Transition sample

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition | Winter 2009/10page 2 |

Configurations Performances by hip hop dance artist Bill Shannon, and dancer Alison Denham with musician Mark Brose.

Join us for the March 21 Gala Performance

with a special performance by dance icon Peggy Baker.

Tickets: www.vidf.ca or 604.662.4966

Out From Under: Disability, History & Things to Remember A groundbreaking installation that pays tribute to the history of

All venues are wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair space for performances will be limited. Please indicate need when purchasing tickets.

visit www.kickstart-arts.ca for more details!

Heroes

explore “heroism” from a disability perspective.

She Laughed, She Cried An evening of fado music with Sara Marreiros and comedy with Jan Derbyshire.

the Performing Arts

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ca or 604.280.3311

COME BE AMAZED BY THE KICKSTART

FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE!

COME BE AMAZED BY THE KICKSTART

FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE!

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition | Winter 2009/10 | page 1

Contents

Transition is published four times a year by BC Coalition of People with Disabilities. Subscriptions are $20/year.

We welcome articles, graphics and creative writing for consideration. The editors reserve the right to edit and/or withhold material from publication.

We are pleased to see Transition material republished without prior permission, with these conditions. Please credit “Transition, BC Coalition of People with Disabilities” and the edition date. Thank you.

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities204-456 W. Broadway,Vancouver, BC V5Y 1R3Tel 604-875-0188 • TTY 604-875-8835Fax 604-875-9227Transition only: [email protected]: [email protected]

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No.40051676

17 | BCCPD Faces: Val Stapleton

20 | Be Bold

21 | Read More at Transition Online

22 | Follow the Steps 3

22 | Obituary: Ronnie Phipps

23 | Brotherly Love

23 | Measuring Up

24 | Letter

2 | Editorial by Shelley Hourston

3 | Planned Giving: A New Way to Contribute

4 | Connections: How to Play

6 | Look Close to Home

7 | Woodlands by Jane Dyson

8 | Connecting with Your Community: A How-to Guide by Shelley Hourston

10 | Connect with Nature

11 | BCCPD’s New President


12 | Volunteer

13 | New RDSP Project

14 | Join In

16 | Obituary: May McIntyre


Special13 | Help Transition Go Green

18 | Personal Support Network Underway by Christine Gordon

mailto:[email protected]


The term “community” used to refer to a village, town or neigh-

bourhood. It involved a social re-lationship with others based on a shared physical location. “Commu-nity participation,” at least where I grew up, was nearly unavoidable because work, school, shopping and recreation occurred within your community and with your family and neighbours. Perhaps sociologists talked about “commu-nity” back then, but it was an idea seldom discussed by community members going about everyday life.

Today, use of the term has mushroomed and we talk about “seeking community,” “planned communities,” and “mobilizing communities.” We are all members of multiple communities, some by default and many more by choice. Communities are created through connections and connecting can start in simple, easy steps and grow into something powerful in our lives.

Communities include our physical neighbourhoods, our volunteer and work communities, spiritual or faith communities, learning communities, communi-ties of leisure and recreational pursuits, “communities of interest” and “virtual communities.” A large body of research now tells us that connecting with our communi-ties has a positive impact on our health and sense of well-being.

Researchers Helliwell and Putnam wrote, “People who have close friends and confidants, friendly neighbours and sup-portive coworkers are less likely to experience sadness, loneliness,

low self-esteem and problems with eating and sleeping. Indeed, a common finding from research on . . . satisfaction is that [our sense of ] well-being is best predicted by the breadth and depth of [our] social connections.”*

And, building these con-nections doesn’t have to be an enormous investment of time and effort. Helliwell and Putnam note research in the US found that “monthly club meetings, monthly volunteering and bi-weekly church attendance were each the happiness equivalent of a dou-bling of income.”

Because of this power of com-munity and connection, we chose to devote this Transition to explor-ing ideas and experiences, and providing lots of “how to’s” for you. You’ll see how communities grow in unexpected places and develop in creative and surprising ways. Some people start very small and some people leap out of planes!

We asked volunteers and staff at BCCPD, along with com-munity colleagues for examples of “community connection” and discovered that we’d opened a floodgate! You can read some these wonderful responses in this Transition and more in the Web Extras on our website.

We hope that you’ll find ideas, inspiration and practical help to get out and get connected. We also hope you’ll drop us a line about your adventures!

* Helliwell, John F. and Putnam, Robert D. (2004) The Social Context of Well-being. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society (London) B (359), 1435-1446. Retrieved from http://ti-nyurl.com/yklz55s. n

Editorial BY Shelley hourSton

Because of this power of community and connection, we chose to devote this Transi-tion to exploring ideas and experiences, and providing lots of “how to’s” for you.


The BCCPD has a new Planned Giving program. Planned Giving is the opportunity to think ahead about causes or organizations that you may want to financially sup-port beyond your lifetime.

You can take the time now to gather information and leave instructions in your will.

By planning ahead, you can research charities, or have some-one research charities for you, that fit your values. You won’t feel rushed or pressured to make a decision and you can ensure that your money is spent in the way that you want.

BenefitsThere are many benefits to Planned Giving. By writing down your wishes, you will have in-creased peace of mind and control over your finances.

Through Planned Giving, you can provide a significant future donation without reducing your income today.

A gift in your will to a reg-istered Canadian charity is tax-deductible. And, your Planned Gift helps the BCCPD to be here in the future for those who need us.

Tax savingsYou can realize significant tax savings with Planned Giving. For example, stocks, bonds and mu-tual funds that you may have in a trust can be transferred in your will to a charity and a tax receipt will be issued. A bequest from your estate of cash or RRSPs will reduce the taxes that your estate will be required to pay. Other ways of donating give twofold value: by naming the BCCPD as the benefi-ciary in a life insurance policy, you do not incur any costs now and a tax receipt is issued when the estate is settled.

To learn moreOur donors are important to us and we’ll work with you to be recognized in the way that you’d prefer. If you would like more information about Planned Giving, please contact Mr. Sam Bradd at the BCCPD at [email protected] or 604-875-0188. He will send you BCCPD Planned Giving informa-tion for you to review with your financial planner or lawyer, family and friends. n

Planned GivingA New Way to Contribute

You’ve always been there for others. It’s part of who you are. Now, you can continue to give beyond your life-time with Planned Giving.

Your bequest to BC Coalition of People with Disabilities will promote and protect the dignity and independence of people living with a disability.



VolunteerTry volunteering to meet

people, get connected and contribute.

Join InFind a group, activity or class that interests you or can offer support and companionship.

Be Bold

Form your own group, become a speaker or, really push the

envelope, and skydive!

Follow the StepsRead the step-by-step Recipes

for Connection provided by people in the community.

Look Close to Home

Explore ways to connect right in your neighbourhood

or even from home.

ConnectionsHow to play.

Connect withNature

Go to a park, garden or spend time with animals.


A World of OpportunitiesWe asked BCCPD staff and volunteers for their ideas for ways to connect. Here are some of their many suggestions. See the rest of this Transition for more ideas and how-to’s on getting out and joining in.

Join a Grouptai-chi• choir• board game club• laughter yoga• community centre classes• book club• sports team• drop-in support group• church/temple/mosque/syna-• gogue/ashraminvisible coffee drinkers club• computer workshop• music lessons• dances• relationship classes• cooking class• photography class•

new language class•

Look Close to Homebring elderly neighbours a • mealdo neighbourhood clean-ups• walk a neighbour’s dog• shop for elderly or sick neigh-• boursexplore new neighbourhoods• go to lectures• see films• share bounty from fruit trees• help community block watch• share information on low/no • income services and activitiesbe a responsible citizen, stay • informed about current eventsvisit a friend• have potlucks•

Connect with Natureplant a community garden• go for nature walks/talks• look after neighbours’ pets • when they’re away

Follow the Stepssee the How-To’s and Recipes • in this Transition and at Transi-tion Online http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/transitionlive.htm.

Volunteerat the SPCA• to clean parks• to organize a trip for a disabil-• ity groupto spend time with people • who cannot go outat community kitchens•

as a story teller•

Be Boldstart your own organization• form a committee to help with • an issue you’re passionate abouthost a film screening at a com-• munity centreskydive!•

And, a huge thank youIn the fall, we sent out a request to Transition’s organization list for tips and stories on how to help people connect. The response was amaz-ing.

We’d like to send a heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to send in ideas, cook up recipes, ask clients for stories and pictures, and help us to put this edition together.

Cover PhotosThank you for their permission to use photos on this edition’s cover: the Vancouver Brain Injury Group (top photo), Bob and Andrew of Chilliwack ArtWorks (middle left), and Norm and Jen at the George Pearson Centre gardens (middle right). Bottom centre photo credit: Pablo Fausto. n

http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/transitionlive.htm



Look Close to HomeExplore simple ways to connect right in your neighbourhood or even from home.

From Gerry Williamson, Brain injury survivorIn June 1971, I was one of the people who won a school athletic letter. Then, in June 1972, I was in a head-on collision with a bus be-cause I was drinking and driving, and went into a coma for a month.

After I regained conscious-ness, I found I couldn’t do what my thinking said I could do back when I played soccer, baseball and rugby.

I lived in a world of mental and physical hurt for months, trying to accept I was even hurt. I enjoyed people doing everything for me because it seemed they wanted to do everything for me. And I was feeling sorry for myself and, because misery loves company, I wanted everyone to feel sorry for me too.

In 1972, people didn’t know what to do with me, so most of the time I was left alone in my family’s rumpus room listening to music.

My sister gave me about five rug-hooking kits that I hooked and gave to her. She still has them. At the time I was hooking these

rugs I was thinking and thinking, and the thoughts I was having eventually percolated into the idea that I could get better than I was.

This went on for years, until I saw I could do what I was be-ing told I couldn’t do. I saw I was letting other people tell me what I couldn’t do or what I could do, instead of trying it myself.

Sometimes I’d find I couldn’t do things and other times I found I could. By using trial and error, I found I could do more than what I was being told I could ever do.

From Spectrum Society for Community LivingThe Vancouver-based 101 Ways to Make Friends book and website shares strategies for creating, ex-panding and deepening networks of support for people with disabili-ties, their supporters, friends and families.

Visit their website to sign up for their e-newsletter or infor-mation on workshops http://www.101friends.ca/.

From David A. Rasmussen, Brain injury survivorMy community plays an impor-tant role in my life as a brain injury survivor. I don’t consider

myself outgoing, instead I prefer a quiet life at home. However, I have learned the importance of connecting with people when I’m out in my day-to-day life. I do this mainly when shopping.

Yes, that’s right, shopping.Whenever possible, I like to

shop at smaller, quieter businesses that have friendly owners or em-ployees. I’ve gathered around me some favourite people at various shops.

I also go to larger businesses. For example, the large super-market nearby might not seem too personal, but it can be. After completing my grocery shopping, I head over to the checkout lines and look for a familiar cashier.

I always greet the employee with a smile and ask about their day. In time, I’m able to get ac-quainted with several of the cashiers. Eventually, they start to recognize me.

Most of all I’ve become known at the local fish and chip shop! I’m usually greeted by name and several employees will call out from the kitchen area, “Hi Dave!” When I leave, with my order care-fully wrapped in newspaper, I hear a choir of voices calling, “See you Dave!”

Being part of my community, in these easy ways, gives me a sense of belonging. n

http://www.101friends.ca/

http://www.101friends.ca/


After speaking up for years about the abuse they suffered

at Woodlands School, survivors of the institution finally have a Settlement Agreement for com-pensation with the province. The Agreement will provide eligible survivors with compensation of $3,000 to $150,000 for the sexual, physical or psychological abuse or injuries they suffered at Wood-lands on or after August 1st, 1974.

Compensation applicants will not have to go to court; they will submit written materials which will be reviewed by a judge to decide whether or not they are en-titled to compensation and, if so, how much. The compensation will not affect the income supports (disability benefits or basic social assistance) that people receive from the province.

The BCCPD is pleased that some former Woodlands residents will have their abuse recognized. However, we are very disap-pointed for the approximately 500 former residents who the govern-ment says are ineligible for com-pensation because they were at the institution before August 1974. The oldest, most fragile residents who have waited the longest to have their abuse recognized are being shut out.

The government says people who lived at Woodlands before August 1st, 1974 cannot seek com-pensation because it was against the law to sue the province before

that date, except in exceptional circumstances. The BC Supreme Court and BC Court of Appeal ruled in the government’s favour and the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal.

The BCCPD continues to work with the survivors to urge the province to include all victims of abuse in the compensation plan. On January 14th, Woodlands Survivors, the BCCPD and lawyer David Klein met with Attorney General Michael De Jong. We received a respectful hearing and the AG committed a careful con-sideration of this problem.

The survivors have been through so much and are devas-tated that part of their commu-nity has been excluded from the Agreement. They are again asking the government to do the right thing.

To help the excluded survivors, contact: Gregg Schiller (We Survived Woodlands Group) 604-868-7001; [email protected] Jane Dyson (BCCPD) 604-875-0188; [email protected]

If you are a Woodlands survivor, contact: Law firm Klein Lyons (604-874-7171) is counsel for the survivors. David Klein and his colleagues have worked tirelessly for former Woodlands residents. Contact them about applying for compensation through the Settlement Agreement. n

WoodlandsSettlement Agreement reached for compensation, but 500 survivors left out by Jane Dyson

transitionFounding EditorRichard A. Watson

Editor/LayoutAnn Vrlak

Cover DesignFiona Gamiet

ProofreadersEleanor Pasholko • Shelley HourstonJane Dyson

Alternate FormatsVal Stapleton• Eleanor Pasholko

Admin AssistantElena Kubaseck-Berry

Mailout CoordinatorJanis Walsh

Editorial Statement The views and opinions expressed within the pages of Transition are not necessarily those held by the total membership or Board of Directors. The material presented herein is meant to be thought-provoking and to promote dialogue. Transition is a forum to share information within the disability community, and with government and the general public. It is also an opportunity for people with disabilities to display creative talent.

Disclaimer Any firm or company advertising in Transition is for our readers’ benefit and does not constitute an endorse-ment by the BCCPD.




Participating in a community–whether it’s your neighbourhood or a community of bird watchers–can be a challenge for many of us. If you’re living with a disability or chronic health condition, your dai-ly life may be complicated by low energy and fatigue, pain, physical barriers, medication side-effects or other factors.

Living with a disability can also affect your self-esteem and confidence. If you are naturally in-troverted like I am, mustering the energy and courage to go out into unfamiliar situations can often feel overwhelming and just not worth the effort.

Researchers have shown, however, that there is a strong connection between community participation and improved health and sense of well-being. And the good news is that even occasional interaction–attending a meeting twice a month or volunteering once a month–is enough to gen-erate positive results. In Canada, we have identified “social support networks”–what we develop when we participate in a community–as number two in the list of determi-nants of health.**

If this is enough evidence to encourage you to venture into your community (or increase your involvement), let me share my tips for community participa-tion. Remember that “community participation” can take place in many ways: in person, over the telephone, letters in the mail or via the Internet.

5 Steps to ParticipationDon’t know where to start? Ask yourself the following questions and make a list of your answers.

What are my interests?What catches your attention • on the news, in newspapers/magazines or on the radio?What is your favourite past-• time or leisure activity?What makes you laugh?• What makes you angry? • Do you have neighbours, • family members or friends–nearby or in another part of the world–who are involved in activities or projects that inter-est you? What are they?Do any of the stories or ideas • in this Transition inspire you to try something new?

What kind of experience would I prefer?

Socialize with a group of like-• minded people?Contribute to a cause or activ-• ity (volunteer)?Learn?• Teach?• Create something new?• Exchange knowledge with • others?Advocate for social change or • justice?Try new things?• Just pass the time?•

How would I like to participate?In person?• Telephone?• Internet?• Mail?•

Now that I have a list of interests, how do I participate?

Who do you know (in your • community or beyond) who shares one or more of your interests? Ask them for more information and how you can become involved too.Are there organizations in • your community that relate to your interests? Visit them in person, call them or visit their

Connecting with Your Community: A How-to Guide by Shelley Hourston

If you are naturally introverted like I am, mustering the energy and courage to go out into unfamiliar situations can often feel overwhelming and just not worth the effort.


websites. Depending on the interests you’ve noted in the questions above, ask to speak to someone in the organiza-tion about: social or support groups, volunteer opportuni-ties, educational or informa-tion events, discussion groups, advocacy activities, or oppor-tunities to mentor others. Find out how you can participate, any costs involved and how you can receive information about future activities.Don’t know how to start? • Maybe a one-time activity, such as an author reading, a teleseminar, or a computer workshop is a way to begin. Don’t know if there is an orga-• nization or resource related to your interest? Here’s how to start:

Yellow Pages–check under -all headings that may relate to your interest.Telephone book–check -under relevant organization names. Note that in some cases a national or provincial office may be listed with a toll-free number. Call and ask for contacts in your com-munity.Bulletin boards in your -neighbourhood (often located in supermarkets, libraries, community and recreation centres, churches, etc.) often have posters for events, groups or activities.Service providers: social -workers, community health

nurses, counsellors, and occupational and physical therapists are great sources of information.Public Library–call or visit -your local public library and ask the reference librar-ian for information about your area of interest. It’s important to ask for help as the librarian will show you directories, reports, journal articles, local event sched-ules, community contacts, etc. that you may not know about. Explain that you’re gathering information and are looking for opportuni-ties to become involved.

But do I have to talk to anybody while I’m there? If you’re shy or uncomfortable in new situations, this isn’t an unusual question. Research (and my personal experience) shows that asking questions is an excel-lent way to start a conversation. Prepare a couple of questions in advance to get you started and then let them flow naturally into the conversation. By being natu-rally curious and interested (rather than interrogating, like you’re in a courtroom!), your conversation partner will find you fascinating!

If you decide to try these how-to steps, I would love to hear from you. What did you try? Did you have fun? Did you encounter barriers or challenges? Your stories

will help us to keep the connec-tions going among our readers.

Good luck and remember the benefits of connecting go far be-yond what you might expect.

* Helliwell, John F. and Putnam, Robert D. (2004) The Social Context of Well-being. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society (London) B (359), 1435-1446. Retrieved from http://ti-nyurl.com/yklz55s.

** What Makes Canadians Healthy or Unhealthy? Public Health Agency of Canada. Retrieved from: http://tinyurl.com/yfp64kr. n

Some challenges to connecting and participating

physical barriers• information barriers• low energy• lack of transportation• no daycare• low income• don’t know how or where to • startneed a friend to keep you • goingchronic pain• poor memory, making it hard • to follow through


Connect with NatureGo to a park, garden or spend time with animals.

This year Jen Rashleigh created a series of table-top wheelchair-accessible gardens at the George Pearson Centre so the residents there could enjoy growing their own food. One of these resident gardeners is Olga Ruskin and this is her story of why she loves gardening. Interview by Kathie Wallace.

I garden because I enjoy being outside and seeing things grow. It exposes you to the world of living plants and makes you realize there’s more than you on this planet.

It fills me with joy to have something growing from nothing and flourishing. I feel more alive when I can smell and feel the plants and the earth. We’ve lost touch with Mother Earth when we are actually part of her.

The air around a garden is brighter, it smells so much nicer and the colours are uplifting. There is such a sense of peace working around flowers. They don’t talk to us, but they do indicate whether they are happy or not in their own language.

This garden has changed my days. When I feel low, I can come out and look at the flowers and I feel happy because they are so pretty and colourful. They literally uplift me if I have a bad day. I can’t do much be-cause my hands are stiffened with arthritis, but I can go into the garden and get engrossed in the plants and forget my cares.

And a feeling of fellowship has grown among the gardeners. It pro-motes friendship because our common interest in gardening bonds us together. I hope what I’ve said inspires people to get involved.

We were very sad to learn that Olga passed away on January 19, 2010.

From Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Culture

There are lots of free or low cost acitivities to do outdoors. Watch for the Burnaby Leisure Guide that is published twice a year and includes a community directory of clubs and interest groups in addi-tion to City programs.

If you need some accommo-dations because of a disability, our Access Services Coordinator will be glad to advise you. You can make a leisure counselling appointment, meet at a facility to look around and discuss options on adapted programs that may be available. For more information, please contact Access Services Coordinator at 604-294-7168.

Our Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Culture Credit Program is for individuals and families on low income who are eligible to receive $154 per person, per year, to be spent on classes and programs of their choice. Activities range from “drop-in” to scheduled sessions so you can pick whichever suits your comfort. For more information, please contact Recreation Credit Program at 604-320-2227.

You can download the Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Culture Access Guidebook from: http://www.burnaby.ca/__shared/assets/2007_Access_Guide-book4407.pdf. You can find infor-mation on accessible recreation at http://www.burnaby.ca/cityhall/departments/departments_parks/rcrtn/Who_am_I_/prksrc_lsrgd_spclzd.html. n

http://www.burnaby.ca/__shared/assets/2007_Access_Guidebook4407.pdf



http://www.burnaby.ca/cityhall/departments/departments_parks/rcrtn/Who_am_I_/prksrc_lsrgd_spclzd.html





Figuring out how to “get involved” and join with others can be a tough challenge for anyone. Mood, anxiety or other psychological is-sues can make it seem even more difficult.

At the same time, connecting with people can be a really impor-tant part of caring for your well-being and a great step toward a healthy mind.

If you are having trouble get-ting started, try following these steps:

Make a list of your interests. 1. What have you enjoyed and found fun in the past? What have you thought you might like to try out in the future?Think about things friends and 2. family are involved in. Does anyone have ideas for you? Has anyone invited you to join some of their activities?People often try to do too 3. much all at once and end up feeling overwhelmed. Pace yourself. Remember that most things that are worth do-ing need to be broken down into small steps. The first step might be looking at some different possibilities on the Internet and writing down a few phone numbers. You can leave the next step for another day.

BCCPD’s New President The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities’ (BCCPD) Board of Directors is delighted to announce that Johanna Johnson is our new President. Johanna has served on the BCCPD’s Board for many years and has held various positions.

Johanna is a special edu-cation and classroom teacher with a long history of volun-teer involvement with the disability community through the BC Paraplegic Association, TETRA Society, and a support group for women with dis-abilities. She was the recipient of the 2005 Courage to Come Back Award in the Physical Rehabilitation category.

A member of the Vancou-ver Elementary School Teach-ers Association, Johanna is passionate about education and health issues. She cur-rently teaches kindergarten at Nootka Elementary.

The BCCPD’s Board, staff and volunteers welcome Johanna in her new role as President and looks forward to working with her on our projects and initiatives.

If you are feeling “in a rut” or 4. need support in learning more about how to connect with others, try visiting a Registered Psychologist for trained, pro-fessional caring.Contact the BC Psychologi-5. cal Association, Ph: 604-730-0501, Email: [email protected], http://www.psychologists.bc.ca/. n

Pace yourself. Remember that most things that are worth doing need to be broken down into small steps.

Follow the Steps 1From Rebecca Smith, BC Psychological Association

Visit ClicklawClicklaw–www.clicklaw.bc.ca–is a new website, funded by The Law Foundation of BC, aimed at enhancing access to justice in BC. It features legal information and education created by 24 contributor organizations–including BCCPD. Now, you can also find in-person legal support and services through the Clicklaw HelpMap.



[email protected], http://www.psychologists.bc.ca/

[email protected], http://www.psychologists.bc.ca/

http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca


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From Jennifer Crawford, Society of Organized Services (SOS)Volunteering is a wonderful way to make friends, learn something new and get connected with your community.

Here at SOS, we have a wide variety of Volunteer Programs to choose from. You can start by hav-ing a look at our volunteer “menu” and filling out an application form at www.sosd69.com, at the SOS Thrift Shop or at the SOS Office.

We are also happy to design a volunteer position to fit your needs. We’ll gather the right “ingredients” to find a rewarding experience for you with SOS.

Steps to volunteering with SOS:

Fill out a volunteer application • Form.Contact the SOS office for a • volunteer meeting with Jen-nifer. By phone: 250-248-2093 x230, by email: [email protected], or in person: 245 West Hirst Avenue, Parksville.Fill out a Criminal Record • Check form.Pay the $5 lifetime member-• ship Fee.SOS volunteers receive regular

skills training through on-the-job experience and free workshops. All you have to do is connect with us and we will work with you to help you achieve your goals ….and most importantly have fun!

Hope to hear from you soon!

From the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)CMHA’s Community Navigator program connects with people who have been homeless or at risk of homelessness. Staff pro-vide support with navigation of other resources beyond housing: income supports; work, volunteer, or education opportunities; and, personal support networks.

A key goal of the program is to reconnect clients with people in their community, through participation in everyday activi-ties. People connect around going for coffee, attending community events like hockey games, or even things like grocery shopping and going to the laundromat.

If you would like to make a difference in someone’s life and connect with someone new in your community, why not volun-teer with the Community Naviga-tor program?

Contact one of the following CMHA branches and ask for the Community Navigator:South Cariboo–100 Mile House 250-395-4883Cariboo/Chilcotin–Williams Lake 250-398-8220Kootenays–Cranbrook 250-426-5222Prince George 250-564-8644Kelowna 250-861-3644North and West Vancouver 604-987-6959Visit: http://www.cmha.bc.ca/. n

VolunteerTry volunteering to meet people, get connected and contribute.

http://www.sosd69.com



http://www.cmha.bc.ca


BC Association for Individualized Technology and Supports for People with Disabilities

BC Hydro Employees Community Services Fund Committee

BC Medical Services Foundation

BC Ministry of Housing and Social Development

BC Rehab Foundation

City of Vancouver

Health Sciences Association of BC

Home Medical Equipment Dealers Association

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: Homelessness Partnership Strategy

The Law Foundation of British Columbia

Legal Services Society of British Columbia

Office of Disability Issues, Ministry of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Province of British Columbia

Provincial Health Services Authority

Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 114

TELUS Employees Charitable Giving Program

TD Friends of the Environment Foundation

United Way of the Lower Mainland

Vancity

Vancouver Coastal Health

The Vancouver Foundation

York University (Office of Research Services)

We couldn’t do it without youThank you to the following organizations, companies and government departments who support BCCPD’s work on behalf of people with disabilities.

Help Transition Go Green Now you can join other readers who have switched from receiving Transition in print to reading us electronically. Here’s how:

Renew your subscription us-• ing the form in this edition or by visiting our Transition page online

Contact Val at the office (• [email protected] or 604-875-0188).

And, if you still want to receive Transition by mail, that’s ok too.

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New RDSP Project The BCCPD is currently working on a project funded by The Law Foun-dation of BC to produce resources on the Registered Disability Sav-ings Plan (RSDP). We will develop a manual and short videos, as well as conducting workshops.

More information will be posted on our website as resourc-es become available. n

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, BCCPD’s Derek Isobe and Jane Dyson at a function hosted by the Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network to celebrate the RDSP.




Join InFind a group, activity or class that interests you or can offer support and companionship.

From Peter Folk, cancer survivorFor me, the group that I con-nected with was the Saskatoon Ostomy Association. In 1996, I was diagnosed with rectal cancer and needed a colostomy. My nurse asked if I would like to see a visitor who had a similar surgery.

The person came to visit me in the hospital. He told me about his surgery and recovery, and how to manage a colostomy on a day-to-day basis. He told me about the Saskatoon Ostomy Association and how it helped him to meet with people who’ve been through what he had.

I started by attending a meeting. Everything was run so smoothly that I wanted to at-tend events and get to know more people. After a few years of attending, they announced they were looking for people to help on the executive and on commit-tees. It was time for me to give back and help others. So I offered

to serve on a committee. The next year, I was asked to be president.

Since then, I’ve gone on to serve with the national organiza-tion–the United Ostomy Associ-ation–and I am presently on the board of directors and act as web-master for our national website.

The whole connection started with my first visitor, my first meet-ing and the recommendation of my nurse. You never know where small steps will take you.

From Yvonne Stewart, a person with retinitis pigmentosa (RP)My first introduction to competi-tion happened on a pool table. Before my diagnosis with RP, I was a competitive pool player par-ticipating in tournaments across Canada and western United States. After the diagnosis in my mid-twenties, I continued to play but my ability declined. The deteriora-tion in my vision was slow and so was the realization that it was time to let go.

No one came to my pity party. I didn’t invite anyone, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. Not being one to enjoy isolation, I joined a “support group” for peo-ple with RP through CNIB. I use the word “support” loosely because this group focused on getting out of your comfort zone and experi-encing the world by our own will and abilities alone. This was very

empowering for me. I felt strength in the sheer number of people out there who suffer vision loss.

It was through this group that I met Linda. She introduced me to the sport of Dragon Boating and to the Eye of the Dragon which is BC Blind Sports first dragon boat team that included both visually impaired and sighted athletes. I wanted to be a part of it.

Now it’s a part of me and has helped me in defining a new iden-tity for myself. The team prides itself on its hard work, competitive spirit and its ability to raise aware-ness about vision loss. Being a member of the team has empow-ered me to live more indepen-dently. The biggest reward for me, besides being able to participate with my sighted husband Shane, is being able to contribute equally without concession. Feeling “less than” dominated me for many years. These thoughts are very few and far between these days.

Ken & Jean’s storyTyze creates secure, online per-sonal networks for service provid-ers, families and friends of people in care.

One of the first Tyze networks belonged to Ken, a man in his 40’s who lived in Vancouver. It was Ken’s mother, Jean, who first set up his Tyze network. Jean under-stood the value of communication and was enthusiastic about using

Vancouver Brain Injury Group on an Alaskan Cruise


an online network to help Ken to stay in touch with the people who were most important to him.

During the good times, Ken’s network was a wonderful way for the people who cared about him to stay in touch. Ken didn’t read or write, but he loved to sit with the staff members at his group home and dictate messages that were then posted to his Tyze network. Ken loved to talk on the phone, but was often quite difficult to understand. His network members appreciated reading his updates on Tyze because when he called, they could ask him about the ball game he’d been to, or the trip to the beach that they’d read about on Tyze. There was always plenty to talk about.

Ken’s Tyze network became even more valuable during the dif-ficult times in his life. Ken needed to have heart surgery–and he was understandably anxious. He appreciated the support of his network members more than ever. People used the Tyze calendar to schedule visits to the hospital and the story page to share news of his recovery.

Ken recovered well from the surgery, but a few months later he suffered a coronary and passed away. Then the Tyze network became a place for those who loved him to remember him. His eulogy was posted to his Tyze site, and members posted stories and memorials that were a comfort to Jean and his other friends and family members.

Want to know how to Tyze? Visit http://tyze.com.

From Carol, a person with arthritis At 19, I was diagnosed with inflam-matory arthritis and fibromyalgia. I am now 27. It soon became ap-parent that I would not be able to return to my physically demand-ing job. Friends were unable to understand my limitations and moved on with their lives, leaving me with few contacts my own age. My abilities were also significantly reduced to where I couldn’t really feed myself, let alone prepare a meal, do laundry, make my bed, or other things people do without thinking about how much pain it will cause. In many ways it felt as though my life was over.

I was directed to a commu-nity Water Works program where I attend classes not only for the beneficial exercise, but also for the

social and support aspects. We have good days and bad, some-times for no reason, and it’s the people that keep us coming even on days when it would be easier to stay home.

For me, the participants, instructors included, have re-minded me that it is possible to work around my “dis-abilities.” More than anything when I was extremely isolated, they opened their arms and hearts to me. They gave me a place to belong where it was OK to hurt, to heal, and start to rebuild my life. Without these classes and the important social connections, I would not be where I am today –one year from com-pleting my BSW degree. n

Chilliwack ArtWorks: Bob and Andrew finishing their painting at Art Instructor Dawn Karr’s Art Studio


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I accept your invitation to join the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities and enclose my membership fee of $15* (groups and individuals). I am also sending along a tax-deductible donation of $__________. (Donations over $10 are tax deductible)

Voting members are people with disabilities and self-help groups where at least 50% of members have a disability.

your voice counts | become a member of bccpd

Please check the correct boxes:

New membership ❒ or Renewal ❒

Voting Member ❒ or Non-voting Member ❒

Please return your payment/donation with this form, to BCCPD, 204 - 456 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1R3. You can also become a member online at www.bccpd.bc.ca. We thank you for your support.

2Name ______________________________________________

Organization ________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________

City/Prov_________________________ P Code _______________

Phone _______________ Email ____________________________

* Some of you will notice our annual membership fee has increased from $12 to $15. This small increase will go toward managing the ever-increasing costs of our operations.

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The BCCPD is very sad to an-nounce that May McIntyre, who until very recently was our Presi-dent, passed away on November 11th.

Obituary May McIntyre 1938-2009

May has been on the BCCPD Board for 14 years and was recog-nized many times for her very sig-nificant contribution to the com-munity. In 2002, she was awarded the Queen’s Medal and the 125th Anniversary of Confederation Medal. In 2003, she received an award from the Council of Canadi-ans with Disabilities (CCD).

May lived in Salmon Arm where she was an advocate with Advocacy Outreach. She was very involved with a number of other organizations including the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre (BC PIAC) where she was a long-time Board Member.

She was on the Steering Com-mittee of the Inn from the Cold program which provides accom-modation and food to the home-less, and she was for many years on the Board of the federated anti-poverty groups (fapg).

The BCCPD’s Board, staff and volunteers will greatly miss May. We benefited so much from her experience, wisdom and compas-sion. May was an exceptionally dedicated advocate and we will be forever grateful for the significant contribution she made to the BC-CPD and the community.

Our deepest condolences to May’s family and friends. n

http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/membership.htm


Follow the Steps 2From Mary McKee and Carol Paetkau Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association

Great chefs know: the secrets to a good recipe are amazing ingredients and lots of slow, steady blending. This Recipe for Connection has it all!

Preparation time: As long as it takesYields: 1 happy individualServes: Everyone

Ingredients1 part Enthusiasm• 1 part Interest• 1 dash of Hope for the Future• 1 part Strength• 1 part Courage• 1 part Openness• Add Growth and Commitment to taste• Garnishes: Fun, Joy and Spirit•

DirectionsIn life’s blender, gently mix 1 part Enthusiasm with 1 part 1. Interest until anticipation rises.Tease in 1 part Openness to explore new possibilities.2. Add 1 dash of Hope for the Future. 3. Mix above ingredients until smooth, skimming off any self-4. doubt.When doubt is gone, add 1 part Strength to become involved.5. With care, gently add 1 more part Courage to make the call.6. Carefully nurture the budding involvement until ingredients 7. are fully-blended.Add Growth and Commitment to taste.8. Garnish with sprigs of fun, joy and spirit.9. Enjoy for a lifetime!10.

Nutrients Per Serving3 jigs of Happiness2 jigs Satisfaction1 jig of Well-being

Job Membership and

Volunteer CoordinatorPets

Dogs Alex and Bailie and cats Kiki and Pepsi

What you do to pass time in a waiting room

Hope there are good magazines!Favourite Sunday morning Coffee on the deck in the sun,

reading the paper- in the summer!#1 world issue

Hunger, homelessness and funding for medications

#1 disability issues Money and housing

BCCPD FacesVal Stapleton

Privacy Statement

The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) respects and upholds an individu-als’ right to privacy and the protection of their personal information. The BCCPD is committed to ensuring compliance with BC’s Personal Information and Protection of Privacy Act (PIPA). The BCCPD will in-form people what personal information it collects about them and why. It will store information securely and identify who has access to the information it collects. BCCPD Privacy Officer: Sam Bradd 604-875-0188, [email protected]; Alternate: Jane Dyson, [email protected].




Several community organiza-tions have come together to

launch an exciting new province-wide initiative. The BC Personal Supports Network is aiming to build a future where access to personal supports (also known as disability supports) is no longer based upon the medical model or program eligibility, but instead reflects a person-centered, func-tional approach that enables full participation. Personal supports include equipment and assistive devices, as well as sign-language interpreters or attendants.

Building on the work of the Provincial Equipment and Assis-tive Devices Committee and the joint community-government partnership which led to demon-stration personal supports centres in Victoria and Prince George, several community groups have agreed to work together as a Network to help British Columbi-ans with disabilities find personal supports. These organizations and consumer groups have all adopt-ed the Participation Model* which emphasizes personal goal-setting, self-determination, peer support, trialing, training and follow-up in the process of acquiring personal supports.

Navigators will help youNetwork members (organizations listed on this page) will share expertise and resources so that a person with a disability can enter any door in the Network and be connected to the “navigation”

process. We now have navigators in the Network to help guide indi-viduals toward their participation goals.

Primary navigation begins wherever a person may be—sometimes at the very beginning of coming to grips with disability and, at other times, helping to re-fine a plan for participation that is well underway. As many consum-ers and advocates know, British Columbia has a complex array of programs and services for people with disabilities. This Network is designed to help people navigate through this complex sea, while it commits to streamlining its own processes and convincing other governmental and non-govern-mental organizations to do the same.

New ProjectWe believe that a Network can function more effectively than any one organization. To demonstrate this belief, the BC Personal Sup-ports Network has taken on its first project. In collaboration with the Disability Services Division of the Ministry of Housing and Social Development, the Network is delivering the Equipment and As-sistive Technology Initiative (EATI).

The EATI is a new pool of funding that will be available for people who have employment or volunteer goals, and who are not eligible for funding from other programs for equipment or technology that meets their func-tional needs. This new funding

comes from the federal/provincial Labour Market Agreement which transferred funds from the federal government to the province. The funding is meant to assist with programs and services that would help people with disabilities and other groups who face significant barriers to labour force participa-tion.

In order to deliver the EATI, the Network has engaged several super navigators who will guide people through the EATI process. Super navigators build on the work that the Network’s primary navigators do by focusing directly on people who are eligible and ready for EATI funding.

A Person-Centred ProcessThe EATI process exemplifies the best practices of the Participa-tion Model. There are no medical assessments and no prescribed list of equipment and assistive devic-es from which an applicant must choose. Applicants are able to choose the equipment or technol-ogy that will work best for them in meeting their employment or volunteer goals and to receive the assessment, training or follow-up

Personal Support Network underway by chriStine Gordon

Primary navigation begins wherever a person may be—sometimes at the very beginning of coming to grips with disability and, at other times, helping to refine a plan for participation that is well underway.


supports that they need to ensure that they can reach their goal.

The Network Partners Council, which acts like a Board of Direc-tors for the Network, collaborated with the Ministry of Housing and Social Development on designing the policy and procedures for EATI, and both are sharing responsibil-ity for meeting the goals for EATI. These goals are aimed at ensur-ing that people with disabilities get equal access to EATI-funded equipment and assistive devices, and that most of the EATI funds get directly to people with dis-abilities.

This means that organiza-tions in the Network will use their existing services and resources, whenever possible, to deliver EATI funding directly to people with disabilities and will not use the funds to create new and expen-sive programs.

We’re Still GrowingThe Network hopes to grow slowly but surely to include new member groups (Network members are called “clusters”) and to encour-age each cluster to organize to increase knowledge and under-standing of particular functional areas.

The EATI is only the first of what will be many projects for the Network as it proves that working together and putting the needs of people with disabilities first is the way of the future for both govern-mental and non-governmental organizations. The members of the BC Personal Supports Network are investing their energy and resources in this vision.

Network Members

Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearinghttp://www.widhh.com/ Voice: (604) 736-7391TTY (TDD): (604) 736-2527Email: [email protected]

BC Coalition of People with Disabilitieshttp://www.bccpd.bc.ca/ Telephone 604-875-0188Toll Free 1-800-663-1278 TTY for people with hearing im-pairments only 604-875-8835Email: [email protected]

Neil Squire Societyhttp://www.neilsquire.ca/ Tel: 604-473-9363E-mail: [email protected]

Richmond Centre for Disabilityhttp://www.rcdrichmond.org/ Tel: 604-232-2404TTY: 604-232-2479Email: [email protected]

Victoria Personal Supports Centrehttp://www.drcvictoria.com/ Phone and TTY: 250-595-0044Email: [email protected]

Prince George Personal Supports Centrehttp://pg-psc.com/Default.aspx?PageID=1 Voice: 250 563-2008TTY: 250 563-2058Email: [email protected]

British Columbia Association for Individualized Technology and Supports (PROP and TIL)http://www.bcits.org/

-PROPPhone toll-free 1-866-326-1245 (local and long distance)Email: [email protected]

-TILTelephone: 604-326-0175Email: [email protected]

The Seeing Caucus (a grouping of consumers and providers for those with vision loss)Linda Bartram (Chair) Email: [email protected] n

Network Coordinator Paul Gauthier

Want to know more?If you would like to know more about the Network or would like to be part of the EATI process, please contact one of the mem-ber groups listed under Network Members below.

* You can read about the Participa-tion Model on the BCCPD website, www.bccpd.bc.ca, under Commu-nity Campaigns, Equipment and Assistive Devices.

Super Navigator Vicki Kwong

Super Navigator Josh Vander Vies


http://www.bccpd.bc.ca

http://www.neilsquire.ca

http://www.rcdrichmond.org/

http://www.drcvictoria.com

http://www.bcits.org




http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/campaigns/equipment.htm


Be BoldForm your own group, become a speaker or, really push the envelope, and skydive!

yielded moderate success. The fundraising continues, but now I have someone else doing it and that’s a good thing ‘cause I suck at asking people for money.

Starting up something fairly big like Stand Up For Mental Health requires a lot of persis-tence, the ability to keep going in the face of setbacks and having the right idea at the right time. Oh, and it helps to have a sense of humour!

My favorite part of Stand Up For Mental Health is watching people transform. They show up at the first class scared and timid and, as they start to perform and gain confidence, they become dif-ferent people. I’m always in awe of what people with disabilities can accomplish when they are given something that has meaning for them.

Visit: http://www.standupfor-mentalhealth.com.

From Shannon Huddleston, a person with Cerebral PalsyI’ve had the experience of one small step leading to something unexpected.

A while ago, I took a cooking class at the BC Paraplegic Asso-ciation. I learned a lot, including the fact that there weren’t any community kitchens out there for people with disabilities. We talked about this and someone said, “Well, does anyone want to take this on?”

I found myself saying “yes” and with the help of Nicole Todos, we started looking for a place where people with disabilities could get together and share a meal. George Pearson Centre was gracious enough to offer their kitchen and Activity Wing. We started spread-ing the word, and soon the Pear-son Community Kitchen was born.

We now meet once a month at Pearson with my partner doing the cooking. We spend a few hours together, planning and cooking the meal, enjoying the food and chatting.

The meals are free for people at Pearson, but anyone from the community is welcome to join us for only $5. The response has been wonderful and we often hear, “this is the best meal I’ve had in ages!”

We’re always looking for vol-unteers to help with dinners. Vol-unteers can share the meal with us for free or we’re happy to take their contributions to help with costs! And, in May, we’ll be looking for someone to help cook meals. Ideally, the person will have a Food Safe certificate and some knowl-edge of people with disabilities. If you would like to know more about volunteering, I’d be glad to talk to you at 604-263-3653.

When I took the cooking class, I had no idea we would end up starting something like this! So, I encourage other people to try something new—you never know what will happen. n

From David Granirer, Stand Up for Mental HealthI started Stand Up For Mental Health, my program teaching comedy to people with mental illness, in 2004. I had no idea what I was doing.

I’d been a counsellor and a stand-up comic for about 13 years, plus I have depression, so I figured I was the perfect person to start something like this. The first thing I did was talk to people I knew in mental health and put the word out to consumers to let them know what I was doing. Then there were the logistics of getting a low cost training room, printing up workbooks, doing intake inter-views and scheduling classes.

I learned that, once you have a program, you become a fundraiser. I asked people to help me put on shows that we used as fundrais-

ers, an endeavour that required lots

of work and

David Granirer

http://www.standupformentalhealth.com

http://www.standupformentalhealth.com


Resources

101 ways to make friends

The Vancouver-based 101 Ways to Make Friends book and website shares strategies for creating, expanding and deepening networks of support for people with disabilities, their sup-porters, friends and families. Visit their website to sign up for their e-news-letter or information on workshops http://www.101friends.ca/.

British Columbia Mobility Opportuni-ties Society (BCMOS)

BCMOS is an independent non-profit society dedicated to enriching the lives of people with significant physi-cal disabilities through wilderness and other outdoor recreation activi-ties. Excursions range from day hikes to challenging treks.

Please visit their website at http://bcmos.org/, call 604-688-6464 or email [email protected].

Vancouver Volunteer Society...

Others metnionedin mag?

Sometimes we don’t connect with others because we feel low, anxious or stressed. But, by not con-necting, we can feel worse. To stop this vicious cycle, we recommend you make a plan. A message from the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association (VTEA) is the perfect place to make connections either through volunteering or through participating.VTEA offers therapeutic riding for special needs children. Riding provides many benefits and chil-dren feel an incredible elation at their successes.

Building on over 18 years of experience in facili-tating hundreds of social support networks for people living in isolation, PLAN Institute for Caring Citizenship has created Weaving the Ties that Bind, an online course for facilitators.

British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society (BCMOS) is an independent non-profit society dedicated to enriching the lives of people with significant physical disabilities through wilderness activities. Excursions range from day hikes to chal-lenging treks.

When I complained to a co-worker that I found it really hard to meet “the right guy,” she gave me a piece of advice that I have found useful at many times in my life, whether I was trying to find the right partner or make connections in my commu-nity. From a mother of a child with disabilities. n

Follow us on Twitter, the free micro-blogging service. Twit-ter posts, called tweets, are short–up to 140 characters. Why follow us? It’s a fast and easy way to keep up with dis-ability news and issues. You can follow us at these links:

BCCPDhttp://twitter.com/bccpdSample tweet: “Learning Dis-abilities Association of Van-couver: new talking website with a speech-enabler pro-gram www.ldav.ca.”

BCCPD Health–Living Well with Disabilityhttp://twitter.com/BCCPDHealthSample tweet: “Old Age, New Gizmos” The New York Times (blog) new tech products for the aging and their caregivers http://tinyurl.com/y9yhvbk.”

Our thanks toThe City of Vancouver for their financial support with the rent for our office space and with our Membership and Outreach Coordination.

Read More at Transition OnlineWe had such an amazing response from the community on our theme of Connection, we couldn’t include everything in this print version of Transition. You can see all the wonderful articles, tips and how-to’s, including those listed here, at Transition On-line http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/transitionlive.htm.

http://bcmos.org/

http://bcmos.org/



www.twitter.com/bccpd

http://twitter.com/BCCPDHealth



ObituaryVeronica (“Ronnie”) Phipps

1942 – 2009

Follow the Steps 3PLAN’s tips for building friendships

People often think of building friendships as an automatic pro-cess, but it needs a lot of work too. From over 20 years of helping people to build their social networks, here’s what we’ve learned at Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network:

Intentionality1. . Friendships don’t grow automatically. People need to put time and energy into making connections hap-pen.

Asking can be hard.2. Yet reaching out and asking people to join us for coffee, to go to a show together, is integral to developing and deepening our relationships.

Friendships are often formed based on a shared interest 3. or activity. Think about your passions and how to meet oth-ers who share those passions.

Opening4. . There needs to be time to spend with friends. If your life is fully scheduled, you may need to create time for others to come into your life.

Focusing on gifts5. . As a person with a disability, you have likely often been asked to focus on your needs and problems in order to receive services. Focusing on contributing your many gifts in the lives of those around you will be the foun-dation of good relationships.

Visiting the same places6. . Friendships can come from simply spending time together, seeing the same people again and again.

Employment and volunteering are some of the best ways 7. to build friendships. You’re seen as a person who contrib-utes, plus others have the opportunity to get to know you over time.

Think about friends from your past. 8. Sometimes we lose touch with people, but some of these friendships can be re-kindled if you make the effort to get back in touch.

Believe in yourself. 9. After 20 years of experience, we know that no personality, no communication style, no lifestyle choice–not anything can prevent genuine friendship from happening.

Lauri Thompson, Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network’s Director of Services n

Ronnie passed away peace-fully at Cowichan District Hospital at the age of 67 years, surrounded by her family.

Trained as a Registered Nurse, with a B.Sc. in Nursing, educated as a teacher, with a Masters in Leadership and Training, Ronnie touched the lives of so many people in both her career and personal life. She was a tireless commu-nity health advocate, includ-ing volunteering with BCCPD in many capacities over the years.

Compassionate, loving, thoughtful, generous and dedicated – all describe Ron-nie. Everything in life, she did with incredible passion, and she had the ability to see the positives in every situation and in all people. As an amaz-ing mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend she will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Her family meant everything to her; Ron-nie adored her grandchildren who brought so much joy into her life.


Brotherly LoveFor 20 years, the Cucek family has been seeking help from the BC govern-ment for their son James who has autism. James’ mother, Linda, believes that the intensive Lovaas therapy, that includes 40 hours a week of treat-ment, offers the best hope for James to thrive. However, the provincial government will not cover the costs of the $60,000 a year treatment and, instead, he has been receiving ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) treatment from his brother Brian, who has a contract with the BC government.

at a piano at age 4, James has continued to progress and often plays compositions by ear. He now composes his own music and belongs to the Society of Compos-ers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).

For Linda, Brian working with James is the best of both worlds. The brothers are 18 months apart and, in spite of James’ autism, the two are usually very much “in sync.”

“Being so close in age,” Linda said, “They’ve been together through everything. Finally, there will be somebody with the knowl-edge James needs.” n

James, left, with his brother Brian

“I want to see my brother grow and become a better person. With me working with him, I hope I can help James in his social skills and behaviour, and help him interact with people.”

James Cucek was diagnosed with autism when he was 13 years old. His mother Linda has been his advocate ever since, looking for the best possible therapy to help James and keep him from being “trapped in his own world.”

When James was 22 years old, his treatment became the respon-sibility of his older brother, Brian. Brian received a certificate in the ABA treatment which gives him the skills to work with his brother.

Brian is excited at the pros-pect. “I want to see my brother grow and become a better person. With me working with him, I hope I can help James in his social skills and behaviour, and help him inter-act with people.”

When the film Rainman was released in 1988, some people associated autism with an extraor-dinary skill. For most people with autism, this isn’t the case. James is one of the lucky ones. Though many people with autism do not have the ability to connect with others, James is verbal. “Extremely verbal!” Linda says.

He is also uniquely blessed on the piano. Since first sitting down

A huge thank you!BCCPD would like to thank all the people who generously supported our end-of-year fundraising drive. Especially in these financial times, we appreciate and depend on support from the community. Thank you for helping us continue our work.

Join our monthly supportersCan you contribute $2, $5, $8 or more per month? Even a small amount goes a long way and provides a funding base we can count on.

Joining our Visionaries Circle is easy. You can authorize BCCPD to bill your credit card monthly. Or you can set up monthly donations in seconds through the CanadaHelps.org website. Visit our site at www.bccpd.bc.ca and click on the button, “Donate Now Through Canada Helps.org” on our home page. To donate by phone, please contact Nancy at 604-875-0188. Thank you.

Measuring UpI think that the dis-abled communities’ Measuring Up Initia-tive offers a practical way for disabled people to push for change. Measuring Up…. shows communities where and how to remove housing, trans-portation, training and employ-ment, services, and quality of life barriers that disabled people face. Mike Harcourt. For more on Measuring Up, go to http://www.2010legaciesnow.com/measuring_up. n

http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/supportdonate.htm

http://www.2010legaciesnow.com/measuring_up




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Dear BCCPD:

Thanks for all your great work. I sincerely appreciate receiving your updates on disability applica-tions, and keeping up to date with the latest information for people with disabilities and advocacy.

I pass this news on to the par-ticipants in our community and programs who have disabilities, as we work to solve the myriad problems that arise, especially within a small rural community with limited resources.

Not only are you offering a fantastic service, I hope each individual person on your team knows how valuable you are and how very much appreciated your work is.

Cheers,Maureen Therrien MCKinnon

rehaBiliTaTion WorKer

Letter to the Editor

Keep in Touch by EmailWe are updating our Transition readers’ email list, so we can keep you up-to-date on events or issues that may affect you, like changes to goverment assistance rules or the recent handyDART strike.

If you’d like to receive oc-casional news from us between Transition editions, please email your full name, mailing address and email address to [email protected] or call Val at 604-875-0188. Thank you!






Sam BraddAdministrative Director

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(www.twitter.com

Be our Fan on FacebookWherever you are, the BC Coalition of People with Disabili-ties (BCCPD) wants to make connections with you.

So whether you’re in Fort St. John or Terrace, now it’s even easier to stay in touch. The BCCPD is expanding our on-line presence with Facebook and Twitter accounts on the internet. These are two free, popular websites that connect people around the world.

We are using Twitter and Facebook to expand knowledge of the BCCPD’s existence to a younger audience; to be rel-evant online; to use our strength as a coalition to promote the work of and connect with other disability groups; and, most importantly, to educate and create awareness of dis-ability issues to people without disabilities on the internet.

If you’re a Transition reader, we know you’re a fan of the BCCPD–so come and show your support online as a Face-book “fan”! We’ve designed a special Facebook page for our fans where we post links to interesting news stories and current issues. Readers can comment on the stories and tell the BCCPD what they’re thinking.

We also have two Twitter accounts: @BCCPD and @BCCPDhealth. If you’re new to Twitter, you can imagine Twitter like going to a party. Twitter updates are like small talk, with the added challenge of being 140 characters or less. A Twitter update might share an interesting new website, a news flash from the day, or repeat something relevant someone else has posted. You don’t need a Twit-ter account to see what we’re sharing. Search for @BCCPD and @BCCPDhealth.

Increasingly, people are building their communities on the internet as well as in-person. We see the internet as having great tools for building social connections that span coun-tries, continents and concerns. It’s never been this easy to learn from each other.

Facebook and Twitter accounts are both free. We encourage Face-book users to review the Facebook privacy policies and select their personal privacy settings accordingly.

www.facebook.com

www.twitter.com/bccpd

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities,Suite 204, 456 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V5Y 1R3(604) 875-0188 • fax (604) 875-9227 • tty (604) [email protected] • www.bccpd.bc.ca

CUPE BC Working Group Opens Doors

The CUPE BC Persons With Disabilities Working Group was created by the CUPE BC Committee

Against Racism and Discrimination to improve accessibility at CUPE BC sponsored events.

The Working Group also aims to encourage activism among CUPE members with disabilities,

help improve workplace conditions and increase information about rights in the workplace

for persons with disabilities.

Formed in 2007, the Working Group is made up of CUPE members with disabilities dedicated

to improving access and information. We first conducted a survey of CUPE BC members to

determine the number of members affected by disabilities, as well as the types of disabilities

that impact members. We created an ongoing Accessibility Checklist for CUPE BC members

with disabilities attending CUPE BC conventions and other functions.

We held our first ever CUPE BC Persons with Disabilities educational to inform members

about their union and their accommodation rights in the workplace. The working group is

now updating a handbook for members with disabilities.

Thank you to the CUPE BC Persons With Disabilities Working Group for their generous support of this edition of Transition.

Thank you to the Province of BC for their continuing support.

Transition sample

Documents

Transcript of Transition sample