Employment and Social Development Canada
Minister Hajdu Marks National AccessAbility Week
Minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hajdu, today issued the following statement to launch National AccessAbility Week 2025:
“I am delighted today to mark the beginning of National AccessAbility Week 2025. As I take up my new duties as Minister of Jobs and Families, I look forward to celebrating and learning about the achievements and valuable contributions of persons with disabilities, and recognizing the efforts of individuals, organizations and communities who work tirelessly to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion across the country.
As the Prime Minister noted in the recently published Mandate Letter for his new Cabinet, Canada is a dynamic country that celebrates our diversity, cares for the most vulnerable among us, and strives for a better future for all. My work as the federal minister responsible for continuing to lead on the government’s accessibility agenda will be guided by this assertion. I will seek to break down the barriers that may prevent the one in four Canadians with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society.
This year’s theme, ‘Breaking barriers together: Paving the way for an inclusive future,’ signals that a barrier-free Canada can only be achieved if we work with the disability community, in the spirit of ‘Nothing Without Us.’ I welcome this approach of joining forces to help ensure that persons with disabilities have equal opportunities to contribute to our communities and workplaces.
I look forward to building on the progress made by the previous government since the Accessible Canada Act came into force nearly six years ago, and since the introduction of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan to make Canada more inclusive for persons with disabilities. A cornerstone of this plan is the new Canada Disability Benefit, which is designed to improve the financial well-being of low-income, working-age Canadians with disabilities. I will have more to say about the launch of the application period for the Canada Disability Benefit in June, with payments expected to begin in July.
National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate how far we’ve come-and the work ahead-to realize our goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040. I commit to building on the actions taken in recent years, and to working with my Cabinet colleagues to achieve a truly inclusive, equitable and sustainable future for persons with disabilities in Canada by 2040.
This week, and throughout the year, let’s make positive changes together. When all Canadians have equal opportunities to contribute to our communities and workplaces, we build a stronger economy and a stronger Canada for everyone.
Happy National AccessAbility Week!”
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2025/05/statement-by-minister-hajdu-on-national-accessability-week.html