In 2017, CRWDP partnered with the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW), Inclusion Newfoundland (InclusionNL) and the Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups (ONIWG), to form the Disability and Work in Canada (DWC) initiative. Its goal is to develop a vision and strategy for increasing the employment of people with disabilities. The DWC Steering Committee began its work by organizing a conference in Ottawa in November 2017
On December 4 & 5, 2018, DWC Steering Committee held another successful conference in Ottawa, which focused on building partnerships and reviewing a proposed pan-Canadian strategy for disability and employment. We received very positive feedback from participants. Here is one example:
“It is clear to me after attending the conference there is much work going on around increasing inclusive employment across Canada. It is also clear there is immense benefit for everyone if we have mechanisms for sharing as we all proceed with our work. I am heartened that a need for a national strategy has been identified, that the work is progressing quickly, and there will be more opportunities in the future for sharing and building on each other’s successes and learnings.”
The draft of the pan-Canadian strategy “Moving Forward Together: A Canadian Strategy for Disability and Work” is available on CRWDP website. The two national conferences, as well as other outreach events, have set the stage for the next round of consultation and engagement on the strategy. During the current round, which started in January 2019, we are seeking input from a broader range of organizations and individuals, focusing on those stakeholders who could not attend the fall 2018 conference.
We will be collecting feedback on the proposed strategy through email, an online survey and in person. Please share information about the draft strategy with your community and encourage them to provide feedback via the email Feedback@DWCstrategy.ca