The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Joedy Wall, Minister of Social Supports and Well-Being and Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities:

Speaker, I rise today to recognize National AccessAbility Week, taking place from May 31 to June 6.

This year’s theme, Building a Strong, Accessible Canada, highlights the importance of inclusion, respect and belonging.

National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and leadership of persons with disabilities, while recognizing ongoing work to remove barriers and create opportunities for people to fully contribute to their communities and workplaces.

As Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, I remain committed to advancing accessibility and inclusion throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Earlier this year, we took an important step forward with the Disability Advocate Act, which will establish an independent Office of the Disability Advocate for our province.

We are also working alongside the Accessibility Standards Advisory Board as they develop recommendations to help improve accessibility. Together, these efforts will improve access to programs and services for persons with disabilities and their families.

Guided by the principle of “Nothing about us without us,” we will collaborate with community partners, organizations, and advocates to build a more inclusive Newfoundland and Labrador for all of us.

I thank everyone who continues to support accessibility and inclusion throughout our province.

Thank you.