On Friday, Minister Carla Qualtrough released Canada’s first-ever Disability Inclusion Action Plan. This Action Plan consists of current and future actions, including programs, policies and investments that aim to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in Canada. Persons with disabilities face physical, financial, attitudinal and other barriers to participating in society. Many of these barriers are systemic and long-standing. Our government is working with the disability community to remove these barriers, and to create a more inclusive country. The work required to achieve this is extensive, and it requires meaningful and sustained action. In the spirit of Nothing Without Us, we are working in close partnership with the disability community on this Action Plan. It is a blueprint for change that will challenge the Government of Canada to be more inclusive of persons with disabilities, and to create a more inclusive country for everyone. It will also evolve over time to respond to ongoing engagement with persons with disabilities and will reflect the realities of persons with disabilities in an ever-changing world. The Action Plan consists of four initial pillars:

• Pillar 1 - Financial Security: actions to improve the immediate and long-term financial security of persons with disabilities, such as through the creation of a new Canada Disability Benefit.
• Pillar 2 - Employment: actions to address long-standing barriers that persons with disabilities face in the labour market and workplace, including by providing supports to both persons with disabilities and employers.
• Pillar 3 - Accessible and Inclusive Communities: actions to address the physical, communication, and attitudinal barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from fully participating in their communities and the economy.
• Pillar 4 - A Modern Approach to Disability: actions to address the challenges that persons with disabilities face in accessing federal programs and benefits, as well as ensuring the needs of persons with disabilities are reflected in government policies and programs.