Prime Minister announces supports for Canadians with disabilities to address challenges from COVID-19

June 5, 2020    Ottawa, Ontario   Prime Minister’s Office - We know Canadians living with disabilities are facing significant challenges during this difficult time, with some experiencing job insecurity and others seeing increased costs for personal support workers, medication, and medical supplies. As we work together to restart the economy, we must continue to protect health and safety, and ensure the right supports are in place for all Canadians.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced support to help Canadians with disabilities deal with extra expenses during the pandemic.

This support includes a special one-time, tax-free payment to individuals who are certificate holders of the Disability Tax Creditas of June 1, 2020, as follows:

·      $600 for Canadians with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate.  

·      $300for Canadians with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificateand who are eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension.

·      $100for Canadians with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate and who are eligible for the OAS pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).

Combined with the special payments of $300 for Canadians who are eligible for the OAS pension and the additional $200 for those eligible for the GIS, all seniors with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate will receive a total of $600 in special payments. People who are eligible for this special payment will receive it automatically.

The Government of Canada recognizes that people with disabilities are also at higher risk of job loss during economic downturns. To help Canadians with disabilities get and maintain good jobs so they can continue to support themselves and their families, the government will:

·      Create a National Workplace Accessibility Stream through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities. A new investment of $15 million in 2020-21 will provide community organizations with resources to improve workplace accessibility and access to jobs in response to COVID-19, including by helping employers set up accessible and effective work-from-home arrangements. This support will also cover expanding accessible online training opportunities and helping connect Canadians with disabilities working from home with employers.

·      Invest $1.18 million in five new projects across the country through the Accessible Technology Program. With this funding, organizations will develop dynamic and affordable technology, such as accessible payment terminals for retailers and tools to make communication easier for Canadians with disabilities in the digital economy.

As we mark National AccessAbility Week, we reaffirm our commitment to continue listening to and working in partnership with persons with disabilities to maintain their health, safety and dignity as we address the wide-ranging impacts of COVID-19.

Quotes

“To make it through this difficult time, we need to look out for one another. Canadians with disabilities are facing significant challenges because of COVID-19, as they work to access essential services and care, and provide for their families. With today’s announcement, we are stepping up to make sure they have the support they need to make it through this crisis.”

—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“We know this pandemic has deeply affected the lives and health of all Canadians, and disproportionately affected Canadians with disabilities in particular. The cost to safely get groceries, medication, and other basic necessities has increased, while services like disability support workers and therapy may be unavailable because volunteer and subsidized services have declined. We have listened to the concerns of Canadians with disabilities and received advice from the COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group on how to best provide support during this difficult time. I am confident that the measures announced today will greatly benefit Canadians with disabilities across the country.”

—The Hon. Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

“Working together empowers our companies, our economy, our people. We know now, more than ever, how important it is to be able to access the digital world. Through the Accessible Technology Program, we continue to open doors to endless possibilities, so that Canadians with disabilities can fully benefit from being connected. Thanks to our innovative entrepreneurs, we continue to increase accessibility and awareness of this importance.” 

—The Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

Quick Facts

• The funding included in today’s announcement will benefit approximately 1.25 million Canadians with disabilities who are facing additional expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, 22 per cent of Canadians 15 years of age and over identify as having a disability. That rate increases as people age, with 37.8 per cent of Canadians over 65 and 47.4 per cent of Canadians over 75 identifying as having a disability.
• Among working-age Canadians with disabilities, more than 1.5 million, or 41 per cent, are unemployed or out of the labour market entirely. Among those with severe disabilities, this rate increases to over 60 per cent.
• The Government of Canada is working to support people with disabilities in-line with the principles and objectives of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Accessible Canada Act, which came into force in July 2019.

Backgrounder

New supports for Canadians with disabilities to address challenges related to COVID-19

The Government of Canada is providing support to help people with disabilities deal with the extra expenses they are facing during the COVID‑19 pandemic. This support includes a one-time payment to certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit, a new National Workplace Accessibility Stream through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, and new investments through the Accessible Technology Program.

One-time payment for persons with disabilities

A specialone-time payment of $600 will be automatically provided to individuals who are certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit as of June 1, 2020. The payment will be provided to eligible Canadians without an application or attestation. It will be non-taxable.

Seniors who are certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit and are eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and/or the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) will have their payments adjusted accordingly. Seniors who are certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit and eligible for the OAS pension will receive a payment of $300, in addition to the special COVID-19 one-time OAS pension payment of $300. Those who are certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit and are eligible for the GIS will receive a payment of $100, in addition to the combined $500 from the special COVID-19 one-time OAS pension and GIS payments. With this new support and these special payments announced last month, all seniors who are certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit will receive a total of $600.

For certificate holders of the Disability Tax Credit who are under the age of 18, the special payment will be made to the individual who is considered primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of the child for the purposes of the Canada Child Benefit. In cases of shared custody, each parent will receive $300. Where a child who is a certificate holder of the Disability Tax Credit is maintained by an agency and the Children’s Special Allowances are paid for that child, the special payment will be made to that agency.

National Workplace Accessibility Stream of the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities

This new stream will provide additional funding to help Canadians with disabilities and their employers to improve workplace accessibility and access to jobs in response to COVID-19. Some of the activities supported by this fund will include:

·      Setting up accessible and effective work-from-home measures

·      Expanding online training opportunities

·      Creating inclusive workplaces, whether virtual or physical

·      Connecting people with disabilities and employers

·      Training for in-demand jobs

·      Wage subsidies

New projects from the Accessible Technology Program

The Accessible Technology Program is part of the Government of Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to create well-paying jobs for middle class Canadians. The most recent call for proposals from businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and research institutes closed in January 2020.In total, 20 projects from across Canada have received funding since the beginning of the program, including these five new projects that are currently receiving funding:

• $557,725 for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to create accessible payment terminals for individuals with sight loss
• $106,425 for the University of Laval to develop an arm support that will allow Canadians with disabilities to use standard technology
• $199,850 for the Regional Health Authority B, operating as Horizon Health Network, to develop a system that allows Canadians with neurological conditions to interact with technology for a longer period of time
• $251,088 for Ryerson University to develop a prototype that will allow individuals with speech disabilities to navigate images to reply to written or spoken messages
• $70,307 for the Secret Study Projects to develop extended expression software with voice and Braille controls

The technologies established through these projects will help Canadians with disabilities participate more fully in the digital economy, improving quality of life and opportunities for success.

總理宣布為加拿大殘障人士提供支持，應對COVID-19 疫情挑戰

2020 年6 月5 日安大略省渥太華總理辦公室 -  我們知道，在這一困難時期，加拿大殘障人士正面臨嚴峻挑戰，其中一些人經歷了工作不安全感，而另一些人則看到了個人支持護工，藥品和醫療用品的成本增加。在我們共同努力以恢復經濟的同時，我們必須繼續保護健康和安全，並確保為所有加拿大人提供適當的支持。

總理賈斯廷·杜魯多（Justin Trudeau）今天宣布支持措施，以幫助加拿大殘障人士支付疫情大流行期間的更多費用。

這項支持包括向在2020 年6 月1 日時持有殘障人士稅收抵免證書的個人提供一次性、免稅的補助金，具體如下：

 • 持有有效的殘障稅收抵免證書的加拿大人600 加元。

 • 對於持有有效殘障稅收抵免證書且有資格獲得老年保障金(OAS)的加拿大人300 加元。

• 擁有有效的殘障稅收抵免證書且有資格獲得老年保障金(OAS)以及低收入保障補助金(GIS)的加拿大人100 加元。加上有資格獲得OAS 養老金的加拿大人300 加元的特別付款，以及有資格獲得GIS 的加拿大人的200 加元，所有持有有效殘障稅收抵免證書的老年人將總共獲得600 加元的特別付款。有資格獲得此特殊付款的人將自動收到該款項。

加拿大政府認識到，在經濟不景氣期間，殘障人士也有較高的失業風險。為了幫助加拿大殘障人士獲得並保持良好的工作，使其能夠繼續維持自己和家人的生活，政府將：

• 通過殘障人士機會基金創建全國工作場所無障礙化項目。2020-21 年的新投資為1500 萬加元，將為社區組織提供資源，以應對COVID-19 疫情，改善工作場所的無障礙化和獲得工作的機會，包括幫助僱主建立無障礙且有效的在家工作安排。該支持還將涵蓋擴大可訪問的在線培訓機會，並幫助將在家工作的加拿大殘障人士與僱主聯繫起來。

• 通過無障礙科技計劃在全國五個新項目中投資118 萬加元。利用這些資金，企業將開發出動態且可負擔的技術，例如零售商可訪問的支付終端和工具，以簡化數字經濟中加拿大殘障人士的交流。時值我們“全國無障礙周” 之際，我們重申我們的承諾，即在解決COVID-19 的廣泛影響時，將繼續致力於傾聽殘障人士的需求並與他們合作，以維護他們的健康，安全和尊嚴。

 引述

“要度過這個艱難的時期，我們需要互相關愛。由於COVID-19，加拿大的殘障人士在努力獲得必要的服務和護理、並支撐他們家人生活的時候，正面臨著巨大的挑戰。通過今天公布的新措施，我們正加緊努力，確保他們獲得所需要的支持渡過這場危機。” —加拿大總理賈斯廷·杜魯多閣下

“我們知道此次疫情已深深影響了所有加拿大人的生活和健康，特別是對殘障人士的影響尤其嚴重。安全獲得食品，藥物和其他基本必需品的成本增加了，而由於志願者和補貼服務的減少，可能無法提供殘疾支持人員和治療等服務。我們已經聽取了加拿大殘障人士的關注，並收到了COVID-19 殘障諮詢小組的建議，以幫助他們在這個困難時期最好地提供支持。我相信，今天宣布的措施將使加拿大全國的殘障人士受益匪淺。” —就業、勞動力發展及無障礙化部長卡拉·誇爾特羅（Carla Qualtrough）閣下

“一起工作可以增強我們的公司，我們的經濟和我們的員工。現在，我們比以往任何時候都更加了解訪問數字世界的重要性。通過無障礙科技計劃，我們將繼續為無限的可能性敞開大門，以便加拿大殘障人士可以充分受益於互聯互通。感謝我們的創新企業家，我們將繼續提高可訪問性和對此重要性的認識。” —創新、科學和經濟發展部長貝恩斯（Navdeep Bains）閣下

事實簡要

• 今天的公告中包含的資金將使大約125 萬加拿大殘障人士受益，他們因COVID-19 大流行而面臨額外費用。

• 根據2017 年加拿大殘障人士調查，在15 歲及15 歲以上的加拿大人中，有22％認為自己患有殘疾。隨着年齡的增長，這一比率增加。在加拿大，年齡在65 歲以上的加拿大人中有37.8％，在年齡在75 歲以上的加拿大人中有47.4 ％被確定為殘障人士。

• 在工作年齡的加拿大殘障人士中，超過150 萬人（即41％）失業或完全失去了勞動力市場。在嚴重殘疾者中，這一比例增加到60％以上。

• 加拿大聯邦政府正在努力根據2019 年7 月生效的《聯合國殘障人士權利公約》和《加拿大無障礙法》的原則和目標向殘障人士提供支持。