Disability Services for Students

The I CAN Movement

We are Self-Advocates, advocates for others, mentors for people transitioning to a new place in the community, friends, motivators, educators, activists for positive change. We are a network, we are a community of people who believe in inclusion. And we want you!

The Saskatchewan Association for Community Living has supported people who have intellectual disabilities to find their voice through the Self-Advocacy Action Group for over a decade. The members of the group travelled around Saskatchewan, Canada, and even to Germany to discuss and promote the concept of Self-Advocacy. As it is a movement guided directly by Self-Advocates, it maintains an authentic message that people of all abilities have a voice, deserve respect, and can make important decisions about their lives, while communicating on any level they are able to. It is an empowering and important practice to keep educating people about disabilities, particularly when the lesson is coming from a group who embraces their 'disabilities'.

Members of the Self-Advocacy Action Group came up with a new initiative when they met for a retreat in March of this year: The I CAN Movement, which stands for Individual & Collective Advocacy Network. We want to open up the group and invite everyone to be a part of it! We keep hearing stories about people across the province feeling isolated, not having opportunities to meet new people and we want to change that. We believe in the power of connecting and we recognize that if a person has a strong circle of support, they tend to have a better quality of life. We want everyone to have a safe place to talk about their lives, to challenge barriers in their communities and to improve awareness of disability issues.

Who can be a part of the I CAN Movement?
Everyone!

We believe in inclusion- all abilities are welcome!

We are based in Saskatchewan, but would love to have allies and members from across Canada or the world.

How can you help us?- Be a good friend
- Believe that each person has value, valid opinions and worth.
- Challenge systemic barriers to improve everyone's quality of life.
- Be an ambassador for change.
- Empower yourself, find your voice and encourage others to do the same.
- Get to know people who have a different background than you.

If you have questions about disabilities or how to interact with people who have disabilities, please ask us. We love to educate the public and view it as an opportunity to connect with people.

Let us know what is working/not working for people with disabilities in your communities. Sharing ideas helps us all grow.
Choose your level of involvement. We always want to focus on making sure everyone feels comfortable.

We are a program of the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living, a non-profit organization and funding helps us spread our message, find more members and build a stronger network.

What will we do?
- Keep in touch.
- Meet at a local and provincial level. Fund development especially helps us connect people, as we would like for everyone to be able to meet - we don't want cost to be a barrier.
- Be mentors to people who need support in finding a new job, a new place to live, a new direction in life. People who have already walked that path have the best insight.
- Network, network, network.
- Promote inclusion by living it!

We want to ensure that everyone has a voice, feels included and has a strong community behind them. Join us!

Click here to like us on facebook.

For more information contact Self-Advocacy Coordinator Megan Wells at (306) 955-3344 ext. 120.
http://www.sacl.org/home/news-detail/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=17&cHash=ac85a09089c24f1111b6f41aab620603

Posted by cec206 at 01:35 PM | Permalink

GRASP SUPPORT GROUP SASKATOON CANADA
Saskatoon, Canada

Your facilitator is Melissa Edge MEdge@GRASP.org

http://grasp.org/main

In 2003, GRASP, the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership was formed as a result of a generous grant and fellowship provided by the Fund for Social Change in New York City. What makes GRASP unique, other than its proven nationwide support group networks, programs, and outreach, are the stipulations GRASP must adhere to in accordance with our bylaws—that the Executive Director, 100% of the Advisory Board, and 50% of the Board of Directors of GRASP must all be diagnosed on the autism spectrum.

GRASP’s Mission:
GRASP’s mission is to improve the lives of adults and teens on the autism spectrum through community outreach, peer supports, education, and advocacy. GRASP’s Vision: At GRASP we envision a world where all individuals on the autism spectrum are respected, valued, and fairly represented; where appropriate supports and services are readily available to those in need; and where people on the spectrum are empowered to participate in policy and personal decisions that affect their lives.

When & Where do we meet: Please see the GRASP calendar for details on upcoming meetings. We plan on meeting the first Tuesday of every month, beginning in March 2013.

Location: #609-25th Street East, Saskatoon, SK
Coordinators: Melissa
Meeting Dates: First Tuesday of every month starting March 5th, 2013
Meeting Time: 7:00 - 7:45 pm

Directions:
By Bus - http://ww9.saskatoon.ca:83/
By Car - http://goo.gl/maps/o5LNd
(There is currently no train that runs near our meeting place.)

Who: Anyone on the spectrum is invited. Membership information is kept through the main GRASP office, so you must subscribe before you can attend. This allows your membership to remain as anonymous as you desire. We respectfully request that anyone in attendance not share with others the names of anyone else they have seen at a meeting.

Cost: All GRASP groups are absolutely FREE to attend. However, GRASP survives on funding from foundations, corporations, and generous individuals. If you wish to donate to GRASP, we would gratefully appreciate it (and we’re almost certain to need it). You can make a tax-deductible donation with a credit card via our DONATE page or mail your check made out to GRASP to: GRASP, 666 Broadway, Suite 825, New York, NY 10012

Posted by cec206 at 01:27 PM | Permalink

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, made a major announcement today in support of employment of persons with disabilities. The Government of Canada's press release, with all of the details, is included below this message on the NEADS website:

http://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=75

Posted by cec206 at 02:38 PM | Permalink

The Adaptech Research Network has completed a SSHRC funded study of the employment circumstances of Canadian college and university graduates with disabilities. The results are highlighted in the article below, which is now available on the NEADS website:

http://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=76

Posted by cec206 at 02:37 PM | Permalink

re you a person with a disability or the immediate family member of a person with a disability?

The Government of Canada is conducting a study about government programs for persons with disabilities and issues related to saving for the future.

If you or your immediate family member with a disability is in receipt of the federal Disability Tax Credit, you might be eligible for the study.

As a participant in this study, you will be asked to participate in:

1) a 2 hour focus group or
2) a 40 minute telephone interview.

In appreciation for your time, you will receive a $75 cash honorarium.

To volunteer for this study, please call 1-866-770-4649 and leave a message with your name and telephone number. Someone will call you back to confirm your eligibility for the research. (No TTY direct number was provided.)

This study is being conducted on behalf of the Government of Canada by Phoenix SPI, an independent Canadian research firm.

Your personal information will be treated in complete confidence.

Posted by jla134 at 01:14 PM | Permalink

Read the full story at this link: http://www.neads.ca/en/about/events/index.php?id=164

The 10th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the Canadian Disability Studies Association will be held June 5, 6, and 7, 2013, in Victoria, BC. The meeting is part of the Disability Congress 2013 of the Humanities and Social Sciences/L'Incapacite congres 2013 des Sciences Humaines.

Register for our conference at this link: http://www.congress2013.ca/register. Please note both the Congress 2013 and the Association Meeting Fee are required. Contact us if you have any questions or problems with registration.

Posted by jla134 at 09:08 AM | Permalink

From neads.ca
http://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=76

A recent SSHRC-funded study found that employment and salary statistics are better than feared for recent Canadian college and university graduates in this time of relatively high unemployment.

The Adaptech Research Network recently completed a study of employment among recent (past 2 years) Canadian college and university graduates and those who left their studies without completing their program. In 2011 we administered an online questionnaire to a convenience sample (i.e., a non-random sample of NEADS members and others on our mailing list) of 133 graduates and 39 individuals who had abandoned their studies prior to graduation.

Fourteen participants were "not in the labor force" (i.e., neither employed nor looking for work). The reasons for this, in rank order, were: health (43%), one's disability (43%), potential loss of benefits (36%), and being discouraged with looking (21%).

Of those "in the labour force" (i.e., everyone else), 67% were employed, mainly full-time. Graduates were more likely to be employed than those who left their program of studies before graduation. Seventy-five percent of those who were employed were satisfied with their employment. Although there was considerable variability ($17,000 to $84,000), the average salary for those with a college diploma who were employed full-time was $31,000. The average salary for those with a Bachelor's degree was $43,000. Those with post-graduate degrees earned an average of $53,000.

Is this good news about employment for students with disabilities? Yes! Is it good enough? Absolutely not.

Internships seemed to confer a small advantage in helping to find a job. There were no significant differences in employment between French and English speaking participants, between men and women, or among those whose highest credential was a college diploma, a Bachelor's degree or a graduate degree. Of interest is the finding that there were no significant differences between those who rated themselves as being in the top, middle or bottom third academically. Indeed, a degree or diploma lacking the "Dean's Honour Roll" designation seems not to have hurt graduates' employment prospects.

For further information on the study, contact Dr. Catherine Fichten at this email address: catherine.fichten@mcgill.ca

Posted by jla134 at 08:56 AM | Permalink