In Unison 2000: Persons with Disabilities in Canada
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Introduction

The Vision of In Unison

The 1998 In Unison vision affirms the importance of full participation in society for persons with disabilities. It recognizes the need for specialized services for persons with disabilities in order to make sure they have the same opportunities as other Canadians.

The 1998 In Unison framework identified three key building blocks that are essential to enabling full citizenship for people with disabilities:

  • Disability supports — A range of goods and services that are essential for the active participation of people with disabilities at home, at work or school and in the community.

  • Employment — Enhanced employability, entry or re-entry into the labour market and paid work that contributes to economic independence, along with access to opportunities for education and training that are vital to gaining employment.

  • Income — Financial resources that are essential to the well-being and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

The 1998 In Unison framework reflects a government perspective of organizing issues around the mandates of different sectors, objectives, and program areas.

The framework also acknowledges the importance of developing flexible policy solutions in order to meet individual needs. Each person with a disability is unique and their specific needs, aspirations and challenges are influenced by their type of disability, stage of life, family, community and cultural context, and other characteristics. Aboriginal persons with disabilities, for example, view disability issues within frameworks that reflect their own cultural principles.

The various perspectives of the disability community, including Aboriginal persons with disabilities, are outlined briefly in the next two sections of this chapter.

Citizenship
The concept of citizenship is central to disability issues. Citizenship is the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society — the ability of a person to be actively involved with their community. Full citizenship depends on equality, inclusion, rights and responsibilities, and empowerment and participation.

Different people choose to participate in various ways, so there is no single measure of whether or not a person is able to exercise full citizenship. Citizenship can be reflected in economic activity, involvement with community activities and organizations, political participation and in other ways.

A person is able to exercise full citizenship when they do not face barriers that significantly reduce their ability to participate fully in their community. Persons with disabilities and their advocates have argued that ensuring full citizenship is not just the right thing to do, but is also a matter of fundamental rights under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people have a somewhat different vision of citizenship due to their unique position in Canada, as Aboriginal people seek full citizenship both within their own Nations and in Canada.

 

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