To recognize December 3 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, today joined representatives from the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities NL to sign a proclamation to commemorate the annual observance.
According to the United Nations, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities “aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.” The United Nations has deemed this year’s theme as “Promoting the participation of persons with disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda”.
In addition, Minister Dempster today released the accessibility legislation’s ‘What We Heard’ report which summarizes the valuable input received during the engagement process that took place earlier this year and will help to inform the development of new provincial accessibility legislation.
In partnership with the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities NL and the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador embarked on the most accessible engagement process to date. Sessions were made accessible through real-time captioning, American Sign Language, FM system and having alternate formats ready and in-person for on demand use. Further, participants were able to submit feedback by written or video submissions including, emailing, texting, faxing and calling including video relay services.
To view the Accessibility Legislation’s What We Heard Report, please visit: engageNL.ca
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“The accessibility legislation engagement process was a very important step towards our government’s goal of a truly inclusive Newfoundland and Labrador. We are pleased to release a summary of what we heard on such an important day – International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Just as this day promotes the participation and empowerment of persons with disabilities, this report summarizes the invaluable participation and contributions people made throughout the process, all of which is helping to guide the development of accessibility legislation.”
Honourable Lisa Dempster
Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities
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International Day of Persons with Disabilities
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Children, Seniors and Social Development
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