13th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion

Canada’s federal government is working on our country’s first Disability Inclusion Action Plan. The Plan’s 4 pillars explore areas that deeply impact the lives of people with disabilities:

• Financial Security

• Employment

• Accessible & Inclusive Communities

• A Modern Approach to Disability

This year’s policy forum will explore the Disability Inclusion Action Plan through the lens of people with an intellectual disability, their families, and allies. As a community, we’ll discuss what is happening now, and what we want to see happen. Our goal is to have our voices heard and reflected in the Plan.

Format: This year we are excited to return to hosting our Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion in-person, in Ottawa! The forum will include a series of panels and interactive Q&As. Panels include perspectives of lived experience from people with an intellectual disability and families, as well as research and policy expertise from both government and community.

If you require accessibility accommodations for this event, or have dietary restrictions, please fill out our Accessibility & Accommodations Form no later than November 21, 2022. If you need support to fill out the form, please call Rachel Mills at 1-855-661-9611 ext. 230

Event Pricing: Inclusion Canada and People First of Canada want all our events to be inclusive and accessible. We want to remove barriers so everybody can attend and take part.

In order to do this, we have different prices on our tickets. This allows people to pay what they can. But it also allows people to pay more. This can cover some of the cost for another person to attend. This is one way we can help to make things more equal. This is one way we can address the financial barriers that people with disabilities face.

Please look at the following options and pick the one that meets your needs.

Pay It Forward Ticket $100 – This option covers your cost to attend and helps others to attend.

Standard Ticket $75 – This option covers the standard cost for you to attend the event.

Equity Ticket $25 – This option recognizes and values your input into the event.

Barrier Zero Ticket $0 – Please contact us at forum@inclusioncanada.ca for a Barrier Zero Ticket

Highlight Agenda:

9:00am Land Acknowledgment & Opening Remarks

9:15am Keynote Address Hon. Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

9:35am Panel 1: Making It To the End of the Month: Financial Security

10:45am Break

11:05am Panel 2: I’m In - Now What? Accessible & Inclusive Communities

11:45am Lunch

12:45pm Keynote Address Dr. Laverne Jacobs, Professor of Law, University of Windsor & Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2023 – 2026)

1:05 pm Panel 3: Employment: It’s More Than a Job!

2:15pm Break

2:35pm Panel 4: Beyond Reach: Why Can’t I Access Federal Programs & Services?

3:45pm Summary and Closing

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The forum will be held in English. ASL and virtual CART captioning services will be available.