Human Resources committee  I just want to say that we were recently approved for a grant from the federal government that we will be, hopefully, starting in the next couple of months. It's a partnership with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. We think that kind of a partnership is really important, because partnering with the businesses and being able to provide the wage subsidy hopefully will allow some businesses that might be a little cautious in trying to work with disabled employees to take that step and to gain a better understanding of what the capabilities are.

Human Resources committee  Let me address the social assistance question. We recently responded to the report of the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, which was just completed. Thinking back on my experience as early as 1981, during the International Year of Disabled Persons, the “Obstacles” report, which came from the federal government, recommended splitting social assistance related to unemployment from assistance related to the additional costs of disability.

Human Resources committee  Thank you for this opportunity. March of Dimes Canada was established in 1951 and is one of Canada’s largest service providers and advocates for people with disabilities. Last year we delivered more than 2.25 million hours of service to over 60,000 Canadians with disabilities. March of Dimes has been providing employment services for over 50 years, predating the introduction of the Vocational Rehabilitation for Disabled Persons Act.