Canada Disability Benefit - 2 Part Webinar Series

About This Series

In the 2020 Throne Speech was the acknowledgement by the federal government that COVID-19 has not only disproportionately affected Canadians with disabilities but laid bare long-standing challenges for persons with disabilities to access adequate programs and benefits. The government’s response to what the community has long known is a commitment to establish a Canadian Disability Benefit.

Achieving a Canadian Disability Benefit is a historic opportunity to end disability poverty. No other government in the world has made such a commitment. It will take a lot of work to turn that opportunity into a reality that is meaningful and inclusive. It will take widespread engagement by disabled people from every corner of the country. Including leadership from Quebec and those from racial minorities, the indigenous community, and those discriminated against because of age, race, colour, gender, and sexuality. It will also take widespread popular support from regular Canadians. Finally, it will take bold political decision-making.

As preparation for the job ahead, we presented this two-part webinar series to learn from four Canadians with expertise and experience at system change. Each part is broken down into different videos. Scroll down to the videos below and click on the title links to view each video.

Part 1 – At long last, a Canada Disability Benefit is coming – What should it look like?
1. What can we learn from Basic Income to craft the Canada Disability Benefit?
2. The Canada Disability Benefit We Want and Need

Part 2 – Building momentum for the Canadian Disability Benefit
1. The Power of New Forms of Democratic Engagement with Peter MacLeod
2. The Power of Inclusive Design with Jutta Treviranus
3. The Power of a Disability Media – Delyse Sylvester
4. The Power of Working Together – Adam Kahane

If you would like to get involved in this movement and to receive updates, email [email protected].

Part 1 – At long last, a Canada Disability Benefit is coming – What should it look like?

Hosted by: Rabia Khedr and Alexandra Creighton

Learn together about the many versions of Basic Income, what the research has demonstrated, where it has been implemented, what cost analyses show, what has worked and what hasn’t — and how this could inform the coming Canada Disability Benefit.
Identify collaboratively what the key ingredients and “must-haves” are for a meaningful, inclusive Disability Benefit in order to eliminate poverty for all Canadians with disabilities and avoid the pitfalls of other previous disability programs and supports.

Click the links below to view the webinar recordings.

1 – What can we learn from Basic Income to craft the Canada Disability Benefit?

Air Date: October 5, 2020
Presenter: Evelyn Forget

2 – The Canada Disability Benefit We Want and Need

Air Date: Friday October 9, 2020
Presenter: Michael Prince

Part 2 – Building momentum for the Canadian Disability Benefit

Hosted by Rabia Khedr

Learn from other successful movements
Strengthen the social, political, economic and cultural power of the Canadian disability movement
Clarify the role of parents, families, service providers, funders and other allies in supporting disability leadership
Secure a Canadian Disability Benefit that is meaningful, inclusive and ends disability poverty

The series took place in November 2020. Click the links below to view the webinar recordings.