Disability Services for Students

From the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Website

Fort Qu'appelle, Saskatchewan (September 16, 2009) - The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) have reached a tripartite agreement on an interim process to implement Jordan's Principle.

Through the agreement, all parties are committing to work together to develop a child-first approach, ensuring the health and well being of First Nation children with multiple disabilities in Saskatchewan take priority over questions of jurisdiction and responsibility of payment for services and health care.

Canada, through Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Health Canada, the Province, represented by the Ministries of First Nations and Metis Relations, Health and Social Services and Education, and the FSIN have agreed to work together to establish processes, including a dispute resolution mechanism, to ensure First Nation children with multiple disabilities receive the services and care they require in a timely fashion. The parties will work together to address jurisdictional questions between the federal and provincial governments as well as long-term support for implementation.

“The Government of Canada is committed to working with provincial and First Nations leaders to ensure that the needs of First Nation children with multiple disabilities are met,” said the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians. “In keeping with Jordan's Principle, the care of children with multiple disabilities is paramount over questions about responsibility for payment for service or care.”

“We are pleased that our work with Saskatchewan and the FSIN is progressing. We need to ensure all parties involved in a child's care work cooperatively to ensure continuity of care for those most vulnerable,” said Minister Aglukkaq.

"Today we celebrate a first in Canada. First Nations, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Federal Government have agreed on an interim plan to implement Jordan's Principle and begin the process of negotiating a final arrangement,” First Nations and Metis Relations Minister Bill Hutchinson said. “As we continue to work together to ensure that all children get the care they need, we will keep in mind the sacrifice made by Jordan Anderson and his family of Norway House, Manitoba.”

“We must always keep in mind that this agreement is in place to protect the most vulnerable group in society - First Nations children," says Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Vice Chief Glen Pratt. "The interim agreement will allow us to make sure that First Nations children with intensive needs do not slip through the cracks in health care.”

Jordan's Principle is named after Jordan River Anderson, a First Nations child from Manitoba who was born with severe and multiple disabilities.

Backgrounder - Implementation of Jordan's Principle in Saskatchewan

For more information, please contact:

Minister's Office
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl
819-997-0002

Media Relations
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
819-953-1160

Posted by jla134 at 01:27 PM | Permalink

September 9 is International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day. Here in Saskatchewan, the day will be marked by various events organized by regional FASD community networks.

FASD is a life-long disability caused when mothers drink alcohol during pregnancy. In the western world, including Canada, it's the leading known cause of intellectual disabilities.

'I am dedicated to spreading the word about this serious health issue and the fact that there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy,' Crown Corporations Minister June Draude said. 'FASD is preventable, but many individuals are unaware of how alcohol use during pregnancy can cause permanent impairments to the baby. That's why we support comprehensive services through the Cognitive Disabilities Strategy to help prevent FASD and to support those who have it.'

Draude, an advocate for FASD awareness and prevention, introduced Bill 203, The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day Act in 2002.

Community FASD networks are volunteer organizations made up of local service providers, professionals and parents who meet regularly to discuss FASD related issues and initiatives. Events include:

* Noon-hour awareness event at Frederick W. Hill Mall on Scarth Street in Regina based on this year's provincial theme 'Pregnant Pause'. The event is hosted by the Regina FASD Community Network.
* The Saskatoon FASD interagency Committee plans to host an FASD coffee time and ceremony at Saskatoon City Hall Civic Square from 8 to 9:09 a.m., followed by a walk to White Buffalo Youth Lodge to view an FASD documentary.
* Also in Saskatoon, the Métis Addiction Council of Saskatchewan will host a community luncheon at noon.

In collaboration with several other ministries, Saskatchewan Health leads the implementation of the Cognitive Disability Strategy that provides individuals and families affected by cognitive disabilities, including FASD, with better access to supports and strengthened prevention and early intervention of FASD.

For more information, contact:

Karen Hill
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: karen.hill@gov.sk.ca

Posted by jla134 at 04:21 PM | Permalink

NEADS would like information on their website about Campus Group of students with disabilities at the U of S. To let NEADS know about your group, all you have to do is select 'Add A Group or Committee' on the following page. Fill out the form and submit it: http://www.neads.ca/en/norc/campusnet/groups.php

Also, if your group/committee is listed, but the information is not up-to-date, please complete a new form and we'll replace the old entry.

Posted by jla134 at 03:10 PM | Permalink

From the National Post, 31 August 2009

Life would have been so much easier for Chad Jones if the iPhone had existed when he was a first-year university student.

Instead, the now 31-year-old computer science instructor at the University of Saskatchewan will have to be content with simplifying the university experiences for hundreds of students, and for bringing his university's administration into the mobile age.

That's because the University of Saskatchewan will be the first Canadian university to offer its students a free iPhone application -- known as iUSask -- that will allow them to find their classes, look up library books and check their grades from the touch screen of their smartphone.

"At a lot of campuses, engagement has been going down and the best way to reach this group is cellphones," said Mr. Jones, who once worked for iPhone maker Apple Inc. at the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.

"If a student comes out of class and opens up their cellphone, and you see this all the time, we want to be on that screen when they push that button. You're communicating with students in the way that they want to be communicated with."

Today, smartphones such as the iPhone, Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and other mobile devices are as much a part of university life as study halls and Thursday night pub outings. Just as the PC revolution changed the very nature of higher learning, the smartphone is beginning to transform the university experience.

To date, the application has been downloaded by more than 900 users. While 90% of those downloads have come from inside Canada, the application is generating significant international attention and Mr. Jones has fielded inquiries from schools in California and Kentucky looking to see if his team can build them their own applications.

One of the first academic iPhone applications was created by Stanford University in California. The journalism school at the University of Missouri has mandated that all its incoming students purchase either an iPhone or an iPod Touch device, in addition to their textbooks, as part of their studies.

In fact, in some academic circles, a push is on for all students to purchase smartphones before coming to university, similar to how students today are all but required to have their own computer when they first arrive at their dorm.

Of course, technology has already altered attendance in lecture halls. In 2007, Apple unveiled an addition to its popular iTunes music store known as iTunes U, a service that allowed academic institutions to post video and audio recordings of lectures and other coursework, which students could download to their computer or iPod.

Dozens of American schools, as well as six Canadian universities, including Queen's, University of Western Ontario and McGill University, have at least a few courses participating in the project.

Financial Post

mhartley@nationalpost.com

Posted by jla134 at 09:24 AM | Permalink