Toronto — National AccessAbility Week begins the last Sunday of every May. This week is to celebrate the valuable contributions and leadership of Canadians with disabilities, and to take action to create a better, more accessible, more inclusive society.

6.2 million Canadians aged 15 years and older identify as having a least one disability. Recent years have only exacerbated existing inequities, including employment gaps across the country for persons with disabilities. Workers with compensable work-related injuries have seen a reduction in benefits while insurance companies continue to prioritize employer rebates ahead of worker health and well-being.

UFCW Canada reaffirms our commitment to eliminating workplace barriers, strengthening collective bargaining protections for workers with disabilities, and advocating for a strengthened disability-inclusive lens that leaves no one behind. Read the results from our 2022 UFCW Canada union member questionnaire on Disability Inclusion to learn how to implement changes in your workplace: Strengthening Disability Inclusive Workplaces Through a Union Approach.

We support the work of national disability organizations like Inclusion Canada and Disability Without Poverty to support their disability justice work, lobby all levels of government, and push for a strengthened disability inclusion lens in worker supports.

Right now, the Canada Disability Benefits Act (Bill C-22) is being debated in parliament. This bill has the potential to bring economic equality for persons with disabilities by creating a Canada Disability Benefit. However, the clock is running out of time, and Canadians with disabilities are being forced to wait.  Write to your MP and Senator today to urge them to pass Bill C-22.