On Thursday, May, 27th, 2010, join thousands of Canadians from coast to coast in CNIB’s first ever Shades of Fun Day. Be part of something that makes a difference and help give people with vision loss the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life

Slip on your favourite shades to protect your eyes from sun damage, and raise money in support of CNIB’s vital programs and services for blind and partially sighted Canadians. It’s easy: just choose a fundraising activity that matches your shade of fun, get your family, friends and colleagues involved, and then have a good time for a great cause!

Visit www.shadesoffunday.ca to learn more.

(No. 99 - March 11, 2010 - 11:15 a.m. ET) The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced that, with the support of all provinces and territories, the Government of Canada has ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at United Nations headquarters in New York City.

“Canada is committed to promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and enabling their full participation in society,” said Minister Cannon. “Ratification of this convention underscores the Government of Canada’s strong commitment to this goal.”

“Canada is proud to have been one of the first countries to originally sign the Convention in 2007,” said Minister Finley. “The ratification of this agreement is just further acknowledgement that Canada is a world leader in providing persons with disabilities the same opportunities in life as all Canadians.”

“Today is a momentous day for Canadians with disabilities and their families,” said Bendina Miller, President of the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL). “CACL is thrilled that Canada has ratified the Convention. Canada has been an international leader on disability and human rights, and through ratification can continue to play this important role. CACL looks forward to working with the Government of Canada on implementing and monitoring compliance with the Convention.”

“The Government of Canada’s ratification today of the Convention is a historic event for Canadians with disabilities,” said Marie White, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities. “It signals the end of an era where people with disabilities were seen as objects of charity. Ratification of the Convention makes real our goal of recognition as full and equal citizens of Canada.

“Ratification of the Convention puts an end to the medical model and opens exciting new opportunities for building a more inclusive and accessible Canada. Canadians with disabilities applaud the Government of Canada for this historic action.”

“As the Government of Canada continues to play a leading role with respect to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in sport, we wish our paralympic athletes the best of luck at the upcoming Paralympic Games in Vancouver,” said Minister Cannon.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities, and to ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law.

There are approximately 4.4 million persons with disabilities in Canada—about 14.3 percent of the population.

Source: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

Eye health must be a priority for all Canadians

Toronto, ON – For the month of May, Canadian vision health charity, CNIB, introduces the first ever Vision Health Month – a national campaign to promote eye health and raise vital funds for the organization’s programs and services.

According to CNIB researchers, there are 836,000 Canadians living with vision loss. Even more astounding is that 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable. “With greater public awareness of the risks, many Canadians could avoid losing their sight each year. That’s why the campaign is so important,” says CNIB President and CEO John M. Rafferty.

“Vision Health Month is about reminding people to put their eye health first. It is about encouraging Canadians to get regular eye exams and wearing protective sunglasses, so that we can help prevent vision loss before it starts,” he says.

Among the many initiatives being launched for Vision Health Month is CNIB’s Vision Risk Assessment, a short quiz developed to alert Canadians to their risk of eye disease and help prevent future vision loss. The quiz is available free of charge throughout the month of May in more than 350 retail outlets across the country, including Costco, Wal-mart and Metro supermarkets.

Also being introduced this month is the Great Canadian Yoga Stretch. The month-long fitness fundraiser includes participants from across the country setting a “stretch goal” (such as mastering a new pose or completing their first yoga class), collecting donations from friends and family, and working to achieve their goal on the yoga mat.

Taking place on May 27, Shades of Fun day is another exciting campaign in support of Vision Health Month. In this first-of-its-kind event, participants are asked to put on their sunglasses for the day to protect their eyes from UV damage, and host fundraising and awareness activities in support of CNIB.

“Shades of Fun day is designed to be fun for everybody,” says Rafferty, “Whether it’s workplace teams, families or just about anybody who’s got a pair of shades and a desire to make a difference.”

To show their support, Canadians can donate $5 by texting the word CNIB to 45678. All proceeds from Vision Health Month will go to CNIB services for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, like counselling, computer training and free access to the CNIB Library.

For more information about Vision Health Month, call CNIB at 1-800-563-2642 or visit www.cnib.ca

To speak to a CNIB Spokesperson please contact:
Yeena Peng
Specialist, Media Relations, CNIB
T: 416-486-2500 ext. 8355
C: 416-529-1628

Source: CNIB

Access 2 Entertainment is proud to announce that it now serves over 35, 000 people with disabilities across Canada, and has been in operation for 5 years.

Greater Toronto Area residents can still take advantage of the Centre for Independent Living Toronto’s (CILT) promotion for free new or renewal cards by downloading the application form on our website, or submitting their renewal forms and omitting the fee. There are over 600 free Access 2 Entertainment cards to give away, and the promotion will last as long as quantities do.

Access 2 Entertainment cardholders who have cards expiring within the next six months can renew their cards by going to the main website and downloading the renewal form: http://access2.ca . The expiry date is noted on the bottom right hand corner of the card in the format of Month/Day/Year.

Thank you to all our cardholders and venues who provide us with feedback about the card and the program. We strive to provide you with the best service possible, and love to hear how the Access 2 Entertainment card is working for you.

Contact us at:

Access 2 Entertainment
c/o Easter Seals
40 Holly Suite, Suite 401
Toronto, ON
M4S 3C3

Phone: 416-932-8382 ext. 227

Saturday Speech Therapy, Drama & Social Skills Club for Individuals with Down syndrome

We’d love to have your child join in on a fun & exciting Speech-Language Therapy program. Each child is seen individually for Speech Therapy while the remainder of the group is busy dancing, singing, acting out stories, cooking, playing co-operative games, doing crafts, dressing up, practicing a show that they will present to their families…

All activities focus on communication & socialization

Highlights
•10 sessions; 2 hour program
•School Age 1 (8-11 year olds)
Time: 9:00-11:00

• School Age 2 (7-8 year olds)
Time: 11:00-1:00

•Teen/Tween Group (12+ years)
Time: 1:30-3:30

•Preschool Group (4-6 year olds)
Time: 3:30-5:30

•goals may include articulation, speech rate, expressive & receptive language, asking for clarification, topic maintenance, initiating conversation…
•theme-based programming
•located at 30 Birch Avenue (Community Living building)
•ratio of 1 staff to 2 clients
•focus on communication and social interaction skills

Registration
•$645 if registered by March 24; $685 thereafter
•fee may be covered by private insurance or Special Services at Home
•contact Tina Gasee, Speech-Language Pathologist, for more information or to put your name on a contact list to be notified about future programs

(905) 326-9616
tgasee@hotmail.com

Tina Gasee
M.H.Sc., Reg. CASLPO
Speech-Language Pathologist
tgasee@hotmail.com
(905) 326-9616

People With Disabilities Deserve Jobs: Official
Posted By Kelly McShane, Special to the Packet and Times
Posted Mar 2, 2010

With the help of a new community support campaign, it’s going to be easier for people with disabilities to showcase their talent as part of Ontario’s workforce.

“We want to ensure that all Ontarians have the opportunities and tools they need to reach their full potential,” said Kristen Tedesco, communications coordinator for the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

Provincewide, more than 150 service providers have signed on to help hundreds of people with a wide range of disabilities find jobs.

The campaign aims to create employment opportunities for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) clients, while working to change attitudes toward the value of disabled community members in the workplace, both from the perspective of potential employers as well as from disabled people themselves.

“The campaign is two-fold: it helps employers identify talent and create a more inclusive workplace, while at the same time helping people with disabilities discover and apply their skills in the workforce,” Tedesco said.

Through the campaign, employers and potential employees can connect with employment support agencies that offer a range of employment services, including job matching and help with training and retention.

The majority of these services are free of charge.

People who leave the ODSP for paid work may be eligible for a $500 Employment Transition Benefit, as well as automatically receiving a $100 work-related benefit to help with costs, such as transportation or clothing.

“We also increased the maximum deduction for informal child-care costs from $390 to $600 per month per child to provide another child-care option for working parents,” she said.

In addition to these measures, in April 2009, the ministry exempted as income and assets the earnings of social assistance recipients attending full-time post-secondary education.

“We simplified rules around earnings exemptions, so for people on ODSP, the more you work, the more money you keep,” Tedesco said.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.mcss.gov.on.ca/talent

A unique event is coming up at the National Film Board Mediatheque – we are celebrating the launch of
Tying Your Own Shoes, an animated documentary that offers an intimate glimpse into the exceptional mindsets and emotional lives of four adult artists with Down syndrome. The event includes a screening of the film, as well as a workshop opportunity with the film’s workshops facilitators and the artists. The workshops are held on Sun March 14 and March 21 at 10AM.

The event is free but there is limited space – please call to reserve a spot at 416-973-3012.

Date: January 29, 2010 For immediate release
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER NAMES FIVE OUTSTANDING CANADIANS TO SENATE

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today filled five vacancies in the Senate.

Appointed are Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu (QC), Bob Runciman (ON), Vim Kochhar (ON), Elizabeth (Beth) Marshall (NL) and Rose-May Poirier (NB). These appointments give the Government a plurality of seats in the Upper House.

Vim Kochhar is the President and founder of the Vimal Group of Companies in Toronto. Working for InterContinental Hotels and Howard Johnson Hotels, he was responsible for project management of major hotels around the world.

For the past 30 years, Mr. Kochhar has played an active role in the community by creating the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons. Through this foundation, Mr. Kochhar has created the annual Great Valentine Galas, the Terry Fox Hall of Fame, Rolling Rampage for elite wheelchair athletes, the Canadian Helen Keller Centre, Rotary Cheshire Homes for the Deaf-Blind, and the WhyNot Marathon for the Paralympics. He has also been a friend of Easter Seals and has attended some of their meetings and events over the years. He is currently serving as Board Member for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and as Chair of the Canadian Paralympic Foundation.

Among many other distinctions, Mr. Kochhar was chosen by India Abroad as one of the 30 most influential Canadians of Indian origin. Born in India, Mr. Kochhar received his engineering degree at the University of Texas and immigrated to Canada in 1967, becoming a Canadian citizen in 1974.

United Nations — Associated Press
Published December 2, 2009

Musician Stevie Wonder attends the NBA game between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center on November 24, 2009 in Los Angeles. Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

Blind pop star will focus on helping people with disabilities

The UN chief is naming blind pop star Stevie Wonder a United Nations Messenger of Peace to focus on helping people with disabilities.

United Nations spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Wonder’s designation as a UN peace envoy will be officially announced on Thursday by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

She said the singer-songwriter, who has won 25 Grammy awards, is being recognized for his philanthropic work with the U.S. President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and Junior Blind of America.

Wonder will be the 11th UN Messenger of Peace, joining a list of notable figures including Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, actor Michael Douglas, primate expert Jane Goodall and conductor Daniel Barenboim.

Source: Globe and Mail