Totally Illegal Not Legal ...

Not at all legally- related but very cool, I think.

Check this out.

The world's first ultra-accessible family fun park/amusement park specially designed for children and adults with special needs. Grand opening is April 10, 2010, San Antonio, TX.

Morgan’s Wonderland ...

• Located at the former site of the Longhorn Quarry
• 25 acres in size, and is the first Ultra Accessible Family Fun Park in the world!
• 8-acre lake stocked with a variety of fish
• Controlled entry and exit
• Features RFID locator wristbands and touch-screen display monitors so parents and caregivers can keep track of family and friends
• Fencing around lake edge as well as security fencing around the park’s perimeter for added safety

Activities & Amenities include:

• Specially designed air-conditioned/heated and oversized ADA-accessible restrooms
• 3 playscapes
• Train rides with wheelchair-accessible cars
• Ultra-accessible carousel
• Amphitheater
• Catch-and-release fishing
• Water cannons & remote-controlled boats
• Gymnasium (basketball, volleyball & tennis)
• Special Event Center for up to 700 guests
• Walk and Roll Path around lake
• “Around the World” – themed rest areas
• Water Works - water play area
• Off-Road Adventure ride
• Music Garden
• Swings (several types including wheelchair swings)
• Sand Circle™
• Sensory Village™
• Garden Sanctuary with Memorial Wall
• Several rest stops, picnic areas & pavilions
• 2 first aid stations & infant feeding room
• Braille signage, 3-D park model & service-animal rest area
• 2 gift shops
• VIA Transit Center

All that plus Morgan’s Wonderland is free of charge to everyone with special needs. And designed for individuals (both adults and children) with a broad range of cognitive and physical special needs, it offers many unique features such as braille signage, a 3-D park model and a service-animal rest area to make the park accessible to those who are hearing and visually impaired.

Go ahead and check out Morgan's story. But I would really suggest you watch this news story on the Park. Then you'll really get it.

Makes me want to pack up the family and hit the road south, it does...

Supporting Epilepsy Around The World

I can't believe that Purple Day is tomorrow. And I haven't even posted on it yet!

Not because I've forgotten about it - it's just that we've been too busy doing stuff for Purple Day.

Last Saturday was spent at our local Mall with a Purple Day table. We sold bracelets, handed out lots of purple pins, ribbons, cupcakes as well as information on epilepsy and had some great chats. It was so cool to see people walking around the mall wearing the Purple Day pins and the epilepsy ribbon. Especially since the vast majority of them had never heard of Purple Day before.

And besides painting both blogs purple, we've had our local Village Council proclaim March 26th as Purple Day, we have three local schools (elementary, middle and high school) participating and a local day care is involved in the Purple Day Bunny Hop.

Oh yes, my oldest daughter will also be selling purple cupcakes (with the help of some of her friends and the resource staff) at her high school tomorrow, there will be special PPP draw for the kids wearing purple at the middle school (grand prize being a Purple Day Cake for that student's class) and, yesterday, the Kids on the Block landed at the elementary school to put on a presentation for the Grade 5s at the elementary school.

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Now for any of you wondering what this Purple Day is and what all the fuss is about ... you should have been here last year!

Just teasing ... Purple Day is about a very special young Nova Scotian. It's about speaking up and stepping forward. About not being afraid. About bringing epilepsy "out of the shadows". And about what one person can do when they make up their mind to something.

9 year old Cassidy Megan didn't want to tell her classmates that she took seizures. That she had epilepsy. She was afraid they would make fun of her.

But when members from the Nova Scotia Epilepsy Association came to Cassidy's classroom and did a presentation, it empowered her to speak up for the first time in front of her classmates and admit that she had epilepsy.

And yet Cassidy went beyond that. She realized that people needed to learn more about epilepsy, "especially that all seizures are not the same and that people with epilepsy are ordinary people just like everyone else". She also wanted kids with epilepsy "to know that they are not alone". And with this realization, Cassidy became a spokesperson for epilepsy.

She went to the principal of her elementary school and asked if they could create and celebrate Purple Day ~ a day when everyone would wear purple to increase awareness about epilepsy. With the help of her mom, Cassidy began contacting politicians, celebrities, non-profits and corporations, asking them all to spread the word about Purple Day and epilepsy.

And with that, Purple Day was born.

From students in classrooms around the world to Paul Shaffer on the Late Show with David Letterman, people wore purple to spread the word about epilepsy on March 26, 2008. Cassidy was interviewed by news outlets across Canada and was even featured in a South African epilepsy newsletter.

Last year, we brought Purple Day to the Annapolis Valley. And to the combined approximately 700 students at a local elementary and middle school. And like I said above, this year we expanded it a little.

How can you fail to be be awed by a story that starts with a 9 year old Nova Scotian girl and ends with purple tea parties and pizza parties, purple cocktail parties and fundraising events, purple art shows and pool competitions, a Calgary City Hall Purple Day Proclamation Celebration and a purple-lit CN Tower and Niagara Falls?

So on behalf of our family and the 300,000 Canadians and 2.5 million Americans and countless others around the world who live with epilepsy each and every single day, we offer a very heartfelt thank you to Cassidy.

I wonder how many people are aware that epilepsy affects more than twice as many Canadians as those who live with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and cystic fibrosis combined or that one in 100 people has epilepsy? I wonder how many people are aware of many epilepsy issues?

Well, thanks to Cassidy Megan, I am sure the answer is many more now. And that number is growing every year.

"Onward and Upward"

There was a nice article in Saturday's Star, "Milestone Reached But Still Far To Go".

It discusses how despite two landmark events we have recently discussed here (Canada's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the decision from the Canadian Human Rights Commission enshrining the right of voters with disabilities to accessible polling stations), there still is much more to be done.

Hard to argue with that - issues around education and access to health care, transportation, work and community activities abound. And the very valid point is made that although accommodating needs too often falls victim to demands for budgetary constraints, attitudes are most often at the root of problems.

So where do we go from here?
In the words of Helen Henderson, Onward and Upward.

After all, do we really have any other choice?

About Time

The title of this post reflects my first thought when reading about this.

Elections Canada must make its polling sites accessible to people with disabilities, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal says.

The tribunal issued its ruling Friday, in response to a complaint from a physically disabled Toronto man who argued that voting sites should be accessible to everybody.

This after Peter Hughes arrived at a Toronto polling station in March, 2008, to vote in a by election. Hughes, who uses a walker to get around, was shocked to discover that the polling station was at the bottom of a long flight of stairs. He actually sat down on the edge of the stairs and went down on the seat of his pants down to the bottom of the stairs while somebody carried his walker.

Now that's dedication.

As is following through the process on a complaint to the Human Rights Commission.

And winning.

1. $10,000 in damages for Mr. Hughes


2. Elections Canada must formulate a plan for greater consultation with voters with disabilities and disability groups


3. Elections Canada must stop situating polling stations in locations that do not provide barrier-free access in any electoral district in Canada


4. Elections Canada must implement a procedure for verification of the accessibility of facilities on the day of an electoral event


5. Elections Canada must review the Accessible Facilities Guide, Accessibility Checklist, and accessibility sections of the Manuals for the Returning Officers and the other categories of election workers


6. Elections Canada must revise its standard lease for polling locations to include the requirement that the leased premises provide level access and are barrier-free.


7. Elections Canada must provide sufficient and appropriate signage at elections, including the universal accessibility symbol so that voters with disabilities can easily find the shortest and most appropriate route to all accessible entrances at polling stations.


8. Elections Canada must review, revise and update its training materials and programs concerning accessibility issues for their officials and give training to every officer or employee who deals with disability and accessibility issues


9. Elections Canada must implement a procedure for receiving, recording and processing verbal and written complaints about lack of accessibility.

Well done, Mr. Hughes. Well done.

Great Good News

Update: CACL Press Release ~ Canada Ratifies Historic UN Treaty ...

Apparently, it's official!

As of today, Canada has ratified the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Making Canada the 82nd country to "make this international commitment to protecting and advancing the human rights of persons with disabilities".

Which is great good news.

Why "good" and not "great"?

First, don't get me wrong, I really do believe this is good news. A good step forward. Something we have been waiting for for quite a while.

It's just that I have a sense from some recent conversations with different members of the disability community that there may be a general misunderstanding out there as to the actual effect that our ratification of the Convention will have - a belief that it will be more useful, more valuable than it might actually prove.

I am looking at this, of course, from a legal viewpoint.

And although Canada's ratification of the CRPD may well give us stronger moral and political grounds to question and demand more from our various levels of government, I'm not so sure that it will make much a difference legally.

I've written a little bit on how this works before.**

The Convention is not binding on any country that has not ratified it. Further, the Convention will not take effect or ‘enter into force’ (for any country who has signed it) until 30 days after twenty countries have ratified it.

- - - -

Canada will not be under any obligation to implement the Convention (make sure that its laws are not in violation of the Convention) until two events occur:

1. The Canadian government ratifies the Convention; and


2. Nineteen other countries also ratify the Convention and thus, bring it "into force".

In addition, it's important to realize that even at that point, although the federal government will be obligated to bring its legislation in line with the Convention, this does not bind the provincial governments. Each provincial government is free to make its own decision in that regard. And, unfortunately, many of the laws that affect the daily lives of people with disabilities are provincial laws.

Although in a federal state such as Canada, the fact that our federal government has ratified the Convention (along with 20 other countries) means that the federal government now has an obligation to bring its laws in line with the Convention, you might note that the news release makes no mention of any of the provinces ratifying the Convention.

I'm not suggesting that won't happen, eventually, but it doesn't appear to have happened yet. And that is of critical importance because, as noted above, many (actually probably most) of the laws that affect the daily lives of people with disabilities are provincial laws.

Don't believe me? Check this out.

And that, essentially, is what with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Canada has ratified the Convention but has not fully implemented the Convention in Canadian domestic laws. Youth criminal laws in Canada underwent major changes resulting in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) which went into effect on 1 April 2003. In 1989, the Canadian House of Commons voted unanimously to pass a non-binding resolution to end child poverty by the year 2000. Between 1989 and 2008, the child poverty rates rose to a peak of nearly 25% in 1996, before falling to virtually the same rate of 15.8% in 2008.[14]

So that's the first thing to recognize. As much as this is a good solid step forward, our work ain't done yet.

The second problem is sort of an ancillary of the first.

Although, unless and until Nova Scotia (for example) also ratifies the Convention, the Province will be under no legal obligation to bring its laws in line with it, lawyers can (and no doubt will) try to argue that the existing legislation, already on the books, should be interpreted by the courts in such a way as not be in violation of the Convention.

That gets tried a lot with international conventions to which Canada is a signatory. And while it's always worth a shot, in my personal experience, I have yet to see it yield a stellar result.

Which, taken all together, leads to current state of pessimism is why I consider the federal government's ratification of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to be good news.

It will be great news when we manage to finish the job.

** If you're interested in more detail on "Enforcing International Conventions and Customary International Law in Canada", I would suggest you go here.

Be A PAL:

The Canadian Council on Disabilities is seeking support for Statistics Canada’s Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) in 2011.

PALS is said to be the most important and comprehensive source of disability statistics in Canada and CCD has been urging HRSD for sometime to support and announce support for PALS in 2011. Apparently a decision has not been made in this regard.

So the CCD is now encouraging everyone who is interested in public policy on disability to write to HRSDC Minister Diane Finley, urging HRSD to support and announce support for PALS in 2011.

The contact information for the Hon. Diane Finley is:

Hon. Diane Finley
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Email: FinleD@parl.gc.ca

In addition to writing to Minister Finley, CCD is asking that you their concern about PALS 2011 with individuals and organizations in your network and encourage them to also contact Minister Finley about the need for PALS 2011.

And here is some additional information for you.

From April at CCD's Winnipeg office.

Some Background on PALS

Statistics Canada’s Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) is the most important and comprehensive source of disability statistics in Canada and is seen as a best practice model internationally. CCD is concerned that Human Resources Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has not yet committed funding for a PALS for the 2011 census.

It is crucial that PALS continue so that governments and community have the
information and research needed to develop good policy and programs. It should
be noted that upon ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities Canada will be obligated to collect data on the socioeconomic
status of persons with disabilities.

PALS and its predecessor HALS have been, and remain, extremely valuable survey tools. No other survey provides the range and depth of statistically reliable information about:

• The kinds, causes and severity of disabilities experienced by Canadian
  children and adults;
• The extent of utilization and unmet need for a range of human, technological
  and built environmental supports needed because of disability;
• The need for, and availability of, disability-related accommodations for
  paid employment and for participation in education and work-related training;
• Accessibility measures needed in local and interjurisdictional transportation services (buses, trains, airplanes);
• Social and economic barriers experienced by persons with disabilities;
• Impacts of disability and of the associated barriers on personal and family incomes and on the social and economic activities of family members;
• Direct, non-reimbursed costs paid out-of-pocket by individuals and familiesfor disability-related items and services.

Under the heading "Act Now" on its home page, CCD has added information on the need for action on PALS 2011.

In closing, I would like to thank you in advance for considering this request and CCD will share information with you on this issue as it becomes available.

Off you go now.

There's work to be done.

Busy With ...

My apologies for the sparsity of posts around here lately.

But I do have an excuse. Or two.

Between working on guardianship documents to use as precedents, helping a few families with their efforts to obtain guardianship and bidding on a federal government contract to provide outreach and education to persons with disabilities and their families around the RDSP ... yeah, it's been a mite busy around here.

Okay, okay, in the interest of full disclosure, there was the Olympics, too. But we won't go into that here.

Still, I'm thinking you all might just forgive me. Especially when I actually complete the guardianship package.

Upcoming Upcomings

Lots of interesting things going on in these parts lately - just check out the heading "Places To Be - Upcoming Events" in the sidebar to the left.

But I thought I would highlight just a few.

One event I wish I could make but unfortunately can't is the Estate Planning for Adult Children with Disabilities session [sponsored by Support Services Group Co Operative Limited (SSG) and Halifax Association for Community Living] on Saturday, February 27th from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Seacoast Towers, 22-24 Dundas Street, Dartmouth NS.

George Clarke, a lawyer from Boyne Clarke, will present planning strategies to assist parents in leaving a legacy to adult children with a disability, without endangering public funding or programming. Guardianship and information on how to protect savings and guaranteed investments vs. non– guaranteed investments, as it relates to savings for your family and your dependent child will also be discussed. Insight will be shared on the types of investments that work well in trust funds. RSVP to James Baltus at 466-0230 or Jean Coleman at 463-4752 by February 25th. (Yeah, that's today).

It being tax season and all, the Disability Tax Credit is once again a hot topic. On Sunday, February, 28th, Megan Leslie, MP for Halifax will be hosting a Disability Tax Credit Presentation from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm at Northwood Care Inc, Stadacona Room, 2615 Northwood Terrace, Halifax.

The Halifax Association for Community Living (a group which, if you're not familiar with them, you really should check it out) will be offering a Lunch 'n Learn session on the history and work of the organization on March 5, 2010.

There are not one but two Learning Disability Conferences in the near future.

The Annapolis Valley Regional School Board Learning Disabilities Conference Day (entitled "Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain") is Saturday, March 27th at the Kentville Firehall. The registration deadline is March 12th. For more information or to register contact Gail Demmings AVRSB 538-4638 or email gail.demmings@avrsb.ednet.net.ca

The 2010 Nova Scotia Learning Disabilities Conference will be held on May 13th & 14th at the World Trade & Convention Centre in Halifax. Visit the LDNS website for more information and to preview this year’s list of speakers. Register by March 1, 2010 and you will be entered to win a day at the spa!

And last, but certainly not least, might I remind you that the NDP Consultations are continuing around the Province. This is your opportunity to voice your opinion as to how the government needs to support people with intellectual disabilities. You can visit the government website for directions on making your voices heard. But before you do, you might want to check out the responses from the Nova Scotia Association for Community Living regarding the 4 questions asked by Graham Steele, Finance Minister.

There you go ... don't say I never told ya!

Practical Applications - The Irony of the Personal Directives Act

Facing significant potential problems with the use of a Power of Attorney for many individuals with disabilities, we now turn to the Nova Scotia's new Personal Directives Act, which we initially discussed here.

Might it be useful for our community?

Unfortunately, I'm afraid not.

The first major problem that needs to be pointed out is that the legislation is not yet proclaimed in force. Meaning that, from a legal point of view, it doesn't actually exist. A giant legal tease if you will - it's here. But it isn't. Now you see it. Now you don't.

And no, I have no inside knowledge as to when (or even if) it will be proclaimed. Perhaps something to contact your MLA about should you feel the need to put an end to the shenanigans.

Putting aside that little inconvenience, the question remains - is a "personal directive" a possibility that could be used to avoid guardianship?

The as-yet-unproclaimed legislation would allow a "person with capacity" to make a personal directive setting out instructions or an expression of their values, beliefs and wishes about future personal-care decisions to be made on their behalf and authorizing one or more persons to "act as delegate" to make decisions concerning their personal care on their behalf.

"Personal care” is defined as including, but not being limited to, "health care, nutrition, hydration, shelter, residence, clothing, hygiene, safety, comfort, recreation, social activities, support services and any other personal matter that is prescribed by the regulations". Those would be the regulations which are not yet in existence. Seeing as how the legislation itself remains in some sort of legal purgatory.

Putting that litle issue aside (yet again), I'm afraid I'm to be the bearer of two more pieces of bad news.

First, although the Personal Directive Act allows for combining a personal directive with an enduring power of attorney in a single document [sec. 23], a personal directive does not and cannot apply to financial issues. The situation remains that the only way to nominate a person to act on another's behalf in regard to financial matters in Nova Scotia (outside of guardianship) is through the use of a Power of Attorney.

The second difficulty, at least indirectly, involves the level of competency required in order for a person to execute a valid personal directive.

For the purposes of the Personal Directives Act, "capacity" is defined as "the ability to understand information that is relevant to the making of a personal-care decision and the ability to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of a decision or lack of a decision". [sec. 2(a)]

Turning our attention to our previous discussion on capacity in the context of Powers of Attorney, you might recall this statement:

Capacity and incapacity (and competency and incompetency) are legal concepts. And they are task specific. For example, the minimum level of competency required for a person to execute a valid Will (which we call testamentary capacity) is lower than that required for many other legal acts. In the context of making a Will, what is essential is whether the person has the ability to understand the information relevant to making the pertinent decision and the ability to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of that decision (or lack of decision).

So although I hesitate to commit to an opinion on this issue at the moment, it certainly would appear, based on the wording of the legislation, that the standard of competency required to execute a personal directive is very similar to that required in order to execute a valid Will.

And given that at least a segment of the population with intellectual challenges who would not have the higher level of competency required to enter into a contract, for example, could likely still execute a valid Will, the legislation would appear to provide an avenue for those individuals to nominate a person to make personal care decisions for them.

Good news, says you.

Maybe, says I.

There's just for one little problem. Caused by sections 9 and 12 of the Act.

9 A personal directive is in effect whenever the maker lacks capacity to make a personal-care decision.

12 (1) A personal directive has no effect (a) in respect of a personal-care decision, whenever the maker has capacity; (b) on the maker's death; (c) when the personal directive is revoked by a maker who has capacity and makes the revocation in writing, executed in the same way as the personal directive; or (d) on a determination by the court that the personal directive ceases to have effect.

We now find that our although our hypothetically challenged person may have the capacity to execute a valid personal directive (if they have "the ability to understand information that is relevant to the making of a personal-care decision and the ability to appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of a decision or lack of a decision"), their personal directive will only go into effect when they lack the capacity to make a personal care decision. And, just to put a cherry on it, their personal directive will have no effect whenever they have such capacity. Which capacity, we've already ascertained, they must clearly have had in order to execute a personal directive in the first place.

Leaving us, I would suggest, with a perfectly valid personal directive which will, unfortunately, remain useless (despite its validity) unless and until the maker becomes (even) more incapacitated.

Oh, the irony.

It kind of reminds me of having a Personal Directives Act (which, I must say, will be a very useful and much-needed piece of legislation for very many individuals) that isn't. For the moment, anyway.

All I Want For Christmas ...

It struck me today that perhaps I should be looking for a (belated) Christmas present.

The parents of students with autism or other developmental disabilities would have more choice and control over their children's education under legislation that received bipartisan support from Oklahoma lawmakers Tuesday.

The measure, which will be considered by the 2010 Legislature that convenes on Feb. 1, would qualify special needs students who have an individualized education program for a state-funded scholarship to attend any school accredited by the state Board of Education.

It would also expand the Self-Directed Care Program to provide greater benefits to developmentally disabled Oklahomans who receive state support.

Interestingly enough, the measure is said not to involve an increase in spending. Which is a good thing when Oklahoma faces a $729 million budget shortfall. Rather it would redirect how existing funds are spent to educate developmentally disabled students.

In fact, it's asserted that such "scholarship bills" for special needs students could save money for the state as well as parents by having state funds follow students and allowing their parents to place them in a school that best meets their educational needs. [I do believe that's what's known as "portability" ... too bad Nova Scotia couldn't figure it out.] Families will be provided a monthly budget and allowed to directly hire care staff. They can also use the program to get much needed respite care.

Save the government money while empowering parents to choose the best educational setting for their child? Sound too good to be true?

Nothing's ever that simple, is it?

It strikes me that some (at least in this country) might argue against such an approach on the basis that it runs counter to "inclusion". Although I would tend to think that giving parents (as opposed to school boards or government departments) the decision as to the best place for their child to attend school should alleviate a lot of that concern.

Supposedly we have something similar in Nova Scotia for students with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities. Notice I say "supposedly". That's because given the cost of some of the specialized schools in this province, the pitiful amount the government contributes makes it only a dream fantasy for many families.

Not exactly a scholarship, eh?

Guardianship Precedents ... A Work in Progress

Kathleen, in comments, notes that she was granted legal guardianship of her severely developmentally delayed son in late November.

I had decided to be my own lawyer, which meant learning about all the paper work, making sure it was all filled out properly, and going to court. The court appearance was almost anti-climactic - the judge had been given all the paper work a week prior, so he called us up first, smiled, said, everything looks fine to me, I'll write you up the guardianship order and you can pick it up this afternoon. Wow! It cost us the court charges which was about $135 and my time.

So, you might wonder why we chose this route. First,this way, there is no ambivalence about who his guardian is. Disagreements may arise around medical procedures; when and if he ever goes into a "group home" we will still have some input into his life; if we want to get him a passport; dealing with Revenue Canada; etc. But most importantly, as he does not understand implications of his actions, or anything to do with legal, financial, or other issues, we his parents, who know him better than anyone, figure that we are in the best position to make decisions on his behalf as we have his best interests at heart.

For some time now, I have been mulling over the idea of creating some sort of guardianship kit for parents of adult children with disabilities. My thinking being that it would be much like those Legal Will kits that you hear advertised on the TV and radio.

With that idea in mind (and Kathleen and her husband as willing 'guinea pigs', so to speak), we have proven that it can, indeed, be done. Not for $5,000 or $6,000 in legal fees and not as a long and complicated process (as so many claim) but as a relatively parent-friendly experience. Sure, Kathleen had a little help from her friends, but don't we all need that?

I have previously set out (and now updated) the process to be followed and the documents required for a guardianship application, the one change that has occurred since that post first being written is that Nova Scotia's new Civil Procedure Rules require only one court appearance (as opposed to the previous two appearances). Which should also make it significantly more parent-friendly.

So now that I've proven to myself that it can be done (with a bit of one-on-one coaching), it's time to get down to work on a package of precedent documents.

And although the project may take a while to complete, life being what it is (and I have yet to decide in what format and in what manner such a package will be made available ), rest assured, it most definitely is on my to-do list.

If I can find a way to make it workable, I will.

Year in a Blawg

I thought I would try something different as we start the New Year. A nifty little thing I saw elsewhere in the blogosphere.

So I present to you ... A Year in a Blawg.

It's the first sentence (or maybe two) of the first post for every month in 2009.

January - Just so you know ... it's still not too late to take advantage of the government's 2008 Grant and Bond even if you haven't yet gotten around to opening a RDSP.

February - Yes, there are many, many things I would like to post about, including the remaining portion of that human rights and employment discussion.

March - I considered titling this post "Royal Bank RDSP SNAFU" but then decided that perhaps that was a little harsh.

April - Just a quick note to let you know about the upcoming Atlantic Caregivers Expo on May 9 & 10, 2009 in Exhibition Park, Halifax, NS

May - I mentioned previously that some interesting questions had come out of the RDSP Information Session put on by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

June - Which is about how I've been feeling lately. There is a fair bit going on personally over here, not the least of which includes the battle to have my own child's EA hours reinstated for next year.

July - Posting has been light the last little while, in part because I have been studying Nova Scotia's new Civil Procedure Rules. Yes, studying as in there will be a test.

August -Okay, maybe not "in black" exactly but we are back with, at least, a few new tidbits to share.

September - I put off blogging about this particular issue because, quite frankly, it troubles me. I had hoped that discussing the matter with others in the disability community and taking some time to mull it over myself might help to settle my thoughts, but to no avail.

October - It was brought to my attention that some of my previous posts on the Henson Trust might have been a trifle misleading or confusing to some readers on the issue of whether or not such a Trust will work to protect the beneficiary's access to government benefits in Nova Scotia.

November - It's one thing to discuss the big picture of how things should work in the world of special education. It can often be quite another thing to attempt to navigate through that maze on the ground.

December - Continuing our discussion of the issues involved in a person with a disability executing a Power of Attorney (POA) in favour of the parent instead of the parent having to go through the guardianship process, I offer a few more thoughts on the limitations of a POA.

So now you know. A little taste of what this blawg has been about in the past year.

May you and your family enjoy a happy, prosperous and inclusive New Year.

Not A Very Merry Christmas

We've talked a bit here and there about Nova Scotia's track record with institutions for the disabled - both the fact that more money seems to be going into them and how residents are treated.

Out this months is the Report on the Riverview Home Corporation released by the Department of Community Services.

As noted by the Nova Scotia Association for Community Living, this is most definitely not the time of year that we look forward to reading reports. That being said, it is requested that we take the time and reflect on our lifestyle in comparison to the descriptions given in this report.

The conditions described are appalling. It is unacceptable and unthinkable that citizens of this province should have to endure such lack of privacy, overcrowding and lack of service. They are unacceptable working conditions for staff as well.

Riverview is an institution outside New Glasgow. NSACL urges that you all take time to read the report and to take action. Please write or call your MLA , the Premier premier@gov.ns.ca or dexter@ns.sympatico.ca 424-6600 and the Minister of Community Services, Denise Peterson-Rafuse petersdi@gov.ns.ca or denisepetersmla@bellaliant.com 424-8296 to express your concerns.

We wish you all peace and health and joy for the coming year.

Nova Scotia Association for Community Living.

To which Dorothy of the Disability Rights Coalition adds this:

We who have loved ones or have a disability ourselves should really be alarmed about this report; our government is in the process of building and renovating more institutions in Nova Scotia. They do not seem to “get it”.

If Newfoundland closed down their institutions in 1996 and Ontario closed their last institution last fall why is it our government feels they have to continue operating these places, they bear no resemblance to a home; they are more like penal intuitions.

Every study indicates that with the right kinds of supports people with disabilities
not only are able to live in their communities they thrive there.

What more must we do to let our politicians understand. I hope as Mary suggests you will all take the time to write or speak to your MLA’s.

'Nuff said.