Resources in the Time of Physical Distancing

Click here to read Lifetime Networks’ SAFETY PLAN AND PROTOCOLS 2021 July 1 update

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Check back daily for links, tips, and tricks submitted by Lifetime Networks’ staff and participants as we stay connected but not in person!

• Flockdraw.com is an online group drawing platform
• Click this link for an online scavenger hunt that hones internet skills: http://www.ion/uillinois.edu/resources/otai/scavengerhunt.asp 
• washyourlyrics.com  is a simple site where you can make your own hand-washing lyrics poster. No more singing Happy Birthday 20 times per day!
• Now could be a good time to try out geo-caching! Make sure to stay 2 metres away from any other explorers! You will need an app to do this activity.  www.geocaching.com/play 
• Drawize is a free online drawing game like Pictionary. You can draw and guess with friends, with other people around the world, or just guess the drawing or make your own quick sketch.
• Houseparty is a social media app you can play games in and “lock” the room where you’re interacting with your friends.
• Some colouring pages to print at home: Plants/Flowers/Succulents, Fruits, Fruits and Vegetables, Coffees, Planes, Happy Sea Creatures, Owls and Bird, Butterflies, Crabs and Seahorse, Many Many Mandalas, Hearts for your Window, Terrariums, Fresh Produce

OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES

• COVID-19 BC Government support. You can find information on financial supports available during this public health emergency and vaccine schedule information.
• Community Living Society Financial Supports Summary
• DABC Community Update – Bill C 20 Receives Royal Assent: one-time payment of up to $600 for people with disabilities. Disability Alliance BC offers assistance with the DTC application.
• Telus has a promotion for low-income families and people living with disabilities in BC and Alberta. Internet for Good^TM is an innovative program offered in BC and Alberta that provides eligible Canadians with the tools and connectivity they need to succeed. https://www.telus.com/en/about/company-overview/community-investment/how-we-give/cause-campaigns/internet-for-good
• Supporting People with Diverse-Abilities During the Pandemic 12 slides with some useful knowledge!
• Open Future Learning Blog – articles on how to connect with individuals with disabilities during the pandemic
• COVID19 Info + Resources
• Resource List from Community Living Society  last updated April 14 2020
• Self Advocate Leadership Network COVID-19 Response
• Self Advocate Leadership Network (SALN) News-sheet April 7
• Self Advocate Leadership Network (SALN) News-sheet April 9
• Self Advocate Leadership Network (SALN) News-sheet April 15
• BC Hydro can defer bill payments or arrange for payment plans with no penalty. Customers are encouraged to call 1-800-224-9376 (1-800-BCHYDRO) to discuss bill payment options.
• ICBC offers customers a monthly Autoplan payment plan, able to be deferred for up to 90 days without penalty. You can apply here: onlinebusiness.icbc.com/eforms/dotcom/jsp/ACG398.jsp
• Renters & Landlords: Landlords may not issue a new notice to end tenancy for any reason during this emergency. Temporary rent supplement will provide up to $500 per month directly to Landlord. New annual rent increases are frozen. Press release here: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020MAH0048-000561
• Community Living BC’s COVID-19 Resource page for Service Providers
• Community Living BC’s COVID-19 Resource page for Individuals and Families
• Read about Canada’s Emergency Wage Subsidy
• How Canada is responding to COVID-19

Continuing Education of the Accessibility Committee:

The Accessibility Committee is dedicated to furthering its knowledge of Accessibility issues and developments and has subscribed to a wide spectrum of accessibility resources. In 2019, we saw the largest increase in resources that the Committee has decided to monitor. Below is a summary of our most used resources.

Federal Accessibility Legislation Alliance:

Lifetime Networks is a member of the Federal Accessibility Legislation Alliance which is a social movement powered by people with disabilities. Over 100 Canadian disability organizations, representing thousands of people with disabilities, are joined to improve access and inclusion. The goal is to create an accessible Canada.

Engagement on the Disability Inclusion Action Plan – Survey Open June 4 – August 31 2021

The Government of Canada is consulting Canadians on how to improve the lives of Canadians with disabilities. Your feedback will support the development of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan.

The Disability Inclusion Action Plan will focus on:

• reducing poverty among Canadians with disabilities
• getting more persons with disabilities into good quality jobs
• helping meet the Accessible Canada Act goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040
• making it easier for persons with disabilities to access federal programs and services
• fostering a culture of inclusion

Instructions on how to participate are here: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-canada/consultation-disability-inclusion-action-plan.html

Accessible Canada Act:

On May 29, 2018, Bill C-81 – Accessible Canada Act was passed in the House of Commons with unanimous support. On June 21, 2019 the Bill received Royal Assent. The goal of this legislation is to benefit all Canadians so that everyone, and especially those with disabilities, can get to and use information, spaces, and places.

The Act adds to the existing rights and protections for people with disabilities, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and Canada’s approval of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

You can read the full Act here: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-81/royal-assent

You can read the full act in plain language here:

https://www.include-me.ca/federal-accessibility-legislation-alliance/resource/accessible-canada-act-plain-language

You can see the visual representation of the Act

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-canada/act-infographic.html#section1

The Provincial Government of British Columbia:

The BC Government has a 10-year Accessibility Action Plan, which was developed in response to the 2014 public consultation. It contains 12 building blocks based on themes that emerged during the consultation.

The Accessibility Secretariat provides annual Accessibility progress update each year. These updates outline highlights and information on progress towards Accessibility goals from:

• Government

• Business

• Communities

The 2018 Progress Update – Building a Better B.C. for People with Disabilities provides an overview of the policies, programs and activities helping make B.C. more inclusive for individuals with disabilities. It displays a selection of the work that government, community and businesses have been doing to improve accessibility throughout B.C.

The Accessibility Committee of Lifetime Networks subscribes to email updates regarding the 10-year Accessibility Action Plan. Further information can be found at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/about-the-bc-government/accessibility/background

BC AccessAbility Week:

On Monday, May 27, 2019, the Province launched B.C.’s second annual AccessAbility Week. During AccessAbility Week, communities throughout the province hosted events and activities that promote inclusion and accessibility. The celebrations were supported by $10,000 in provincial funding to the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC). AccessAbility Week 2019 concluded on June 1, Access Awareness Day.

As part of the celebrations, the government of British Columbia announced the funding of $500,000 for community projects that improve accessibility. The funds will be distributed through grants administered by Disability Alliance BC (DABC). A call for proposals were posted on the DABC website in summer 2019, and grants will be awarded by the end of the year.

Lifetime Networks applied to, but was not successful in obtaining a grant from the Disability Alliance BC.

Additionally, The Accessibility Committee will be working harder to promote BC AccessAbility Week in 2020 amongst it Stakeholders.  It is unclear now how this will be achieved, but the Committee thinks that our social media platform would be a good place to start.

Disability Alliance of BC:

Disability Alliance BC has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. The mission is to support people, with all disabilities, to live with dignity, independence and as equal and full participants in the community. It champions issues affecting the lives of people with disabilities through its direct services, community partnerships, advocacy, research and publications.

Lifetime Networks often refers its stakeholders to the resources provide by the Disability Alliance of BC. These self-help guides explain various benefits and programs, and how to apply for them.

https://disabilityalliancebc.org/category/publications/help-sheets/

Council of Canadians with Disabilities:

CCD is a national human rights organization of people with disabilities working for an inclusive and accessible Canada.

In November 2019, Lifetime Networks Accessibility Committee signed up for “a Voice of Our Own”, the quarterly newsletter from CCD.

The BC Community Accessibility Network (BC CAN):

In November 2019, we became a member of The BC Community Accessibility Network (BC CAN) which is a way to stay updated on provincial accessibility issues and developments.

The Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC):

The Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC) was established in 1966 and is a leader in applied social research, social policy analysis and community development approaches to social justice. The mission is to work with communities in building a just and healthy society for all. It is a provincial organization with over 16,000 members, governed by a Board of Directors that is representative of all regions of British Columbia.

Lifetime Networks Accessibility Committee receives regular email newsletters from SPARC.

Include-Me.ca

Canadian Disability Benefit Webinar Series

https://www.include-me.ca/canadian-disability-benefit-initiative/resource/canadian-disability-benefit-webinar-seriesnadian

Canadian Disability Benefit Initiative – Disability Without Poverty 

The Canadian Disability Benefit Initiative – Disability Without Poverty – is led by people with disabilities. The goal of the initiative is to define the best benefit model that will get people with disabilities out of poverty.

https://www.include-me.ca/canadian-disability-benefit-initiative/resources

Accessibility Barrier Definitions

Architectural or physical barriers may include preventing access to a building for an individual who uses a wheelchair, narrow doorways that need to be widened, bathrooms that need to be made accessible, the absence of light alarms for individuals who have a hearing impairment, and the absence of signs in Braille for individuals who are blind.

Environmental barriers can be interpreted as any location or characteristic of the setting that compromises, hinders, or impedes service delivery and the benefits to be gained. These may include the persons served and/or personnel do not feel safe or feel that confidentiality may be risked. Internal barriers may include noise level, lack of sound proof counseling rooms, highly trafficked areas used for service delivery, or type or lack of furnishings and décor that impact the comfort level of the persons served and personnel. In a work environment, lighting may be a barrier if, for instance, fluorescent lighting is used and the flicker precipitates seizure activity in an individual. The physical office environment could present a barrier if it is noisy or is a very open structure and an individual is easily distracted by activity. Fragrances in the workplace could be considered an environmental barrier as many persons have allergic reactions to various smells and do not perform at their best under such conditions.

Attitudinal barriers may include terminology and language used. How persons with disabilities are viewed and treated by the organization, their families, and the community. Whether input of persons served is solicited and used. Whether or not the eligibility criteria of Lifetime Networks creates barriers for individuals with specific types of disabilities.

Financial barriers include insufficient funding for services/supports, Lifetime Networks might advocate at a legislative level for increased funds, or may promote activities to directly raise money for the support of a service or person served.

Employment accommodation requests provide flexibility in the workplace, such as requests for flex time, job sharing, part-time work, or compressed work schedules. These types of practices make Lifetime Networks more family-friendly and can lead to more productive workplaces for Lifetime Networks and a more satisfying setting for all employees.

Communication barriers include the absence of materials in a language or format that is understood by the persons served. This includes written material and the Lifetime Networks website.

Transportation barriers include persons being unable to reach service locations or being unable to participate in the full range of services/supports and activities offered.

Community Integration are barriers that would keep the person served from returning to full participation in their community. For example, the lack of a lift at the local public swimming pool, lack of scheduling availability at the local gym for adaptive sports programs, or lack of accommodation for the person served to return to volunteering at a community level.

Other Barriers could include evolving technology, the upkeep of equipment/assistive technology.