Released on May 6, 2013
Call for Nominations to Citizen Consultation Team
The Government of Saskatchewan has taken the first step toward a comprehensive Disability Strategy for the province. The government committed to engaging the disability community in the development of the strategy in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth and the 2012 Speech from the Throne.
“We have designed a process to involve and hear from as many people as possible on this important issue,” Social Services Minister June Draude said. “At the end of this process, the Disability Strategy will support our goal of making Saskatchewan the best place in Canada to live for persons with disabilities, by supporting people with disabilities to fully participate in and contribute to the province’s growing economy.”
Draude will be supported by Legislative Secretary for Disabilities and Regina Coronation Park MLA Mark Docherty who will serve as a member of the Citizen Consultation Team, and report directly to the Minister of Social Services.
“I am proud to be a part of this effort and look forward to working with both government and community stakeholders over the coming year,” Docherty said. “This Disability Strategy has the potential to be the gold standard by which similar initiatives are judged in other jurisdictions.”
The Disability Strategy will focus on the priority areas specified in the Plan for Growth: accessibility, affordability and availability of housing; transportation; employment; education; support for community inclusion; and support for caregivers. Other priorities may emerge during the consultation process.
“I am pleased that the Government of Saskatchewan is undertaking this consultation process,” Saskatchewan Abilities Council Executive Director Ian Wilkinson said. “By engaging the public, we can create a strategy that will meet the needs of people with disabilities.”
“I was proud to represent the disability community in the successful creation of the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program,” Prince Albert Community Service Centre Executive Director Merv Bender said. “Based on the success of that process, I strongly support a collaborative approach with government and the disability community in the development of a comprehensive Disability Strategy for the province.”
Members of the public are invited to submit their nominations for the Citizen Consultation Team by downloading the application form from the Ministry of Social Services website at http://www.socialservices.gov.sk.ca/disability-strategy. Nominations will be accepted until June 28, 2013, and the team members will be appointed in the fall of this year. The 12-15 members of the team will provide advice on the consultation process and priorities and content of the Disability Strategy.
Members of the public who are not selected for the Citizen Consultation Team will have other opportunities to contribute to the process, including participation in working groups, public consultations and one-on-one meetings.
The public consultations will be held next spring, to be followed by the public release of the Disability Strategy in late fall of 2014. Preliminary plans call for a number of consultation methods to be utilized, including video conferencing, online submissions, written submissions and face-to-face public forums to ensure access for persons with disabilities. Community forums will also be held across the province.
“As our province grows, we need to ensure that everyone is able to share in the opportunities created by that growth,” Draude said. “To do that, we need to hear from as many people, and as many different viewpoints, as possible in the development of our Disability Strategy. The members of our disability community deserve nothing less.”
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For more information, contact:
Pete Paczko
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0531
Email: pete.paczko@gov.sk.ca