Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities

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Objectives

The Opportunities Fund is a program designed to help people with disabilities prepare for and obtain employment or self-employment. It also assists people to develop the skills they need to keep a new job.

The Opportunities Fund supports a variety of activities, in partnership with organizations including with the private sector, to help people with disabilities overcome the barriers they may face as they enter the job market.

These activities may include:

• helping individuals start their own business;
• helping individuals to increase their job skills;
• helping individuals to integrate into the workplace through services that meet their special needs; and
• encouraging employers to provide individuals with work opportunities and experience.

Background

The Government of Canada looks to create new opportunities and choices for people with disabilities—choices such as returning to work, retraining or entering the job market. Incentives are in place to ensure that all Canadians can achieve their potential and have the choices they want, with the support they need.

The Government of Canada is committed to act on disability issues. Since 1997, it has made $30 million a year available through the Opportunities Fund to help people with disabilities achieve their employment goals. The Opportunities Fund has helped approximately 40,000 Canadians since then and it has had permanent approval since the February 2000 Budget. The Opportunities Fund is an important employment element of the Disability Agenda for the Government of Canada.

Program details

Who can apply

The Opportunities Fund accepts applications from people with disabilities, and from sponsor organizations and employers that help people with disabilities to enter or return to the workforce.

To be eligible for assistance, an individual must:

• self identify as having a permanent physical or mental disability that limits daily activity;
• be unemployed (or working less than 20 hours per week);
• be legally entitled to work in Canada; and
• normally, must NOT be currently eligible for federal employment programs offered under Part II of the Employment Insurance Act (or similar provincial or territorial programs).

Individuals may also benefit from services available through a number of Opportunities Fund National Projects offered by sponsor organizations across the country and through other Human Resources and Social Development Canada programs.

Eligible sponsor organizations and employers include:

• Businesses, organizations, including public health and educational institutions, band or tribal councils, municipal governments, provincial or territorial government departments and agencies if specifically approved by the Minister, as well as individuals.

Agreements with third parties

Human Resources and Social Development Canada can also enter into an Opportunities Fund contribution agreement with an organization or employer, which can in turn enter into its own agreements with employers, sponsor organizations and/or individual clients.

Costs that may be covered

The Opportunities Fund may provide assistance to individuals to cover the following costs of participating in an eligible activitiy:

• all or part of their living expenses;
• all or part of the cost of participating in the activitiy, such as expenses related to specialized services, arrangements or equipment, dependant care, transportation and accommodation; and
• all or part of the cost of training or taking a course (may not be available in all provinces).

Funding may be provided to organizations and employers to cover costs such as:

• participant wages or related employer costs; and
• overhead costs related to planning, organizing, operating, delivering and evaluating approved activities, including staff wages and employment related costs.

Eligible expenses will be negotiated with program officials.

Duration

Projects may be approved for a period of up to 52 weeks; however, in some circumstances the period may be extended to a total of 78 weeks. The duration of assistance varies according to the action plan developed for each individual and is based on individual needs.

Labour Market Development Agreements and the Opportunities Fund

Agreements related to training and labour market development have been in place between the Government of Canada and all provinces and territories for the most part since 1997–98. In many provinces and territories, training is the responsibility of the provincial or territorial government.

For HRSDC to deliver training through the Opportunities Fund, permission must be obtained from the appropriate provincial or territorial ministry.

It is recommended that individuals check with their local Service Canada Centres to determine how training is funded in their province.

For more information

View our brochure and other publications online for more information.

You may also read the detailed Terms and Conditions of the Opportunities Fund.

How to apply

For information on applying for the Opportunities Fund, see:

• Application Information for Individuals
• Application Information for Organizations and Employers