Disability touches all Canadians. It does not distinguish between age, gender or socio-economic class. Persons with disabilities are our parents, our brothers, our sisters, our colleagues, our friends, our neighbours and ourselves. Approximately 4.2 million of us - one in six Canadians of all ages - have a disability. (see appendix A) In many communities the rate is even higher. For example, "approximately 30 per cent of Aboriginal adults report a disability, more than double that of the national rate." (Feldman, p.67) The reality today is that persons with disabilities still face barriers that prevent them from participating fully in Canadian society. This is an issue that confronts us within families, in educational and training institutions, in the workplace, in community groups and in every other aspect of Canadian life. The social and economic development of our country depends on "all Canadians having an equal chance to contribute their gifts and abilities."(Lucas, p.23) The Government of Canada and the provinces and territories recognize that removing the barriers to full participation faced by persons with disabilities is vital to that development. Indeed, governments have w

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Approximate Word count = 2437
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)