meeting with Minister Finley in the near future to discuss our concern.
The Government of Canada has a substantial role in supporting Canadians with disabilities to identify barriers and to assist in identifying ways of removing these barriers. That has happened many times in the past few years. Much has been done, but much remains to be done. Canadians with disabilities for the most part are poor, excluded from the labour force, and face new barriers every day. It is highly likely that if you are poor in this country, you have a factor of a disability as well.
What is needed are new initiatives to address poverty, including improving the registered disability savings plan and the Canada Pension Plan disability benefit. Issues to be addressed in this area include removing barriers for those with intellectual disabilities wishing to open a registered disability savings plan, expanding the disability tax credit definition, and making the Canada Pension Plan disability benefit non-taxable.
We need new initiatives to improve employment access, including specific targets for the employment of persons with disabilities in the labour market agreements with the provinces, and expanding EI sick benefits—