Mr. Speaker, as we speak, too many people with disabilities are being excluded from income support programs.
I receive a huge number of complaints in this regard from Canadians who tell me about the obstacles they face when attempting to get the disability tax credit or open a registered disability savings plan.
Given that Canada has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the government must take its responsibilities and obligations seriously. This must be accomplished in a context where the rate of unemployment for people with disabilities tends to be 25% higher than the Canadian average, where Canadians with a disability are twice as likely to live in poverty and where young people with disabilities are only half as likely to pursue post-secondary education.
People with functional limitations have the right to a decent standard of living and access to the labour market. I therefore urge the government to take the required corrective action as quickly as possible in order to ensure that these individuals can fully exercise these rights.