B6
M O N D A Y, D E C E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 8
S A S K AT O O N S TA R P H O E N I X
international Day of persons with Disabilities MINISTER’S MESSAGE
STATEMENT fRoM ThE hoNouRAblE PAul MERRIMAN, MINISTER of SocIAl SERvIcES
Paul Merriman, Saskatchewan Minister of Social Services. Suppl ied p h o to The Government of Saskatchewan has joined the world in recognizing and celebrating December 3, 2018, as International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was
first proclaimed by the United Nations in 1992 to increase awareness and understanding of disability issues and trends, and to mobilize support for practical action by, with and for persons with disabilities. This year’s theme is “empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.” In 2018, the Government of Saskatchewan promoted the inclusion of persons with disabilities with a number of actions: ■ Autism Spectrum Disorder Individualized Funding was successfully launched in July. ■ So far this year, 34 people have transitioned out of Valley View Centre into communities of choice and the province has funded 11 group homes that have opened this year.
■ The Early Learning Deaf and Hard of Hearing “Children Communicating, Connecting and in Community” pilot program was launched in Regina and Saskatoon. ■ Homecare Individualized Funding was increased by $1.2 million annually, so more Saskatchewan residents can access the funding option and have choice over their services. ■ The Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Program is being set up to provide all babies born in the majority of Saskatchewan hospitals with a screening test to detect hearing loss at an earlier age. ■ Streamlined application process for students with permanent disabilities seeking post-secondary education grants.
The Adapted Physical Activities Symposium (APAS) took place Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 at the RCMP Heritage Centre. The conference focused on removing barriers that prevent physically disabled people from being physically active. p hot o: SaS kat chewan w heelchair Sp ort S aS Sociat ion
Knocking down barriers to physical activity by Carol T odd
Five artists – Dale, Faith, Irene, Jack and Karlie – were selected from SARC’s members to collaborate on an art piece that reflects the organization’s past 50 years and future direction. S u p p l i e d p h o to
SARC commemorates 50 years with art piece by Melanie Weis s
It’s been an incredible year celebrating SARC’s 50th Anniversary. Throughout the year, we have been reflecting on those 50 years – how societal views and philosophies on providing services to people experiencing disability have changed and continue to change, and how SARC Members have been at the forefront of leading that change in Saskatchewan. We wanted to do something special to mark this milestone, and we decided that creating a commemorative art piece would be a fun way to do it. Early in 2018, SARC put out a call for artists to SARC members to submit the names of people they support who have a particular love of art and creative expression and would want to help with this project. Four names were randomly selected to collaborate with Karlie King, another artist from Regina. The wonderful people at Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming (SCYAP)
lent us the studio space, and we were off to work! The five artists shared their ideas and talents to create an art piece that reflects on the past 50 years and what the next 50 years looks like for people experiencing disability. Profiled in a documentary video about the experience, Amy McNeil, SARC’s Executive Director, said, “In the past, it was common practice to label people with intellectual disabilities as mentally retarded, or mentally handicapped. They were placed in institutions, segregated schools or workplaces, and in those locations, they had very few rights and they had very few experiences and opportunities. Choices were made for them, not by them. Today, individuals experiencing disability live among their friends, their family, they hold down jobs, they vote, own homes, play sports, volunteer, make music and create art just like the pieces of art that we have been creating.” During the brainstorming, the group identified that
it wanted the art piece to reflect this evolution and show movement, momentum, inclusion, and positivity. It will serve as a visual cornerstone for SARC and our Members on how far we have come and the progress we want to make into the next 50 years. The unveiling took place at a banquet at SARC’s annual Fall Conference on October 24, 2018. It was a wonderful celebration with our Members, and we were thrilled to have our five artists – Karlie, Dale, Faith, Irene, and Jack – there with us! SARC Members are passionate about supporting people to direct their own lives according to their dreams and goals; it is a very exciting time, and SARC looks forward to the continued work with our Members to support people to live in inclusive communities. To watch the documentary video on the development of our commemorative art piece, visit: https://www. sarcsarcan.ca/sarc50 Weiss is the director of member services with SARC.
A symposium held in Regina over the past weekend has shone the light on the innovative ways activities can be adapted to improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. The three-day Adapted Physical Activities Symposium (APAS) at the RCMP Heritage Centre featured a wide cross-section of speakers and far-ranging discussions on everything from athletes to diet to sleep, all aimed at finding ways to improve wellness, quality of life and independence for the physically disabled. This was the third such symposium, with Saskatchewan and Alberta joining forces to create an interprovincial symposium that alternates between the two provinces. “We wanted to bring some attention and awareness to the adaptive physical activities that are out there in Saskatchewan, and also things that might be out there that you might not have heard of or not know the benefits of,” said Owen Carlson, executive director of First Steps Wellness Centre, one of the organizers, and the chair of the conference. His hope is that the conference will help “knock down as many barriers as possible“ that may be keeping physically disabled people from being physically active. The conference brought together industry professionals, educators and students, and people with disabilities, as well as representatives of policy makers, advocacy groups and community organizations. Carlson said the organizing committee also came from a broad section of organizations. “The organizing committee is very diverse, so we wanted people of all
stages and all physical disabilities,” he said, adding the conference focused on physical disabilities only. Carlson said the symposium covered a broad spectrum of issues, including speakers from the sports world and the scientific community. “So, whether it be recreation or physical activity or high performance sport, we’re sort of trying to cover all those,” he said. Among the science experts was Dr. Kristin Musselman, of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, who discussed functional electrical stimulation (FES), the use of low energy electrical pulses to artificially generate body movements in individuals who have been paralyzed due to injury to the central nervous system. Saskatchewan-born Carla Nicholls, the para team coach with Athletics Canada and two-time Olympic team coach, was one of the several sports-related speakers, while representatives of Sask Sport brought information about potential funding for individuals or organizations to help address another of the barriers Carlson speaks of. “There are actually some pretty good funding opportunities now to get your child or yourself involved in disability sport, because we know cost can be a barrier,” he said. While the science added to participants’ knowledge base, it was the personal testimonials that really brought the message home for attendees. Chris Cederstrand, a motivational speaker and firefighter from Martensville who lost a leg during a construction accident, said that “scars should remind you of where you have been; they shouldn’t dictate where you go.” He took his love of hockey back to the ice, becoming a Team Canada
sledge hockey player, helping his team earn a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships. In sledge, or para, players sit on specially designed sleds with skate blades under the seat. Two sticks are used to not only pass, stickhandle and shoot the puck, but also to propel and maneuver the sledges. And, Regina-born Bobbie Cherepuschak took aim at the issue of leisure and recreation for people with disabilities. As part of the panel “Pathways to Recreation, Sport and Leisure,” Cherepuschak spoke about his experiences hunting from a wheelchair. Born with Spinabifida, he is an avid hunter and sportsman, and an advocate for adapted activities “beyond the norm.” Carlson said that having people like Cherepuschak helps people understand that people with physical disabilities also face barriers when it comes to leisure activities. “You think, ‘How is that possible to go hunting in a wheelchair? But he’s got everything adapted; he’s got everything figured out,” Carlson said. While the conference cast a light on many of the issues surrounding adapting various activities to help people with physical disabilities enjoy a full and quality life, there remains a need for rehabilitation services such as those provided by the Reginabased First Steps Wellness Centre. Opened in 2010, the centre offers rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries as a follow-up after in-patient rehab. “It’s sort of a post-rehab rehab centre. This is made to complement inpatient rehab,” Carlson said. A children’s program was added in 2016 and the centre has now expanded into Vancouver and Manitoba, with another planned for Quebec.
THIS STORY WAS PROVIDED BY SARC FOR AWARENESS PURPOSES.
We have you covered...
We Can Help. Our experience in CPP Disability Application & Appeals gets results.
Call (306) 352-6221 Toll Free 1(877) 793-3222 dcac@sasktel.net
The Saskatchewan Wheelchair Sports Association supports many different areas of activities for individuals with mobility impairment, including athletics, basketball, curling, rugby, sledge hockey, shooting, skiing and tennis. phot o: SaS kat chewan w heelchair Sp ort S aS Sociat ion THIS SECTION WAS CREATED BY CONTENT WORKS, POSTMEDIA’S COMMERCIAL CONTENT DIVISION.
www.dcac.ca 10135052-03_1_1
10138052-01_1_1