Building an Inclusive Future: National Priorities for the 2024-25 Federal Agenda

This past week, members of the Inclusion BC team traveled to Ottawa to join national advocacy leaders for Inclusion Canada’s Day on the Hill!

 

We met with Members of Parliament from all four parties on the following topics:

 

Enhancing Financial Security

Inclusion BC’s Executive Director Karla Verschoor began the meeting by sharing that 70% of adults with intellectual disabilities living outside the family home in Canada experience poverty. With this in mind, we asked that the federal government increase Canada Disability Benefit to $2,400 per month and expand eligibility to all people receiving provincial Persons with Disability Benefit (PWD).

 

Transforming Communities

Board member Michael McLellan shared the importance of investing in housing that promotes inclusion and the need to stop funding segregated housing models. We also asked that the government consider a Registered Disability Home Buyers Plan to leverage RDSP savings.

 

Strengthening Families

Tamara Kulusic, also an Inclusion BC board member, expressed the need to provide families with the support they need to help their children thrive in inclusive communities. We asked for the Child Disability Benefit to be doubled and talked about the need to develop a definition of inclusion that aligns with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), as well as mandating inclusion goals in inclusive early learning and childcare.

Investing in Inclusive Employment Opportunities

Kerridan Dougan, a Community Inclusion Advocate with Inclusion BC,  talked about the importance of skill development and support for employment through a heartfelt story about her son Jack and local firefighting training. We asked that the federal government continue to fund programs that foster collaboration between job seekers, employment support services, and employers.

 

The meetings were only 20 minutes, and we used our limited time to passionately share our stories and expectations for the coming year as we move toward a federal election. We appreciate our elected representative taking the time to meet with us and allowing us to attend the Questions Period for the full Ottawa experience!

Thank you to all our members and supporters who share in our mission of inclusion. We continuously strive to make our federation proud by bringing your expertise and concerns to those with the power to advance our collective vision of a world where everyone belongs.