A/HRC/43/41/Add.2 32. In 2007, Parliament adopted a unanimous House of Commons resolution on Jordan’s Principle which has led to the development of a child-first initiative to ensure that all First Nations children living on and off reserves have access to the products, services and supports they need when they need them. In September 2018, the federal Government announced that Inuit children too were eligible. Jordan’s Principle can cover requests for health, social and educational products, services and supports. 33. Despite these measures, indigenous persons with disabilities, including children, are far behind in the enjoyment of their rights. They experience higher rates of domestic violence, particularly women with disabilities, and have limited access to the products, services and supports they need, even when these are normally available to others. Consequently, many are forced to seek services outside their reserve, which means they face an increased risk of discrimination and a lack of culturally sensitive services. Moreover, it is often the case that indigenous persons with disabilities cannot access services, whether on or off reserves, due to jurisdictional disputes between different levels of government concerning who is responsible for covering the costs. 34. Many persons with disabilities, particularly children and older adults, are sent to long-term care facilities far from their communities to receive health-, residential or palliative care services that are not culturally appropriate. Indigenous children represent more than half of all children in foster care and it is estimated that more than 40,000 First Nations children live away from their families, in the care of child welfare services funded and regulated by provincial or territorial governments or by the federal government. Many of them are children with disabilities, often removed from their homes because of the lack of appropriate support services in indigenous communities. The Special Rapporteur was informed that some families are afraid of reporting the disability status of a relative due to the risk of separation. 35. It remains unclear how the Accessible Canada Act applies to indigenous persons with disabilities living on reserves. The Special Rapporteur encourages the federal and indigenous governments to work closely so as to ensure that all persons with disabilities benefit from the Act and enjoy all their rights on an equal basis with others. She also encourages the Government of Canada to continue working with indigenous governments to support the development of measures aimed at addressing the unique realities of indigenous persons with disabilities. III. Challenges and opportunities identified in Canada A. Accessibility 36. The Government has taken various steps towards making Canada more accessible, including through the recent adoption of the Accessible Canada Act. The Act helps identify, remove and prevent barriers in different areas of federal competence, including employment, the built environment, information and communications technologies, communications other than information and communication technologies, the procurement of goods, services and facilities, the design and delivery of programmes and services, and transportation. In 2019, the Canadian Transportation Agency published the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, applicable to air, rail, ferry and bus carriers and terminals falling within federal jurisdiction. The regulations are expected to become effective in 2020. 37. Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Government’s central purchaser, has established the Accessible Procurement Resource Centre to ensure that goods and services purchased are accessible by design, where possible, so that Canadians with disabilities can use them without adaptation. The Government’s leadership in this area is very welcome, since it involves the country’s single largest purchaser of goods and services. The Special Rapporteur considers the Canadian inclusive procurement model to be a good practice to be shared internationally. 7