Transition Magazine Summer 2011 by Ann Vrlak

advocacy

access

helpsheets bc disabilit y benefits

Download our Help Sheets for free from our web library or ask us to mail them to you. Help Sheets marked with an * are now available in English, Traditional Chinese and Punjabi. Help Sheet 12 is available in English and Punjabi.

2* The Persons with Disabilities Benefit Application 3* Checklist for the Persons with Disabilities Benefit 5A Appealing Denial of the PWD benefit: The Reconsideration 5B Appealing Denial of the PWD Benefit: The Appeal Tribunal 6

Persons with Persistent and Multiple Barriers (PPMB) to Employment Application

7* Health Supplements for People with Disabilities

Get Copies

Trusts for Persons with Disabilities (PWD)

Online: www.bccpd.bc.ca/ library.htm

Employment and People with Disabilities

Email: feedback@bccpd. bc.ca Phone: Call Val at 604-875-0188 Our sincere thanks to the Legal Services Society of BC, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Homelessness Partnering Strategy and the Health Sciences Association of British Columbia for making our 2011 updates to this series possible.

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10 Employment, Education and Training Supplements for People with Disabilities 11A Appealing Denial of PPMB: The Request for Reconsideration 11B Appealing Denial of the PPMB Benefit: The Appeal Tribunal 12 Income Assistance Application Process for People with Disabilities 13 Rate Amounts for PWD and PPMB Benefits 14* Registered Disability Savings Plan and the Disability Tax Credit 15 People with Disabilities on Reserve: The PWD Designation

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

Contents 2 | Editorial by Jane Dyson and Robin Loxton

19 | More at Transition Online

3 | Letter to the Editor

20 | Olympic Village Sets New Standard for Accessibility by Fiona Jackson

23 | Planned Giving: A New Way to Contribute

Special 8 | We Can Afford to Alleviate Poverty by Seth Klein 24 | Leaving No One Behind: Emergency Planning for the Community

16 | Groundbreaking Equipment Co-op Formed by Christine Gordon 18 | Invisible Disabilities and Employment 19 | Quest Food Exchange

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 Disabilities | Transition

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities 204-456 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1R3 Tel: 604-875-0188 • TTY: 604-875-8835 Fax: 604-875-9227 Transition only: trans@bccpd.bc.ca BCCPD: feedback@bccpd.bc.ca Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No.40051676

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British Columbia’s disability benefit rate of $906 a month (Persons with Disabilities) is now below that of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, the Northwest Territories and Yukon.

Editorial by

Jane Dyson and Robin Loxton

very day people contact the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities for help accessing provincial and federal disability benefits. Many of the people we see live in sub-standard housing, are homeless or at risk of being homeless. Even when individuals qualify for disability benefits, they struggle to get by on incomes that are far below the poverty line. In this issue of Transition, we focus on homelessness, poverty and the inadequacy of BC’s disability benefits. Why has homelessness and poverty become such a serious problem in BC and Canada? Two significant policy changes that occurred in the 1990s can help explain this dire situation. In 1994, the federal government withdrew funding support for all new social housing. In 1995, it cancelled the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP), a policy through which the federal government set national standards for social programs, including income supports. Since then, most provinces have allowed their income assistance levels to remain

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stagnant and not keep pace with inflation. After visiting Canada in 2007, United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Miloon Kothari stated that “grossly inadequate social assistance rates are trapping many of the lowestincome Canadian households into chronic poverty and inadequate housing.” (United Nations Expert on Adequate Housing Calls for Immediate Attention to Tackle National Housing Crisis in Canada) British Columbia’s disability benefit rate of $906 a month (Persons with Disabilities - PWD) is now below that of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, the Northwest Territories and Yukon. In the last 10 years, PWD has been increased by only $120: in 2004, the Support Allowance was increased by $70, and in 2007 the Shelter component was increased by $50. During the same period of time, the cost of living in BC has steadily increased. For example, just in the last year, Statistics Canada (April 2011) found that prices went up by 3.1%. In its report The Cost of Eating in BC (2009), Dieticians of Canada estimated that a single person living on PWD needs $971 a month for shelter and food alone to live in BC: $648 for shelter,

including telephone (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s [CMHC] 2009 Rental Market Survey) and $323 for food (2009 National Nutritious Food Basket measurement). This amount does not include the cost of clothing, personal care items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, health items not covered by the Ministry, transportation costs not covered by the monthly bus pass and any other typical goods and services that people need. British Columbia is one of the most expensive provinces in Canada to live and Vancouver is generally thought to be the most expensive city, particularly with respect to the cost of housing. One study found that Vancouver has the least housing affordability among 272 cities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. (Demographia: 2010). In October 2010, the CMHC data indicated the cost of a bachelor apartment to be $811 and a one bedroom, $940. In our Transition housing survey (see excerpts in this edition), 83% of respondents said they used their food money to cover their housing costs. One person commented, “I currently have subsidized housing. This is

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

the only reason my housing costs are covered by my shelter amount from PWD.” Another respondent told us, “All of my bills, telephone, cable, hydro have gone up about $5 each because of the HST. In addition my rent has increased. The amount for rent ($375) is absolutely ridiculous in today’s world! You can’t even rent a room for that amount! Surely the government must recognize costs have gone up and will continue to rise. The disability benefit is inadequate for today’s economy.”

Over the last four years we have continued to speak out about the inadequacy of the PWD rate, particularly as it relates to housing. The BCCPD is a member of the Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness which is comprised of over 40 government and community groups that provide facilities, services, programs and funding for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Adequate income is key to an individual’s ability to access housing. Until people needing disability benefits and provincial income supports are provided with adequate funding for their shelter costs, our province will continue to have high numbers of people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. As one of our survey respondents pointed out, ”not all disabled people can get subsidized housing so the Shelter portion should cover the necessary rent.”

In 2007, the BCCPD produced a paper entitled Who Benefits? How Disability Benefits are Failing British Columbians. Despite the endorsements of more than 170 community groups at the time, we were unable to convince the government to increase the PWD rate to reflect the real cost of living with a disability in BC or to introduce a number of other recommendations, including that the rates be index-linked to the cost of living. Over the last four years, we have continued to speak out about the inadequacy of the PWD rate, particularly as it relates to housing. In April, we established a working group to renew our previous efforts to convince the Province that disability benefits are failing British Columbians. Our community partners on this project are BC Association of Community Living (BCACL), Canadian Mental Health Association - BC and Yukon Division (CMHA), Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC) and the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS). We are working on our recommendations and strategy for moving forward on this joint initiative. BC’s badly needs a poverty reduction strategy that includes better income supports, housing, and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. British Columbians want action on poverty and one of the first steps must be to increase the disability benefits rate. Our community cannot wait any longer. We need change now. n

Dennis & Crackers

Letter to the Editor Dear Transition: I truly enjoyed your latest Transition theme of Taking a Break (Spring 2011). It reminded me of my days with my dog Crackers. As we both grew long in the tooth, he would get tired in the middle of the day and sneak a nap whenever possible: under a table at a restaurant, beside me while driving or at the slightest opportunity. After some months of this, I realized that he was frisky after his short snooze, so I decided to join him around three o’clock for a nap each day. I awoke after fifteen minutes and felt so refreshed that we continued this “Crackers time” for many years afterwards. I would tell my friends, “Well, it’s about time for Crackers to have his nap now, so I’d better get home. He’s getting older now and needs his rest.” Although I needed the break more than Crackers, I always used him as the excuse to go and lay down with him. Your article brought back these memories and I thank you for sharing your marvellous advice. Dennis Robertson, by email n

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What You Told Us Transition conducted an online survey earlier this year about housing and people living with a disability. We wanted to know the problems people around BC face finding and affording housing, and surviving on low and fixed incomes. Over 70 people responded and you will see some survey comments throughout this Transition. Here are answers to some key survey questions. Do you receive BC disability benefits (PWD or PPMB) YES 65.7% Do you need to use your food money (support allowance) to cover your housing costs? Never 16.7% Sometimes 26.7% Often 56.7% Are there times when you don’t have enough money to buy food? If so, how often? Seldom 36.7% Every week 18.3% Every month 46.7% Our sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to do our survey.

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Shelter amounts for people receiving PWD and PPMB Household Size and Type Single Person Couple: One person on PWD Couple: Both people on PWD Two-parent family: One child, one person on PWD Two-parent family: One child, both people on PWD One-parent family: One child

Shelter $375.00 $570.00 $570.00 $660.00 $660.00 $570.00

From Our Survey

If you use your support allowance/food money to help pay for your housing, how do you get enough to eat and pay for the other things you need? I go without. I live with my parents. My “rent” goes towards my medication and dietary needs. If I had to pay rent I would starve and my pain would disable me further. I am blessed to live in subsidized housing. Still, it’s hard to afford good food. Food bank, Quest, meals from friends, going without most times. I currently have subsidized housing. This is the only reason my housing costs are covered by my shelter amount from PWD. I don’t. I drink lots of water and buy the cheapest food. CMHA has a lunch program and I purchase a lunch card for $24 every month that gives me 9 nutritious lunches. When necessary, I use the food bank. Working part-time at a job. I don’t eat very well. I sell things I make or collect cans. Dumpsters and panhandling. Usually, I have to find temp work where I can or rely on the charity of my landlord, until I can cover expenses. Not having habits such as smoking or alcohol use helps greatly. Effective budgeting is mandatory, as I am a recently separated father blessed with sole custody of a 9-month old son. Except for coffee, my needs are few and I have no problem going without to ensure my son has the best products available. I am grateful for what we receive, I have no complaints. I am newly widowed and find myself robbing Peter to pay Paul.

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Hydro Rate Increases Will Cause Hardship | by Jim Quail The BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre represents communitybased organizations across the province, including BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD), who speak for the interests of BC Hydro’s residential customers— especially those with modest incomes. BC Hydro customers are at the start of a long, steep climb in our electricity bills. Hydro has applied for increases of about 10% a year for the next three years and they expect this trend to continue for a decade. That means rates could double in about nine years. Some of the increase is unavoidable. Like everything else, generating and distributing electricity costs more today than it did years ago. But most of the increase is the direct result of government policy. That policy aims to take money out of our pockets and into the pockets of corporate friends.

“Self-sufficiency” sounds good, right? The biggest problem is a tidy little package the government calls “electricity self-sufficiency.” And this does not mean what it sounds like. Here’s what the government calls “self-sufficiency” really means: far more electricity than we need for our own use, except under the most extreme circumstances. It means “huge surplus.” Under this policy, we are forced to pay enormous prices for power we don’t need and can’t use. And what can BC Hydro do with it? You can’t put

surplus electricity in a jar for later use. You have to dump it somewhere. The government is forcing BC Hydro to buy all that unneeded power from private corporations called “Independent Power Producers” or IPPs. IPPs are private corporations that generate electricity using BC’s streams and wind power, and sell it back to us at a huge profit. BC Hydro is locked into long-term contracts with huge price-tags that continue to rise over time. Not only are we paying huge prices, but this is not a steady, reliable source of power: it depends on stream flows or wind levels. It can be at its strongest when we need it least, and its weakest when we need it most. Dumping the surplus IPP power means exporting it, mostly into the US market. We are forced to pay $120 a MWh or more, but it is only worth about $35 in the marketplace—and sometimes less than $10. On New Year’s Day, Ontario Hydro was paying out-ofprovince customers to take surplus power from wind generators off their hands. That’s how bad this picture can get. The cost to us of the power is very high, but its market value can be less than zero.

So, BC Hydro customers pay What we have is an extreme case of “buy high-sell low”–the ultimate in economic folly. We conservatively estimate this will mean a net loss of about $600 million each and every year, all paid for by BC Hydro customers. That’s roughly

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

BC Hydro customers are at the start of a long, steep climb in our electricity bills. the equivalent of building a “fast ferry” every eight months and then sinking it. Forcing BC Hydro customers to pay for unnecessary IPP power not only ravages household finances and the environment, but it also forces BC Hydro to beef up its own facilities. That’s because whenever you add an “intermittent” source of electricity, like wind power, you need a backup source that you can switch on when the intermittent power stops. That means adding new dams, like Site C, and upgrading old ones, and adding new transmission lines to tie the scattered wind and stream power into the system. This adds billions of dollars of cost. And guess who pays for that?

Smart meters add another cost Meanwhile, the government has ordered BC Hydro to install so-called “smart meters” on every customer’s home in the province. This is a billion-dollar expense with very little benefit in return, unless you happen to be one of the big corporations getting rich by installing them. continued on next page

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Hydro, cont’d from previous page

Meanwhile, the government has ordered BC Hydro to install so-called “smart meters” on every customer’s home in the province. BC Hydro has given up its attempts to argue that this investment will produce much electricity conservation, so instead they have invented enormously inflated estimates of the amount of electricity stolen by marijuana grow-ops. Aside from the fact that these estimates are not credible, installing smart meters probably will do little to stop theft. Not only can you cable around them like an old-fashioned meter, but people with computer expertise can hack them and falsify the information the meters send back to BC Hydro to hide stolen power. Immediately after Christy Clark became the BC Liberal Leader and Premier, the government established a review of the huge BC Hydro rate increases. But unless they are prepared to really bite the bullet on the large policy issues (especially self-sufficiency), there is little that can be done other than nibble away at the edges. Government policies are building huge, unnecessary costs into the system. Only policy changes can stem the tide. Jim Quail is the Executive Director of the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre. http://bcpiac.com/ n

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We couldn’t do it without you Thank you to these organizations, companies and government departments who support BCCPD’s work on behalf of people with disabilities. BC Association for Individualized Technology and Supports for People with Disabilities BC Hydro Employees Community Services Fund BC Rehab Foundation Canadian Co-operative Association City of Vancouver Council of Canadians with Disabilities Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnership Program-Disability Component Health Sciences Association of BC Homelessness Partnership Strategy–Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: The Law Foundation of British Columbia Legal Services Society of British Columbia Notary Foundation of BC Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network Province of British Columbia Provincial Health Services Authority TELUS Employees Charitable Giving Program United Way of the Lower Mainland Vancouver Coastal Health Vancouver Foundation

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

Shelters Get People Out of the Cold by

Karen O’Shannacery

There is nothing more frustrating for a shelter worker than to turn people who are homeless away from our doors simply for the lack of a bed. Lookout Emergency Aid Society turned away people 4,948 times last year because we didn’t have enough beds. At Lookout, for every two people we take in, we turn three others away. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is without a roof over their head. To be turned away from a shelter is devastating; you know it puts you at higher risk. It doesn’t take much to become discouraged. In fact, many people don’t try to get into regular shelters knowing they’ll probably be turned away. Others don’t want regular shelters. People who survive on the streets have difficulty fitting into the rules and routines that regular shelters have. For example, many regular shelters don’t allow access to beds throughout the day. Or, they are not set up to take in shopping carts or pets. Would you abandon your only belongings or your pet that is your companion or family? Homeless Emergency Action Team (HEAT) shelters are open 24/7 during the cold season, adding over 160 shelter beds to a system that is overstretched. These shelters also have few rules and are inclusive: all genders, couples,

pets, buggies are made welcome by supportive, dedicated staff. People can access mats or beds at any time and there is a minimum of two meals per day. By being more inclusive, the HEAT shelters provide an acceptable alternative for people who are street-entrenched and often cope with significant health challenges, including mental illness and addictions. HEAT shelters also have fewer reporting requirements than regular shelters, so shelter users feel they have more control. They can help people connect with the services and housing options that they want, based on the willingness and readiness of the person. And there are no maximum lengths of stay. There are regular shelters that are “minimal-barrier” and offer the same services as HEAT shelters, but there aren’t enough of them. And those that exist have full occupancy and turn people away. The HEAT shelters are there when people are at highest risk and most vulnerable, and we certainly rely upon them. I am convinced they save lives. We need these shelters to stay open yearround until adequate numbers of supported permanent housing units are created for homeless people. This can only be achieved by all levels of government, the public and community services working together.

HEAT Shelters Help In March of 2011, the Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness partnered with the Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee to conduct a 24-hour count of homeless people in Metro Vancouver. For the first time in four counts, we counted fewer people than we did in previous years. There was a dramatic decrease in the number of unsheltered homeless people found. Compared to 2008, we found 54% fewer homeless people outdoors. At the same time, we can also report an equally significant change in the number of homeless people who are sheltered. Compared to 2008, we found 74% more homeless people sleeping in emergency accommodation facilities across the region. We believe this year’s count data is evidence that integrated communitygovernment initiatives contribute to better outcomes. There is little doubt, for example, that the low-barrier HEAT shelters in Vancouver played a big part in achieving these results. Alice Sundberg, Co-Chair, Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness

Karen O’Shannacery is the Executive Director of Lookout Emergency Aid Society. n

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We Can Afford to Alleviate Poverty One of the key messages the PRC has sought to reinforce is that “we all pay for poverty”.

British Columbia, despite having the highest poverty rates in the country, remains one of a minority of provinces without a comprehensive poverty reduction plan. This reality is what led to the 2009 formation of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition (PRC). The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities is a member of the PRC, as is my organization, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and about a dozen others. In late 2008, the CCPA published a detailed Poverty Reduction Plan for BC (available at: www. policyalternatives.ca/publications/ reports/poverty-reduction-planbc). Our BC plan includes specific policy measures to reduce poverty among those with disabilities. But with a provincial election looming, we didn’t want to merely publish a report. We also brought together a network of organizations that have similarly called for a comprehensive plan with legislated targets and timelines, and we are now formally constituted as the BC PRC [see http://bcpovertyreduction.ca).

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Seth Klein

Reframing the discussion

What other provinces do

One of the key messages the PRC has sought to reinforce is that “we all pay for poverty”. We pay in higher costs for social, community and charitable services, in higher costs to the criminal justice system, in lost productivity and lower school success, and particularly in terms of higher health costs. There is, consequently, a great cost in failing to act. But the second, and more challenging, key message we have tried to emphasize is that “there is nothing inevitable about poverty and homelessness in a society as wealthy as ours”. We do this by: • showing that the cost of ending poverty is well within our means • highlighting opinion poll results that clearly show a large majority of Canadians want action on poverty reduction • explaining all the concrete policies that, if implemented, would make a dramatic difference • underscoring that those jurisdictions that make poverty reduction a priority are getting results Six provinces now have poverty reduction plans, although most are still fairly new, the exceptions being Quebec and Newfoundland. What their plans and results tell us is that poverty isn’t inevitable– that policy matters.

When we rely only on the market, economic growth and job creation, the results with respect to poverty reduction are weak. That is what we see in the BC case, where we have recorded very low unemployment in recent years (until the onset of the recession), but poor progress on poverty reduction. When surveying what other provinces have done, a few key common features emerge: • They have been advanced with all-party support. • They have specific targets and timelines which in most cases are embedded in legislation. • They are comprehensive. They deal with income, both social assistance and other government income supports, as well as measures to boost labour market income. But they also address the social infrastructure on which low and modest income households depend, such as housing, education, child care, and community health care. They also have specific measures to address poverty among those populations where poverty is most acute, such as Aboriginal people, recent immigrants, people with disabilities, mental illness, and addictions and single parents. They have accountability mechanisms, such as public consultations, funding for independent monitoring groups and obliga-

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

tions to report annually on progress. A key need is for timeline benchmarks that are frequent enough that a government can be held accountable within the life of each mandate. There is a cross-ministry secretariat with a lead Minister to coordinate and integrate plans, and to ensure that policies do not act at cross-purposes.

signed by over 300 organizations across the province–a fascinating and diverse collection of community groups, trade unions, health organizations, United Way chapters, faith groups, municipal councils, Aboriginal groups and some businesses. And thousands of individuals have also added their names

We can afford to do this If you question the affordability of a plan, consider this: The total amount of money needed to take everyone in British Columbia who is below the poverty line and raise their income to the poverty line is about $2.4 billion (known as the “poverty gap”). That’s a fair amount of money. But it is about 1.3% of provincial Gross Domestic Product (and in contrast, the cost of poverty in Ontario is estimated to be about 6% of GDP). Surely, in a province as wealthy as ours, with an annual gross income of almost $200 billion, closing a poverty gap of $2.4 billion should not be seen as insurmountable. Much of the task will fall to government, but the private sector also has a vital role to play, most notably by raising the wages of low-wages workers (as a majority of poor British Columbians are working in the low-wage labour force). The PRC has been trying to keep the feet of our political leaders to the fire. Even as the government has stubbornly refused to adopt a comprehensive plan, we have persistently demanded one. The call for a plan has now been

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

to the call. You can do so too at: http://bcpovertyreduction.ca. Poverty is not inevitable. We all pay for it. But other places are showing us that when we take focused action, we can get results. But it starts with a plan. Seth Klein is Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, BC office. www.policyalternatives.ca. n

The PRC recommends the following targets and timelines • Reduce BC’s poverty rate by 30% within four years, 75% within ten years. • Ensure the poverty rate for children, lone-mother households, single senior women, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities and mental illness, and recent immigrants and refugees likewise declines by 30% in four years, and by 75% in ten years, in recognition that poverty is concentrated in these populations. • Within two years, ensure that every British Columbian has an income that reaches at least 75% of the poverty line. • Within two years, ensure no one has to sleep outside, and end all homelessness within eight years (ensuring all homeless people have good quality, appropriate housing). In order to achieve these targets, we call upon the province to commit to specific policy measures and concrete actions in each of the following policy areas: • Provide adequate and accessible income support for the non-employed, and remove policy barriers so that recipients can build and maintain assets. • Improve the earnings and working conditions of those in the low-wage workforce. • Improve food security for low-income individuals and families. • Address homelessness and adopt a comprehensive affordable housing and supportive housing plan. • Provide universal publicly-funded child care. • Enhanced support for training and education for low-income people. • Enhance community mental health and home support services, and expand integrated approaches to prevention and health promotion services.

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British Columbians Want Action on Poverty A recent Environics poll found that: • Over 90% of British Columbians believe that, if other countries can reduce poverty, so can Canada. • 87% said both the prime minister and the premier should set concrete targets and timelines to reduce poverty. • 91% said they would feel proud if our premier took leadership on poverty reduction. British Columbians believe an economic recession is exactly the time for governments to act on poverty reduction. • When asked whether, in the face of a recession, governments will have to focus on other priorities or whether an economic downturn makes it more important than ever to make helping the poor a priority, 77% chose the latter. These results should get the attention of all politicians: • 74% of British Columbians say they would be more likely to support a provincial political party that pledged to make poverty reduction a high priority and propose clear policies, targets and timelines aimed at reducing the number of poor people. * The poll was commissioned by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and conducted in the fall of 2008. www.policyalternatives.ca/.

your voice counts | become a member of bccpd I accept your invitation to join the BC Coalition of People with Disabilties and enclose my membership fee of $15 (groups and individuals). I am also sending along a tax-deductible donation of $__________.

Name ______________________________________________ Organization ________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________ City/Prov_______________________ Postal Code ____________ Phone _______________ Email ____________________________

Please return your payment/donation with this form, to BCCPD, 204 - 456 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1R3. You can also become a member or donate online at http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/supportdonate.htm.

Thank you for your invaluable support.

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BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

From Our Survey

Can you give some examples of how you economize/manage your money to get by on your monthly income? I have no phone. I rarely turn the heat on, so the house is cold. I do not get my hair cut. I minimize laundry, showering. I budget my food on a weekly basis and buy what I need at the local grocery store. I have to eat gluten free (I’m celiac), so just eating is very expensive. I buy all of my medication at the start of the pay period, to make sure I don’t run out. I’m lucky because my family gives me a home that I don’t have to pay for. I don’t go to any entertainment, like movies, concerts, etc. I try to cook most of my food. I don’t buy books or mags. I don’t travel. I rarely get clothing. I count every penny. I have a line of credit to fall back on when I can’t manage to make it through the month. But, then the next month there’s less money. Eat inexpensive food and often only once a day. You can only “economize” $906 so far after rent and bills. I’m fortunate to have a best friend who earns a high income and often buys me dinner, worried I won’t eat otherwise. Obviously, I’m extremely lucky and few people have this privilege. Otherwise, I eat a lot of things like rice and use local farmers’ markets and a group-buying program called The Good Food Box which bulk purchases produce locally and sells to anyone at very reasonable prices. I also tend to skip meals often. When I shop, I always shop sales and bulk items.

I try to put $20 away in my bank every month, so that I always have some money in it. I hope it will be ok every month. Credit. I will stay with a friend for a week or two so that I don’t have to buy food, etc. I am fortunate I am a client of Open Door Group. Once a month, I qualify for a Safeway food voucher. It’s not much, but it buys me groceries for two weeks if I really stretch it. I wait for my GST cheque every three months to buy food and in between I do without buying food. n

Congratulations Heather! Every year, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) presents an award to recognize an individual’s outstanding contribution to Canada’s disability rights movement. This year BCCPD’s Board has chosen Heather Morrison. Heather has been an active member of the disability community for over 30 years. Her many activities include 11 years with BCCPD’s Community and Residents Mentors Program. Congratulations to Heather from all of us at BCCPD for this very well deserved award. n

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BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

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SUMMER 2011

Growing Eden Would you like to: • Learn to grow your own vegetables from seed to harvest? • Learn how to turn garden veggies into tasty, low cost meals? • Involve your children in the joys of gardening? • Swap recipes and share a weekly meal with fellow gardeners? Take home a fresh, organic harvest box for home cooking?Growing Eden is a brand new garden space at 57th and Cambie (next to the Farmers on 57th market garden). We are looking for twelve families with lowincomes from the neighbourhood who are interested in learning about the pleasures of growing and eating your own garden harvest. We will meet Fridays 10 am-1 pm (until the end of September 2011) to plan, plant, tend and enjoy our garden. We’ll harvest from the garden each week and prepare a fresh organic lunch together in our mobile outdoor kitchen. Each family will also take home a harvest box. Growing Eden is a project of Farmers on 57th and the Community and Resident Mentors Association at BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD). Through the Farmers on 57th project, the 140 residents at the George Pearson Centre grow organic food and flowers, meet fellow gardeners and the community, and build healthy ecosystems.

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Program Details • •

•

Fridays 10 am to 1 pm, until the end of September 2011. All garden tools and seeds are provided. Please bring a sun hat and clothes to work and eat outdoors. Your children are welcome and encouraged to join. We will provide age appropriate activities. Priority is for families who receive a housing subsidy and/or are low income. All neighbourhood families are encouraged to apply, especially families in nearby co-op housing such as Vera Housing, Ashley Mar and Ashdown

Gardens because of their close proximity to the garden. • Unfortunately, this garden is not wheelchair accessible. Any questions? Look up our project at http://farmerson57th. wikispaces.com Contact Jen at farmerson57th@gmail.com or leave a phone message at 778-554-9643. This garden is on the lawn of the George Pearson Centre, in Vancouver Coastal Health land, and is part of the Farmers on 57th program run by the BCCPD. Growing Eden has been generously funded by United Way. The Unitarian Church of Vancouver and The Canadian Housing Federation of BC (CHFBC) are our fantastic program partners. Thank you all! n

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

CANADA PENSION PLAN DISABILITY

• Were you previously working and now have a disability? • Do you need help to apply for CPP Disability or appeal a denial of benefits? • We can help.

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities is an expert in Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D) advocacy. We provide: • in person, one-to-one assistance • assistance by phone • free self-help publications on what CPP is, how to apply and how to appeal a denial (available in Traditional Chinese and Punjabi in 2011/12)

The SEGWAYE Program Are you 18-25 years old with a neurological diagnosis? Do you want to: ✔ Discover the right job for you? ✔ Learn the skills you need? Contact us for: ✔ Information and Resources ✔ Referrals ✔ Services at no cost 604-630-3034 www.centreforability.bc.ca

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 using the form in this edition or by visiting our Transition page online. Are you 18-25 years old with a neurologica • Contact Val at the office (feeddiagnosis? back@bccpd.bc.ca or 604-8750188).

What do I need to know about CPP-D? CPP-D has several advantages over provincial disability benefits. And, recipients may receive provincial (PWD/ PPMB) disability benefits in addition to CPP-D in the form of a top-up, if their CPP-D benefits fall below the provincial minimum.

The SEGWAYE Program

Please contact us to learn more.

Do you want to: CPP-D Advocacy Program And, if you still want to receive ✔ Discover the right job for you? Transition by mail, that’s ok too. n Telephone: 604-872-1278 ✔ Learn the skills you need? Toll-Free: 1-800-663-1278 TTY (for hearing impaired): 604-875-8835 Contact us for: Website: www.bccpd.bc.ca ✔ Information and Resources Program information: under Programs/Advocacy Access ✔ Referrals 604-630-30 Self-help guides: under Publications/Advocacy www.centreforability.bc. ✔ Services at no cost

Funded by The Law Foundation of BC

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

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SUMMER 2011

BC Community Living Action Group Working together to speak out about cuts to community living services by Jane Dyson “A roof over the head” of adults with developmental disabilities will be harder and harder to find in coming years. Cuts to community living services have already closed 33 group homes in 2010. Learn about one community response to this housing crisis. In 2004, then Deputy Premier and Minister for Children and Families Christy Clark introduced legislation (the Community Living Authority Act) that established Community Living BC (CLBC), the provincial crown authority whose mandate is to provide services to adults with developmental disabilities and their families. These services include staffed residential facilities (group homes), home sharing where CLBC clients live with a support provider, and supports for clients who rent or own their homes. Other CLBC programs include respite care, vocational services, skills development and supported employment. As of March 31, 2011, 13,481 people were registered for CLBC’s services; a 6% increase from March 31, 2010 and a 35% increase over the last five years.1 By March 2014, this caseload is projected to have increased by an additional 15%, but provincial government transfers to CLBC will stay the same.2 The impact of this imbalance is already being felt. CLBC has been required to find $22 million

SUMMER 2011

page 14

in cost savings over the 2010/11 fiscal year and has introduced a “service redesign” program. • Between March 31 and December 31, 2010, 33 group homes were closed in Victoria, Maple Ridge, Chilliwack, Surrey, Kamloops, Williams Lake and Terrace. • Community inclusion programs and respite services have been cut. • Staffing levels for residential and daytime services have been reduced. • Ever-increasing waitlists mean families whose children are transitioning into CLBC are being told they must wait years to access the services they so desperately need. Families are feeling they have nowhere to turn for support. Even when they can access services, clients and families are experiencing reduced program choices. Families, caregivers and support workers feel they have been left out of decision making on these crucial changes to their community.3 In response to these cuts, family and community groups, service agencies and unions came together to form the BC Community Living Action Group (BC-CLAG) [please see sidebar]. In late 2010, BC-CLAG coordinated public community forums

attended by over 300 people to share information and develop solutions. Out of these forums, BC-CLAG produced the report Reaching Out. Weighing In. Participants included self-advocates, support workers, family members and community advocates. The report contains ten recommendations including a call for increased funding and the creation of an Independent Officer of the Legislature to improve supports and outcomes for this community through oversight, advocacy, accountability and review.4 In May, BC-CLAG representatives, families and supporters vis-

Families are feeling they have nowhere to turn for support. Even when they can access services, clients and families are experiencing reduced program choices. ited the legislature to mark the 7th year anniversary of CLBC. When introducing the Community Living Authority Act in 2004, Minister Clark said that, “This legislation gives British Columbians with developmental disabilities and their families better options and more opportunities in their communities. They’ll be able to look forward to a safer, healthier and better quality of life.5”

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

Sadly, these goals have not been met. British Columbians with developmental disabilities and their families have fewer, not more, choices. In March, BC-CLAG wrote to the Minister Responsible for CLBC, Harry Bloy, requesting a meeting to discuss our concerns and recommendations. We hope to work with the Ministry to ensure that CLBC and their clients have the supports they need. We wrote the Minister again in June to ask for a meeting. We are disappointed that he has not yet agreed to meet with BC-CLAG. We will continue to press for this crucial meeting with Minister Bloy. CLBC clients are some of BC’s most vulnerable citizens. They have a right to be able to choose the living arrangements that work best for them and to participate in decision making that impacts their lives and their ability to live with dignity in the community. Their safety, well-being and quality of life must come first. For more on BC-CLAG and to access the Reaching Out. Weighing In report visit, http://communitylivingaction.org/ Hon. Harry Bloy, Minister of Social Development: Debates of the Legislative Assembly [Hansard], May 11, 2011 2 CLBC 2010/11-2013/14 Service Plan: February 2011. Pgs.14; 27 3 Reaching Out. Weighing In. BC-CLAG: April 2011: pgs. 6 - 7 4 Ibid: pg.18 5 Debates of the Legislative Assembly [Hansard] May 19th 2004 n 1

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

Support chopped for vulnerable adults $50,000

Funding per client decline

$45,000 $40,000 2006

2011

2013

The deep cuts to supports for people with “developmental disabilities”– what we once called the mentally handicapped–are taking a terrible toll. And worse times are ahead. According to Community Living BC, the Crown corporation set up to provide services, the amount of funding per client has fallen every year since it was created six years ago. In 2006-2007, the first full year of operation, funding provided an average $51,154 per client. This year, funding will be $45,306. By 2013, according to the government projections, it will be cut to $41,225 per client. If you factor in inflation, by 2013 the funding available for each client will be 30% less than it was in 2006. (There is a small amount of additional money for a pilot personalized supports initiative; it doesn’t change the reality of the annual cuts.) ~ From an article by Paul Willcocks, Times Colonist May 30, 2011.

BC-CLAG | Who We Are BC Association for Community Living (BCACL) BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) BC FamilyNET BC Government and Service Employees’ Union Canadian Union of Public Employees Developmental Disabilities Association Health Sciences Association of BC Hospital Employees’ Union Michael Prince of the University of Victoria. Moms on the Move

page 15

SUMMER 2011

Groundbreaking Equipment Co-op Formed

Christine Gordon

The ITC’s first members’ meeting in June 2011

BC will soon have its first assistive technology (AT) co-operative. Stay tuned to Transition, or follow us on Twitter, for the latest news on how the co-op may help with your AT needs. The need for better access to assistive technology was clearly identified in 2004 by the Provincial Equipment and Assistive Devices Committee (PEADC), a coalition of more than 40 disability-related organizations in BC, spearheaded by BCCPD. PEADC developed a new person-centred approach to service delivery called the Participation Model for Personal Supports and has used this model in the new Equipment and Assistive Technology Initiative (EATI) that is funding AT for people throughout BC (http://www.bcpsn.org). PEADC identified the next step as developing a way to incorporate the Participation Model into a structure that would promote consumer empowerment and potentially greater control over the market for assistive technology.

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What is AT?

And, on June 1, 2011, the Inclusive Technologies Co-operative (ITC) was born.

The Road We Travelled In 2009, PEADC created a round table called the Personal Supports Council to bring together funders and community organizations to develop a strategic plan. This led to the adoption of a strategic goal to promote the development of a social enterprise—a co-operative—and a Co-operative Development Steering Committee was established to spearhead the initiative. With the help of funding from the Co-operative Development Initiative (CDI), we: • asked people with disabilities what products and services they needed and if they would be willing to join a co-operative, and • formed a group of leaders who could launch the cooperative.

It takes an extraordinary effort to live an ordinary life for a person with a disability. This is especially true in BC, a province which has one of the highest rates of disability (16% of the population) in Canada. Of the 687,000 British Columbians with disabilities, 40% are seniors and 54% are adults between the ages of 19 and 64. Assistive technology is a crucial disability support, but more than 40% of adults report an unmet need for some form of assistive technology. Assistive technology is “any item, piece of equipment, or system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is commonly used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities”.

continued on opposite page

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

We found out through community focus groups and an online survey, that there is a strong appetite for a co-op and that there was a committed group of people willing to take on leadership roles, so we gave the co-op the green light to go forward.

Our Board and Mission The members of our newlyminted Inclusive Technologies Co-operative Board have developed the mission, vision and values for the co-op, developed the rules, and created a logo and soon-to-be launched website. The co-op will be committed to universal design and full inclusion, and to the principles of democratic member control and concern for the community.

Look How Far We’ve Come This is the poem that BCCPD submitted to a contest in March. We didn’t win the $10,000 grand prize for a poem about a non-profit organization, but we sure had fun thinking about how to express what we do. We dared to step forward—none of us perfect—on a road of change, Built with dignity, equality, hope—our difference is our strength. Some of us walk, some of us roll—look how far we’ve come. From exclusion to community—we’re all in this together, From darkness into light, we’re turning the corner now. We’re walking to freedom, we’re rolling to freedom—the road is wide enough for all. SanareAd February 3, 2011 2:20 PM Transition magazine Look how far we’ve come. Look how far we’ve come.

Serving the Community Over the next year, the co-op will work on a number of strategic objectives including: • growing the membership base to 30,000 members by the end of the first year, • becoming the go-to place for reliable independent information on assistive technology, • building a 24/7 service department, and • offering a line of high quality products to its members.

What you can do For more information on how to become a member and a co-op volunteer, please contact us at contact info@itcoop.ca. n

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

sanare

Awaken Your Healing Potential with Integrative Energy Healing

n effective and holistic method provides an individualized approach with emphasis on awakening the body’s innate potential to heal itself.

IEH treatment helps in reducing pain and anxiety, relieving stress and depression, providing support during chemotherapy, strengthening the immune system, reducing effects of trauma, accelerating wound healing and post spinal cord injury, detoxifying from substance misuse and reconnecting with the body. It is designed to complement, rather than replace, conventional approaches to health care. www.sanare.ca Tel: 604.727.4186

sanare

Marija Djordjevic #103-853 Richards St. Vancouver

page 17 | SUMMER 2011 Awaken Your Healing Potential with Integrative Energy Healing

An effective and holistic method provides an individualized

SAVING ENERGY MADE EASY FREE ENERGY SAVING KIT Join other members of your community that have already reduced their energy usage and lowered their electricity bill with the help of the Energy Saving Kit for low-income households. The tools in the kit— valued at $75—will increase the comfort of your home and help reduce energy waste. Whether you rent or own, live in a house or apartment— call 1 877 431 9463 or visit bchydro.com/freekit to apply for a kit of your own.

A11-304

Invisible Disabilities and Employment Are people who have an “invisible” disability accommodated in the workplace, like someone who uses a wheelchair, for example? Earlier this year, BCCPD had an opportunity to work with two students from the Print Futures Professional Writing program at Douglas College to answer these kinds of questions about employment and invisible disabilities. Their final report entitled Investigating Workplace Accommodation for People with Invisible Disabilities is available on our website and covers: • awareness of invisible disabilities in the workplace, • disclosure of disability,

SUMMER 2011

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•

barriers for job seekers and employees, and • recommendations. Disability research for BC is scarce and we are grateful to Nicole Gottselig and Toby Reeve for their work on this project. Excerpts from the executive summary appear below and the full report, including recommendations, can be viewed at: www.bccpd.bc.ca/ research.htm.

Some Highlights •

Policy versus reality: Although employers are required by law to accommodate people with disabilities, 88.9% of employers surveyed do not have a policy and/or program in place for people with invisible disabilities.

•

Awareness of invisible disabilities in the workplace: 55.6% of employers surveyed were unaware if any of their employees had an invisible disability.

•

Disclosure: 88.24% of people with invisible disabilities surveyed had a negative view of disclosing their disability and feared a negative reaction.

•

Barriers while seeking employment and in the workplace: People with invisible disabilities face psychological and lifestyle barriers while seeking employment and barriers while working, such as being misunderstood and reactions of disbelief. n

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

More at Transition Online Margaret Scott ‘s experiences give new meaning to Quest helps to provide food assis“disabled parking”. See her story about the high cost of tance to individuals and families in parking–financial and physical–and her ideas for imthe Lower Mainland through our proving parking for people with a disability. partnered Social Service Agencies, Cowley and Company like BCCPD. Quest encourages a ad drafts healthy and balanced lifestyle by Transition magazine Who--gets bed bugs and why? If you have bed bugs, providing nutritious recipes and does it mean your house is dirty and you’re a bad houseencouraging self-prepared meals, keeper? See how bed bugs don’t discriminate based on using the groceries that are proyour income or where you live, and how to help prevent vided in our stores. bed bugs in your home.

Low-Cost Food Stores Quest operates a low-cost grocery store where clients can shop, by referral only.

Community Kitchen Quest’s Community Kitchen serves as a complement program to their low-cost food stores. Using excess food that would have otherwise gone to waste in their stores, the kitchen prepares ready-to-eat meals for individuals to purchase in their stores and for Social Service Agencies to purchase for their clients.

Become a Quest Client To access Quest’s low-cost food stores, you need to: • be living on low-income, with a disability, or on old-age pension • contact your local partnering Social Service Agency • have a letter of referral from your agency. To find a partner agency near you, or to learn about other Quest programs visit the Quest website at www.questoutreach.org, call 604-602-0186 or email: info@ questoutreach.org. n

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

Adults with learning disabilities have a new tool called Self-advocacy for People with Learning Disabilities. The guide contains step-by-step strategies for anyone needing tips for self-advocacy.

Cowley & Company

See more of our readers’ responses to the Housing Car Accident Lawyers Survey, including challenges living in different areas of BC D.C., andLL.B. final thoughts on income, housing Dr. Lee A. Cowley, and living with a disability. 300-13805 104 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3T 1W7 P: 604-583-3000 F: 604-583-3045 W: cowleylawcorp.ca Read the full article on the Olympic Village

housing co-operative. 4www.bccpd.bc.ca/publications/transition.htm

Cowley & Company

Car Accident Lawyers

Dr. Lee A. Cowley, D.C., LL.B. 300-13805 104 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3T 1W7 P: 604-583-3000 F: 604-583-3045 W: cowleylawcorp.ca

page 19

SUMMER 2011

Olympic Village Sets New Standard for Accessibility by

Fiona Jackson

Photo: Canadian Wheelchair Sport Association/Kevin Bogetti-Smith

After an accident ended Aaron Coret’s career as a snowboarder six years ago, he applied his engineering know-how to make snowboarding safer for other athletes. His Landing Pad was used in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The engineering grad has lived in UBC residence for nine years, so when he saw an ad for a co-op in the Olympic Village, he jumped to apply. “It’s like the absolute perfect location–my dream location. And right next to Canada Line and B line means I’ll be closer to a lot of my friends.” Aaron’s not the only new resident with a tie to the Olympics. The fastest man on Canada’s national wheelchair rugby team will be Aaron’s neighbour in the co-op. Fabien Lavoie discovered the sport while still a teenager in rehab in 1998. He made the national team in the summer of 2002 and now has a list of trophies.

Fabien Lavoie

SUMMER 2011

page 20

Currently splitting his time between BC and Quebec, this move will cut down his travel. “Lots of our training camps and tournaments are in Vancouver and Victoria. It’s going to mean less flying for me. And since Vancouver had the Olympics, there are a lot of facilities.” In 1999, the City planning department published a policy statement with a vision for the Olympic Village’s legacy as “a place where people will live, work, play and learn [with] the highest possible levels of social equity, liveability, ecological health and economic prosperity, so as to support their choices to live in a sustainable manner.” Sustainability is still in the plan. The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) has created the 84-unit Athletes Village Housing Co-op in one of three buildings kept by the City for affordable housing. The other two are rental buildings managed by the Federation’s property management arm, COHO Property Management. With features like solar panels and energy-efficient building design, two buildings meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold standard and one of the rental buildings meets LEED platinum. But it’s the Vancouver-developed SAFERhome certification that sets a new standard for universal liveability. Patrick Simpson is the executive director of SAFERhome. “It gets rid of the ‘gimpification’ of

The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) has created the 84-unit Athletes Village Housing Co-op in one of three buildings kept by the City for affordable housing. disabled housing. When you label housing, you label people who live in it. The City recognized that they could deliver housing that met the needs of people without the disabled language attached to it.” SAFERhome standards include 19 criteria that build accessibility options into original construction and make it simpler and more affordable to adapt: larger doors, flush thresholds, placement of electrical outlets and wiring, and wall reinforcements to name a few. “The features are small things,” says Simpson. “But they mean the unit is automatically safer for anyone and adaptable if and when needed.” Aaron is impressed. “I was just blown away–you expect to have to make tons of renovations, but everything is ready to go–beyond any expectations I would have had: there’s a wheel-in shower, all the kitchen counters allow me to get my legs under, all the outlets are raised, and wiring is set up so if I want electronic blind openers, I can have that–even the door has a low and high peek hole.”

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

Fabien has never lived in a housing co-op, but he looks forward to it. “You know I grew up in small villages and small towns and it’s normal to me to know my neighbour; since I’ve been living in Quebec City that’s not always been the case, so it’s going to be nice.” “Every member of a co-op has a chance to be involved in creating their community,” says CHF BC’s Executive Director, Thom Armstrong. “This is a perfect fit with the City’s vision. And it’s something that is unavailable to most renters and owners. COHO has made it clear that it intends to bring the same philosophy to the rental buildings and provide opportunities for meaningful involvement to the tenants.” Warren Walker moved into the City-owned rentals from an assisted living complex in Burnaby

“I was just blown away–you expect to have to make tons of renovations, but everything is ready to go–beyond any expectations I would have had...” this February. The complex had 24-hour care. Warren was ready for independence. “Very simply I live in heaven!” Warren says. “I’d like to stay here for a long, long time–I won’t go anywhere.” “We shouldn’t look at this housing to solve every problem in the city or province,” says Armstrong. “There’s a huge lack of accessibility, and the need for adequate and affordable housing has to

be addressed across all levels of government. But we hope this approach will change design standards and be a start of more inclusiveness, accessibility and sustainability. It will be the start if people insist on it.” “It’s like the absolute perfect location– my dream location,” says Aaron Coret. “Virtually any other high rise in the city, unless you’re a high functioning person it would be out of the question,” says Brad McCannell, president of Canadian Barrier-Free Design. “But SAFERhome is about building for everybody.” Fiona Jackson is the communications director for the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC). Editor’s Note: In March, BCCPD Executive

Director, Jane Dyson, met with Co-operative Housing Federation Executive Director Thom Armstrong and Jennifer Standeven, Vancouver City’s Assistant Director of Business Operations to discuss various issues related to the affordability of the Olympic Village, including the availability of rent subsidies for people on low incomes. They explained that because neither the provincial or federal governments support the Village through operating subsidies, the development must generate sufficient revenue to cover operating expenses. As such, the Village needs to charge market rents, or close to market rents, to offset reduced rents. The goal is to increase the development’s affordability over time. n

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

transition Founding Editor Richard A. Watson Editor/Layout Ann Vrlak Cover Design Fiona Gamiet Contributors Jane Dyson, Shelley Hourston, Proofreaders Amanda Schuldt • Andrew Quinn Alternate Formats Val Stapleton • Elena Kubaseck-Berry Admin Assistant Elena Kubaseck-Berry Mailout Coordinator Janis 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 endorsement by the BCCPD.

page 21

SUMMER 2011

From Our Survey

If you could tell government to change one thing about the PWD/ PPMB benefit, what would it be? Cover pain medication through the Pharmacare program. Doctors should be more informed and let patients know of the available assistance. In cities like Victoria and Vancouver, there is no safe, decent housing for people on disability pensions. People are starving to keep a roof over their heads—if they’re lucky enough to find someone who will rent to people “on welfare”—that is safe, clean and accessible. Basically, it’s next to impossible for most. Build safe, affordable, accessible housing in decent areas, now! There needs to be an increase in benefits. All of my bills telephone, cable, hydro have gone up about $5 because of the HST. In addition, my rent has increased. That doesn’t even include the general increase in the cost of food/clothing, etc. For the first time in my life, I am having trouble making it through a month (especially the 5-week ones). Pay for holistic treatments. The government has no problem shelling out hundreds of dollars in a month for drugs that create more side effects and longer-term medical problems, creating need for more medications in the future. But it won’t help those who choose a more holistic approach to their chronic illnesses. Raise disability benefits in relation to the cost of living, especially shelter. I get $902 a month and my rent is $817 a month. I am 57 years old and cannot handle change. I cannot find a safe roommate that I am not afraid of and no organization can help me. SUMMER 2011

page 22

I have been on sickness EI since September, knowing that I would not be getting better and that I would need to apply for PWD. Instead of giving me the PWD forms to get ready for when I need to apply for social assistance, I have had to wait until I am totally broke and then wait 4-6 months for a decision on my application. I would ask the government to create a new application form for people with disabilities. Not to consider only the disability, but also the number of barriers and the challenges that people experience in coping with financial hardships. I would suggest that all people on IA or EI get a transportation allocation, for example.

Raise the rates, so we don’t have to live in poverty because this is a stress that erodes health. Poverty adds to my alienation and feelings of not belonging in society. Please realize that those with PWD status are not invalids, even though people like myself have serious, yet controlled mental health issues that make the most basic tasks, such as going into a Ministry office with crowds, appear insurmountable. Please don’t take this as whining, ok? Allow more than the $500 income allowance. Also allow higher income allowances for people on PWD benefits who marry. n

Human Design Solutions Ltd. Universal by Design ✓✓ Site Audits of Institutional, Commercial and Industrial Facilities for the Access and Inclusion of All Users ✓✓ Custom New Home and Renovation Design Services ✓✓ Disability Awareness Training Programs Patrick Simpson

604-803-7443

Brad McCannell

604-838-6927

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www.barrierfreedesign.ca

Human Design Solutions Ltd. is a Division of Canadian Barrier Free Design Inc.

Introducing Chip our Universal Housing Advisor and PADS Certified Service Dog. Chip = Canine Housing Industry Professional

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

Planned Giving

A New Way to Contribute 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 support 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 someone 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.

Tax savings

Benefits

To learn more

There are many benefits to Planned Giving. By writing down your wishes, you will have increased 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 registered Canadian charity is taxdeductible. And, your Planned Gift helps the BCCPD to be here in the future for those who need us.

You can realize significant tax savings with Planned Giving. For example, stocks, bonds and mutual 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 beneficiary in a life insurance policy, you do not incur any costs now and a tax receipt is issued when the estate is settled.

You’ve always been there for others. It’s part of who you are. Now, you can continue to give beyond your lifetime 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.

Our 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 Jane Dyson at the BCCPD at jwd@bccpd.bc.ca or 604-875-0188. She will send you BCCPD Planned Giving information for you to review with your financial planner or lawyer, family and friends. n

BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

page 23

SUMMER 2011

transition

subscription form

Yes, I would like to receive Transition magazine 4 times per year. Please add me to your mailing list; I am enclosing my $15 annual subscription fee. Name _____________________________

Leaving No One Behind Every organization should be prepared for an emergency, but are you? Is your organization prepared to deliver its services to your most vulnerable clients if a disaster hits? How will your organization respond to a large scale emergency? Since 2006, BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) has initiated several communitybased projects to make emergency planning more inclusive of people with disabilities. Through our partnership with Volunteer Canada, we have now trained 20 trainers from disability organizations and volunteer centres from BC, Yukon, Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick to deliver our community training

Find and follow BCCPD at www.bccpd.bc.ca/links.htm.

SUMMER 2011

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Organization _____________________________

in emergency planning for people with disabilities. The training manual we created, Prepare to Survive–Prepare to Help, is full of exercises and resources for community groups who want to play a role in emergency planning and response in their communities. The manual can be downloaded at no charge from our website at http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/projects/emergency.htm. You can also see our other manuals and resources on emergency preparedness. For more information, please contact Karen Martin, BCCPD’s Emergency Preparedness Project Coordinator at karen@bccpd.bc.ca or 604-875-0188.

_____________________________ Address ____________________________ _____________________________ City/Prov _____________________ Postal Code ___________________ Phone _______________________ Email ________________________ _____________________________ Please check one: I’d like to receive Transition in the following format: ❒❒ PDF (by email) ❒❒ I’ll read it online ❒❒ Paper (by mail) ❒❒ Text disc (by mail) ❒❒ Audio tape (by mail)

The Social Organization Framework for Emergency Planning: Community Training in Disability Issues project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnership Program – Disability Component.

Please make cheques payable to “BCCPD” and send to us at Transition, c/o BCCPD, 204 - 456 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5Y 1R3.

“The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.” n

For information on BCCPD’s privacy policy, see the Privacy Statement in this Transition.

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250

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175

125

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BC Coalition of People with Disabilities | Transition

page 25

SUMMER 2011