Government of Canada supports accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing Canadians

August 02, 2011

Barrie, Ontario, August 2, 2011—Through support from the Government of Canada, deaf and hard of hearing attendees will be able to fully participate in the Alzheimer Society of Greater Simcoe County’s 2011 Dementia Conference. Patrick Brown, Member of Parliament for Barrie, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, made the announcement today.

“The Government of Canada is providing Canadians with the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Mr. Brown. “It is a privilege to partner with organizations such as the Alzheimer Society of Greater Simcoe County that work to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by removing barriers to their participation in society.”

Alzheimer Society of Greater Simcoe County is receiving support from the Government of Canada under the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program. This funding will provide sign language interpreters for the conference to enable deaf and hard of hearing attendees to attend and fully participate. The conference will take place on October 26, 2011.

The Government of Canada invests annually in initiatives that help address the needs of people with disabilities, such as the Registered Disability Savings Plan; the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program; the Disability component of the Canada Pension Plan; the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities; Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities; and post-secondary education assistance measures for students with disabilities.

To learn more about the Government of Canada’s programs for people with disabilities, visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca/disability.


Backgrounder

The Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program aims to increase the effectiveness of the not-for-profit sector in meeting the social development needs and aspirations of people with disabilities. It does so by supporting innovative solutions to remove barriers and improve access to programs and services.

The Program supports projects that are designed to improve the participation and integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society. More specifically, the program supports a wide range of community-based initiatives that provide effective approaches in addressing social issues and barriers that face people with disabilities.

The objectives of the Disability component are to:

• support the development and use of effective approaches to address social issues and barriers confronting people with disabilities;
• develop, exchange and apply knowledge, tools and resources that sustain social inclusion for individuals, families and communities;
• foster collaboration, partnerships, alliances and networks to address existing and emerging social issues; and
• recognize and support the ability of not-for-profit organizations to identify and address social development priorities.