The Government of Canada has introduced the Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities to tackle employment barriers and create inclusive workplaces.
As announced by Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Persons with Disabilities, the strategy aims to close the employment gap between persons with disabilities and those without disabilities by 2040. This initiative is a key component of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan and aligns with the principles of the Accessible Canada Act, which marks its fifth anniversary.
The strategy focuses on assisting individuals with disabilities in finding and maintaining good jobs, advancing their careers, or becoming entrepreneurs. It also aims to help employers diversify their workforces by creating inclusive and accessible workplaces. Additionally, the strategy seeks to increase the supply, capacity, and reach of individuals and organizations that support disability inclusion and accessibility in employment.
Minister Khera emphasized the importance of the strategy, stating, "The Employment Strategy is about fairness. This plan includes concrete actions aimed at strengthening our economy and communities so that all Canadians, regardless of their abilities, can succeed in the job market."
To celebrate the Accessible Canada Act's milestone, Minister Khera announced $6.5 million in funding under the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, allocated to seven organizations across Canada. These organizations will work with Indigenous, Black, and racialized Canadians with disabilities, providing culturally relevant support to improve employment outcomes.
The 22-page code of practice in the strategy includes seven standards: understanding governance, acting wisely, leading ethically, acting effectively, resourcing the roles, building resilience, and delivering sound decision-making. These standards guide statutory officers to ensure lawful and effective council operations.
The 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability revealed that 27 percent of Canadians aged 15 and older, approximately 8 million people, report having a disability. Among those aged 25 to 64 years, 30.4 percent of persons with disabilities are not in the labour force compared to 15.8 percent of those without disabilities.
Additionally, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals with disabilities face higher barriers to labour market inclusion. Statistics Canada reports that nearly half of the core working-aged First Nations people attribute their disability as the main reason for not being in the labour force. Furthermore, one in seven persons with disabilities identifies as a visible minority, with many indicating potential for paid employment.
The Opportunities Fund (OF) program aims to assist persons with disabilities in preparing for, finding, maintaining employment, advancing in their careers, or becoming self-employed. It also supports employers in creating more inclusive and accessible workplaces.
The strategy's next steps involve embedding employment support for persons with disabilities across federal programs, collaborating with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments, and developing new indicators in partnership with the disability community to measure progress toward closing the employment gap by 2040.