McGuinty Government Partnerships Demonstrate The Benefits Of Improved Accessibility

TORONTO – The McGuinty government is working with Ontario businesses and community groups to build awareness of the benefits of removing barriers for people with disabilities, Madeleine Meilleur, Minister Responsible for Ontarians with Disabilities, announced today.

Meilleur joined representatives of the Ontario Chinese Restaurant and Food Services Association (OCRFA) in Toronto’s Chinatown neighbourhood to announce the government’s seven new EnAbling Change partnership projects.

“Improved accessibility is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do,” said Meilleur. “Not only does it give people with disabilities more opportunities to participate in our society – it also helps businesses attract new customers and strengthens the life of all our communities.”

The EnAbling Change partnership program teams the government with organizations and businesses that have the expertise to be catalysts for change in their sector and accessibility leaders in the community and marketplace. Under the program, the OCRFA is developing an outreach strategy, as well as tools and resources, that will help small- and medium-sized Chinese retail and restaurant owners learn how they can better serve customers with disabilities.

“The Ontario Chinese Restaurant and Food Services Association recognizes that it has a key role to play in making Ontario accessible,” said Peter Chen, President of the OCRFA. “Accessibility is good for business. It enhances the reputation of a business and boosts credibility as part of a caring community.”

Other EnAbling Change projects are engaging businesses in improving accessibility by:

• Recognizing accessibility leaders in business
• Engaging the media industry in profiling people with disabilities and promoting their participation in the industry, and
• Developing practical tools to help managers prevent and remove barriers in their hiring and employment practices.

The EnAbling Change partnership program is just one of the ways in which the McGuinty government is breaking down barriers to help people with disabilities participate more fully in Ontario’s communities. Since 2003, the government has:

• Passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
• Committed nearly $11 million in new funding for interpreter and intervenor services for the deaf and the deaf-blind
• Committed nearly $276 million in new funding to strengthen community supports for adults with a developmental disability

“We’re committed to providing people with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of life in this province,” said Meilleur. “Ontario’s prosperity lies in its people; when all of our citizens can reach their full potential, our whole province benefits.”