The Government of Canada is committed to helping people with disabilities and their families. That’s why we’ve introduced the Enabling Accessibility Fund, a $45 million, three year commitment, to expand opportunities for people with disabilities. The Fund supports community based projects that remove barriers and improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Recently, the Fund approved two such projects for the riding of Brant. The Five Oaks Christian Worker’s Center, in Paris, was awarded $45,000 to install door openers, ramps and improve the accessibility of their washrooms. While in Brantford, the Optometry office of Szak, Bobor, Wilson, Georgeff & Balcarras Berg received $50,000 to install an elevator. Projects like these are being approved across the country in an effort to help Canadians with disabilities integrate into our society and participate fully in our communities.

Other federal initiatives are also addressing the needs of disabled Canadians and their families. For example, our Government is investing $1 billion in renovations and energy retrofits for social housing. This includes renovations that support people with disabilities. In addition, we allocated $75 million over two years for the construction of new social-housing units for people with disabilities.

In addition to these initiatives, our Government also introduced the Registered Disability Savings Plan. This plan helps families and individuals save for the long-term financial security of a loved one with a disability. For further information regarding this initiative, visit www.disabilitysavings.gc.ca.

Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan and other federal initiatives, we are addressing the needs of disabled Canadians and creating more opportunities for them to participate in our communities and contribute to our country.