International Day of Persons With Disabilities in Saskatchewan

Released on December 3, 2014

Social Services Minister Donna Harpauer has proclaimed today as International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  This day, officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, aims to increase awareness and understanding of disability issues and trends, and to mobilize support for practical action at all levels, by, with and for persons with disabilities.

This year’s theme is Sustainable Development: the Promise of Technology.  Technology is a significant and promising tool for communication and daily living for people who experience a range of disabilities – providing many people with opportunities to express themselves and increase their independence.

“Technology continues to play an important role in connecting us all together – to share experiences, and interact in ways never thought possible,” Harpauer said.  “Evolutions in videoconferencing, text-to-voice translation, in addition to the continuous development of accessibility functions on computers, tablets and smart phones are but a few examples of the progress being made in technology.  These technologies play an invaluable role in enriching the lives of people with disabilities, their friends and families.”

“This proclamation is important for people experiencing disability as we continue to build inclusive communities in Saskatchewan, Canada and the world,” Saskatchewan Abilities Council Executive Director Ian Wilkinson said.

“As our province grows, we need to ensure that the benefits of this growth are realized by all citizens,” Harpauer said.  “We need to keep Saskatchewan strong, for all who live here.  People with disabilities are a resource that, given the opportunity, will make us even stronger.”

The public consultation summary developed by the Citizen Consultation Team, Our Experience, Our Voice, is available at www.saskatchewan.ca/disabilitystrategy.  A full listing of the members of the Citizen Consultation Team, along with biographical information, is attached.  More information regarding special events taking place across the province to celebrate the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities can be found in the attached backgrounder. 

In the fall of 2013, government established a 15-member Citizen Consultation Team (CCT) to design and lead a province-wide consultation process and to use this input to develop a provincial Disability Strategy.  Our first step was to have a conversation with those who experience disability.  This document summarizes the conversations that took place and the feedback we received through our public meetings, social media, an online survey and written submissions.  We heard a wide range of perspectives, personal stories and experiences, ideas and solutions.  Now the hard work begins. Over the next several months, we will consider what we heard, along with advice we received from stakeholders and best practices used in other jurisdictions.  We will then analyze, prioritize and develop practical and sustainable recommendations for government’s consideration.     
 
Our Experience, Our Voice: The Reality of Today, the Opportunity to Shape Tomorrow, is not the Government’s Disability Strategy; it is a summary of what the CCT heard and provides a record of the issues and concerns shared through the consultation process.  We expect the Disability Strategy to be released in spring 2015.

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For more information, contact:

Brennen Schmidt
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0531
Email: brennen.schmidt@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-519-9702