Example of Initiative for the Participation in the Digital Economy of People with a Learning Disability

The non–profit organization based in New–Brunswick, Collectivité ingénieuse de la Péninsule acadienne (CIPA), is implementing an initiative to strengthen the social economy, improving the employability, the community integration and the improvement productivity in rural communities of New–Brunswick and across Canada. In fact, CIPA and its partners offer people who are struggling with disabilities or learning difficulties an access to ICT. In each targeted community, CIPA sets up a workstation with a combination of appropriate technologies and hires a young person in every community who does the promotion, integration and evaluation Web for everyone in these communities. Note that this initiative is done with the collaboration of the Community Access Program sites (C@P).

It is initiatives like this that should be part of the strategies for a sustainable prosperity. Such projects must receive adequate and significant support from the government and should be extended across the country to reach the largest possible number of people with a learning disability, physic, visual or hearing disability. By establishing partnerships and by working together toward achieving the same objective, it is possible to see such programs being delivered in the community and get tangible and positive results. That's a way that could ensure that all Canadians, including people with a learning disability, physic, visual or hearing disability, can take advantage of the digital economy in Canada and fully participate.