Government of Canada helps make businesses and communities more accessible through call for proposals
For Immediate Release
May 31, 2017
Gatineau, Quebec
Employment and Social Development Canada
During National AccessAbility Week, as we celebrate, highlight and promote inclusion and accessibility across Canada, we are especially aware of how greatly society benefits when all Canadians can participate equally in their workplaces and communities.
To help achieve a more accessible Canada, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, invited businesses, community organizations and other eligible recipients to apply for funding through the 2017 Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) Call for Proposals.
Canadians with disabilities face challenges every day which prevent them from participating fully in their communities and the economy. Through programs such as the EAF, the Government of Canada is committed to reducing these accessibility barriers and ensuring that everyone has equal access and opportunity.
This call for proposals includes Workplace Accessibility and Community Accessibility funding streams.
The EAF Workplace Accessibility Stream gives eligible businesses and other employers across Canada the opportunity to submit funding proposals for projects that improve accessibility and safety for people with disabilities through the construction, renovation or retrofit of workplaces and the provision of accessible information and communications technologies.
The EAF Community Accessibility Stream provides funding for projects that help improve accessibility and safety through the construction, renovation or retrofit of community facilities and the provision of accessible information and communications technologies so that community programs and services can be accessed by people with disabilities.
Businesses with up to 99 full‑time equivalent employees and community organizations can receive government grant project funding of up to $50,000. Not-for-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, small municipalities (population under 125,000), Indigenous organizations (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities) and territorial governments are eligible to apply.
Eligible applicants in all provinces and territories can submit proposals until Wednesday, July 26, 2017.
In addition to this call for proposals, and in celebration of Canada 150, a portion of the 2017–18 EAF funding budget will support a pilot project for up to 150 youth-driven projects aimed at increasing accessibility in community facilities and workplaces across Canada. The maximum funding per project will be $10,000. Youth interested in participating will identify accessibility barriers in public places or workplaces in their communities and/or surrounding communities and seek out interested organizations willing to work with them to lead the development of accessibility project proposals.
Quick Facts
The Enabling Accessibility Fund has an annual budget of $15 million.
Since the creation of the Enabling Accessibility Fund, the Government of Canada has funded over 2,890 projects, helping thousands of Canadians gain access to employment opportunities and their communities’ programs, services and workplaces.
Budget 2016 provided an additional $4 million over two years, starting in 2016–17, for the Enabling Accessibility Fund’s community stream to support the capital costs of construction and renovation related to improving physical accessibility and safety for Canadians with disabilities.
Budget 2017 proposes to provide $77 million over 10 years, starting in 2018–19, to expand the activities of the Enabling Accessibility Fund. This will enable the program to support more small and mid-sized projects in Canadian communities and workplaces.
On November 1, 2016, a one-day national forum for youth took place as part of the consultation process to inform the development of planned federal accessibility legislation. Youth (15 to 30 years of age) from across the country took this opportunity to share their life experiences and ideas on how to improve accessibility, remove barriers and increase the participation of people with disabilities in Canadian society.
National AccessAbility Week is being celebrated from May 28 to June 3, 2017 to promote inclusion and accessibility in communities and workplaces.
“We’ve made great strides in promoting inclusion for Canadians with disabilities, but there is still much work to do. That’s why, as part of National AccessAbility Week, I encourage businesses, community organizations and other eligible applicants to apply for Enabling Accessibility Fund funding, so that together we can create a more accessible Canada.”
– The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities