The thesaurus might equate “disabled” with synonyms like “useless” and “mutilated,” but ground-breaking paraplegic runner Aimee Mullins is out to redefine the word. Defying these associations, she hows how adversity — in her case, being born without shinbones — actually opens the door for human potential.
For more on Aimee Mullins, click here.
Laura Secord Gives Back!From February 22 to March 5, 2010 a portion of the proceeds of all Laura Secord Easter Cream Eggs will go towards Easter Seals. All funds raised in English Canada will support active living programs and Easter Seals camp experiences for children with disabilities.
Visit your local Laura Secord store and show your support for Easter Seals kids!
Currently with over 130 company-owned stores across the country, Laura Secord is Canada’s largest and best known chocolatier, selling premium chocolates, ice cream and other types of candies. With more than 400 products, Laura Secord still follows the time-honoured recipes and dedication to quality and excellent customer service as when the company first started. Every product carries an unconditional guarantee for quality. Laura Secord is dedicated to helping the community. They make many product donations every year to registered charities helping children and youth.
Visit: www.laurasecord.ca
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that the Government of Canada today tabled in the House of Commons the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Tabling a treaty, such as the Convention, allows Parliament to review and discuss it before the government ratifies it.
“The government’s tabling of the Convention on the day the United Nations officially designates the International Day of Persons with Disabilities demonstrates Canada’s strong commitment to removing obstacles and creating opportunities for persons with disabilities,” said Minister MacKay. “The Convention is important internationally because it is the first international human rights treaty that explicitly reaffirms existing human rights guarantees for persons with disabilities.”
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on December 13, 2006. Canada was among the first countries to sign it when it was opened for signature on March 30, 2007.
The Government of Canada sought the views of the provinces, territories and the Canadian public, in particular the community of persons with disabilities. Their views and recommendations made over the course of the consultations will continue to play an important role in informing any future measures that may be taken post-ratification of the Convention at the federal level.
“The Convention will serve to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity,” said the Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. “Once ratified, it will complement domestic laws, as well as provide an opportunity for Canada to share its best practices in areas such as equality, reasonable accommodation and accessibility.”
“The Government of Canada continues to invest in programs and services to meet the needs of Canadians with disabilities and provide them with the same access to opportunities that all Canadians enjoy,” said the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “Ratification of the Convention will give us the opportunity both to recognize the many contributions that people with disabilities make to society, and to acknowledge the progress we continue to make as a society towards the full inclusion of people with disabilities.”
(Chicago. Dec. 3) Recognizing that people with disabilities have an important role to play in their communities, and that empowering people with disabilities to contribute plays an essential role in global development, Easter Seals commends the United Nations for its work on this International Day of Persons with Disabilities. To successfully achieve the Millennium Development Goals, we, as global citizens, must address development challenges from a comprehensive perspective — one that respects the needs and rights of all populations, including the 10 percent of world citizens who live with a disability. We applaud the efforts of the United Nations on this day, and we express our solidarity and support of the advances made on behalf of persons with disabilities.
Since 1919, Easter Seals has sought to make the vision of our founder Edgar “Daddy” Allen a reality. Allen began an international movement, and wrote in 1922 that “We have but one life to live. We get nothing out of that life except by putting something into it. To relieve suffering, to help the unfortunate, to do kind acts and deeds is, after all, the one sure way to secure happiness or to achieve real success. Your life and mine shall be valued not by what we take … but by what we give.”
Today, Easter Seals in the United States and Puerto Rico, with our affiliate Ability First Australia and our global partner Easter Seals Canada, are working together to meet the needs of millions of children and adults with disabilities and their families. Easter Seals President and Chief Executive Officer James E. Williams, Jr., states that “Today, our vision is to grow our services and our expertise to serve millions more, and to lend a hand wherever we are able.”
Easter Seals Canada is a federation of 10 provincial Easter Seals organizations who have served Canadians with disabilities for more than eighty years. Working together this network is the leading provider of services to children and families living with disabilities, assisting more than 100,000 Canadians annually. Programs and services provided by Easter Seals organizations across Canada include, specialized summer camps and active living programs, respite facilities, and the provision of mobility, access equipment and family support services. For more information visit: www.easterseals.ca
“Our goal for the future is to enable full recognition of diverse abilities within more accessible Canadian communities” said Max Beck, CEO of Easter Seals Canada.
About Easter Seals in the U.S.
Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical and mental disabilities, and other special needs. For nearly 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them.
Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play in their communities. To learn more, visit www.easterseals.com
About Ability First Australia
Ability First Australia was formed in 2002 when the following state-based organisations agreed to join forces to better meet the needs of children and families living with disability.
The founding organizations are Cootharinga North Queensland; MontroseAccess, Queensland; Northcott Disability Services, New South Wales; Novita Children’s Services, South Australia; Rocky Bay Inc, Western Australia; and St. Giles Society, Tasmania. Member organisations offer an impressive profile of services, supporting 65,000 Australians with a disability and their families nationwide.
A combined workforce of 2,000 employees and annual combined operating costs in excess of $100 million support the complex needs of the individuals who receive services from Ability First Australia members. In addition, more than 3,000 Australians volunteer their time and expertise each year to assist member organisations to achieve their goals. Visit www.abilityfirstaustralia.com.au to learn more.
Ability First Australia’s Chief Executive Officer Glenn Gardner says “Today more than ever we value working in partnership with others whose aim is to see that persons with disabilities are provided with opportunities which enable them to make, wherever possible, their own life choices “
It is an exhilarating time for Access 2 Entertainment card holders because the program is expanding its scope to include a selection of cultural and recreational attractions across Canada. Over the past few years, the Access 2 team has received many requests from card holders and their families to extend the benefits of the card beyond movie theatres to other venues and attractions.
We are pleased to announce that starting in August; selected venues across Canada will be accepting the Access 2 Entertainment card. Using the same card that you use at the movie theatres, you will now be able to bring your attendant in for free to attractions that are brand new to the Access 2 program.
Enjoy live music and theatre at the Harbour Front Centre, or engage your mind at the Royal Ontario Museum. Explore the newly renovated space of the Art Gallery of Ontario or take in the breathtaking views of Toronto’s skyline from the CN Tower. Just show your card, no questions asked. For updates and a complete and comprehensive list of new attractions that are accepting the card, please visit www.access2.ca
In addition to the exciting expansion of the Access 2 Entertainment program for existing card holders, we are also pleased to offer an opportunity for prospective card holders in the Greater Toronto Area. In celebration of the Centre for Independent Living Toronto’s 25th anniversary, and with the support of a generous gift from the Dickson Play Fund, Access 2 Entertainment is offering 1,000 free Access 2 cards to CILT members and people with disabilities in the Greater Toronto Area. To view the details, please visit www.access2.ca
Since 2004, Access 2 Entertainment has been committed to expanding recreational opportunities for people with disabilities and helping businesses improve their customer service standards. To date, over 32,000 people have signed up for the Access 2 card. Many of these card holders can attest to the success of the program and its ability to reduce isolation for people with disabilities, promote a healthy lifestyle and facilitate access to a broad range of recreational, leisure, social and entertainment opportunities.
For more information, please visit www.access2.ca or call 416-932-8382 x 227
By Heather Kuttai, Easter Seals Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Abilities Council
The seemingly daily improvements to the technologies we use to communicate, work, socialize, learn, and be creative do not often start conversations. We have come to expect our e-tools to work faster, better, and more effectively. Rather, we speak out on the occasions when our computers slow down or our mobile phones cease to work, and our patience has been exhausted.
But what does technology mean for people who can not necessarily join the conversation?
For people with disabilities, well implemented technology is the voice that allows them to join the conversation. New and sophisticated assistive augmented communication devices, for example, can allow a person to touch a computer screen in order to ‘speak’ and interact. Sip-and-puff devices can select and navigate computerized interfaces by controlling breath inhalations and exhalations. In essence, technology provides possibilities.
Finding those possibilities is the main focus of Reg Bartsch, Electronics Technologist with the Adaptive Technology Department at the Saskatchewan Abilities Council. Reg’s passion for discovering hidden potential began in his childhood when he would regularly take things apart and try to find a better way to make something work before putting it all back together. When Reg was an active farmer he believed that technology could help him work better, and he recalls using computers long before they were popular. This faith in finding alternative and better ways of doing things keeps Reg grounded when he looks for the potential for technology to help people with disabilities. Sometimes looking for that potential takes a while.
Just Wait
Paradoxically, while the technology Reg uses is becoming more efficient and ‘faster’, waiting is a critical part of his job. When implementing augmented communication tools, for example, it may take four minutes or longer for a client to answer a question. Time invested in patience and waiting during an assessment ensures that Reg does not “miss something.” Not waiting, and by consequence missing something, could be dire if it means a client loses a chance to control his or her environment or the ability to communicate.
Reg explains that the first goal of assessing a person’s abilities is to find a ‘switch site’, one muscle, big or small, that can be consistently controlled. If you can blink your eye regularly, for example, you can control a switch. If you can control a switch you can, potentially, control parts of your environment. You could turn lights on and off, change the channel on your television, adjust your thermostat, or use a computer. This kind of control, for someone who may experience very little control of his or her body, circumstances, or space, can have empowering results.
Being able to touch a screen or activate a switch and say ‘hello’ or ask for a drink or tissue, creates increased and empowered personal control. Self-determination and self-confidence are similarly bolstered when, through the use of communication technology, a person can assert his or herself and say, “Do not raise your voice to me,” or “Do not interrupt me when I am talking.” A child can communicate with their family, a student can ask questions of their teacher or talk with friends, and an adult can express himself or herself independently.
Reg says that it might sound simple but an important part of his job is his belief that everyone matters. Nothing is more rewarding for him when he knows a little technology has made lives better for clients with disabilities who he serves.
For more on Easter Seals Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, visit www.abilitiescouncil.sk.ca
Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli was born on July 28, 1984 in Montreal, Canada. He was born with Arthrogryposis (multiplex congenital), which is a muscle disorder that limits motion in the joints. Typically, this rare disorder can affect the whole body but fortunately in Luca’s case, it affects only his legs.
In 1999 at age 15, Luca an avid dancer started to “break” during high school. The real reason for his newfound interest was actually on-going knee surgery that left him unable to continue skateboarding. Noting his muscular arms, and natural athleticism, Luca’s friends thought he would do well in this extremely dynamic activity. They took him to his first Break-Dance competition, and since then, it became his passion.
In 2002, ‘‘Lazylegz’’ moved back to Montreal, and began learning the secrets of the vast, evolving Street Culture that helped form his greater appreciation of the Hip Hop Community. Through hard work and dedication, Luca developed a unique style, which incorporates both strength and crutches. In 2004, he joined forces with Canadian break-dance crew, Illmatic Styles, and won major North American events such as Back to the Underground, Last Man Standing. His newest crew ILL-Abilities, is a unique International BBoy crew that he founded consisting of dancers with disabilities only. Presently there are 4 “Ill-Abled” dancers, each with their own distinct style and character.
Today Luca resides in the city of Montreal, attending Concordia University, majoring in Marketing. Luca’s crutches are used in the same way as shoes; ‘’they are more of an accessory than a necessity’’. His disability never stopped him from accomplishing what doctors and most people considered impossible and according to Luca, it has helped him become the man he is today.
For more information about Ill Abilities, check out their website at:
http://www.lazylegz.com
Victoria, BC - With $564,286 unveiled yesterday morning at the Closing Ceremonies of the 15th Annual Vancouver Island Money Mart Easter Seals 24 Hour Relay for the Kids, the event has now raised almost $7 million over the past fifteen years. Participants from all up the island pushed their limit of endurance, stamina, and fun over the weekend as they celebrated months of fundraising for Vancouver Island’s children with disabilities. Over 30,000 donors from our island communities gave generously to support this key community event.
Over 2,500 runners, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters enjoyed the festive atmosphere at the University of Victoria. Funds raised will ensure the continued operation of the Easter Seals Camp Shawnigan, a specialized summer camping program where children with disabilities enjoy a weeklong experience at no cost to their families.
“The dedication that has gone into this event from the teams, the volunteers and the community has made this event a mainstay in Victoria for the last 15 years,” says Cliff LeQuesne, the event’s honourary co-chair. “To successfully raise almost 7 million in the past 15 years is an accomplishment that every team and supporter can be proud of.”
Top industry fundraising teams were:
• Public Service Division - “Hodgepodge Harriers” - $8,343.51
• Corporate Division - “Team Fusion” - $11,152.36
• Small Business Division - “Team CareBearz” - $15,512.91
• Recreational Division - “Sooke Lioness Lions” - $19,396.07
Overall top 5 fundraising teams were:
• #1 Fundraising Team - “Aisles of Smiles” - Thrifty Foods - $33,121.50
• #2 Fundraising Team - “Sooke Lioness Lions” - $19,396.07
• #3 Fundraising Team - “Team Carebearz” - $15,512.91
• #4 Fundraising Team - “Team Fusion” - $11,152.36
• #5 Fundraising Team - “Lightning Crickets” - $10,836.22
“Dangerous When Wet” won the Top Mileage Award, running a total of 130 laps and “Team Carebearz” won Best Campsite Award with their Care Bears theme. “All Miller - No Filler” was awarded the prestigious Best Team Spirit Award to sole team member Jon Miller for his amazing spirit. Jon ran 60 laps for a full 24 hours.
National title sponsor of the Relay is National Money Mart. Major sponsors of the Relay are Thrifty Foods, University of Victoria, 100.3 the Q!, The Zone @ 91.3, Times Colonist, CHEK NEWS, Ric’s Grill, Sharp’s Audio Visual, Caorda Web Solutions.
