Newmarket-Aurora Member of Parliament Lois Brown invites organizations to apply for grants of up to $75,000 for projects that help improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

“Our government supports Canadians with disabilities and their families,” said MP Brown. “The Enabling Accessibility Fund is designed to improve access to facilities, activities and services at a community level. I encourage groups in Newmarket and Aurora to take advantage of this program."

Organizations may submit proposals until September 10, 2010 under the Fund’s small projects component. Small projects may include renovation, construction and retrofitting of buildings, modification of vehicles for community use, or enhancements to make information and communication technologies more accessible.  Non-profit, small private sector organizations and small municipalities are eligible to apply. Community support must be demonstrated in the application.

The Enabling Accessibility Fund was originally announced in 2007 as a three-year, $45-million program to support community-based projects across Canada. Since the first call for proposals in 2008, over 300 organizations have been awarded funding to improve accessibility in their communities. Year two of Canada's Economic Action Plan increased its investment in the fund to assist projects that remove barriers for persons with disabilities.

The Government of Canada makes a number of investments annually to help address the needs of people with disabilities through such programs as the Registered Disability Savings Plan, the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program, the Disability component of the Canada Pension Plan, the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities, and post-secondary education assistance measures for students with disabilities.

Canada’s Jobs and Growth Budget has a number of additional measures to support people with disabilities, including enhancing the Registered Disability Savings Plan to provide Canadians with disabilities and their families with more flexibility when saving for the future, and providing $5 million annually for five years to the Canadian Paralympic Committee to build on the successes of our Paralympians and continue to encourage persons with disabilities to actively participate in sport.

Backgrounder

Enabling Accessibility Fund – Small Projects Component
Under this call for proposals, eligible organizations may apply for a grant of up to $75,000 for projects such as renovation, construction and retrofitting of buildings to improve physical accessibility, modification of vehicles for community use that improves physical accessibility, and enhancements to make information and communication technologies more accessible. All projects must be accessible to the public.

Examples of eligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• building an interior or exterior ramp;
• installing wider doors or installing automated door openers;
• raising or lowering sinks and/or counters;
• improving lighting and increasing colour contrast;
• building an accessible washroom;
• installing accessible door handles and light switches;
• installing an elevator or lift;
• providing computer enhancements such as voice interactive capability;
• installing a wheelchair lift in a community-based vehicle; and
• other activities that contribute to creating or enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities, and that are deemed acceptable by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

The following types of organizations can apply for funding:

• not-for-profit organizations;
• small municipalities (with a population under 250,000 as per census data);
• small private sector organizations (fewer than 50 employees and under $5 million in gross revenue per year);
• colleges and universities;
• territorial governments; and
• Aboriginal governments.