Action News – Fall 2004

Action News – Fall 2004
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    • Lead Story: AISH Recipeints Deserve More

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Lead Story: A ISH Recipients Deserve More

On July 19, 2004, the Edmonton Journal editorial ran under the heading “AISH recipients deserve more.” ACCD has been working hard to bring this exact same message to the provincial government. Over the past two years, we have met with the Minister of Human Resources and Employment, the Standing Policy Committee on Learning and Employment, elected officials, and bureaucrats to explain the dire circumstances of people on AISH who are living below the poverty line at $850 per month.

Those responsible for allocating government dollars continue to tell us that the provincial purse strings simply cannot be loosened. But while they say this, we see that others are receiving benefits and/or raises – seniors, nurses, teachers, and other government employees through their unions. So, why not us?

In spite of our constant efforts and involvement with this issue, ACCD has yet to receive reassurance that AISH will remain a program committed to meeting the basic needs of people with disabilities and help them to live independently in the community. With the possibility of a provincial election taking place this fall, it’s important for those of us who receive AISH or who know someone who receives AISH to speak out and let our elected officials know how hard it is to live on $850 per month.

Here’s an excerpt from the Edmonton Journal editorial:

“. . . Like welfare, AISH has had only a token increase in the last 10 years (from $810 in 1993 to $850 in 1999). That one-time boost of four per cent is woefully inadequate at a time of steady inflation in a booming economy, and soaring electricity and heating bills.

…MLA salaries are regularly adjusted for inflation to make sure the elected few keep up with the costs of living.

But the poorest have seen their living allowance steadily erode during a decade that began with the significant cuts of the Klein revolution. . . .

The point is that people on AISH don’t have much choice about their lot in life. Like seniors on fixed incomes, they do not have a way to come up with much cash when their living costs rise. AISH recipients can’t whistle down to the local convenience store for a few part-time shifts when the landlord raises the rent.”

        Excerpt from the Edmonton Journal, July 19, 2004

It’s time to act now. AISH recipients are long overdue for an increase. Let’s make the Alberta Advantage true for everyone!

Active and Creative Communities Symposium: A Sneak Preview

Planning has begun for the Active and Creative Communities Symposium that will take place in Edmonton from October 11-16, 2005!

This symposium will feature national and international speakers discussing the active leisure programs, services, and opportunities available to people with disabilities. If you belong to a group or organization that is involved in planning, organizing, or delivering lifestyle or health-related programs for citizens with disabilities, or if you are an individual with a disability who participates in these programs, mark this event on your calendar! Keep your eyes open for more details in upcoming issues of Action Notes and Action News!

For more information, contact:

Chrysalis:     Stan Fisher
Phone:         (780) 454-9656
Email: symposium@chrysalis.ab.ca

or

Alberta Recreation Parks Association
Phone:         (780) 415-1745
Email: sallan@arpaonline.ca

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Information is Power

Office for Disability Issues (ODI)

Alberta Community Development is now home to the newly established Office for Disability Issues. The ODI provides a central forum for discussing disability issues. It also gives provincial government departments and stakeholders the opportunity to strengthen long-term planning regarding the needs of Albertans with disabilities.

The Office for Disability Issues will assist the provincial government in responding to the Alberta Disability Strategy, released by the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities in December 2002. The ODI provides a mechanism for stakeholders and various government departments to work together to address the recommendations within the strategy. It is committed to providing stronger coordination of programs and policies, without consolidating existing programs.

Specifically the Office for Disability Issues will:

  • Provide a reference point for enquiries
  •  Improve communication with the disability community to identify issues
  • Facilitate the development and implementation of policies across government departments to remove barriers and create accessible programs and services
  • Promote positive attitudes and raise awareness
  • Assist with efforts to ensure that our concerns and issues are represented in federal, provincial, and territorial processes
  • Evaluate the status of Albertans with disabilities
  • Promote accountability of government programs

The Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities will act as an advisory body to the Office for Disability Issues, providing advice and guidance. Although logistical details for the new ODI are still being worked out, the ODI is already responding to questions that Albertans have about disability issues. Call the ODI at (780) 422-1095 or toll free at 1-800-272-8841 for more information.

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Mailbox

Greetings,

Thank you for the copy of your new publication Preventing Abuse of Persons with Disabilities: An Inventory of Training Materials. This will be a very worthwhile resource, as is all of the other information on your website. I’m glad that I could help with the inventory and wish you success in future projects.

Bruce Kachuk
Information Resources Coordinator
FREDA Centre
Vancouver, BC

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Education for Life Bursary

Darlene Kays, a 2004 bursary recipient

Each year, ACCD presents the Education for Life Bursary to individuals with disabilities who are upgrading their education. With this award, we support first-time, post-secondary students with bursaries ranging from $300 to $800. This year a total of $4050.00 was awarded to eight students. The recipients are:

Aaron Baranec, Calgary
Alberta College of Art and Design

Louise Boreen, Eaglesham
Grande Prairie Regional College

Chris Brainerd,Edmonton
Grant MacEwan College

Joseph Gabrielson, Edmonton
Athabasca University

Darlene Kays, Edmonton
CDI College

Tennille Kupsch, Barrhead
University of Alberta

Donna Postman, Lethbridge
Training Inc.

Muctaru Martin Saffa, Edmonton
NAIT

CCD Award Winner

Congratulations to Judy Hellevang – winner of this year’s Council of Canadians with Disabilities Award in Alberta!

For almost twenty years, Judy has worked in a variety of volunteer and paid positions at the Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre of Calgary (DDRC). In her various capacities, Judy has served tirelessly and has found no task too big or too small.

Through her time at DDRC, Judy has become best known as a dedicated and relentless advocate. She has advocated for children in day cares, school age students, and families. As a board member, she advocated for the closure of the agency’s group homes and sheltered workshops, replacing them with community living and jobs in the “real” workforce. As well, she brings her ideas about accountability and full participation to her position on the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Judy brings her commitment to the disability community beyond the non-profit and political realms. She takes the time to support individuals in the community at large, too. Through her efforts, many individuals with disabilities have been able to participate more equitably and fully in society. ACCD is honoured to recognize her accomplishments. Thank you, Judy, and congratulations!

In Memory

Percy Wickman

ACCD dedicates this issue of the Action News to Percy Wickman – a longtime supporter, a great man, and a dear friend.

On July 3, Percy Wickman passed away due to a brief but debilitating paraplegic-related illness. ACCD will always think of Percy as a longtime supporter and friend of ACCD. His name is on our incorporation papers signed in 1973. Beyond this, we also recognize that his legacy extends far beyond the reaches of our organization. First as a City of Edmonton councillor and later as a Member of the Legislative Assembly, he served his constituents with an honesty and determination that “earned him the name ‘Pothole Percy’ as he always held his constituents and their problems first and foremost.” In his political career, he worked hard to make the city of Edmonton and the province of Alberta better places for people to live.

At his memorial service held on July 8, politicians, friends, and family members spoke fondly and emotionally about Percy and his accomplishments. Ron Wickman, Percy’s son, paid tribute to his father saying: “First, I want to say I love my father. He was a great man. Look at all of you here today, that’s proof. I am blessed to have a giant for a father. If you want to pay tribute to him, just be good. Be tolerant of others and just do the right thing.”

Everyone at ACCD extends their sympathy to Percy’s wife Silvia, his son Ron and daughter-in-law Stacy, and his three grandchildren (whom he refers to as his Triple Crown of life): Ceira, Kellen, and Jayden. Your loss has saddened many.

Get Help – Give Help
Dial 211

Have you ever wondered how to find community services when you or someone you know needs help? Soon, finding that help will be as easy as dialing 211. Both Edmonton and Calgary will soon be holding their official launches of 211 to the general public.

With this phone number, finding non-emergency social, health, and government resources and services will be right at your finger tips.

For more information on 211 in Edmonton, please contact Nancy Douglas at (780) 482-0198 and in Calgary contact Paul Bartel at (403) 266-1605.

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 Election News

The Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities and the Alberta Disabilities Forum are preparing election materials for the upcoming provincial election. We wish to educate the candidates about issues of importance to people with disabilities and educate people with disabilities about the election process. Look for more information in future newsletters or call Tracie at 488-9088.

Preventing Abuse of Persons
with Disabilities:
An Inventory of Training Materials

In 2003, the Wild Rose Foundation provided funding for the research and development of an inventory of training materials of current resources for educating and training health care professionals, family caregivers, and front line workers in the detection, intervention, and prevention of abuse of persons with disabilities. The inventory includes materials that target the disability community and aim to raise awareness about issues of abuse, sexuality, etc. It includes print, audio, video, and web-based training materials on issues such as sexuality, abuse, body image, consumer rights, and reporting and disclosing abusive incidents. It is annotated and includes pertinent details about the materials, as well as information on how to obtain them.

The inventory is now completed and is available on line at www.accd.net or in limited quantities at the ACCD office by calling Leslie at 488-9088 or toll free at 1-800-387-2514.

Bill 201: Legislating Barrier Free
Building Design

On February 23, 2004, Rob Lougheed, MLA for Clover Bar-Fort Saskatchewan introduced Bill 201, the Alberta Safety Codes (Barrier Free Design and Access) Amendment Act, in the Alberta legislature. The Bill was passed unanimously, and the Canadian Paraplegic Association reports in its Spring 2004 issue of Spinal Columns that Bill 201 ensures that the “mobility, vision, and hearing limitations of Albertans are considered when public buildings are constructed or undergo renovations. It also provides for persons with disabilities to be involved when an exemption is requested.”

Mr. Lougheed also chairs the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, which released the Alberta Disability Strategy in December 2002. He commented on the connection between this Bill and the Strategy saying, “The overwhelming support shown by MLAs for Bill 201 shows that government is responding positively to the Alberta Disability Strategy. This new legislation is one step towards answering the Strategy’s call for reducing barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from being an active part of community life.”

For more information on Bill 201, contact Rob Lougheed’s office at 415-0990 or email chris.brookes@assembly.ab.ca.

Meet the Board

Murray Stark, Nominating Chair

Murray lives in Grande Prairie and is one of our northern Alberta representatives. He is interested in the policies that affect people with disabilities and believes his role on the ACCD Board provides him with the opportunity to influence these policies.

In the late seventies, Murray attended NAIT where he received a diploma in millwork and carpentry, which led to his work as a cabinet maker. After the onset of his blindness in 1989, Murray eventually returned to school, this time attending Grande Prairie Regional College where he received a diploma as a Rehabilitation Practitioner. Not content to stop there, Murray went out to live on his own for the first time since becoming blind. He left family and friends, started classes at the University of Calgary, and in 1997 completed his Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation degree.

At his graduations in both Grande Prairie and Calgary, he was accompanied by his leader dog, Daisey. Murray remembers these two events with pride, saying, “Those were two of the happiest days of my life since my blindness. I once again accomplished something and Daisey was at my side when we graduated; both in our grad gowns.” At the University of Calgary graduation, Daisey received a partnership medal.

Murray volunteers with the Victim’s Assistance Program, as the Chair of the Lion’s Club Leader Dog for the Blind Program, and at the Disabled Transit Society in Grande Prairie. He also works part time for the Grande Prairie and District Association for the Mentally Handicapped. Murray joined the ACCD board in 2001.

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Around Alberta Events Calendar

Schizophrenia Society Edmonton Area
Walk & Run for Schizophrenia 2004
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Hawrelak Park, Edmonton
Walk, jog, or run in the Schizophrenia annual late-summer fundraiser. This event raises money to support the activities of the Edmonton Chapter and to sustain ongoing research into the mysteries of schizophrenia.

For more information or to join their Walk and Run Team, call Bruce at 452-4661 or email him at info@ssa-edmonton.com.

Alberta Association for Community Living (AACL)
Chairity Event
Friday, October 1 to Sunday October 3, 2004
Agricom, Edmonton
At Edmonton’s annual Home and Interior Design show, designers and others with a creative spirit are invited to apply their talents in decorating, re-designing, or refurbishing old chairs and turning them into unique pieces of art and functional furniture. These exciting new designs will be profiled, along with their designers, and sold by live and silent auction in support of AACL. For more information, call 451-3055 or email Robin Telasky, Event Manager at rtelasky@aacl.org.

To view past pieces, visit www.aacl.org/events/chairity_frame.html

Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Alberta Provincial Board; Grant MacEwan College; Alberta Association for Community Living
The Fall Institute
Monday, October 25 to Thursday, October 28, 2004
Coast Terrace Inn, Edmonton
 The Fall Institute provides an intensive experiential learning environment that emphasizes the themes of inclusion, community, and diversity. Institutes are hosted every 18 – 24 months in various parts of Canada. A previous attendee says, “The Institute is the great and grand exception to typical training programs. . . . I find its participants the liveliest learners and the most influential activists in the course of inclusion.”

Fourth Annual Family Violence Conference
 Diverse Voices
Wednesday, November 3 to Friday, November 5, 2004
Westin Hotel, Edmonton
 This annual conference educates participants about family violence and provides tools for the prevention of family violence. This year’s theme is Building a Coordinated Community Approach. For more information, visit www.diverse-voices.com or call the conference organizers at (780) 437-8013.

Fundraising Opportunity

ACCD needs mature community-minded individuals to help fundraise. PT evening, flexible, good pay. Fax resume to 488-3757 or phone 488-9088.

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Donors, Fall 2004

Thank you to our donors for their generous contributions. Through your assistance we are able to continue to strive for a fair and equitable society for Albertans with disabilities.

Business and Corporate Donors
Hairazors
Lolidan Ltd.
M.A.P. Water & Sewer Services Ltd.
New Humble Centre School

Individual Donors
Rachelle Curle
Leo Desmarais
Richard Dyer
Will Gibson
Noel Gratton
Doreen Gyorkos
Keith Hamilton
Dr. Ken Hart
Mike Hunter
D. Morin
Mangesh Murdeshwar
Phyllis Schouten