Government of Canada supports participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life

ESSEX, ON, May 17, 2013 /CNW/ - People living with disabilities in the Windsor-Essex region will benefit from a new project designed to meet their growing needs and support them in achieving their full potential. The announcement was made today by Jeff Watson, Member of Parliament for Essex, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

"The Government of Canada is committed to supporting innovative solutions that help remove barriers to the social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities," said Mr. Watson. "Through our partnership with the Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association (WETRA), we are improving the participation of people with disabilities in our society."

WETRA is receiving more than $596,000 in federal government funding, for a project designed to encourage people with disabilities to participate in therapeutic horseback riding lessons. This, in turn, will help them build confidence and socialize with a wider range of people, leading to healthier and more fulfilling lives.

In partnership with the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, WETRA will also be promoting awareness of therapeutic riding across the country. Founded more than 40 years ago, the Association was the first organization in Canada to offer horseback riding therapy to people with disabilities.

Through the Social Development Partnerships Program — Disability Component (SDPP-D), the Government provides $11 million annually in support of a wide range of projects designed to improve social inclusion and tackle barriers faced by people with disabilities.

Economic Action Plan 2013 introduced an investment of $222 million per year to better meet the employment needs of Canadian businesses and improve employment prospects for people with disabilities. The Government also proposes to extend the Enabling Accessibility Fund at a level of $15 million per year to support the capital costs of construction and renovations to improve physical accessibility for people with disabilities, including workplace accommodation. Furthermore, the Government proposes to maintain ongoing funding at $40 million per year for the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, starting in 2015-16, to help more people with disabilities train for in-demand jobs.

For more information on the SDPP-D, visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/disability.

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The Social Development Partnerships Program — Disability Component (SDPP-D) provides grant and contribution funding to projects and organizations designed to improve the participation and integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society.

SDPP-D will be transformed by moving towards a more competitive model and introducing new program priorities and requirements. The transformation of this Program is part of government-wide efforts to modernize grant and contribution funding, maximize the impact of federal spending and increase transparency. Although aspects of the SDPP-D will change, the program will continue to exist with the same objectives—namely, to work in partnership with not-for-profit organizations to improve outcomes for people with disabilities—and with the same funding level of $11 million per year.

The Government recognizes that the transformation represents a significant change for some organizations. For this reason, the transformation elements are being phased in over a three-year period.

Economic Action Plan 2013 proposes new measures to help address the needs of people with disabilities:

• The introduction of a new generation of Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities, with an investment of $222 million per year to better meet the employment needs of Canadian businesses and improve the employment prospects for people with disabilities.
• Extending the Enabling Accessibility Fund at a level of $15 million per year to support the capital costs of construction and renovations to improve physical accessibility for people with disabilities, including workplace accommodation.
• Additional funding of $7 million per year for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, some of which would support research related to the labour market participation of people with disabilities.

SOURCE: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

This news release is available in alternative formats on request.

For further information (media only):

Jan O'Driscoll
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482

Media Relations Office
Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
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