OTTAWA – The Canadian Labour Congress marks today, the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, by calling on governments and employers to follow the lead of the labour movement and make the changes that are needed to ensure equal and productive participation of Canadians with disabilities in the workplace. At the same time it has released an interim report on successes of its own internal campaign – launched two years ago – to make unions themselves more accessible and inclusive.
"The MORE Campaign (Mobilize, Organize, Represent, Educate) has served to raise awareness of the barriers, that stand between persons with disabilities and their right to full participation," says Marie Clarke Walker, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress.
"Opportunities are opening for workers with disabilities to participate at all levels of union activities, which means those issues are finding their way to the bargaining table. Workplaces are being changed, but the labour movement cannot do this all by itself," says Clarke Walker.
Today the Canadian Labour Congress will participate in a news conference to highlight news that people with disabilities are more likely than any other Canadians to be victims of discrimination, abuse, unemployment and poverty.
According to Derek Fudge, Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress (Persons with Disabilities), the largest barrier between people with disabilities and employment remains a lack of accommodation and not one of skills, knowledge or ability.
"Unemployment rates for workers with disabilities remain unacceptably high. This is why so many people with disabilities live in poverty. It isn't because there aren't any jobs out there and it certainly isn't because people with disabilities can't do the jobs. It's because too many workplaces remain inaccessible and too few have the will to change," says Marie Clarke Walker, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress.
Clarke Walker says governments and public institutions have a critical role to play as employers, but the private sector is where major change needs to happen if we hope to break the cycle of unemployment and poverty that leaves too many Canadians with disabilities vulnerable to abuse and victims of discrimination.
The news conference, which includes voices from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, and the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres, takes place in Ottawa at 9:00 a.m. in the National Press Theatre.
Information about the MORE Campaign, including an Interim Report on its successes are available at www.clc-ctc.ca (in the workers with disabilities section, under the "rights" button).
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