OPTIONS NEWSLETTER

Winter 2015

311A-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6 PH: 204-947-0194 (TTY) Toll F: 1-800-663-3043 Fax: 204-943-6625 Email:thecentre@ilrc.mb.ca Web: www.ilrc.mb.ca

Chairperson Lori Ross Vice–Chairperson Brian Baldwin Treasurer Linda Ross Secretary Arnie Klymchuk Directors Martin Nyachoti Sharon Olson John Pinkerton George Russell Darlene Marcoux Giselle Bernardo Ken Shachtay Executive Director John Young Created/Edited through the ILRC Options Newsletter Committee. The views and opinions expressed in this edition are those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of ILRC.

Snowball Effect: Pushing for

Change

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From the Soapbox John Young

andi Transit is a big problem in Winnipeg. Persons with disabilities want to be active in the community.

They want to volunteer. They want to work and raise families. They need groceries. But without dependable and accessible transportation, this kind of independence is not possible. The complaints have mounted to the point where the Independent Living Resource Centre is asking the Manitoba Ombudsman to investigate the City of Winnipeg’s failing Handi Transit system. Handi Transit was designed to run parallel to the public bus system. It is supported by taxpayers at both the municipal and provincial levels and people who use it pay the same bus fares as everyone else. It is supposed to provide persons with disabilities and seniors with a fair, equitable and reasonably equivalent service to regular transit. Imagine being in a wheelchair when it is 40 below and having a ride to the doctor’s office, but are denied a return trip home. Users are required to book two days in advance and are given a haphazard time slot that may or may not work with daily routine. Jane is a real person who has used Handi Transit since early 2004. Jane was recently denied the use of Handi Transit. She had medical evidence from her doctor and specialist stating her cerebral palsy results in instability and risk to her, especially in winter. She cannot take regular transit. Handi Transit’s in-house occupational therapists disagreed. They had Jane walk around a building on a sunny spring day and because she performed well in perfect conditions, they

overrode her medical practitioners’ advice. Now Jane is without safe and accessible transportation. Decisions are arbitrary and the appeal process is governed by Handi Transit management. Their decisions are final, there is no independent reviewer and no input from consumers who rely on the service. The list goes on: fines for no-shows or cancellations in spite of contrary evidence, invasive application procedures, lack of driver training on disability issues and supports —- as a contracted service, Handi Transit drivers receive about one hour of training compared to the week of training a regular operator receives — Handi Transit management occupying key seats on the appeal process, unjustified refusal of service with no written reasons, unrealistic delays and scheduling conflicts. The latest indignity is that passengers are required to establish a bank account to pre-pay fares, and Handi Transit is now withdrawing funds and fines from these customer accounts unilaterally. It appears that Handi Transit is not an integral part of overall urban transit policy and is not governed by a coherent regulatory framework as are other areas of public transportation. The transportation system for people with disabilities has less legislation, regulation and oversight governing it than that which governs the movement of residential garbage. Literally, the level that the City of Winnipeg controls and monitors the transportation of garbage has more oversight than the transportation of vulnerable people. Modern management practices are predicated on transparency and accountability, especially for services funded by taxpayers. Yet in 2015, Handi Transit does not have a policy manual. The ‘policy manual’ consists of information posted piece-meal on its website. What people with disabilities are experiencing is in sharp contrast to those using the regular transit system. Winnipeg's

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regular transit users would not stand for unfair administrative processes, discriminatory eligibility rules and an exhausting, arbitrary and opaque bureaucracy. Why are those with disabilities expected to shoulder this system? Hand Transit is killing the promise of universal access and a high quality of life for all citizens. Which, by the way, is the law in Manitoba.

Did You Know? Chelsey Sommerfield

new taxi cab company just launched November 1st, 2015. Western Taxi promotes itself as a completely

accessible fleet with 6 wheelchair accessible vans. Their service runs 24 hours, seven days a week. If you are interested, call or text 204-298-6663 or email shobo74@hotmail.com The 2015 Tax Year is just around the corner and you may be entitled to more credits than you know. Non-refundable tax credits will reduce the amount of taxes you owe while refundable credits puts money right into your pocket. For more information go to the Canada Revenue Agency website at www.cra.gc.ca/disability or call them toll free 1-800-959-8281.

Silvert’s Adaptive Clothing & Footwear is an online shopping store for men and women’s clothing and footwear. Check them out online at www.silverts.com or call toll free at 1-800-387-7088 to receive a free catalog. Children and youth seeking help for stress and other mental health conditions and illnesses now have access to a new website called StressHacks. It is geared toward children and youth between the ages of 10 and 24. It provides quick suggestions - hacks - that will help individuals to decide if and when they need help, how to find help, and offers self-help tips and resources. Check out their website at www.stresshacks.ca The ILRC’s Independent Living Skills Workshops topics are chosen by you not us! We want to hear what the disability community at large wants to learn about. Call or email thecentre@ilrc.mb.ca if there is a workshop that you hope to see come up. Fall 2015 topics included adaptive sports, money management and connecting in cyber space. Stay tuned for 2016 Workshops!

Global Entrepreneurship Week Robert Mitchell

very November, usually in the third week, governments recognize Global Entrepreneurship Week. According to

the host website, “Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is a celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch start-ups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. During one week each November, GEW inspires people everywhere through local, national

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and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators.” We have long espoused the positive contributions of Canadian small and medium sized businesses, most of which are derived from one person’s dream and aspiration to create a long standing business and community contribution. We have heard from government representatives that the global economy depends on these small proprietorships and partnerships to create jobs, inject monies into growing economies and develop new and innovative services and products to benefit larger and larger groups of people. And yet, persons with disabilities continue to be under-represented in the small and medium entrepreneur market. The education levels remain high and yet entrepreneurs with disabilities continue to experience the real barriers in attitude and business environment that prevent their full integration. The concept of inclusive entrepreneurship should create a call to action for policy makers and government leaders to increase Inclusive Economic Growth for people with disabilities and small and medium sized enterprises. Part of the message of the Urban Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Project (UEDP) is to stimulate discussion on inclusion, that a business idea should not be limited by capital and collateral alone. It should be a community endeavour to integrate entrepreneurs with disabilities on education, skills and ideas. The majority of capital lending power in the community is controlled by financial institutions. Although micro-loans and small grants exist, the ability to secure funding is largely based on dollar-per-dollar matching or leverage power. Without accessible funding for those considered under-qualified, there is a huge barrier for entrepreneurs with disabilities. Hopefully, a new and invigorated

Federal government can bring back the partnership development programs targeting employment and entrepreneurship for Canadians with disabilities because, as we know in the community, the demographic of persons with disabilities is growing and will soon surpass 1 in 5 Canadians. Lend your voice to the movement. Visit the Global Entrepreneurship Network at http://wearegen.co/gew or contact the UEDP at 204-947-0194 for more information on starting a business in Winnipeg.

My Fashion Choices Margita Tobolkova

y closet used to be full of beautiful business suits and lovely blouses to go with it. I had four comfortable

pumps of basic colours to go with everything - black, dark blue, beige and white. I was never a shoe person. But those days are gone. I don’t work in an office anymore. Now, I go for comfort and warmth. My age might have something to do with it too. I am amazed at young ladies: they can wear shoes with spiky high heels. I could never do that. I would surely break my ankles, or at least sprain one. I am a tennis shoe person most of the time. In summer, I have some comfy sandals. For winter and for hiking, I have a couple of Vibram boots, also very comfy. I do have a pair of nice pumps that I wear once in a blue moon, like when one of

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my nieces gets married. And that just about does it for my footwear. When my niece got married nearly two years ago, she had a very beautiful wedding gown. It might have been considered strapless, but she did have some “shoe laces” for straps. This was in early February. It was heavily snowing on her wedding day. In this weather, with naked shoulders, she had her wedding photo taken outdoors. If it were me, I would have ended up in bed covered with a dozen hot water bottles. Her bridesmaid and one of her sisters wore beautiful dresses with completely exposed backs. It was giving me shivers just to look at it. Once I asked my niece - “Won’t you be cold in that?” I just got a lot of laughs. That’s how you can tell my age. I travel by bus all the time. I see very young mothers with strollers using the bus. It could be -30 degree temperature, but they like to expose their cleavage no matter what. Who are they trying to impress? To contrast that, I travel bundled up from head to toe. At my age, I doubt anyone would be interested in my cleavage, but I prefer warmth anyway. What about coats and jackets? I have some really nice ones, but I save them for special occasions. I walk my dog a few times a day. We meet other dogs that like to jump on me, sometimes with their muddy paws. That’s not the time for elegant coats. So I wear coats and jackets that I can throw in a washing machine. Well, that just about sums it up for my sense of fashion. An actress once said that she dresses for women and undresses for men. Well, I dress for comfort and warmth and undress for the shower.

Momentum – Looking Back but Going Forward Emily Ternette

ver the past 30 years, people with disabilities have seen a number of positive changes occur that have

helped us to become more included in mainstream society. When I first became involved with the disability community in the late 1970s, the main focus was on physical access – that is, wheelchair accessibility – to public buildings such as doctors’ offices, schools, transportation, and the workplace. Were there wheelchair ramps into buildings? Did stairs have handrails for those who could manage the stairs? Did public washrooms have wheelchair accessible stalls? Then, in 1977, the emphasis turned towards developing a transportation system that would be a parallel system to the public bus system – and Handi-Transit was born. Handi-Transit, which is run by the City of Winnipeg, was meant to be a door-to-door service for people with disabilities who meet certain conditions (you have to use a wheelchair or scooter, be visually impaired, as well as meet other criteria such as being unable to walk a certain distance). The disability community has had a long history with Handi-Transit in trying to make it user-friendly for everyone - and there have been many pitfalls along the way. In 1996, Handi-Transit was privatized, whereby the City of Winnipeg hired private companies to provide scheduled trips. The City would continue to take trip requests and cancellations, develop schedules for drivers, and keep track of “no shows”. But, as often happens when you add an extra element to an already flawed system, users have

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become more frustrated than ever, many citing long wait times as one of the major problems. Over the years, the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD), a human rights advocacy organization, has made numerous presentations to City Council and has had many meetings with past mayors and city councilors. Currently, the ILRC, with the assistance of the Public Interest Law Centre, has compiled a document of Handi-Transit concerns that they are submitting to the Manitoba Ombudsman. Hopefully, our concerns can finally be addressed once and for all. Women with disabilities live with what is called “double jeopardy”. Not only do we have disabilities, but we are women – a sector of the population that has long struggled for our rights in society. In fact, 53% of women in Canada have disabilities. In 1985, DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada was formed in Montreal. Several branches have been formed across Canada, including in Winnipeg, where issues of concern specific to women with disabilities are being addressed. There have been many meetings with provincial and federal government officials on important issues such as access to healthcare. In 2009, Jennifer Howard became the provincial Minister Responsible for Persons with Disabilities. During her time as the Minister, a Disabilities Issues Office was opened to assist the minister in ensuring that effective consultation with the disability community was done so that provincial policies and programs were inclusive of people with disabilities. On December 6, 2013, a groundbreaking piece of legislation - the “Accessibility for Manitobans Act” - became law.

The Manitoba Human Rights Code as well as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms deems it illegal to discriminate against persons with disabilities in all areas of society, including employment. Employers are obliged to provide accommodations to their employees with disabilities, regardless of what they require. Yet employment still remains a huge challenge for people with disabilities. We still have a long way to go to make society inclusive of people with disabilities. Looking over the past 30 years of advocacy and activism, it is clear to me that one issue still remains as a stumbling block for us – society’s attitudes towards disabilities of all types.

One Week into PACE Christian Onwuekwe

he expectations I had prior to taking the PACE program were mainly to make new friends, build new networks in

Manitoba, participate in class discussions and eventually pass the course. Ultimately, my goal was to simply get a job in the area of community support. However, I did not expect the philosophy of Independent Living to have such an impact on me. One week into PACE has had a resounding effect on me and my understanding of Independent Living for

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persons with disabilities. It has changed my previous negative perceptions of people with disabilities. I have learned that disability itself is not the cause of an individual’s difficulties; it is the stigma, the societal attitudes and the environmental barriers that cause the problems that prevent full participation. It amazes me that the PACE curriculum is developed and delivered by consumers. Here, in Manitoba, and under the IL Philosophy, the consumer is the expert, something very different from medical model where persons with disabilities simply receive services. Independent Living is the environment where people with disabilities are the teachers, the leaders and the directors of community support. Before I came to Canada, this concept was simply unheard of for me! My first week of lectures were delivered with passion in an atmosphere of humour and strong learning. This is a mature class, quiet yet always ready to engage in lively discussion – this has led me to answer the question if this new field is one in which I am eager to make a career. The answer is a resounding YES.

Writin’ and Rollin’ – A Youth Perspective Libby Zdriluk

was glued to my TV on election night which is something I never thought would happen. I chose the election over watching

the Blue Jays playoff game! What was happening to me? I could not believe it.

I think it was the feeling that my vote really mattered, something I’d never really believed before. Canadians understood this election was going to historically shape the Canadian and political landscape for many years to come.

Consider this: in previous elections, political messages had been sent in “old school” ways like TV, radio, newspaper, etc. But almost 83% of young Canadians get their news through the internet and social media so we were repeatedly overlooked until this election. This method is gaining ground rapidly among every other age group right now.

In 2011, only 1 out of 6 youth voted because they said they weren’t informed on the issues, specifically those students in post-secondary institutions. The Federal Liberal Party recognised the untapped potential of the internet’s reach, how important a role social media plays in getting the younger votes and did it ever work to their advantage. They were more visible and viral than any other party during the entire election. The snowball effect had begun.

From the Toronto star:

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau outpaced his competition on Twitter on Election Day as there were more than 150,000 tweets to @justintrudeau, whereas Conservative Leader Stephen Harper’s account @pmharper only got 68,385. NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair was a distant third, with 21,602 tweets to @thomasmulcair. And data shows that new voters, including youth, played a key role in electing the Liberal Party. There were 17,559,353 ballots cast in 2015 during the election this year (not including those who registered on Election Day), compared to 14,823,408 ballots in 2011.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau certainly knew that. His twitter and Facebook account gained followers on the idea of “real change”. He was the first Canadian politician to hit 1 million followers; that’s a lot especially when you consider that the number of Canadians using Twitter is estimated to be 6.8 million. By 2018, it’s expected to be around 8.5 million – that’s

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an amazing snapshot into the social media snowball effect.

That social media snowball rolled from one end of the country to the other playing a key role in the Liberals historic and dominant election win. This tactic now puts essentially all forms of Canadian politics on notice. Use of the social media snowball is the future. If you don’t roll with it, then your ideas and messages will melt faster than a Canadian spring day in May.

Awareness is Driving Change Doug Lockhart

f you are a person living with a disability who is dependent on Taxis in Manitoba for accessing your community, you will be

interested to know that change to your service is coming. ILRC has met with the Manitoba Taxi Board on several occasions over the last few months and we are now in the process of formalising a standardised process for all taxi drivers to receive ILRC’s Disability Awareness Transportation Training as a mandatory part of their registration as taxi drivers in Manitoba. This is an exciting time and we

can thank the disability community for acknowledging the need for change.

The partnership has evolved from active voices in our community making clear statements about the need for drivers to be better versed in how to meet the specific needs of people with disabilities. Today, we (as people with disabilities) are seen as the drivers of change and are respected for the expertise and knowledge we carry as advocates of how to best address our transportation needs. This will translate into training that addresses language, attitudes, safety, comfort and respect of persons with disabilities as valued consumers of community services. As we formalise the content of the agreement, it is clear that the Taxi Board understands the role people with disabilities play in their daily decisions that impact their lives. ILRC puts the person who drives change in the driver’s seat. You, as a person with a disability, are in control of the supports and services that impact you and this is clear in how the Taxi Board has been demonstrating interest in the training we offer. Keep your hands on the wheel and stay tuned to how this innovative training is rolled out to impact positive changes to our taxi service delivery for people with disabilities.

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Tech Corner Jason Hirose

hink about the mobile phone for a

moment. A marvel of technology that

allows us to instantly contact someone

whether by text, e-mail or phone call. Yet, as

with any other form of technology, there is the

danger of people being excluded from use of

this powerful tool.

The most obvious segment is those living in

poverty. Canada has a reputation for having

high cell phone costs and yet according to a

recent report by the Canadian Wireless

Telecommunications Association there are

over 29 million mobile subscribers in Canada.

That is a mobile line for over 80% of the

population of Canada. What about the other

20%?

Think about the knowledge required to

operate even a basic cell phone. Now think

about our rapidly growing elderly population.

This is a population that, generally speaking,

does not quickly adopt new technology and

yet their need for communication is just as

great as any other. What was once an

economic division has now become one of

education.

Then there is the aspect of disability when it

comes to mobile devices. We have many

different legislations out there that seek to

remove barriers for those with disabilities (The

Accessibility for Manitobans Act, The

Americans with Disabilities Act, etc.) but the

focus of these is on the built environment

rather than the technological environment.

Even with our massive adoption of cell

phones I can only name one phone (IPhone)

which is capable of being removed from the

box and set up unassisted by someone with a

visual impairment.

Accessibility of our mobile environment needs

to become a priority along with the rest of our

environment. Without the proper devices and

the education to use them we risk creating a

larger divide in our society.

ILRC supports a “Stay Healthy” policy for all consumers, volunteers, visitors and staff members. Please DO NOT come to the office if you are sick. Many people with disabilities have weakened immune systems and a simple cold or flu can easily become a dangerous illness. Do your part to help everyone stay healthy!

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New Faces, New Places Natalie Pirson

eginning in September 2015, Patrick Stewart began his second term with the Independent Living Resource Centre.

Patrick is a bit of a veteran; from 2001 to 2005, he worked at ILRC in Leisure Education, the Urban Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Project and as an ILA in Brokerage. After leaving ILRC to pursue his studies, he graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a Bachelor of Arts and worked for nearly a decade managing a humanitarian relief program for a Winnipeg international development agency. He is happy to be back at ILRC to support our growing training programs. In addition to being a rabid hockey fan, he spends most of his free time playing with his two kids at their home in St. James.

Eugene del Mundo has joined the Finance

team at ILRC. He started in this position this

past September 2015. Eugene previously

worked for a car dealership and before that

he was a Finance Coordinator for Loblaws

Co. for more than five years. He is married

with two children, a ten year old girl and a

seven year old boy. He is also a foster parent

of three children: two boys who are ten and

one girl who is five. Needless to say, it is

always bustling in his household! In his spare

time, he likes playing basketball and watching

sports of any kind.

When you have the chance, do pop in to

greet the new additions to the ILRC team.

Volunteer Profile Natalie Pirson

ecently, I had the opportunity to sit down with one of our newer, dedicated volunteers, Valerie Kardal. Thank you,

Valerie, for taking the time to chat with us! How did you come to be involved/volunteer with ILRC and how long have you been with us? I became a volunteer with ILRC around the end of June 2015. I came in one day, on a spur of the moment, to see if I could volunteer, and I received a call to come in for a Volunteer Orientation. I was impressed with the office and the staff so I decided to give it a chance. What are you doing in terms of volunteer work and what have you enjoyed most? I have a receptionist background so I asked to be put on the switchboard. I have been there since and I love every minute of my duties. I also do various administrative tasks, but mostly it is reception.

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What has your experience been like and what have you learned? The staff here is so welcoming and I feel as if I have found a new “family.” I also gained more confidence in myself, and a new purpose in my life, no matter what length of time that I come into the office. I enjoy meeting and talking to people so this position is ideal. I have learned to be more accepting of people and realize that every person can contribute to society in their own way. I have learned that, in volunteering, I am a happier person and am more positive and people are more prone to gravitate to a positive person rather than a negative one. The theme for the Winter edition of Options is “The Snowball Effect – Pushing for Change.” The theme surrounds the many changes that our community has been pushing for. Tell me what changes you would like to see in your own life and in your community. The changes I would like to see are easier access to some buildings and better accessible transportation service, but I realize that change starts with one person and snowballs from then on. In conclusion, I would like to thank all the ILRC staff and membership for being so supportive and non-judgmental of me.

The Snowball Effect of PACE Susianti Fierce

am not much different from most PACE applicants who emigrated from various countries into Canada. I come from

Indonesia where most people with disabilities live with a lesser quality of life. Many people with disabilities require support from the community to live independently, but they are

ignored and treated differently by society where I come from. Generally, people with disabilities are avoided based on simple reasons; they tend to receive negative reactions to their disability and are viewed as a source of disgrace and they are ostracized socially, amongst other problems. The worse thing is, a large number of communities believe in superstitions related to people with disabilities. A pregnant woman, for example, is not supposed to go out in public places where many people with disabilities are hanging around. The baby might have the possibility of acquiring the disability simply if the mother sees and thinks negatively towards people with disabilities. Although the government back home has clearly established several laws that protect the rights of persons with disabilities, it did not work as it was supposed to. Many discriminate against disability, especially in public services, education and employment. Persons experience limitation of resources, no accessible public facilities, and not enough socialization to promote the government’s program in changing old-fashioned perspectives and awareness towards people with disabilities. Being part of the PACE program and working in the disability community here in Winnipeg has changed my perspective drastically. Through the PACE program I am getting opportunities to learn cultural diversity, upgrade my communication skills by interacting with other immigrants and local society. In the centre, I found more freedom to express and exchange ideas among the staff. Staff meetings are one of my new experiences which gives me a significantly positive change in the workplace. Besides a major positive transformation within myself, I can clearly witness how PACE students develop their understanding, perspective and attitude during the sessions. I

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usually find that some students enter the programs looking for an instant way of pursuing a job but their experiences open up when they come to realize the influence and impact from the disability community. Here, persons with disabilities are the leaders and directors of their daily support needs. Once the students learn some of the core subject areas like the IL Philosophy, Communication, and the role of an Independent Living Attendant, it is easy to see the biggest differences in most individuals. The community training gives them more experience to be high quality attendants equipped to meet the community’s needs. PACE is working and I am glad to be a part of it!

ILRC as Agent Option Natasha Klassen

ave you ever thought about becoming a Self and Family Manager but have held back because you were uncertain

about payroll? Are you already on the Self and Family Managed Care program and have found that hiring and supporting staff is getting to be too stressful? Does your current payroll service provider charge you more than you are funded for? If you have answered yes

to any of these questions, you might be interested in the “ILRC as Agent Option.” The “ILRC as Agent Option” is like pushing a ‘Easy Button’ for Self and Family Managed care participants. With the “ILRC as Agent Option”, you can bring additional ILRC support benefits into the SFMC model. Some of the great benefits that come with using this option include:

- Payroll administration and deductions

handled by ILRC Finance

- Managers have access to attendants

trained under the Independent Living

Philosophy

- Access to ILRC’s expertise in benefit

administration, attendant pay scale,

Health and Safety Standards and

Manitoba Labour Law requirements

- Managers have control over the hours with no 3 hour minimums required - Managers have access to a guaranteed staffing back-up system - No out of pocket fees or costs. The Agent Option works within verified budget and hours - Networking Opportunities If you would like more information on

the “ILRC as Agent Option”, please contact agent@ilrc.mb.ca or call Natasha Klassen at 204-947-0194.

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Office Closure ILRC will be closed for the holidays from

Thursday, December 24th and will re–open on Monday, January 4th, 2016.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!

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Across 1. Rock star of Guess Who and current host of CBC program Vinyl Tap 3. A guitar was recently sold for 2.4 million dollars. To whom did it belong? 7. Home of the CN tower 9. Probably the tastiest and most expensive crustacean harvested mainly in the East 11. Magazine dealing with world travel, the environment and nature 12. Number of plays written by Shakespeare 14. Gin flavouring 16. This form of poem had five lines. One famous example starts with "There once was a man from Nantucket..." 17. The best wines are typically made of this fruit

Down 2. Green, pear-shaped tropical fruit that tastes like butter 4. Man-shaped Inuit symbol of friendship and good luck 5. Irving Berlin's song of the season made popular by Bing Crosby 6. Canada's new Prime Minister 8. Popular herb used in Italian sauces, meatloaves, soups and stews 10. Man's best friend 13. ...a day keeps the doctor away 15. Popular herb used in pesto

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Personal Attendant Community Education Personal Attendant Community Education (PACE) trains able-bodied persons to become Independent Living Attendants (ILA’s) for people with disabilities. PACE is a recognized curriculum, developed, designed and delivered by people with disabilities to promote consumer choice and control in daily decisions that impact their lives. Follow-up surveys indicate over 90% success rate in obtaining employment in this field following graduation. The training is five weeks long. It runs Monday to Friday with classes from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily. Community training hours (practicum training) are early morning, afternoon and late evening.

We are currently taking applications for any of the following sessions:

Session Dates Registration Deadline Session 65: January 11 to February 12, 2016 December 21, 2015 Session 66: Feb 22 to March 24, 2016 February 8, 2016 Session 67: April 4 to May 6, 2016 March 21, 2016 Session 68: May 16 to June 17, 2016 May 2, 2016 Session 69: August 22 to September 23, 2016 August 8, 2016 Session 70: October 3 to November 4, 2016 September 19, 2016 Session 71: November 14 to December 16, 2016 October 31, 2016

311A-393 Portage Ave. (3rd floor of Portage Place Shopping Centre)

204-947-0194

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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Your membership helps support new program development. Being a member has its benefits in that you can vote at our next annual meeting, you receive our quarterly newsletter, and most of all you support the Centre and what we do. If you have not renewed your membership, please do so. The cost is $5.00. Please inform us about the following: ___ New Member ___ Renewal ___ I prefer not to receive any mailings from ILRC.

Name: _________________________ I prefer to receive my newsletter in this Format: Org. Name: ___________________ 1. Audio tape ____ 4 Braille ____ Phone: _________________________ 2. Large print _____ 5. Disk _____ 3. Email text only ____ 6 Print copy ____ Address:________________________ Postal Code:_____________________

ILRC STAFF Executive Director: John Young

Senior Program Coordinator: Doug Lockhart

Controller/Accountant: Thom Lamont

Assistant to the Executive Director/UEDP

Project Officer: Robert Mitchell

Reception: Libby Zdriluk/Volunteers

Payroll Coordinator: Sonia Muncal

Information & Referral: Natalie Pirson, Chelsey

Sommerfield

Independent Living Skills/Peer Support: Natalie

Pirson, Chelsey Sommerfield

Individual Self-Advocacy: Marie-Lynn Hamilton

Network Administrator: Jason Hirose

ASM Staff: Karl Paterson, Kalynn Dornn,

Kristine Dornn, Nicholas Penner

Senior Community Living Coordinator: Jodie

Jephcote

IL Consultant, Brokerage: Tina Gledhill

Tenant Resource Coordinator: Kelly Thurston

Community Living Staffing: Romeo Recalde

IL Consultant, Brokerage: Natasha Klassen

MIST Housing Team Leader: Krystal Polson

Leisure Education: Natasha Klassen, James Kim,

Christina Buebos, Robin Hannigan, Claudelle Escalona

IL Consultant, Personal Attendant Community

Education: Susianti Fierce

Personal Attendant Community Education: Terry McIntosh

Urban Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Project: Robert Mitchell, Marie-Lynn Hamilton

Kids on the Block: Zöe Kogan

DART Training: Doug Lockhart