Congrats to Nima, who ran in a blistering time of 43:12! A respectable finish for all - Fred, 51:27; Mahmoud, 53:20; Sam, 1:05 18; Joette, 1:06; Aaron, 1:06 55; Laya, 1:18 21; Sue, 1:22 26; Alex, 1:25 42; Janet, 1:45 47; Janet W, 1:47 31.
Our speaker was Douglas Lee, a clinical behavioral psychologist, the Clinical Director at Behavioural Solutions Inc., who as part of his practice, also conducts eligibility assessments for Community Living BC (CLBC). Dr. Lee played a crucial role in developing the eligibility criteria for Community Living BC (CLBC) programs; he was on committees which established the current eligibility requirements that now apply to Developmental Disability, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD), and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), which includes Asperger’s. Since the inception…
Halldor K Bjarnason – Access Law Group Barrister and Solicitor Specializing in Disability Trust Planning, [email protected] 604.697.0231 Tina Cheung – Vancity Wealth Planner Sonesh Chikhlia – Vancity Wealth Planner Registered Disability Savings Plan Tina Cheung spoke briefly on the federal Registered Disability Savings Plans. RDSPs can be established for your individual with a disability at several Canadian banks, including VanCity. To be eligible the supported individual: must be eligible for the Disability Tax Credit must have a valid Social…
Inclusive Housing Workshop, hosted jointly by VPTG & BACI Howard Staples, Facilitator On January 9, 2016 we (Joette, Louvain, Laya and Mahmoud) joined a workshop entitled “Building Intentional Housing Communities” organized by the Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (BACI) and Vancouver Parents Transition Group (VPTG). Most of the parents participating in this roundtable have an adult relative (20-45 years) with special needs. These parents feel that supported co-housing would offer their youth independence & dignity, while, at the same…
This was a meeting to plan, for each of us to express our interests, focus, and roles for our group moving forward into 2016. We noted that we need to augment our membership; this is important for the following reasons: • To meet the need for support for this generally unsupported group of transitioning youth. • To effectively advocate for government & other institutional policy changes that would support our youth. • To achieve the “critical mass” needed to justify…
InclusionWorks! Family Collectives Presented by Catriona Johnson Catriona is the lead for the family-governed InclusionWorks! Saanich, is a resource parent for the Family Support Institute, and is the co-facilitator of Second Wave, a group of families & professionals exploring promising practices for supporting young adults. She also worked with the US Senate Committee on Disability & Health legislation. She has a Master’s degree in Special Education from Johns Hopkins University, and is currently completing a Doctorate in Disability Policy and…
Building a “Good Life” through Social Relationship Circles In building the notes for this meeting, I drew heavily on the excellent work done by PLAN: Safe and Secure, Seven Steps on the Path to a Good Life for People with Disabilities, Al Etmanski with Jack Collins and Vickie Cammack, and Friends & Inclusion, Five Approaches to Building Relationships, Peggy Hutchison & John Lord with Karen Lord. Many thanks to them for their clear thinking and caring hearts! -Joette (Throughout…
Collette Millar, Western Canada Registration Manager for the Landmark Forum, presented “ A Special Introduction to the Landmark Forum” to The Square Peg Society young adult members and their families. It was a fun-filled evening that provided an opportunity to make a difference in each and everyone’s life. The Introduction to the Landmark Forum was a 3 hour working session. During the first half of the evening, Square Peg Society members were offered the opportunity to create a possibility in…
PLAN (Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network) Tim Ames, Executive Director of PLAN & PLAN Institute Ted Kuntz, Chairman of PLAN Financial and physical security, employment, social inclusion, housing, and mental and physical health are of concern to all of us. For some of us, especially those with a disability, these goals are difficult to achieve without support networks. PLAN provides information, consultation, and professional facilitation in building networks to support these individuals and their families. PLAN was created twenty years ago…
Employment is key to independence and purposefulness for every adult. Yet our young people often falter in job hunting, or, if employed, in the execution of their tasks due to a lack of “soft skills”. For example, they may not priorize tasks as an employer might wish, communicate what they don’t understand, or generally understand how to “fit in”. Consequently, they may be let go from their jobs, or sidelined, or passed over for promotions. In pairing a PEERS presentation…
Sergio Cocchia, President & Board Chair of the Pacific Autism Family Centre Mr. Cocchia is an unstoppable force on behalf of his own Autistic son and other families affected by Autism. He is one of the visionaries behind The Pacific Autism Family Centre, scheduled to open in September 2016, and a fundraiser on its behalf. Twenty million dollars has been contributed by the Government of British Columbia, in recognition that this neurobiological disorder occurs at rates that exceed juvenile diabetes,…
Event time is in Vancouver BC time.
