Independent Living Vernon Annual General Meeting December 3, 2012

 

Invites you to recognize

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 3, 2012

attend

IL Vernon's Annual General Meeting

12:00 – 12:30 pm

Immediately following will be

Celebration Lunch

12:30 – 2:00 pm

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Disability Information Fair

1:00 – 2:00 pm

Learn about various community resources available for people with a variety of disabilities in the areas of:

-Economic participation

-Disability Supports

-Community Contribution

People Place #003, 3402-27^th Ave

Please conform your participation, by contacting 250-545-9292 or laura@ilvernon.ca

2013 Dogs for Independence calendar

 ILV is once again designing its Dogs for Independence 13 month calendar. 

Why a dog calendar?
Many people are familiar with a guide dogs for people who are blind, however there are a number of duties service dogs can be trained to perform. For example, dogs can be trained to detect seizures, low blood sugar in people with diabetes, hearing alarms for people who are deaf, and have a calming effect for people with mental health disabilities. 

IL Vernon has met a number of consumers who have been denied access to businesses because their registered service dog is different then a seeing eye dog. For example, a consumer with a registered assistance dog for her anxiety, was waiting for a transit bus at the bus stop and the driver did not stop for her.  This lack of awareness causes enormous anxiety and frustration for that consumer and any person with various disabilities with registered service dogs. Therefore, IL Vernon is working to raise awareness about the many varieties of service animals.  

As a resource centre for people with disabilities, IL Vernon has a unique mission to assist people with a variety of disabilities to find information on community resources, pre-employment support, and youth with disabilities transition to independent living.  By supporting IL Vernon, you are supporting a unique organization that makes a difference in the quality of life of people with various disabilities. 

How to support Dogs for Independence:

IL Vernon undertakes two projects to promote various service dogs for people with various disabilities - 13 month Calendar and Dogs for Independence Walk October 13, 2012! By purchasing advertising in the calendar, your business will be advertised at the Dog Walk in October 2012!

Dogs for Independence 13 month Calendar
The 2000 Dogs of Independent Living Calendar will sell for $10.00 and the proceeds of the calendar will go to support recreation activities for youth with various disabilities.  

The calendar features:
2000 copies to be professionally designed and printed
Your business will be promoted for the month in which you buy advertising
Over 30 full colour pictures of service dogs
Helpful tips about bringing dogs to work and Service Dog Etiquette


Exposure of your advertisement:
2000 copies of the calendar will be printed
Sponsors are recognized in all promotions for Independent Living Vernon's Dogs for Independence Walk in October 2012 – possible exposure to 5000 people

IL Vernon will recognize your support of an advertisement:
Sponsor's logos will be displayed in the IL Vernon office to the more than 6,000 yearly visitors
Sponsors will be recognized on IL Vernon's social media sites (BLOG, Twitter and Facebook) – 5,000 hits/year
A special ad will display sponsor logos on IL Vernon's website http://ilvernon.ca  - 50,000 hits/year
IL Vernon's AGM report recognizes sponsors of all IL Vernon fundraising – circulated to 100 consumers and funders

With one advertisement, your business has a chance of being recognized by over 40,000 potential customers!

Dogs for Independence 2013 Advertising Rate sheet 

-Advertising information can be emailed to laura@ilvernon.ca
Business ad & logo- format options: eps,ai,or png
Please include a contact person and phone number

-Please indicate if you prefer a certain month, advertising spaces will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Advertising Deadline: September 4, 2012

-Payment can be made by cheque, VISA, or Mastercard

Thank you in advance for supporting Independent Living Vernon!

Independent Living Centres in Canada using social media!

One way the Independent Living Movement gets its strength from peer support.  Therefore to provide peer support through social media, IL Vernon has compiled this list of IL Centres using social media (Facebook & Twitter) to further IL Principles:

Independent Living Centre London

https://www.facebook.com/IndependentLivingCentreLondon

Niagara Centre for Independent Living:

https://www.facebook.com/ncil88

Twitter: @ncil88

Ottawa Independent Living Resource Centre

https://www.facebook.com/OILRC                                                                                                                                                          

Twitter:   @OILRC

Resource Centre for Independent Living (RISE):

https://www.facebook.com/pages/RISE-Resource-Centre-for-Independent-Living/81627102792

Independent Living Vernon

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Living-Vernon/176912665672780                                                                        

Twitter: @ILVernon

 

Victoria Disability Resource Centre

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Disability-Resource-Centre/162093327162065

Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin

https://www.facebook.com/ILSudbury                                                                                                                                                        Twitter:  @ILSudbury

Independent Living Centre of Waterloo Region

https://www.facebook.com/ilcwr

Independent Living Nova Scotia

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Living-Nova-Scotia/146896108683919

Independent Living Centre Kingston 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Living-Centre-Kingston/37319055044

Independent Living Resource Centre Thunder Bay

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001058649051&ref=ts

Richmond Centre for Disability

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richmond-Centre-for-Disability/92728543489     

Twitter:  @RCD_Richmond
 

Victoria Disability Resource Centre

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Disability-Resource-Centre/162093327162065

North Saskatchewan Independent Living Centre

https://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Saskatchewan-Independent-Living-Centre-NSILC/121904617831102

 
Vie Autonome Montérégie 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001454367919

Vie Autonome Péninsule Acadienne Inc.  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/155102193311/                                      

Twitter:  @vapainc

Vie Autonome Abitibi-Témiscamingue 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vie-Autonome-Abitibi-T%C3%A9miscamingue/112218895519145

Vie Autonome Bas-Saint-Laurent 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vie-Autonome-Bas-Saint-Laurent/192095684184061

Le Phenix

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Le-Ph%C3%A9nix/170748552988001                                                                                                    

Twitter:  @Le_Phenix_

Regroupement des personnes handicap region de Haut-Richelieu

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Regroupement-des-personnes-handicap%C3%A9es-r%C3%A9gion-du-Haut-Richelieu/147386701947179

Independent Living Resource Centre Newfoundland Labrador

https://www.facebook.com/IlrcNL

Independent Living Canada/Vie autonome Canada

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Independent-Living-Vie-autonome-Canada/257720157591572?ref=ts        

Twitter: @IL_Canada

By "Like"ing and following IL Centres on social media, it is one way to support the Independent Living movement in Canada.  By supporting the IL Movement you support people with a variety of disabilities to have choice and control!

If we have missed any centres with social media, please leave a comment and the list will be updated!

Independent Living Vernon's 13th Annual Cycling for Independence 2012

 

13th Annual Cycling for Independence 2012

Great news:  CFI 2012 raised over $9,500.00 for youth with disabilities! 

 Quick facts about Independent Living Vernon:

ILV makes over 18,000 contacts with people with a variety of disabilities by phone and in person with 3.5 FTE Staff

IL Vernon is a one of a kind disability organization in the interior of BC:

• ILV promotes the principles of Independent Living philosophy to increase choice and control available to people with a variety of disabilities.  ILV focuses its efforts on creating an accessible community!

• ILV designs its programs and services for people with a variety of disabilities, versus one type of disability.

• ILV's main activity is providing people with a variety of disabilities with information on community resources and government programs.

• ILV is run by and for people with various disabilities.

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100% of funds raised from this event supports ILV's Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) Group

Here are some photos showing the great community support for the event and perfect weather!

For more information about ILV's programs and services, please visit: http://ilvernon.ca

To see the sponsors of this event, please visit: Current events

A big thank you Gary Horsting for his support in promoting this event!  Check out another great cycling event: Gran Fondo Vernon

A big thank you to the review of the event by BC Race Review

More than just Mutts - Assistance dogs for people with a variety of disabilities

More than just Mutts!

I recently heard someone say 'How can you call that a service dog, the person they're helping isn't blind?'

You might be surprised to learn that assistance dogs assist more than just people who are blind. In fact, there are assistance dogs who assist people with a variety of disabilities, such as hearing, severe diabetes, physical limitations, autism, psychiatric, or seizure disorders.

You may have heard stories of pets alerting their owners to health dangers, stopping intruders, or alerting them to a fire. Assistance dogs are specifically trained to assist with certain activities or detect behavior and/or mood changes in their handlers. Training and socialization for the dog is extensive and intense until they are about two years old. Once the dog is matched with the handler, there is more training for the newly formed team to build a strong bond.

How can you identify an assistance dog? In most cases, assistance dogs will be wearing a vest that clearly identifies them as an assistance dog and a harness for the handler to easily control the dog. The West Coast Assistance Teams website outlines some general and specific assistance dog ettiquette:

Generally, when you meet a person with an assistance dog, please remember that the dog is working. You don't want anything to interrupt the dog from performing its tasks.

Specifically,

• Speak to the person first

• Do not make distracting noises aimed at the assistance dog.

• Do not touch the assistance dog without asking permission.

• Do not feed an assistance dog.

• Do not ask personal questions about the handler's disability

• Don't be offended if the handler declines to chat about the assistance dog.

For more information about assistance dogs, some options include:

http://www.westcoastteams.com

http://www.dogguides.com

http://www.pads.ca

Registered Disability Savings Plan

Registered Disability Savings Plan

As a person with a disability, have you worried about how to save for the future? One answer might be the Registered Disability Savings Plan, which is a long-term savings plan to help Canadians with disabilities to save for the future.

To be eligible for the RDSP, individuals must be under the age of 60, a Canadian resident with a social insurance number, and Eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (Disability Amount). There are two ways the RDSP can grow, the Canada Disability Savings Grant and the Canada Disability Savings Bond.

Canada Disability Savings Grant:

The Government will match your contributions by 300, 200 or 100 percent depending on the beneficiary’s family income and the amount of your annual contribution. A maximum of $3,500 will be paid each year, with a lifetime limit of $70,000. Contributions made to an RDSP on or before December 31 of the year in which the beneficiary turns 49 are eligible to receive matching grants

Canada Disability Savings Bond:

Depending on your beneficiaries family income you may receive, a Canada Disability Savings Bond (CDSB) of up to $1,000 per year.

You do not need to make any contributions to your RDSP in order to receive the bond. There is a lifetime limit of $20,000. Bonds will be paid into an RDSP on eligible requests made on or before December 31 of the year in which the beneficiary turns 49.

You can withdraw from your RDSP at any time however it is important to be aware of the 10 year rule - All grants or bonds received have a ten year waiting period. If you withdraw any of the grant or bond money received in the previous ten years, it must be paid back to the Government. So it makes sense to keep the savings in there for the 10 year waiting period.

One aspect that makes the RDSP unique, is the money in your RDSP can be used for any purpose. Even for people accessing Persons with Disabilities Designation through the Ministry of Social Development, money from an RDSP is not considered income, therefore will not affect the level of support you get.

For more information about this program, ask your financial institution, visit www.disabilitysavings.gc.ca or contact Crystal at IL Vernon at 250-545-9292.

Updating Measuring Up Vernon

With the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with disabilities, accessibility needs to be brought to the attention of policy makers and governments!  IL Vernon is in the process of updating our report Measuring Up from 2008.  Below is a draft in progress of the Measuring UP Report!

Measuring UP Vernon 2012 Draft

Photos to be added include the following:

 New sidewalk in 2012, curb cut still not in the direction in the pedestrian traffic

 Stop sign in the middle of the sidewalk

 Narrow sidewalk due to phone poll

 NO CURB CUT!!

 A person in a large electric wheelchair got stuck at this corner.  Needed two people to help him get his wheels unstuck.

 Asphalt not flush with curb cut and damaged

 Another damaged curbcut

 Broken pavement on the sidewalk

 Steep incline on the sidewalk from an access for an alley

 Edge on the side of the sidewalk tripping hazard

 Damaged curb cut

 patch on a curb cut

 Lamp post in the new bus terminus makes the sidewalk very narrow

 This is an example of a perfect curb cut! Two curb cuts in the direction of the pedestrian traffic!

 In front of city hall, Accessible parking space, with the curb cut in the wrong place for the passenger and/or driver.

We think this is suppose to be a ramp in front of the RCMP station in Vernon.  But too narrow to any large wheelchair or scooter.

Another example of asphalt not flush with the curb cut.  Due to it being winter in the picture, we had to dig out the dirt.

IL Vernon will be recommending City Council adopt a new Accessibility Committee to deal with these issues with a long term vision.

ILV Financial Audit 2011

Hi everyone,

As promised at the IL Vernon Annual General Meeting on December 2, 2011, ILV Audited statements would be circulated and made available.  These statements are a public document and IL Vernon values transparency.

The IL Vernon Board of Directors approved the statements on January 19, 2012 -

Therefore you can view the statements by clicking the link below:

ILV 2011 Audited Statements

Comments:

• On page 4 - Accounts payable & accured liabilities is up due to the addition of the accrual of sick pay which had never been added (Please see Note 9), a purchase of IL IMPACT Books and the cost of the 2010 & 2011 Financial audits
• Some individual amounts on the Statement of Revenue and Expenses are different, this due to new auditing standards required IL Vernon to have a new auditor from within the same firm at Rossworn Henderson LLP.  The new auditor changed how some expense were allocated, but overall the totals are similar to 2010. 

If you have any questions, please direct your questions to Laura Hockman, Executive Director at laura@ilvernon.ca or 250-545-9292 Ext. 207