Accessibility in Canada — Seeing Potential Where Others See Limits: Senator Petitclerc
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This past Saturday (December 3) was International Day of Persons with Disabilities. On such days, we often take the opportunity to talk about the challenges that remain. When it comes to accessibility, there is still a lot of work to be done.
This year, we are also marking the anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Canada was proud to be one of the first countries to sign that convention in 2010.
Ensuring better accessibility for Canadians with disabilities remains a top priority and the coming year will be significant because the Government of Canada will be concluding its consultations to help inform the development of new accessibility legislation.
I would like not to focus on the challenges that remain when it comes to persons with disabilities, but to give us a little pat on the shoulder as a country. Sure, it's not perfect, but in Canada people with disabilities can study, work, travel, have access to good health care and be contributing members of our society. It’s easy to forget that this is not the case in most of the countries in the world, even today.
Even more importantly, people with disabilities in Canada are respected, welcomed, and we as a country recognize that everyone is different and that our differences are our strength and that persons with disabilities have more potential than limits.
If I only look at my friends with disabilities, some are doctors, lawyers, artists, athletes, politicians and parents. This happens because we have this open mind. What we, as a country, tell all our kids with disabilities is that here in Canada you can do and be anything you want. I mean, you can even be a senator. How cool is that?
This past Saturday (December 3) was International Day of Persons with Disabilities. On such days, we often take the opportunity to talk about the challenges that remain. When it comes to accessibility, there is still a lot of work to be done.
This year, we are also marking the anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Canada was proud to be one of the first countries to sign that convention in 2010.
Ensuring better accessibility for Canadians with disabilities remains a top priority and the coming year will be significant because the Government of Canada will be concluding its consultations to help inform the development of new accessibility legislation.
I would like not to focus on the challenges that remain when it comes to persons with disabilities, but to give us a little pat on the shoulder as a country. Sure, it's not perfect, but in Canada people with disabilities can study, work, travel, have access to good health care and be contributing members of our society. It’s easy to forget that this is not the case in most of the countries in the world, even today.
Even more importantly, people with disabilities in Canada are respected, welcomed, and we as a country recognize that everyone is different and that our differences are our strength and that persons with disabilities have more potential than limits.
If I only look at my friends with disabilities, some are doctors, lawyers, artists, athletes, politicians and parents. This happens because we have this open mind. What we, as a country, tell all our kids with disabilities is that here in Canada you can do and be anything you want. I mean, you can even be a senator. How cool is that?