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Brad Duguid, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.Matthew Sherwood/The Globe and Mail

Recognizing the net benefit workers with disabilities provide

Re Working wisdom: How workers with disabilities give companies an edge (Feb. 28): As Tavia Grant's article points out, some of the best employees are the same people who have the highest level of unemployment – people with disabilities.

The fact is over 40 per cent of people with disabilities have a postsecondary education and most need very little accommodation to do the work they are trained to do.

The Ontario government is championing the hiring of people with disabilities through a number of unique initiatives, including Ontario's Partnership Council on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities and our pilot program, Abilities Connect, in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

I am working with our new special adviser on accessibility, former lieutenant-governor David Onley, on expanding our partnerships with employers and other organizations to develop more innovative approaches for addressing barriers to employment.

We know we have more work to do; we need businesses to embrace this opportunity as a means to enhance their competitiveness, expand their customer base and tap into the talent pool represented by people with disabilities.

As the article clearly lays out, hiring people with disabilities has a positive effect on businesses' bottom line through increased profits and productivity.

Brad Duguid, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure

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Rail link is what Ring of Fire needs, not road transport

Re First Nations to study viability of Ring of Fire road (March 2): The government of Ontario is providing a First Nations group three-quarters of a million dollars for a study of a road toward the site of the Ring of Fire.

Anyone who understands what is involved in the future development of the Ring of Fire knows that what is required is a railway, not a highway.

The volume/train loads of concentrate that will need to be shipped each day for 100 years can only be moved efficiently and reliably by rail to the refineries in Sudbury.

As well, the development of any mine site will require the movement of large quantities of equipment, which likely is best moved by rail.

Gordon Birnie

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