e-2673 (Social affairs and equality)
Original language of petition: French
Petition to the Government of Canada
- The lockdown has led institutions, business and community organizations to adapt through the increased, if not exclusive, use of technology and virtual practices for all their services: information, support, assistance, socialization activities, etc., making people with disabilities dependent on a computer and an internet connection in order to access services and maintain social and support links;
- People with disabilities, who are over-represented in poverty statistics and tend to have poor digital skills, face a financial and skills barrier to using technology and engaging in virtual practices;
- This barrier to access constitutes a form of exclusion and discrimination, as well as poses a risk to physical and psychological health (access to information, support, etc.) and reinforces the social isolation of people with disabilities; and
- People with disabilities are also over-represented in the statistics concerning the co-occurrence of disabilities and health conditions that pose a medical risk related to COVID-19, a situation that does not allow them to expect a return to normal activities (once the lockdown is eased) in the short or medium term.
- Open for signature
- June 18, 2020, at 4:35 p.m. (EDT)
- Closed for signature
- September 16, 2020, at 4:35 p.m. (EDT)