Government, Citizenship and Disability
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Governments are awakening to the value of inclusion and full participation of individuals with disabilities in society. They are beginning to recognize their responsibility to enable full citizenship for everyone.
The following links will provide you with some insight on government thinking about citizenship and disability. Please note that we offer these references in the spirit of dialogue. We do not necessarily endorse their content. We'd be very interested in your observations, comments or critiques of these documents.
Please also let us know about other government initiatives promoting citizenship so we can add them to this page.
United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Rights and Dignity of Persons With Disabilities
In December 2001, the United Nations General Assembly established an Ad Hoc Committee to consider proposals for an international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. Since then the Committee has met six times, most recently in August 2005. A major aspect of the drafting of the convention is the participation of disability non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions from around the world. All countries share the goal of finalizing a strong convention, says Akiko Ito, the Focal Point on Disability in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs: "They all want to come up with a treaty that will make a real difference in the lives of persons with disabilities and their communities."
- Rebecca Beayni is a young woman from Toronto who made a presentation at the August 2005 meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee. Read her presentation
Inclusive Cities Canada: A Cross-Canada Civic Initiative
Inclusive Cities Canada is a unique partnership of community leaders and elected municipal politicians working collaboratively to enhance social inclusion across Canada. The goals of Inclusive Cities Canada (ICC) are to strengthen the capacity of cities to create and sustain inclusive communities for the mutual benefit of all people, and to ensure that community voices of diversity are recognized as core Canadian ones. This initiative builds on previous collaborative work between the Laidlaw Foundation, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and regional social planning councils. Read the 2003 report, Building Inclusive Communities: Cross-Canada Perspectives and Strategies.
Political Will
In October 2003 Glen Murray, Mayor of Winnipeg, made a presentation at the Creative Places + Spaces conference in Toronto. In his presentation Mayor Murray talked about the need for active citizenship and creative values. Only in this way will we create a more engaged and imaginative citizenry, transform the dialogue in our communities, and make a place for the contributions of all citizens.
Discussion Paper on Community Living Services (PDF, 140kb)
A BC Cabinet Minister's Perspective
Gordon Hogg is a former BC Minister of Children and Family Development. A fan of both Robert Putnam and John McKnight, Minister Hogg brought a deep sense of community and caring to his portfolio. Within four months of being appointed to Cabinet, he produced a discussion paper on the future of Community Living Services in BC. The paper called for a fundamental change in the way government relates to families and people with a disability a change that creates capacity in communities, strengthens families and builds resilience in individuals.
In Unison 2000: Persons with Disabilities in Canada
Ministers of Health across Canada have developed a unified strategy toward issues affecting people with disabilities and their families. In Unison 2000: Persons with Disabilities in Canada was published in 1998 and the first evaluation of their unified approach was published in May 2001. (Note: The Government of Quebec did not participate in the deliberations that led to the publication of In Unison but supported the initiative.)
Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Strategy on Disability
The White Paper, Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Strategy on Disability, proposes a comprehensive provincial strategy on disability. It responds to recommendations from the disabilities community in the areas of access to government, employment, disability supports, services to Aboriginal persons with disabilities and income supports. It further proposes measures to enhance government accountability for access and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Saskatchewan Disability Action Plan (PDF, 735kb)
Saskatchewan's Disability Action Plan is an ambitious and comprehensive plan, developed by the Saskatchewan Council on Disability Issues, that outlines elements of a new direction for government to address disability issues. It is based on a citizenship approach that encompasses the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in the social, economic and political life of Saskatchewan. The Council recognizes that achieving full citizenship for persons with disabilities is a process that will be only achieved over the long term. The Action Plan identifies a series of directions and suggested actions that will move toward the vision of full citizenship. These actions represent measures that the Council believes are the most critical to removing barriers to full citizenship and that are attainable in the near future.
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