The development of In Unison in 1998 brought together Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments, in consultation with the community, to agree on common goals in working toward a vision of full inclusion for people with disabilities.

This report builds on the 1998 In Unison framework by analyzing the issues, discussing some of the potential solutions, and highlighting examples of effective practices in the areas of disability supports, employment, and income for working-age adults with disabilities.

In developing the indicators and gathering the effective practices for this report, governments have strengthened their understanding of issues needing attention and promising directions that are worth exploring. The data highlighted in this report illustrate the disadvantages faced by people with disabilities today. There is much that remains to be done to achieve full citizenship for people with disabilities. Governments recognize that achieving this vision will require all sectors in society to work together in developing a range of solutions. Full inclusion cannot be achieved overnight, nor by the efforts of any one government or agency. Governments understand the importance of setting priorities and moving ahead step-by-step to build on the progress that has already been made.

Since the release of the In Unison vision in 1998, governments, individually and together, have been working to improve their programs and services consistent with the In Unison principles. At the federal/provincial/territorial level, ministers of social services have identified two initial priorities for further exploration and research. The ministers recently agreed to explore the feasibility of joint work on analyzing labour market needs for persons with disabilities and on assessing the feasibility of a new disability tax benefit to assist with the costs of disability supports. Both of these ideas will require more analysis and research. Input from people with disabilities, disability advocates, aboriginal organizations, experts, employers and others will continue to be an important part of this work.

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments are committed to on-going discussion and collaboration with the disability community and representatives of Aboriginal organizations. This is an integral element of accountability under the Social Union Framework Agreement and the In Unison framework. Governments welcome the input of the community, and recognize the importance of building capacity in the community to enhance their contribution and forge strong partnerships. Through this ongoing dialogue with the disability community, Aboriginal groups and others, governments hope to find new ways of making progress toward full citizenship.

This report has identified some of the difficulties of measuring progress toward the full participation of people with disabilities. Much of the data relating to people with disabilities is nearly a decade old. However, with federal funding now committed to the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) for 2001 and other research, there will, in a few years, be more timely data. This will help inform our collective understanding of priorities and solutions. There remains a need for more data on Aboriginal people with disabilities.

The Disability WebLinks web site, being established jointly by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, and planned for launch in the spring of 2001, will be another step toward providing improved information in the area of disabilities. Disability WebLinks will provide a comprehensive directory of internet links to disability related resources.

Governments wish to work with all sectors on issues of disability, to develop solutions and strategies for full inclusion. As the effective practices in this report show, there are promising initiatives underway across sectors that are relevant to the issues of disability supports, employment, and income for persons with disabilities.

In the area of disability supports, it is clear that strong partnerships are needed to address the issues of accessibility, portability and continuity, and individual focus in helping offset costs. Disability supports are key to success with the other building blocks, and in achieving full participation in the community.

In employment, the involvement of a range of sectors in developing solutions is essential, and the importance of education and training must be acknowledged. Governments can reduce disincentives to seek employment, while employers and unions can encourage the hiring of persons with disabilities and support their ongoing success.

Governments recognize that income programs work best when they are flexible and support persons with disabilities in their efforts to enter the labour market. As consideration is given to redesigning those programs in the future, all Canadians need to be involved in understanding and supporting these changes.

In working to address disability issues across sectors, ministers of social services will continue to encourage inclusion for people with disabilities in other social policy agendas, including those related to children as well as seniors. To be successful in supporting people with disabilities in their efforts to achieve full citizenship, Canadians and their governments need to work together at every level.

Reaching the goal of full inclusion is a major challenge for all Canadians. Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments are committed to continued work with members of the disability community, Aboriginal organizations, and other sectors — each of which has a role to play in identifying issues, sharing ideas, and developing solutions. Step by step, working in unison, we can make a positive difference in the lives of people with disabilities.

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