New members appointed to the Advisory Committee for persons with disabilities

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 30, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, announced the appointment of six new members to the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC).

The DAC plays an important role in providing the Minister and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) with advice on appropriate support to taxpayers with disabilities. Their expertise in the fields of medicine and academia provide the CRA with important perspectives regarding the people it serves. In order to provide fulsome and representative advice, it is important the DAC's membership reflects Canada's rich and diverse population. As such, committee membership includes individuals from equity deserving groups.

The CRA welcomes the following new DAC members who have begun their two-year terms:

• Liza Arnason - Owner Principal and Chief Education Officer- Arnason Consulting Inc.
• Dr. Jennifer Chalmers - Executive Director at Tl'oondih Healing Society and Registered Psychologist practicing in the Northwest Territories
• Laura Housden ? Director, Fraser Health Authority and Registered Nurse Practitioner
• Guillaume Parent - Founding President and Financial Security Advisor at Finandicap ? Wealth Management
• Emile Tompa - Senior Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health
• Dr. Jennifer Zwicker - holds a doctorate in neurophysiology and is the Director, Health Policy and Assistant Professor, Kinesiology at the University of Calgary

The new members join the seven current DAC members, whose terms are ongoing. Read more about the new members on the DAC's webpage.

The DAC is co-chaired by the Assistant Commissioner of the Assessment and Benefits Services Branch (or delegate) and a private-sector member of the committee who has served on the DAC for a minimum of 24 months prior to their appointment.

Starting in September, existing committee members Sharon McCarry and Jonathan Lai will assume the roles of private-sector co-chair and vice-chair respectively.

Minister Lebouthillier also wishes to recognize and thank the departing members, including the outgoing co-chair and vice-chair:

• Dr. Karen Cohen (co-chair) - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and registered psychologist
• Sherri Torjman (vice-chair) - former Vice-President of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, a position she held for 25 years
• Laurie Beachell ? former National Coordinator of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD)
• Gary Birch Former Executive Director of the Neil Squire Society
• Roberta Heale ? professor at Laurentian University School of Nursing and doctorate of Nurse Practitioners
• Ray McGuire ? Indigenous representation, British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society.

For more information about the DAC, and its contributions to people living with disabilities, visit Canada.ca/disability-advisory-committee.

"I am delighted to welcome the new members of the Disability Advisory Committee. We are grateful to have representation from Indigenous and western communities, and to welcome the expertise of all six of the new members who are poised to offer invaluable perspective and insight into Canada's supports for persons with disabilities."

- The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue

• Since 2017, the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) has been engaging in meaningful dialogue with the disability community to provide advice to the CRA and the Minister of National Revenue. In 2021 they put forward two recommendations which were included in Budget 2021 and passed into legislation June 22, 2022.
• Because of this, the eligibility criteria for the DTC were expanded to include a broader range of mental health challenges and life sustaining therapies into the DTC's eligibility criteria.
• To date, the DAC has published two reports containing a range of other recommendations on important and emerging issues facing persons with disabilities and their supports.
• DAC members serve two year terms and are governed by a terms of reference.

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SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency