Government Partners with Coalition of Persons with Disabilities to Enhance Inclusion

The Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, announced new funding today for the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities-Newfoundland and Labrador (COD-NL), aimed at enhancing inclusion.

Through a combined investment from the Job Creation Partnership program and the Labour Market Agreement for Persons with Disabilities of approximately $123,000, COD-NL will undertake a number of new initiatives that help break down barriers to employment and enhance the overall lives of people with disabilities.

�Eliminating barriers and enhancing inclusion is a big priority for our government,� said Minister Sullivan. �By partnering with community-based organizations like the coalition, our government is showing its commitment to enhancing the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society. Today�s funding announcement is a true example of this commitment and we look forward to great things coming from the coalition in the future.�

The funding will provide COD-NL with the opportunity to hire three unemployed EI eligible individuals in the positions of Social Policy Research Analyst, Disability Awareness Resource Training Coordinator, and Operations and Events Planner. The funding will allow them to continue to make progress with several initiatives including organizing a rural disability convention and trade show, expanding and coordinating Disability Awareness Resource Training, conducting current social policy research as it relates to persons with disabilities, and developing and implementing a membership recruitment and retention strategy.

�We are very pleased that we have the support of Minister Sullivan and her colleagues in government,� said Michelle Murdoch, President of COD-NL. �With the funding that we have received, we are able to better position ourselves as an effective provincial cross-disability advocacy and awareness agency. In cooperation with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, COD-NL has been revitalized and is once again a true voice of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with disabilities.�

�The Coalition of Persons with Disabilities-Newfoundland and Labrador is a fine example of community-based organizations that are working hard to advance inclusion for persons with disabilities,� said Minister Sullivan. �The Provincial Government�s contribution to the coalition will support their proactive approach to issues affecting the community and ensure they have the resources to continue breaking down barriers to inclusion throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.�

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2010 12 03                                                   10:00 a.m.