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Empower U: Learn to Access Your Disability Rights Training on Canadian Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP) training aims to increase awareness of how to address discrimination using more familiar Canadian human rights laws such as Human Rights Codes and the newer international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This is training for persons with disabilities by persons with disabilities. The training is part of a project funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and implemented by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) in collaboration with Canadian Multicultural Disability Centre Inc. (CMDCI), Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario (CWDO), Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) and National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS). Read more.
Poverty Archives
Poverty
November 4, 2012
Tony Dolan's Speaking Notes for an October 2012 Presentation to Finance Committee
In October 2012, CCD Chairperson Tony Dolan appeared before the House of Commons Finance Committee, when it was consulting Canadians about Canada's next Budget. Tony shared CCD's views on initiatives that the Government of Canada should undertake to create a more accessible and inclusive Canada. Read more.
March 22, 2011
Dealing with Today´s Disability Poverty
The disability community has shared with the Federal Government a plan, with short and long term steps, for eradicating disability poverty. A refundable Disability Tax Credit is the measure that many of us in the disability community were hoping to see in Budget 2011, but, once again, the Federal Budget has chosen to ignore Canadians with disabilities at the lowest rung of the socioeconomic scale. A refundable disability tax credit would put desperately needed dollars in the wallets of Canadians with disabilities living in poverty.
December 3, 2010
United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The disability recommendations made by the HUMA Committee in their "Federal Poverty Reduction Plan" report would improve the lives of Canadians with disabilities by reducing disability poverty by removing barriers in income assistance, training, and employment. Many of its recommendations are drawn from the disability community's National Action Plan to build a more inclusive and accessible Canada.
We encourage all Members of Parliament to support the HUMA Committee's recommendations. Recognizing they cannot be all implemented immediately, a refundable disability tax credit would be an excellent first step for the Government to take. Including a refundable DTC in the upcoming Federal Budget would be an excellent down payment on income security for people with disabilities facing the severest poverty.
December 2, 2010
Support for Bill S-216
On behalf of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national human rights organization of people with disabilities, I am writing to you in support of Bill S-216, the Protection of Beneficiaries of Long Term Disability Benefits Plans Act, and to follow-up on the presentation made to the Senate Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee by Jim Derksen on 18 November 2010, when he spoke in support of Bill S-216. The purpose of this Bill is to protect people with disabilities on long term disability (LTD) benefits, whose plans are self-insured by their employers, should their employers declare bankruptcy. As you will recall, when Nortel declared bankruptcy, there was protection for Nortel creditors but Nortel employees on long term disability, much to their shock and dismay, discovered that they would be losing much of their long term disability benefits. Bill S-216 seeks to create a more just bankruptcy process for those Canadians who have LTD plans self-insured by employers. Read more.
December 2, 2010
Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada
We are hopeful that the Federal Government will be guided by this report and it would be gratifying to see the next Federal Budget implement the recommendation on the refundable DTC. In the coming weeks, therefore, we will be encouraging the Government of Canada to respond positively to the recommendations contained in the "Federal Poverty Reduction Plan" report.
December 2, 2010
International Day of Persons with Disabilities - We're Sending Our Christmas Wish List to Federal Government
For this year's observance of December 3rd, CCD is drawing attention to the disproportionate level of poverty experienced by Canadians with disabilities in comparison to their nondisabled counterparts. Many Canadians assume that people with disabilities are well provided for by disability pensions. Few, unless they have a family member with a disability, understand that disability and poverty are largely synonymous—disability can lead to poverty and poverty can result in disability. Read more.
November 18, 2010
Calvin Wood's Presentation to End Exclusion 2010
At End Exclusion 2010, Calvin Wood, the President of People First Nova Scotia, discussed what poverty and disability mean to him. Read more.
November 18, 2010
Federal Poverty Reduction Plan Must Address Disability Poverty
In light of the reality of disability poverty, CCD welcomes yesterday's House of Commons Committee report, "Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada", which calls for a comprehensive plan and funding to address poverty. The disability community has developed its own National Action Plan on Disability that outlines short and long-term recommendations for improving the economic and social position of people with disabilities. Chief among these is making the Disability Tax Credit refundable for those who do not have a taxable income. This recommendation is echoed in the Parliamentary Committee Report.
Read more.
August 6, 2010
Premiers must put Canada's poor at top of agenda
A sustainable stimulus to the economy requires Canada’s premiers to put the 4.4 million Canadians living in poverty at the top their agenda, a coalition of business, labour and community organizations said today. Read more.
December 15, 2009
Open Letter to Members of Parliament Re: Eradicating Poverty for Canadians with Disabilities
July 29, 2009
Dignity For All, the campaign for a poverty-free Canada
The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) is pleased to announce that it has accepted an invitation to serve on the steering committee of Dignity For All, the campaign for a poverty-free Canada. Read more.
April 16, 2008
Poverty and Disability: Senate Committee Hears From Canadians with Disabilities
CCD explained that it is calling on the Government of Canada to address the poverty of Canadians with disabilities by taking a greater role in addressing income security for persons with disabilities. Read more.
November 9, 1999
CCD Takes Its Case for Fairer CPP to Supreme Court
February 14, 1997
Disabled citizens lose once again, unfairly blamed in CPP Changes
End Exclusion supporters rally in support of an accessible and inclusive Canada.