Mr. Speaker, more than a million people have to overcome impediments to their involvement in society everyday.
Yesterday, May 29, in Laval and elsewhere in Quebec, we kicked off Quebec's week of the disabled.
Between June 1 and 7, through discussions, artistic and sporting activities, people with disabilities will have their say. By listening to what they have to say, we will perhaps understand that a disability is not necessarily a handicap. The real handicap is not being able to study, work, enjoy oneself, travel or communicate with others.
By working together to help people with disabilities integrate into society by implementing progressive measures to ensure their right to education, to work and to enjoy recreation, we will all come out ahead, and our society will be more humane, because it will be more just.
I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to all those volunteers who work to improve the living conditions of persons with disabilities—