Thank you.
Allow me to welcome the witnesses.
To begin this meeting, I want to mention that a number of us are in wheelchairs today: Madam Minna, Mr. Martin, and Madam Cadman. A number of others had expressed an interest, including the chair and Mr. Lessard, in being in a wheelchair. This is the brainchild of the CPA. Last year I spent a day in a wheelchair. I had the opportunity to be the chair of the committee meeting. I'm delighted that this year a number of parliamentarians are doing this. Next year we're going to look for many more to do it. The purpose is to give people some insight into what it's like to live with a disability, if only for a single day. Ottawa is one of the most accessible places in Canada, yet we still find many challenges.
I was pleased that we were able to schedule witnesses from a number of groups representing people with disabilities. Far too many people with disabilities live in poverty, and we have to find a way to make that better. This is the parliamentary committee that has responsibility for the status of persons with disabilities, and we have to do more for them.
I want to thank everybody for coming. I want to thank the CPA for the work they've done, and I want to thank the committee for scheduling this meeting. We were originally scheduled to be on the road, for hearings on poverty. We were able to reschedule that to be here. I thank the chair and the staff for their indulgence.