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Kenora Association For Community Living501 Eighth Ave. S. Kenora, Ontario, P9N 3Z9 Tel. (807) 467-5225 www.kacl.ca On-line Newsletter December 2006 |
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This email is mailed out monthly to our membership. You may remove yourself from receiving the monthly email by sending a message unsubscribe to central@kacl.ca Any questions arising from newsletter may also be sent to central@kacl |
| Kacl Mission Statement: The goal of KACL is to ensure that all people with special needs have the opportunity to live a meaningful and satisfying lifestyle and interact as an equal in their community by providing continuing opportunities for personal growth through education, training, support, advocacy and an informed public. |
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To take out membership print out KACL Membership Application and mail along with cheque for $10.00 to the address above |
Hojo's is the place to be December 14 -15th when Art Partners of KACL show off their art to the public. Two murals may be viewed in the KACL Board Room but many more pieces will be available for viewing at Hojo's so see you there.
FITNESS FRIENDS PROGRAM
Nadine and Brett
Started on November 30, 2005 and now into its 2nd year, the Fitness Friends Program is still growing and taking more applications.
The program is designed to enlist volunteers in our community to join together with some of our identified consumers by participating in a physical activity. In working with the Kenora Recreation Center, a match is made between two people who have an interest in walking, swimming or to date, the most popular choice: the weight room. Once partnered up, the Inclusive Fitness Coordinator will join the pair to make sure they are comfortable with the equipment, the program and of course each other. Meetings occur at a minimum of one hour/week, but once comfortable and if time allows, many choose to meet even more than that.
To date, there have been 15 consumers partnered up with over 20 volunteers!
This is huge for Social Role Valorisation, inclusion within our community and of course as the name implies; friendships and fitness.
Beautiful stories of friendships have emerged: such as, coming to dinner at their new friends’ home, going on a shopping trip together, invitations for coffee with them at work, birthday gifts and even bringing along their children to join in are just some to name a few.
Remarkable stories of fitness are occurring as you read this. Medals in swimming competitions due to new strength training, over 20 pounds of weight loss in one case and of course we cannot overlook the health benefits and new added self esteem everyone involved is experiencing.
Some of our consumers are so comfortable with the atmosphere and their routine in the weight room that they attend some days on their own.
So Happy Birthday to all the Fitness Friends for being with the program into the start of year two. It is great to have so many involved in a supportive and inclusive atmosphere that promotes active and healthy living.
Sincerely…Nadene McBride Inclusive Fitness Coordinator 467-5240
December 3 International Day for the Disabled
In anticipation of the annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons, December 3, the Kenora Association for Community Living forwarded a cheque for $900 to Kenora's affiliated national body, the Canadian Association for Community Living. The funds donated by KACL staff and members of the public were specifically donated for work with the disabled on the international scene. The Canadian Association for Community Living in turn will forward the funds to Inclusion Interamericana, the Inter-American Confederation of Inclusion International which promotes respect human rights and inclusion where people with intellectual disabilities and their families can equally participate and be valued citizens in all aspects of community life.
The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons, December 3, is intended to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
James Retson, Executive Director of the Kenora Association for Community Living and one
of the contributor of the funds himself indicated that he was proud of the contributions
that Canadians made to promoting the rights of the disabled. In particular he noted the
contributions of Canadians in the negotiation and wording of the United Nations Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recently approved August 25 2006. In the original
draft of the convention the convention was going to protect guardianship rather than supported
decision making. The Canadian Delegation had decided that if other delegates would not agree to
the supportive decision making provisions they would withdraw. Mr Retson supporting
the Canadian position indicated,
"In Canada we regard equal treatment under the law as insufficient to constitute a
constitutional democracy - we must be able to understand ourselves as the authors of our
laws and the decision makers of individual choices to the extent we are able."
The Convention states that persons with disabilities have the right to live independently and be included in the community, with the opportunity to choose where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others.
In commenting on the need to support the disabled at the international level Mr. Retson made
reference to a recent play put on by Trilight Theater in Kenora:
"If one of us in trouble, all of us is in trouble. We live in a Global Village"
Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs
INFORMATION BULLETIN TO ONTARIO MEMBERS OF PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT November 2006
Dear Member of the Ontario Legislature
OASIS agencies provide services to citizens with an intellectual disability in your riding. We appreciate the feedback that we received from MPP’s regarding previous issues, and look forward to sustaining that dialogue. As part of OASIS' ongoing efforts to communicate issues of importance for our member agencies, we have prepared this Information Bulletin, briefly outlining current topics of most concern for your reference and consideration.
OASIS' Impact:
In the past, OASIS has been asked by MPP’s for the details of the services provided; membership size; and, the funding provided. OASIS has collated this information during the recent membership renewal process, and is pleased to share the details here for the first time:
Number of member organizations: 120 (as of the time of publication)
Total number of individuals with an intellectual disability being supported – 34,623
Total number of employees: 25,000 (full-time, part-time & casual)
Total operating budgets: $695,000,000
Sector Viability:
George Braithwaite, then President of OASIS, publicly acknowledged the Government’s budget increase of $84 M for the developmental services sector in May 2006. However, the sector remains challenged financially as it gears up for a significant Transformation. OASIS would like to ask for a Government commitment, and the support of the opposition MPP's, to ensuring the long-term viability of the developmental services sector. Multi-year funding commitments; increased operating budgets; increased services for those individuals on waiting lists; and, competitive compensation levels with the broader public sector are all critical areas to address in order to ensure that individuals with an intellectual disability continue to be able to live in communities across Ontario.
In addition to the final Transformation Paper, the 2007 Provincial Budget will be a crucial document with regard to the future of the Government's support of some of the most vulnerable citizens in Ontario. We look forward to meeting with MPP's across the Province over the next several months to discuss these matters further.
We hope that you find this summary to be of assistance as you assume or resume your responsibilities within the Legislature and debate issues of social concern to the people of Ontario. We encourage you to obtain details on these matters from the OASIS website at: www.oasisonline.ca
Sincerely,
Gerald Sutton, President