Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I want to talk about a new research project currently underway in Yellowknife. It is called the employment for persons with disability research project and its work began last month. Its goal is simple but its potential impact is quite huge.
Between now and the end of March, researchers will talk with as many employers around town as possible. They will be making employers aware of everything people with disabilities have to offer, as employees. Many people with disabilities are kept from working, not by their disability, but by our attitude toward them. Part of that involves the language we use to describe people. It is still commonplace to hear the terms disabled or handicapped. Workers in the field use, people with disabilities, in order to emphasize their clients are, in fact, people first.
Part of this research project's objective is to identify how we can improve our workplace environment for people who happen to have disabilities. That can involve everything from personal attitudes to improving access to buildings. We have, over the years, had people with disabilities elected to this very chamber and they have proved themselves capable indeed. While this project tries to bridge a gap that exists in parts of our community, it also affords us a chance to examine our personal attitudes toward people with disabilities and evaluate how we, one on one, can do better. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause.