November 2018
Inclusion Matters_ News from CACL
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9th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion_ Inclusion - What Gets Measured Gets Done
Policy Forum graphic
9th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion - Few Spots Remain! 

CACL and People First of Canada (PFC) are hosting the 9th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion in Ottawa on December 3. This year's topic is " Inclusion: What Gets Measured Gets Done".
The Policy Forum will explore the importance of inclusion, not only as a philosophy, but as a goal that must be measured in the proposed Accessible Canada Act, Canada's Poverty Reduction Strategy and Canada's National Housing Strategy.

Mom with her daughter who has Down syndrome smiling at the camera.
Measuring Inclusion through Government Initiatives 

Canada is currently involved in many exciting initiatives with the potential to significantly impact the lives of individuals with a disability positively. The proposed Accessible Canada Act, Canada's Poverty Reduction Strategy and Canada's National Housing Strategy each address areas that are crucial to the full inclusion of individuals with a disability in our society.


CACL in Action!
Highlights of our recent national and international work.

  • Gordon Porter, Director of Inclusive Education Canada, is the keynote speaker at an education conference in Madrid, Spain the week of November 12. He is also meeting with researchers at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and giving a lecture to educators, school leaders, and students.
     
  • CACL Executive Vice-President Krista Carr met with Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility in Ontario.
     
  • CACL EVP Krista Carr was in St.Paul and Grand Prairie, Alberta attending community consultation sessions as part of her role on the community panel reviewing Alberta's Persons with Developmental Disabilities program.
     
  • A BIG welcome to Marianne McQuillan, CACL's new Director of Development! Marianne can be contacted at [email protected].
  • Doris Rajan, Director of Social Development at IRIS spoke in Ottawa last week at the National Housing Conference on the Gender and diversity at the heart of housing panel and at the Gender-based Analysis Plus Forum. Her presentations focused on the barriers that indigenous women, refugee women, and women with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities face within housing and inclusive solutions to those barriers.  
     
  • RWA National Director, Don Gallant, attended HRSP roundtable session on Work-Integrated Learning, Employer Supports and Linking Supply and Demand and the Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy (CRWDP) 2018 Cluster Meeting.
     
  • Frank Fagan, RWA National Coordinator, conducted initial training and on boarding with the new Labour Market Facilitator for Fredericton, New Brunswick.
     

Man in wheelchair and little boy outside.
CACL & PFC Joint Submission for Strengthening Bill C-81

CACL and People First of Canada (PFC) have published a joint submission for recommendations for strengthening the Accessible Canada Act (Bill C-81). The proposed law has many new rules that are very positive, but CACL and PFC are suggesting some changes to make the law better, especially for people with an intellectual disability. Recommendations include making sure people with significant intellectual disabilities are heard, addressing barriers to legal capacity, and guarding against ableism in the preamble.

Young man with intellectual disability smiling and working in construction.
Ready, Willing & Able Business Case 

Nationwide, there are approximately 500,000 working age adults with an intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but only one in four are employed. There are hundreds of unfilled positions, for which these individuals are ready, willing and able to do the job. But we aren't hiring them.

Why is this? A lack of information and understanding. The Ready, Willing & Able Business Case for Hiring People with an Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder can help you discover the amazing potential available to you when you expand to an inclusive workforce.


Upcoming Dates and Events
November 2 - December 19 - "Flourishing: Somewhere We Stay Authentic" exhibition produced by Tangled Art + Disability in partnership with CACL. Click here to learn more.
December 2  - CACL, CACL Foundation and IRIS Annual General Meetings in Ottawa. Contact Judith Butler at [email protected] for more information.
December 3  - CACL and People First of Canada host the 9th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion in Ottawa. Register here .

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