NDP release plan for supporting Canadians with disabilities

Mulcair will launch National Action Plan and introduce Canadians with Disabilities Act

NDP Candidate Mike Sullivan, York South-Weston, released the NDP Plan for Supporting Canadians with Disabilities.

“Under Stephen Harper, more than half of Canadians with disabilities are unemployed and the waits that Canadians with disabilities face for CPP Disability appeals are longer than ever,” said Sullivan who, prior to the election, served as the NDP Critic for Disability Issues. “Our plan will make Canada more accessible and ensure that Canadians with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in the workforce and everyday life.”

An NDP government will:

• Introduce a Canadians with Disabilities Act which will seek to eliminate systemic barriers that Canadians with disabilities face;
• Develop a National Action Plan to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
• Work with provinces, territories, indigenous communities and disability organizations to review and coordinate income supports; and
• Defend the rights of Canadians with disabilities by reinstating the Court Challenges Program and fixing the CPP disability appeals process.

“Nearly 15% of Canadians have some form of disability. Two million Canadians with disabilities do not have access to the supports they need. In a country as wealthy as Canada that’s unacceptable,” said Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP Candidate in Hochelaga and past deputy Critic for Disability Issues. “Only Tom Mulcair is ready to replace Stephen Harper, and start repairing the damage the Conservatives have done to Ottawa.”