December 3, 2008
Manitobans With Disabilities To Employers: "See What I Can Do, Not What I Can't"
– – –Province Launches marketAbilities Campaign as Part of a $3.2-million Reform Package For Jobs, Dignity on International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Mackintosh
The province is launching an awareness campaign to promote the skills and potential of hard-working Manitobans with disabilities, Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh, minister responsible for persons with disabilities, announced today. The province is also introducing new funding for communications technology, an incentive for volunteering, more support to help people get jobs, stronger government information and service standards, and is removing barriers to family supports.
“Although it’s been proven the job performance of people with disabilities meets or exceeds that of employees without disabilities, we have an untapped pool of energetic and talented labour,” said Mackintosh. “Hiring people with disabilities is good business.”
Four new initiatives to help Manitobans with disabilities get jobs under the marketAbilities initiative within the Rewarding Work Strategy are:
· Myth-busting multi-media campaign – The campaign will be targeted to employers, to create greater awareness that Manitobans with disabilities should be considered for jobs based on what they can do, not what they can’t, by showing real Manitobans with disabilities in the work force and connecting employers to qualified people.
· Access to communications technology – Up to 1,100 Manitobans with severely impaired speech will receive a range of communication devices at a nominal cost to help access education and jobs, and to participate in the community through a partnership with Deer Lodge Centre and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
· Job readiness – A proven technique called The Stages of Change model to help people get ready for work will be piloted over two years for 200 Manitobans with disabilities through Opportunities for Employment.
· New Rewarding Volunteer Benefit – Barriers to volunteerism, which can be the first step to a job, include the expense of clothing, transportation or child care. A new Rewarding Volunteer Benefit for disabled people on social assistance will help offset these costs. A benefit of $50 a month will be provided for those who volunteer at least four times a month and $100 will be provided for those who volunteer at least eight times a month.
Recognizing the theme for this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities is Dignity and Justice For All, four other new initiatives are:
· Stronger government information and service standards – Stronger requirements will be phased in across the provincial public sector so that public government events, publications and services must be accessible and actively offered in Braille, audiotape, computer disk and larger print.
· Caring families incentives – In addition to exempting gifts up to $500 a month, as well as income from Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP) from social assistance payments:
- Enhanced support for family caregivers of adults with disabilities – As a result of the negotiated settlement facilitated by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, the social allowance room and board rate will increase by 28 per cent to $566 from $441 effective in April 2009, bringing it in line with the rate paid when someone lives with a non-relative. This change recognizes the important contributions families make in providing care and support to their loved ones with disabilities. As well, it promotes independence for adults with disabilities and greater family stability.
- RDSP income exemptions – Withdrawals from RDSPs will not be included as family income when calculating eligibility for the Personal Tax Credit, Education Property Tax Credit and School Tax Credit for homeowners.
· Disability lens on government policy – The impact of new government initiatives on people with disabilities will be assessed in advance by policy and program developers.
· Campaign to ratify UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities – MLA Jennifer Howard has been appointed MLA assistant on disability issues to co-ordinate a
grassroots-to-treetops provincial campaign to urge federal ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, and to help develop a new strategy for people with disabilities.
grassroots-to-treetops provincial campaign to urge federal ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, and to help develop a new strategy for people with disabilities.
Since announcing a commitment last December to increase the employment of people with disabilities within the provincial civil service to five per cent by 2012, the number of provincial employees with a disability has increased by 66, rising to 3.1 per cent of the total from 2.8 per cent.
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